OH, NO ., FENIX !! or emma.

[NATHAN WALLACE]

The building itself made Nathan sick to his stomach. From the black marble floors to the vaulted chandelier ceilings, everything reeked of wealth and influence. Nathan preferred the comforts of the Sheltered side of the city, the only relatively safe place left in New York. Even the smell of burning flesh and decay of human bodies of the downtown area was more appealing to Nathan than the stench of the Largo family compound – their own monument to Rotti Largo’s infamy and great success. Nathan had made himself very clear when he stated he would only receive orders after a certain hour, during certain evenings, and only through brief voice mail messages left on his cell phone. He never went to the GeneCo. building willing and the very few times he had stepped inside had been forced and manipulated out of him. It seemed as though Rotti Largo enjoyed torturing him by forcing him into the single building he despised more than any other. He’d call him forth for little errands; quick and meaningless requests were given and taken grudgingly. Over the years, Nathan’s strong will had began to be chipped away by Rotti, leaving an empty shell behind filled with only flesh and bone. No man longer existed, just a faithful GeneCo. servant remained to fill every single need. He did it without much complaint anymore. It seemed like a bitter routine he was doomed to repeat over, and over, and over, and over again. He’d never escape from the cycle; it was simply too late for him. All of this suffering was more than enough to have Shilo’s fragile mind never shaken with the truth. Everything was worth it for Shilo.

Rotti had left a message earlier in the evening to come to his office; he had something he’d like to discuss with him. It was always very vague, purposely leaving Nathan no other choice but to go and find out what exactly was so important. It was never anything important. It was always the same. He thought perhaps Rotti did it so he could watch Nathan’s cheeks pale at the photograph of the target, or the way his muscles tighten when Rotti stood too closely. Rotti Largo was the type of man who enjoyed admiring his handiwork. Nathan had grudgingly come to the towering skyscraper after he was sure that Shilo had fallen asleep. He never dragged his feet though, he never put off going, Nathan wanted to be in and out of the dark tower as quickly and painlessly as possible. It was all so routine and expected. The receptionist never made eye contact with him through his horned-framed glasses but always managed to bury her nose in a surgery magazine or become suddenly so interested in her fingernails. In fact, even the bodyguards and personal assistants remained always a safe and clear distance of Nathan’s path. It seemed as though everywhere he walked, something died. He burned a perfect little path of destruction and fire straight through downtown and he stood in GeneCo. not as Nathan Wallace, beloved husband and devoted family man, but as the master of repossession – the universally feared night surgeon. It was the only way anyone at GeneCo. knew who he was. He looked more like a hungry scalpel to them than a man who went home every night to his sick daughter to care and comfort her, to hold her hand and stroke her hair. He looked like a monster and well, perhaps he really was.

“I’m here to see Rotti Largo,” the receptionist lifted her pretty head and her eyes widened at the sight of Nathan standing, very stiffly, in front of her desk. He could barely see her mouth over top of the leveled desk. She quickly pressed a painted fingernail on a red button which produced a loud buzzing sound. “I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Largo. Nathan Wallace is here to see you, sir,” she was whispering now, her lips hovering inches away from the speaker. Nathan no longer paid any attention to her and used his time to look at the people drifting past him, disappearing down hallways and into offices. They kept their eyes to their papers and frequently checked their watches or charts. Nathan resisted a smile that was began to tingle on his lips, threatening to reveal how much he enjoyed making them all uncomfortable. To Nathan, they deserved nothing better. If they didn’t have a lovely GeneCo. salary, he would’ve met quite a few of them a long, long time ago, and they knew it. “Sir,” Nathan turned his straying head back to the nervous receptionist. “Sir, Mr. Largo would like you to wait just a few moments. He apologizes for the delay,” Nathan said nothing but turned on his heel and walked away from the desk. Rotti would keep him waiting, keep him wondering, he liked just having Nathan in the building. He enjoyed suffocating him with the roof, smothering him with the fancy wallpaper, strangling him with the designer drapes. The receptionist opened her mouth to protest his barging in on Rotti, but she quickly closed her red lips and pursed them. She seemed paler than before. Nathan walked towards the main hallway and turned sharply around the corner. He didn’t have time for these mind games. He had to return home to make sure Shilo was still in bed. He had really been gone far too long as it was.

Oh, no.

Nathan’s heavy footsteps halted and he stood, staring blankly, at what was bouncing out of Rotti Largo’s office. Nathan thought of proper escape routes and safety measures. He could kill her, which would end this silly obsession. Nathan struck the killing of the tall, long-limb girl whose eyes, once dreamy and distant, now sparkled and shined when they spied Nathan. He didn’t want to make any mess in the hallway – someone would have to clean her up. Nathan’s eyes closed as he let out a sigh, the sound of her squealing his name causing a spike in his temper, and a hand reached up and rubbed the soreness ebbing at his forehead.

She had seen him; it was too damn late now.

[FENIX REILLY]

Fenix sighed as she slumped into the old victorian style couch in front of rotti largo's desk. he was telling her she did a good job on her last one. it had been some poor bittie that had a new heart, she just went right in and tore it out, okay, with a little more discussion, and pleading on the ladies side. Fenix had always enjoyed the pleads, the hopes, the promises, but she knew, if she didn't do it, someone else would. she sighed and placed her elbows on her knees, resting her head in her palms. rotti stopped chattering and squinted her eyes at her, he called her forth, closer towards him. he petted her on the head and asked her what was wrong,and she really didn't have much of an answer for him. she shrugged it off as nothing and smiled, a sickly sweet smile that always seemed to please him. It was always funny, the way she hated being his little pet, but never really did anything to stop it. it wasn't like she was going to tell him not to do these things, it wasn't like he gave her special treatment or anything, he just let her write things down more, her memory was botched, afterall. she sat back down onto the couch and listened to the bigger man drone on and on. it wasn't too bad, hoenstly, she only stayed because if she didn't, she would probably end up back on zydrate, and she really didn't want that again.

Zydrate had stopped and started a lot in her life, it had stopped many of her contacts, friends, all that jazz, but it had started the decaying of her brain, it had started trouble. but it ended simply with the care of her family, and them making and cutting a deal with rotti largo himself, they had had family ties somewhere, friends of a friend kind of thing. whatever it was, it haddragged fenix out of a hole she had dug for herself. he had let her study surgery and get her doctorate, and then she became a repo man, easlity slaughtering those who needed to pay forth, with no remorse. She was quite good at her job, she even enjoyed talking to her victims, it was a bit of a quirk, she was known for it, more commonly than not. she liked being crazy, it gave her something interesting, she was more unique than most, and you couldn't say no about that. Rotti called forth one of her girls and told her to get fenix a drink, fenix declined and claimed she should be heading out, she had another brain to reposess and then she was going to find something to do. she smiled, did her usual little curtsey and headed for the door. sometimes, the man was just too boring, all though, on some days her eyes would glaze and she'd think of nothing but sitting in the seat she had herself plopped in.

she pushed her blonde locks backwards and opened the large wooden door, her light pastel pink skirt swished and swooshed around her knees as she bounced, she could hear Rotti laughing and then talking to his little hench-women. he always did like them tall, strong, and with amazing bodies. a small camisole hugged her chest, and a cream knitted sweater overtop. she always liked to dress rather cutely, maybe it was making up for the lost years she could have had. her eyeliner was think though, made her sometimes ghostly dull eyes stand out even just a little bit. and then she was out the doors, scanning the hallway, she immedietly smiled "NATHAN! NATHAN WALLACE!" she saw him cringe and she laughed to herself, and skipped over towards him. he always did this, she believed it was because he was a strong man, and she enjoyed it, it made her feel more, special? she really didn't know, but she did enoy watching him squirm, in the nicest way possible.

[NATHAN WALLACE]

To put it absolutely plainly, Fenix Reilly made Nathan Wallace uncomfortable. It was a task that was difficult to accomplish and by looking at Fenix Reilly, some might call him foolish, and perhaps he was. There was more than one reasoning as to why Fenix made Nathan’s insides squirm, in fact, he had comprised a mental list and added new annoyances after every chance encounter. The most important and obvious reason was her constant touching and invasion of his personal and most valued space. It seemed every time that Nathan was at the building, Fenix was lurking behind some Rotti Largo statue in the foyer, popping out of empty conference rooms, or simply wandering the hallways with her infamous dreamy, dazed expression. Nathan always had to ask himself what the hell she was doing her so frequently; it was almost as if she called his place her home. Nathan nearly shuddered at the thought of calling GeneCo. home, to be without the safety and coldness of his own bedroom or the reminders of Marni around every corner. Without his four-walled tomb, Nathan couldn’t have functioned as decently as he did. Fenix was always touching, her hands always sliding over his broad shoulders, fingernails dragging against the fabric of his suit. When she did see him in his nighttime outfit, the sounds of rubber against warm skin, the squeaking would haunt him for days. She always left her scent on his clothes, and the memory of a woman’s closeness lingering on his tongue. She was very aggressively affectionate which made Nathan the most uncomfortable. Even when he was young and growing up in a small and desolate suburb, Nathan was always reserved. When Marni had first come into his view, it had been the only time he had ever felt such strong desire and wanting. She had approached him first, being gentle and coy, sweet and docile – she was always so happy. Nathan had been shocked and the brilliant doctor answered her questions with stutters and mispronunciations. She never said anything harsh, only giggled which always caused Nathan to clear his throat and turn away, feeling himself flush with hot red color.

Fenix wasn’t like Marni – except for perhaps the giggling.

Nathan didn’t like himself very much. At all, in fact. Nathan’s sole purpose was to care for Shilo and give her unyielding protection. If it hadn’t been for Shilo, Nathan would’ve withered and die in the winter months like Marni’s flowers. There wasn’t much to like and with his night habits and servitude, that he sometimes, with great despair, found himself loving, he could never be expected to like himself. He was a monster, perhaps the worst, but at least he attempted to control himself. At least Nathan still had some morals; he still retained a small portion of his soul. The Repo men (and women) below him sickened Nathan. Their shared insanity, how they relished the employment, how easy it was for them to do what they did. Fenix was just like them, and the more insane the Repo men (and women) were, the more Nathan found them distasteful and steered clear of them. Once, a particular strange Repo man who enjoyed dissection of living bodies to retrieve organs, always keeping his targets alive until he was finished with them, had strode up to Nathan in the hallway and shook his hand. With a large smile and clapping his second hand on top of Nathan’s, while shaking vigorously and Nathan staring blankly, proclaimed he was such a devoted fan of his work. He did work on his mother and that “addict bitch”, as he referred to her, and Nathan’s experience with her was what made him go into the business.

Nathan was sick for a week after that.

"NATHAN! NATHAN WALLACE!", chirped Fenix Reilly, her blonde head bouncing as she hopped towards where Nathan stood. As he watched her, the subtle and most guilty third reason behind his dislike for Fenix Reilly was beginning to bubble in his chest. Reilly’s long, thin legs ran straight up into the underbelly of her pastel skirt, leading Nathan eyes to places he never meant them to wander as she bounced and danced her merry way towards him. He would find his cold, emotionless eyes drifting lazily over her exposed skin or the way her necklace glittered in the fluorescent light bulbs, and hung far too low on her chest. Nathan stiffened his muscles at the thought and his jaw tightened, the muscles lining his cheek flexing uncomfortably. He didn’t like that he found the very young girl strangely attractive. For a human being, a woman, she was pretty. Nathan, however, was an old man and Marni… it just wasn’t right to even look at Fenix in any other way than distaste. He didn’t want her around. He didn’t want her provoking him. Nathan swallowed and looked past her down the hallway, concentrating on the portrait of Luigi Largo smoking a cigar. He frowned and turned back to Fenix who was now standing directly in front of him, once again, far too close for comfort. Nathan’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but never flashed with emotion or thought, with surprise and then they muted and turned dark and silent. He stared down at her. “… I really wish you wouldn’t shout my name across hallways like that,” he said quietly, his voice scolding. Nathan towered over Fenix, his body far larger than hers in both height and broadness. He was the biggest, and by description, intimidating legal assassins in the business. Nathan didn’t find himself very intimidating when he happened to pass by a mirror. He didn’t seem to be anymore intimidating than a corpse.

“Hello, Fenix.”

Nathan spoke coldly and very bluntly, his words as dull as a badly sharpened scalpel. He never was a man for many words, something Marni sometimes scolded him for. She thought he needed to speak up more. Nathan felt that he would speak when something needed to be said. Just because he was talking, he reasoned, didn’t mean he was saying anything. The same went for everyone else. His arms folded in front of his chest and eyes squinted behind horned-rimmed black framed glasses, narrowing sharply as he looked down at her. Nathan’s feet cautiously and slowly slid backwards across the black marble floor, creating more space in between to two bodies.

The most feared Repo man in the world was made uncomfortable by a blonde, bouncing, silly little girl.

He was almost embarrassed.

[FENIX REILLY]

Fenix loved the thoought of Nathan Wallace, in his black shoes, his slacks and his blazers, his button up shirts. it was music to her ears when she heard him mumble something about her keeping her distance. yes, some would say her little crush on him was borderline obsession, others had called it silly, and cute. she thought he was one of the most fantastic beings in the world, any misgivings and past discresions floated from her mind. of course, her brain wasn't exactly there any more, but what was left of it, usually had something about Nathan swiming to and fro. he was always there, a scent on her clothing, memories in her ears of his voice, and her dreams, they were vivid and full of skin, flesh, and well, sin if you really wanted to go there. as he spoke she giggled, he always seemed to make her do that, it was a silly little sound that would slip from her lips, dance in the air, little tango's of sound waves. fenix enjoyed thinking of every movement and sound in that way, always a reaction to something else. she let her dreamy and glazed eyes sweep over his body, which was, in all the essence of the word, much larger than her own. she giggled an extra time, and nodded her head. "i'm sorry Nathan" she whispered and pressed her index finger against her light pink lips. she giggled again to herself and hushed herself by covering her mouth with her left hand and placing the other on her hip.

"Well, i'm sorry for hollering Dear Nathan."

Little miss Fenix knew so much about Nathan, one would be surprised, and shocked. Of course, she would never tell anyone anything she knew, for it might cause trouble for Nathan, and she didn't want that, she knew about Shilo, he had a daughter, with a woman who had passed giving birth. Her name had been Marni, and that's all she had been able to find out, being Rotti's pet, he had told her these things, but he was vague about the woman, and her daughter, but he told her plenty about Nathan Wallace, he found her obsession, and crush on the older man quite amusing, and attempted to fuel the fire as much as he could. he would tell her the times when Nathan would be appearing in the building, in which, Fenix would hide, and pop out when least expected. She had always wanted to catch him off guard, it almost worked once. she had popped out from behind an amber sweet statue and she could almost seem him jump from his skin, she had giggled, said she was sorry, and ran her hands along his broad shoulders. he had flinched and tensed like crazy, and she had loved it even more.

her glazed eyes looked upon his own, his cute glasses, he moved backwards and in the step she went forwards. she found it more of a game than anything else. her lips wrapped around words she wanted tosay and settled for something light, soft, and really simple, an every day kind of thing. "well, how are you today?" she paused, and added onto the end "i'm not keeping you from something? am i?"

[NATHAN WALLACE]

Nathan’s blank gaze stared passed Fenix’s pretty pink lips, through her body into the wall on the other end of the hallway. He attempted to ignore the gentle placement of her slim finger against her mouth that pressed so delicately and yet firm enough to create a small indentation where her finger rested. It was as if her lips were shaped specifically to accompany such an innocent gesture. Even in his absence of thought, Nathan could hear the ringing giggle of her vocal cords in his ears and the smell of her floral perfume that would forever haunt him after he left. It stained his blazers, it sunk into the black fabrics of his vests, it would lace its scent between threads of his buttoned sleeves and lingered there. It was never heavy or enough to cause him discomfort to his stomach, but there was the emotional disgust he felt when she left her mark on his clothing and thoughts. There was the guilt, the heavy, back-breaking guilt that followed that smell. It was as if Fenix Reilly’s perfume was made of embalming fluid – it was so much like death. Nathan wondered if she left that kind of marking on her targets. Did the back alleys and empty apartment buildings become painted with her? Was this what her victims experienced as they laid on their back with their blood soaked hands grasping at their slit throat? Could he be living that final moment every time she was near? Nathan suddenly felt like a target; he was a weakened and hunted prey of a Repo.

Never.

He stiffened and focused on her face.

"well, how are you today?", Fenix carried on in her usual light tone. Every thing about Fenix was light as air from the graceful way she moved, dancing from one place to another, to the softness of her voice. If someone else were to encounter Fenix on the street, with her curly blonde hair and pastel pink dress with ribbons, there would be know way of knowing she had her own body count. Fenix asked him this every time she saw him and she always received the same one worded phrases. It typically consisted of a limited vocabulary of adjectives, such as “fine” or “decent”. He described his life as someone would describe a distasteful meal. The sirloin was overdone, his baked potato was undercooked, and his wife was dead at his hands while he kept his daughter locked away like a criminal in her room. Did he mention that in between the main course and dessert of three layered chocolate custard cake he drugged her blood to keep her there? Nathan opened his lips but found his eyes trailing over her shoulder and to the swinging opening door of Rotti Largo. This would be his only chance to catch him before he left for where ever he was going. Then, he would have to return later. Again.

Nathan’s body tilted to one side, his head drifting far enough to the left to look over her shoulder. "i'm not keeping you from something? am i?", asked Fenix Reilly, her dreamy eyes still watching him carefully. Nathan’s gaze flashed back to her for a mere moment before returning to the door. Someone was stepping outside of it now and Nathan found himself making a sudden movement with his front foot. Alas, someone was standing in his way. Without removing his steady stare, Nathan replied quietly but in a low voice, “actually, yes, you are. If you’ll excuse me…” Nathan placed both of his hands on either of the girl’s surprisingly small shoulders, which fit perfectly in his own large hands, and moved her rather quickly out of the way. He had been rougher than he had meant to as he moved her. It had been without thinking, as his thoughts now were centrally located on the bodyguard that was stepping out of the room and that Rotti Largo wouldn’t be too far behind.

He wanted to go home.

He needed to check on Shilo.

[FENIX REILLY]

Nathan Wallace smelled so good. it was kind of animalistic musky, but not like, sick ew gross camping kind of musk or musty. it was pure physical smell, maybe it was sweat and pheromones. Whatever it was, it made Fenix's head spin with dirty thoughs, play by's of moments yet to pass. When thinking about Nathan, Fenix never thought about work, but then again, she had always wondered, what was his body count? She would have full bragging rights if she ever could get him into the sack, and maybe it was the challange of him that made her want that even more. It wasn't like Nathan hung out in bars, drinking his sorrows away, no, no, he would go home and lock hismelf away in rooms, dark rooms. Fenix didn't have to follow him to know this, it's what his eyes would tell her, although, she saw the way his first instinct upon seeing her was to drag those sad eyes along her body, her small, petite frame. she liked it when he would, and he always did, even though she knew he full out flat denied ever feeling anything more than hatred for others, and himself. Even lust was unavailable to a lost soul like Nathan. Fenix wanted that lost soul, she wanted him bad, she wanted everything about him. from their Repo-Men suits hanging in a closet, to his blazers and her skirts, maybe it was silly, maybe it was just a crush she had, no, she had honest to goodness well-wanting wishes for him. And maybe that was all Nathan really needed, to see that someone in the cruel world coul care. If only he could get that into his think head.

This was new, a whole new little thing. His palm pressed onto her shoulders and Fenix Reilly blushed at the touch of his warmth. she turned her head in the direction Nathan was going, she immedietly stepped back into place, in front of him, she didn't mind the roughness, Fenix had enjoyed it, her mind went back to when just the other evening, Grave Robber had pinned her against the cold cement wall, if it had been Nathan? well, it would have been a completely different feeling going through the pit of her stomache.

"Nathan, Rotti's heading out, he's done with meetings of any sort."

he usually was at this point in time, and then, tilting her head to the side, she heard the door lock and a key turn, she was right, and usually was. she ran a hand along his arm, pressing her fingers against the fabric. she really didn't want to make him angry. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she did. she paused for a few minutes, looked to her feet, and then looked up into the taller man's face. "i'-i'm sorry, Nathan, i wasted your time, i didn't know though..." she knew he probably had to get back to his daughter, the sick one. she gave him massive amounts of props, or whatever, fot he fact that he never gave up on her, of course, she didn't know the whole story, but she knew Shilo was his everything, and figured the reason he never looked at her with hungry eyes, or touched her with feverish hands, was because of the daughter he had sititng in a bedroom at home. it was the only logical reason, and she told herself that was why, over and over again. why else would he say no to Fenix? she was cute, she had a very nice shape and form to her body, she always wore clothing that fitted her nicely. it wasn't like she was some frumpy has been know it all, of course, it could always be because she was crazy, well, yes, okay, that could be the reason too.

[NATHAN WALLACE]

It was harder every day for Nathan to remind himself why he didn't like Fenix Reilly. He made a mental checklist so he could recite it every time she came too closely, repeating it like a failsafe mantra to keep himself out of trouble. That's what she was - pure trouble. Nathan tried to avoid trouble, he made a special effort to leave his Repo life and his problems at Shilo's doorway. He didn't need anymore tragedy in his life. Nathan had enough of that for a lifetime. There were times when he found it extremely difficult to remember exactly what the number two reason why, or why number four couldn't be overlooked. It was times like the present, where she stood uncertainly on her long, thin legs, her pretty head tilting from one side to the other as she watched his expression. She looked at him with such desperation as she apologized. Her worry was evident on her features and even in her stance, and the smallest frown on her springtime pink lips. She was hoping he wasn't angry with her and maybe it was the fatherly-instinct that held the blame but Nathan wanted to reach out to her and with his hands against her small rounded shoulders, reassure her he wasn't angry, but she shouldn't do things like that.

Why did he feel the urge to do that?

Nathan resisted and simply watched the door close. The tumblers dropping were enough to make his stomach turn over and the fact he would truly have to return later now ate away at the back of his mind. He could hear a voice repeating that he would be forever cursed to return to this spot, to follow his orders, to wait on Rotti on his time. "i'-i'm sorry, Nathan, i wasted your time, i didn't know though...", Nathan blinked and slid his eyes from the double doors that led into Largo's office to the young woman who, he found, was still staring up at him with wide eyes. Perhaps it was how she looked at that moment, or the way her voice was a whisper the way Shilo's was, or because his mind was preoccupied with other things, but Nathan's head nodded and let his eyes fall to the floor. He'd just have to return later. It was as simple as that. He'd have to wait until the early morning when Shilo was still asleep and leave the house. "It isn't your fault, Fenix," Nathan's soft but deep voice sounded in the hallway. It was rougher around the edges when he spoke the first word, as if his vocal cords weren't used to being used very often.

With his fatherly instincts taking over and the desire to make her feel better, he took Marni's lifelong advice and spoke more to make her feel better. He didn't know why it mattered at the moment, perhaps it was because at least one of them would be happy. "You didn't know I was coming here to see Rotti Largo," Nathan, for reasons that escape him, returned his solid gaze to her face. "I'm not upset with you," he added coolly.

He wasn't.

But he didn't know why.