A/N: This first chapter/prologue/ thing is really slow, but it's necessary unfortunately. It's been quite difficult to type, but the insight about how everyone's doing is needed for me, and the third person is yucky. I've never wrote in third person and if I tried, it sucks, so yeah. Bare with me a little bit as this pieces together and we jump back into the excitement of the journey. Whew, got to love those journey things. The sequel's got to start somehow I suppose... This is supposed to be this short by the way, just wanted to clarify.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Bullets and Lace

Stage 1: Prologue

"If I hurt you, it’s not what I wanted." Achilles

"My apologies...Where are my manners? I'm Adriana Bennett." She stuck out her hand and took his confidently.

The quick change in temperature sent shivers up his spine. His drenched clothes felt like deadweights holding him down and yet his captors persisted to dragging him on. Bile rose in his throat, but he denied himself vomiting for he was nowhere near Raizer. The scraping of metal rang in his ears and he felt himself lifted off the ground. HIs back met a metal wall and immediately pain besieged him and a sharp weapon entered his gut.

"Blackmore!!!" She hissed in fury, her eyes sparkling in humiliation and heat flooding her cheeks.

If she was meaning to torment him, then she was doing a hell of a good job. He spluttered, but still didn't cry out. Raizer wouldn't have the joy of earning that, not yet, not ever if he had his way. He felt cold fingers wrap around his neck in a deathly grip and he gnashed his teeth. He was sent cascading through the air straight into a shelf and he grunted. Crashing against the ground, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed at how much he was getting wailed on. Exhaustion overruled though. In vain, he tried to summon up the will to get to his feet.

She snuggled into his embrace contently. "Want you." She whined and her lips pouted. Shortly after, giggles filled the air and an angelic smile spread across her face.

The amount of people he would kill just to see that smile again... His efforts were practically spat upon; Raizer picked him up by his throat. "Hmm...What should we do with you until my guests arrive?" Damien opened his blackened eyes wearily and tried to get a look at his brother, but lest his efforts were in vain. He had a feeling that his blindness wasn't temporary anymore. Blood dripping on the floor pierced the silence. "I know. Let's try out the new table that I purchased. Especially for you." The sound of something unsheathing, at least in his opinion, came to him and he was undoubtedly curious. His brother dropped him and he crashed to his knees. Why was he so weak? He was never this weak and Raizer never beat him this badly. He could spit fire at how annoyed this made him. He heard the taps of his brother's boots against the floor and he didn't even try to move away at this point. What was the use?

"Come on, Adriana. Don't make this difficult." He coaxed as she looked at the hospital bed with her eyes wide. He tried to lead her out.

"No!" She cried out, sobbing now. "Don't!"

"Adriana... No, no, no... Please, don’t cry." He pleaded.

His brother picked him up by throat and he grabbed at his wrist out of reflex. Raizer scoffed and walked over to the table. "Since you're obviously as blind as a bat and don't even know what's going on. I suppose I should tell you." With the press of three buttons, spikes shot up from the table. "I suppose you'll be more comfortable if you're lying down...so here." He felt himself dropping and then numbness. The pain really began to set in after a few seconds. Those spikes punctured the backs of his legs and his entire torso. They missed his heart by a mere fragment of an inch and the pain never did reduce. He thrashed and writhing, but the pain kept on and he knew that this was just the beginning of his hell.

"I will you make you suffer."

The whispering promise remained in his mind and a surge of confidence pulsed through him.

"Bring...it...on." He hoarsely replied. A growling rang through the air and he screamed as loud as he could at the new slash between his throat and his collarbone.

- - -

Chancery treaded across the path down to the dock with a heavy heart. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept his head bowed. The sleeves to his new suit jacket hung loosely on his arms and covered his tattoo covered wrists. It also hid the remembrances of many scars that wouldn't fade. Chancery pushed up his sleeves and glanced down at the small heart on his wrist. In scrawled manuscript, 'Stacey' was carved and it brought a small smile to his face. Stacey... He felt his eyes water, but then wiped at them furiously. No, he swallowed the lump in his throat and continued on. His combat boots clomped against the rough wood.

He unwrapped the rope that tied the boat to the dock and then leaped over the railing. Landing, he sat in the driver's seat and it roared to life. It was one of many boats that the Blackmore's used, but it was especially designed for him. The waves rushed passed him as the speedometer on the small boat climbed and he felt that it had some relation to the way his life was lately. The way that all of their lives were now. Adriana and Damien seemed like the only ones were even close to having happy ending. Raizer was just the one who was spoiling it all, he was always was. Chancery couldn't help but feeling envy. Why were they the only ones who were granted that? Why didn't anyone else count?

Chancery smothered those feelings and thoughts because he knew that they would only cause him more pain. At the moment, he had reduced it to a small throb or a numb feeling. He still couldn't comprehend it really. The boat stopped and he tied it to a post after he climbed out. The rain was only a sprinkle now and mere puddles remained across the ground for young kids to splash in. He glanced at the forest surroundings and spotted a uniquely hidden pathway. Curiosity overruled and he began to make his way over.

Thinking about Adriana and Damien... where were they anyway? He pushed a strand of blue hair out of his bloodshot eyes and stepped over a large log. It had already been a day of them being gone. But getting off track, this kind of felt like one of those scenes in the horror movies where the unsuspecting victim goes into the dark, dank pathway and then it brutally maimed by the psychotic killer. Except Chancery probably would have been the psychotic killer stalking the shadows instead of the victim. The edge of the long path drew near and still his mind refused to agree with his decision not to think so much. He stepped out into the light and thanked God for the clouds that day.

The pathway led to an abandoned park... or that's what it seemed like in the mist of the drizzle. He was definitely walking right into a horror movie. Chancery passed a swing set and loosely grabbed onto one of the poles. Surges of memories passed through him and her face filled his mind. So that's how he recognized this. He'd been before with her... He bit back the urge to rip the swing set out of the ground and toss it across the playground in fury. He continued on past the equipment and headed toward a barren area near the lake. Blood was splattered everywhere against everything and his felt his heart sink down to pits of his stomach. A petite girl lay in the mud, shivering, and she just happened to have the same raven hair that Adriana did. No. It was just coincidence, but he should help anyway.

Chancery sprinted over to her and she rolled over on her back. His eyes widened, "A-Adriana...?" barely escaped his lips. She looked back up to him and something was different... something was wrong.

"H-he..." She coughed, blood painting her full lips. "He took him..."

"Who took who?"

"Raizer..." She wheezed. "He took him. He took him from me."

"Adriana..." Chancery said and kneeled beside her.

"He took him from me because I was weak... And neither of us could stop it..." She whispered.

"It's okay," Chancery said, "It wasn't your fault." He put his arms under her and began to lift her in his arms ever so gently. "We'll get you back to the estate and figure out what to do from there. But you have to stay awake." He adjusted her in his arms to where he could slip off the jacket and wrap it around her shivering form. "Just stay awake..." Chancery demanded and they began the long trek back to the house. She snuggled close to his chest and violent coughs erupted. Chancery was so confused at this point, he didn't even hardly realize in how short of a time he made it to the dock. "Can you stand for a second?"

He looked back down and saw that she was fast asleep. "Or not." He said. He scoffed at his own impudence and looked at her, he inhaled. Chancery climbed back into the boat and sat her down on a small couch that she was on only a day ago with Damien. Damien... what madness would his brother subject him to? The boat started and the waves crashing around him seemed a little less relieving then they were before. He drove as fast as he could and grabbed her and climbed onto the dock again.

"Chancery..." He heard her again.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Where are we?" Her eyes opened again and she glanced around wearily.

"We're back home now; this'll seem like a dream if you just close your eyes now." Chancery suggested.

"I don't want to close my eyes." She persisted. "It hurts either way."

Chancery carried her up the steps and kicked open the door. "Lilliana!" He shouted. "Lilliana!"

"WHAT?!" She shrieked back.

"I need you NOW!" He called back to her. The tromping of feet down the stairs echoed through the large manor and he could clearly hear Lilliana's distressed curses.

"What the- Oh god." She breathed out when she saw him. Adriana shivered in his arms and he advanced forward. "Come, Chancery." She commanded and directed him up the stairs. She led him to Damien's room and he sat the shivering Aid down on the bed. "Tell me, where is my son? Why isn't he taking care of her?"

"I found her in the mud on the ground at the park shivering and alone. She said something about 'him' being taken by Raizer. Raizer's got Damien somewhere and I can bet you he was only able to because Damien's eyes kicked out again. We'll have to find him, she'll want to find him, and she'll probably get herself killed in the process." Chancery explained.

Lilliana bit her lip. "What about Tabby?"

"Still gone with Raizer, I'd assume. I have doubts that she would assist him in the capturing of Damien." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Curses." She growled. "What mother would have her children warring against in each other in spite and hate? Ugh, please excuse yourself for a while, Chancery. Fetch my daughter if you would." Chancery nodded and he exited. Lilliana looked down to the shivering girl and sighed. "There's nothing that's going to stop you is there, Adriana?"

Her faded eyes opened and she looked to Lilliana, smirking grimly.

"That's what I thought..." Lilliana whispered. "This will be complete and total hell on earth. I know that there's nothing that can be done to stop it..."

XxXxXxXx