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Pitch Black is the second arc of The Underground series

Chapter 19 of 22

In The West End

The West End of Arcadia was like stepping into a demilitarized zone. Unlike Downtown, Valley Vista, Portside, or any of the other districts of Arcadia, the West End was unpleasant in every respect. Jenna was living no high life in The Underground, but she would take her shabby apartment over anything in the West End any day. Five-O were constantly patrolling around the area, and usually were needed for something. Underground life was rough and dirty to say the least, but as compared to life in the West End it was a life of near glamour.

As Jenna walked down the streets, littered with junk and trash. She looked around at the buildings, most boarded up for one reason or another. After she let Abby know she was going home for the night, Jenna had changed out of her uncomfortable uniform, and hailed a cab. She pulled the matchbook Mick had given her out of her pocket.

The Pit.

Jenna hadn't heard of it before. She knew of the other rival hotspots in The Underground to Delirium. Clearly, this place must cater to a different type of crowd. Judging by her surroundings, Jenna guessed she was right.

The cabbie looked at Jenna as if she was insane going to the West End at this hour, alone. However, Jenna wasn't stupid. Before leaving the apartment, she had grabbed Alias's old nine millimeter and slipped it into the breast pocket of her warm peacoat. Carrying it around made her feel a bit apprehensive, but from what some of the other Delirium girls had told her, she wasn't about to walk into the maw of the beast without something to defend herself with.

The blue vixen looked at the address listed on the matchbook. She paused, looking down a set of concrete steps that disappeared below the streets. Taking a deep breath, Jenna figured she had come too far to go back now. Besides, she wanted some answers.

Just ask for Ethel. The words ran through Jenna's mind, spawning questions as to who this was and what she had to do with Alias.

Her thoughts were soon cut short as she approached a heavy steel door. She was met by a large, green, menacing looking lizard. She swallowed hard and walked forward, but it wasn't long before his attention was focused on her, and so were his comments.

"Look what we got here." His raspy voice announced to no one, forked tongue shot out of his mouth to taste the air like reptiles do. It sent a disgusting chill down Jenna's spine. "What's a pretty little furry like you doing down here?"

"Business." Jenna replied as confidently as she could with her throat dry due to nerves.

"You don't say?" He asked her cynically. "With who?"

"Ethel."

At this the large lizard laughed out loud. "Oh shit." He said, through his laughter. "This should be interesting... I'm almost sorry I'm going to miss it."

Jenna rolled her eyes. The bouncer was a total dick.

"I give you two johns before you've had more than you can handle!"

Jenna cocked her head. "That's not what I'm here for!" She snapped back, angered by the fact he thought she was some sort of call girl.

He scoffed. "Yeah, ok, whatever you say. Just if you're still...‘functional' by midnight, I get off. I'd think like to see a bit more of you..."

She slowly shook her head in disgust. "Not going to happen." Jenna nodded to the door. "Do you mind?"

"Heh, yeah we'll see about that, won't we?" He asked her, leaning down where he was level with her. His tongue darted out, and had Jenna not been quick enough, it would have flickered up and down her muzzle.

Jenna remembered being with Alias in Graefenburg for a time. He remembered another reptile losing a hand at poker to him. Afterward, he had started talking shit about Alias, called him a cheater. Alias took the insults and simply turned the other cheek, until he had been called ‘furry'. He grabbed the lizard by his throat and held him against the wall, choking him until he nearly passed out. The term wasn't anything new, as derogatory as it was. Jenna could only guess it tied into Alias's past somewhere, and spawned the hatred for the name. Of course, calling the bouncer a ‘scaly' would have been just as bad, but Jenna knew she had to choose her battles here. She walked in hostile territory tonight.

As she descended further below the street level, she quickly realized why it was called The Pit. The air was stagnant in this bunker of a club, making it almost difficult to breathe. She could smell the pungent body odor from the mosh pit in the center of the club. The death metal music was almost overbearingly loud as she tried to be as discrete as possible, less she get stopped by some of the other reptiles who made the bouncer outside look well manicured. Apparently she was dressed like a whore, even though she was in jeans and a simple black baby-t. Then again, that's probably how that asshole treated anyone who had fur rather than scales.

Jenna avoided eye contact for the most part. As she felt the stares from their yellowish lamp-like eyes picking her apart. Regret spawned in her head that she had not asked Abby to come along with her. At least then she'd have someone who knew what to and what not to do in a place like this.

Walking over to the bar, Jenna's paw closed around the book of matches, her nerves getting the better of her. She already felt the palms of her paws starting to sweat.

"Excuse me." Jenna said as politely as she could. However, the gecko bartender didn't even look up at her. He even walked passed her, took another order, and fixed a patron a drink. "Excuse me." Jenna said again, with a little more force.

"What?" The gecko stopped and rudely asked, looking up at her as if she was inconveniencing him in some way.

"I'm looking for someone named Ethel. Someone said I could find her here?" Jenna asked.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, leaning down where he was at eye level with the vixen. "What you wanna talk to her about?" He asked in a menacing tone.

Jenna, trying to show as little fear as possible kept her eyes fixed on the gecko. "It's personal." She replied. "Please, I'd just really like to talk to her."

The gecko eyed her up and shook his head in disgust. "What's up with people like you, coming down here, thinking you run the place just because of what's growing on your skin? Who the fuck do you furry bitches think you are?"

Jenna swallowed hard. "Look," she replied calmly, "I see where this is going. I'm not here for a fight. I just came to see Ethel."

"What? You hook up with some scaly at a frat party, can't get enough of the action now?"

Jenna clamped her eyes shut in annoyance. Seriously, did she just have ‘WHORE' tattooed across her forehead? She was dressed conservatively compared to just an hour ago.

"Please." Jenna shot back with more force. "This is important." The vixen insisted.

"So is this, if you don't want something bad to happen." The bartender whipped back. "Get the fuck out of my bar." He pointed to the door, eyes harsh and unforgiving. Jenna sat there for a moment, looking defiantly back at him.

"Fine." She hissed through her gritted fangs as she slid off the barstool. If there was one thing Alias had been truthful on, it was that things were much different in The Underground. She had gone to school with reptiles before, however they were mostly from well to do backgrounds. Jenna had only heard of the hostilities between fur and scales, she now knew where it came from. She could see the look of contempt in their eyes as she turned around to leave.

"She be wit' me!" A hostile female voice, thick in a reptilian accent, barked. Jenna turned to look and before her eyes she saw a red elderly salamander, dressed in what looked like a gypsy costume. "Insultin' her you be insultin' me!" She hissed at the crowd of scalies who had gathered around Jenna.

The bartender bolted upright and started to explain. "Err... Ethel, we were, um, just-"

"I not be interested in a-hearin' your excuses! Last I be checkin' this be my bar!" She snapped, cutting him off. "You best be a-goin' back to your business! You not be wantin' to be upsettin' me again!"

Jenna watched the gecko deflate, looking like a schoolboy who had just been disciplined. He nodded solemnly and walked back to his drinks, leaving Jenna with Ethel.

Jenna looked over at the salamander, humbled by her intervention. She didn't quite know what to say.

Ethel shook her head in disgust. "Tis unfortunate if you be havin' a pretty face ‘round these parts you be attractin' the worst of ‘em. Sorry about what be happenin' out here."

"He was, um..." Jenna started, "I mean I came here hoping to find-"

"Ethel knows why you be here, child." She explained, her angry tone, replaced with one a mother takes on when talking to a cub that hadn't made the smartest move.

"You...do?" Jenna asked confused.

"Of cause." Ethel replied. "It's not like we be a-havin' many foxies down in these parts. Only one I can tink of." Ethel reached out and took Jenna's paw. "Come, child. We be havin' much to speak about."

Jenna followed Ethel down a dark hallway with few lights. And what those lights revealed made Jenna wish there were no lights at all. She was really glad she made the decision to change before coming down here. A Delirium uniform in these parts would have been a Palamont repeat all over again, only this time she doubted Alias would be there to intervene.

"It not be the most stylish of places, but it be somewhere you can be a-restin' your head." Ethel said, opening her door to reveal her humble abode. Looking around Jenna picked up on the reptilian influence from wherever Ethel's descendants came from. It seemed to be a menagerie of spiritualities from her motherland that decorated the room. The vixen wasn't up on her geography, but she got the general concept. She could tell Ethel was very proud of her heritage.

"Have a seat, child." Ethel requested. "Tell, ol' Ethel why you be here?"

"I thought you said you knew?" Jenna asked, taking a seat.

Ethel let out a slight chuckle. "Oh, Ethel be a-havin' her thoughts, but would like to hear it from the foxy girl ‘erself." She said, walking to into her kitchen.

"You mentioned another fox being here." Jenna replied quietly. "Didn't happen to be a black one did it?"

She heard Ethel let out a laugh from the kitchen, as she arranged two mugs and poured hot water from her tea kettle into them. "Tha one who be a-talkin' darker than tha night sky above, be a-movin' as gracefully as tha summer breeze, and be cursed without a name?" Ethled asked, walking back into the living room with two steaming mugs of a greenish brown liquid. "Oh yes, Ethel be knowin' him."

"Alias." Jenna confirmed quietly, taking the mug Ethel offered to her.

"Uh-huh." Ethel replied, taking a sip of her brew. "It may not be a-lookin' pretty, but it be a-makin' you feel better." Ethel sighed, taking a seat next to Jenna on the couch. "Such a pretty face shouldn't be a-holdin' so many troubles." Ethel said, brushing a few stray indigo locks from the vixen's face. "Tell me what Auntie Ethel can be a-doin' for you?"

Jenna took in a deep breath, nervous at having to bear her soul to a complete stranger. But Ethel had come to her aid earlier, giving Jenna no reason not to trust her. "This is going to sound awkward." Jenna started, taking a sip from her mug, a bitter taste flowing over her lips. "But I need you to tell me about Alias."

Ethel nodded, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other pensively.

"I mean, it's like he's two different people anymore." Jenna explained, that familiar sick feeling of hopelessness washing over her once again. "There's the Alias who I'm seeing now, who's ruthless, and hostile towards everything. I know he's going on hit missions. But they're not just hits;" Jenna paused, "he's slaughtering them... like it's personal." Her mind flashed back to Plaz Preston and his interrogation that had made Jenna nearly pass out at the time. "Then there's the other side, like a flipside to him. One that seems to hate everything about who he is now." Jenna drank some more from her cup. "It's who I saw when I first met him. It's like I saw who he could be, potentially. And I felt like that's who he was trying to become, like he was working his way back there..." She shook her head, thinking about the past events. "Then its like I was hanging all my hopes on an illusion of who he was. Like he just stopped caring."

"Ah," Ethel interjected, "tat be where you be makin' your mistake, child."

Jenna scowled. "Mistake?" She questioned.

"Tell me, dearie," Ethel asked, in her mothering way, "what be your name? In all tha commotion, per ol' Ethel be forgettin' her manners."

"Jenna."

"Ah," Ethel replied, smiling, "be such a lovely name. To some, it be meaning white spirit, an' to others heaven. Some say it be derived from tha meanin' tat the gods be gracious." The salamander said. "I be Ethel."

Jenna smile, feeling relaxed by whatever was in her cup that Ethel gave her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, child." Ethel replied, placing her mug down on the wooden coffee table in front of them. She let out a small, almost sad, sigh as she stared off into space. "We be speakin' of Ah-li-us, yes? Tell me, lil' birdie, what it be that troubles you."

Jenna nodded. "I mean, is he just like this? Does he pull personality one-eighties all the time, or what?"

Ethel shook her head. "Our shadow foxy be a strange one. The gods be a-havin' a special reason for him, I be sure. How much you be a-knowin' about him?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jenna fell backwards into the couch. "You'd think after spending six months with someone, you'd know a little about them. Truth is, I never pushed Alias for details. I just always assumed if he wanted to talk about his past he would." Jenna thought of her dark savior and their time together. "At least what he remembers."

"It be hard on him, Jenn-ah." Ethel replied sympathetically. "It be a-killin' him not knowin' hisself, even on tha first day I found him."

Even though Jenna was basking in the comfort provided by Ethel's words, at this she bolted up. "You found him?"

Ethel nodded. "Many years ago, this be." Jenna leaned forward listening intently. "Child, tha only reason Ethel be a-tellin' you dis is ‘cuz Ah-li-us brought you here. Tha Underground. You be havin' a right to know such tings." Ethel's reptilian eyes looked far away, as if she were looking out at the distant horizon. "He only be as old as you then, starvin' in tha alleys." She paused to take a drink of her brew before continuing. "Ah-li-us was sick; a-coughin' up the bloods."

Bronchitis. Jenna thought to herself.

"Ethel couldn't let the per foxy die tha way. Not when Ethel could be a-doin' somethin'. Later, I's be glad I did. Ah-li-us stayed wit Ethel, until he got better." She smiled to herself. "Somehow, he worked his way into Ethel's heart. He be as dangerous as can be, but tha foxy be a-havin' tat way ‘bout him."

"You gave him his name?" Jenna asked.

Ethel shook her head. "No. It be written in tha foxy's jacket." With this revelation, Ethel rose from her seat. Jenna followed her with her eyes as she walked to a closet. Reaching inside she pulled out a black coat. "Tat per boy couldn't remember anythin', not even his name, so tat be what he became known as." Walking back over to Jenna, Ethel offered the tattered old black coat, which Jenna accepted. As her paws wandered over the wool coat, she noted the apparent abuse it had taken. She could only guess at the flood of memories this coat could tell if it could speak to her. Discolorations littered it, buttons were missing, and most of the edges were frayed horribly. But as she brought it closer to her, she immediately picked up on the familiar scent that she associated with him. Curious, Jenna examined the tag. In Bold capital letters, the words ‘PROPERTY OF ALIAS' were embroidered in gold letters.

"Ah-li-us knew what kind of bidness Ethel be in." The reptile continued. "He knew what my girlies be for, but still he be protective as ever." At this Ethel became quiet, her face lost its smile and she dropped her gaze to the floor. "There be one girlie in particular, who grew a likin' to tha foxy."

Jenna looked up. "Were they...?"

Ethel shook her head. "No, dearie." She replied. "Nikki be a per girlie, from a per family, but Ah-li-us took her under his wing. Be watchin' out fer her. I tink tha per girlie might have been a-lovin' tha foxy." She said sadly. "Ah-li-us couldn't be givin' her love back though, and Ethel knows it broke her per heart."

"Something happened to her didn't it?" Jenna asked, but Ethel didn't answer. After a few seconds, Jenna placed her paw gently on Ethel's arm. "What happened to Nikki?"

"There be some men," her voice caught as she spoke, "very bad men, be roughing up the girlies bad. When Ah-li-us found out, he took matters into his own paws. One of them men be tha son of a mafia man, and when Ah-li-us left him wit his arms a-broken, them bad men come back a-lookin' for the black foxy. They..." Jenna's ears lowered as she heard Ethel getting choked up by her story, "they come back, and found Nikki... cut her up real bad... hardly able to recognize herself, it be so bad. The per girlie couldn't afford the surgery, we could hardly pay the doctormen for savin' her life..."

"Alias brings in close to six figures on most jobs, couldn't he just..." Jenna asked confused, letting her question trail off.

However, Ethel shook her head. "That be a'for he be doin' wat he does. Ah-li-us didn't have tha money... otherwise I's know he would of. She wouldn't even let Ah-li-us in to see her... Next day, the doctormen find her hangin' by her neck. She killed herself now that her looks be gone, and the girlie not be knowing nothing else."

"Oh my God..." The sympathetic words escaping Jenna's mouth.

"The per foxy felt ‘orrable, blamed hisself." Ethel continued, shaking her head. "T'was then Ah-li-us started being the bringer of the darkness, like he be now. He went after them bad men, kilt ‘em all, even tha mafia man." She sighed, looking over at Jenna. "After tat, Ah-li-us be tellin' me it be too dangerous him stayin' wit me."

Pieces of Alias's life began to fall into place. His actions now seemed less without reason. Mick's words, Alias's reaction in Palamont, why he seemed so hell-bent on blaming himself for everything.

"He never forgave himself, did he?" The vixen asked.

"I don't be believein' so." Ethel took Jenna's paw. "He be a-carin' more than you realize, child. You see, Ah-li-us come to me, all worried and a-frettin'; worried tat such tings would happen again. Tha Shadow Foxy does wat need be done to make sure they don't." She sighed. "I's not be sure wat Ah-li-us do if they did. I's not be sure the per boy could handle it."

Jenna scowled, confused. "He's worried something might happen to you?"

"Gods no, child. He be knowin' Ethel be a-havin' ‘nuff safety." Ethel smiled sweetly. "Ah-li-us be a-fightin' for you, Jenn-ah. He be a-makin' sure you don't end up like Nikki."

Jenna sat there dumbstruck. She couldn't have been more surprised if Ethel had dumped a bucket of ice water on her. Alias seemed to make things pretty clear on his disposition in regards to Jenna; making her feel about three inches tall. She couldn't believe what Ethel was telling her. Suddenly, her chest began to tighten as she realized why Alias had snapped when she had come down on him with Ian Miles and at Delirium. She had been criticizing him, attacking him, and it was her he was trying to protect. His reaction, the way he ruthlessly hunted down those who posed a threat, it was directly proportional to how scared he was of losing her.

And Jenna had been blind to it all.

Her eyes began to burn that familiar burning, and she knew she was about to start crying once more. Her mind flashed back to how she had treated him at Delirium when he and Mick had left for Waverly Hill. She had still been so unbelievably angry with him, she thought she was returning the favor and acted as if he meant nothing to her as well.

Her paw went to her forehead for support, and tried to mask her tears.

"Oh, come now, lil' birdie," Ethel soothed, "why you be cryin' so?"

"Ethel..." Jenna replied remorsefully, "I had no idea... I just thought he was on some killing spree, fueled by all his bitterness."

"Don't you see, girlie?" Ethel asked her simply, placing her paw on her back. "It be tha idea of them bad men takin' you away that gets Ah-li-us to do all tha tings he does."

Jenna felt the tears begin to flow steady down her face. She wasn't sobbing profusely or anything, but she knew her tears were quite apparent. "I was so mad at him..." She said aloud. "I told him he wasn't any better than the same guys who spent months torturing a friend of ours." Jenna tried to sniff back her tears. "He left and I told him that I probably wouldn't be here when he got back..." Jenna clamped her eyes shut in shame, causing another shower of tears, which had collected in the corner of her eyes, to cascade down her muzzle. "But, I didn't mean any of that." She said, almost inaudibly, looking up at Ethel. "And I'm so scared that I might not have the chance to tell him that I didn't at all!"

Jenna expected Ethel to rebuke her for her shortsightedness and naivety. She expected Ethel to be at least disgusted at her treatment of Alias, who she clearly had a soft spot for.

Ethel did none of these things.

The female salamander instead moved closer to her, and used her paw to gently tip Jenna's muzzle upward to face her.

Jenna looked back at the smiling salamander. "I see why he be a-carein' so much ‘bout you, Jenn-ah. You be havin' a big heart." The elderly female held a wisdom about her. Jenna realized this as Ethel brushed more indigo tresses behind her ears. Jenna saw why Alias confided in her. "Ting is, I believe you be knowin' Ah-li-us more than you tink. And you should be a-knowin' tat as much as you be a-knowin' Ah-li-us, Ah-li-us be a-knowin' you too. Child, he be knowin' who you really be. He be a fool to tink you mean such tings." Ethel shook her head. "And we both be knowin' our Ah-li-us be no fool."

Jenna nodded, tears still falling from her eyes. "Thanks, Ethel..." She said, in a soft, gracious voice. She looked over smiling at the kind elderly salamander, who saw past her coat of blue fur.

"We all be sayin' tings we not be meanin'. You be makin' my Shadow Foxy happy, Jenn-ah." Ethel told her. "What you be doin' for him be tanks enough."

Jenna suddenly felt the urge of a yawn overtake her. Whatever Ethel had used in her tea, Jenna was feeling the full effect. She had become very drowsy during all of this and felt her eyelids begin to droop.

"It be late, child." Ethel said, looking at Jenna. "Sleep here fer tonight. You be safer with Ethel while Ah-li-us be away."

Jenna normally would have kindly declined the offer, but she felt so tired. Her limbs felt as if they weighed a million pounds and she could hardly lift them.

"I feel like I've intruded on you enough already, Ethel." She protested politely.

"Nonsense!" Ethel retorted. "Auntie Ethel be a-makin' sure you still be here when our foxy come home. It not be lookin' it, but tat couch be very comfortable."

Jenna smiled and nodded, letting her body fall to the side. "Thanks again, Ethel..." Jenna said, her speech already giving into sleep. "I know you don't have to..."

"But Auntie Ethel be wantin' to." Jenna heard the salamander say, as she felt the securing weight of a blanket being draped across her body. "Jenn-ah, this world be not givin' us happy endin's alla time."

Her voice was lulling like a mother's would be. Not that Jenna would really know with how messed up her home life had been, but that's just what came to mind. She felt safe, like she was back in that no-tell motel in Palamont that first night with Alias; the feeling that everything would be ok in the end.

"Auntie Ethel be likin' to help out when she can."

Jenna remembered how nice it had been drifting off to sleep after Alias had passed out, feeling like no one could touch her; something she had never felt before. Jenna pulled Alias's old tattered coat in close to her, almost as a child would clutch a stuffed toy in the night. Her mind wandered into the comforting oblivion behind her heavy eyelids, sinking back.

"For as much as you be tinkin' he be your savior... you be a-savin' him just as much..."