Vixen shook her head, trying to clear the fog as she came alive. Her head was pounding like a drum solo as she squinted, trying to figure out who was looming in front of her. And there stood Nico, holding a plate of food like some kind of peace offering. "Hungry?" he asks, voice all soft but carrying some serious tension in the air.
Still shaken from their last run-in, Vixen pressed him. "I need to know, Nico. Tell me your story."
The room just got heavy with silence as Nico's gaze wandered, lost in the shadows of his past. His memories flashing across his face. When he spoke, his voice was tight. "I don't wanna be linked to the Conti name. But my story? It's stained with blood."
Vixen leaned forward. "Blood?" Her curiosity was laced with concern.
Nico's eyes fixate on some distant point, like he's replaying a horror show in his head. "I watched my old man... he killed my mom." His voice cracked.
"Oh god." Vixen inhaled sharply. "How old were you?"
"The day it went down," Nico starts, a rare crack in his usual guardedness, "I was a little six, just a kid. My innocence died that day" Anger and grief battled in his eyes.
Vixen's heart broke for him. No child should endure something so horrific. She longed to offer comfort, but knew some pains run too deep.
"I'm sorry," she said gently. "If you ever want to talk..."
Nico met her gaze, shadows haunting his eyes. Yet she saw the faintest flicker of light still alive within.
Vixen couldn't help but notice the crack in Nico's tough exterior, the pain etched deeply into his face. "I remember that day vividly, the scent of lilies in the air," he kept going, a touch of bitterness in his voice. "It was the same fragrance that lingered as he tore her away from me." His gaze drifted to some distant memory, lost in the chaos of that awful day.
"Gosh! I'll never forget that messed up family picnic," Nico continued, "we were out in the middle of nowhere, pretending to enjoy the great outdoors. But little did I know, I had a front-row seat to the horror show. He thought I couldn't see from where I was seated behind the car seat. But I did. I saw him push her off the cliff... Like it was nothing..."
How does someone bear witness to such brutality and not crash? Nico's question hung in the air, pleading for answers that never showed up. The pain in his eyes mirrored a life shattered beyond repair.
"Her eyes," he whispered, as if uttering those words threatened to break him apart. I still see the fear in her eyes, the desperate plea for mercy that fell on deaf ears." He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, as if trying to contain the whirlwind of emotions tearing him apart.
Vixen's heart ached for the child who had endured such cruelty. "That's beyond words, Nico. I can't imagine seeing something so horrific as a child."
"He was ruthless, Vixen. Her cries... They haunt my dreams. I swore I'd make him pay," he declared, his voice filled with determination. "My father's sins won't escape the lights. His empire, his power... it's all tainted with innocent blood. Justice, no matter how cold or ruthless, will be served."
Each word Nico spoke cast a heavy shadow, triggering off the room of its remaining dim light as he stripped away layers of deep-seated indignation. The flames of vengeance burned fiercely inside him.
Vixen kept her eyes fixed on Nico, her own determination echoing the intensity of his emotions. "I get it," she whispered, her voice a mix of understanding and agreement. "Our dads... they've got to face the music."
She watched as Nico paced back and forth, his steps echoing the disturbance brewing within. "Do you know," he stated once again, his voice trembling and his eyes red-hot, "the weight of carrying the sins of your own blood in your heart?
Their eyes locked, like ones in a staring contest, emotions threatening to overwhelm. "You know, the crap pulled in the name of power and greed," he practically spat out. "It soils our souls. It's not just about my mom biting the dust," he admitted, his voice dropping to a haunted whisper. "It's the betrayal, the ultimate betrayal from the ones who were supposed to have protected us."
Their eyes were like magnets, seriously stuck on each other. Suddenly, Nico's expression softened, a spark of understanding in Nico's eyes. for a moment his hardened mask slipped.
He seemed to recognize something in Vixen, her unbreakable spirit, her drive for justice. His unexpected offer hung in the air, a shaky alliance against the big bad villains who wrecked their lives. "I know your story and see your fire. It matches mine. That's why I say we join forces against the scums who wrecked our lives."
These two were like puzzle pieces that didn't know they fit until now. They seemed to get along without needing a translator. The air practically crackled with the possibility of a partnership that could shake things up.
Vixen paused, a feeling like that moment when the air feels heavy with all the stuff you can't really put into words. "Teaming up against our big bad enemies?"
Nico nodded, jaw tight with determination, like he had his game face on. "Yeah, together, we can fix all the mess they've made."
Vixen was in a real emotional wrestling match, torn between her quest for justice and teaming up with the bloodline she'd been raised to hate. It was like a storm inside her head, threatening her reason.
The negotiation bit felt like this delicate dance between enemies turning into potential partners. Trust was hanging there, super fragile, like it could break any second.
The decision pressed on Vixen like a brewing storm, seriously deep stuff. Could she let go of all that ingrained hatred for the greater good? Her determination wavered in the middle of all the chaos.
Generations of grudges were looming over their heads, making their choices heavier than a sumo wrestler. The endless cycle of violence had tangled their families up, offering them a choice that went beyond what they personally wanted—chances to rewrite their blood-soaked legacy. Their dads' crimes were calling for payback, a whole echo between them.
Vixen met Nico's steady gaze, silently confirming her decision. She reached out her hand, sealing the pact that would bind their fates. It was an unspoken vow, a commitment to stand up against their common enemy.
Their hands clasped firmly, unspoken understanding flowing between them.
The alliance they made was like this killer weapon, mixing up strength, resolve, and a united goal. They'd become buddies facing down a huge grudge together.