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Catheryn had the smallest corner office on the 6th floor of the Steelworth, Anderson and Wynters Defense Counsel- NYC Division. There were no floor to ceiling windows, no breathtaking city skyline to view and certainly not facing the sunset to signal the end of the crawling day. No- she got an office with a window barely fit to smoke out of with a splintering wooden frame. Her view was of the other aging building across the alley with a crackling, glitched holo-bulletin board advertising a product she hadn’t heard of in years, with a smiling half dressed woman caked in makeup displaying the product like an ill-gotten gain.
Looking out her window made Catheryn sick. So usually she opted to usually keep the window closed and the black out curtains drawn.
Tonight was going to be a long night. The emails were being encrypted before they would be sent out to their respective military generals and other JAGs for review before the court-martial tomorrow. It always took forever to secure the files from her location as the internet security was what she referred to as ‘good enough’. Without the endless typing, her mind could no longer ignore the flashing light of her answering machine that had been blinking for the last 2 hours since she silenced her office phone. Apprehensively, she reached for the light and paused before pulling away.
She was not listening to that without something strong.
Moving over to the cabinet under her large reference bookshelf, the woman drew a bottle of amber liquid with a blacked out label and double old fashioned glass. Reaching aimlessly for the ice bucket next to the case, she found it empty. Catheryn did not feel like going down the hall to the breakroom for more ice. She could have sworn she asked Mark to refill it for her earlier today.
No, that was last week.
The days blended into weeks this past few months. Long, crazy and emotionally draining weeks.
Rising back to her feet, she turned with the ice bucket in hand to see a flash of red behind her. Her arm threw the bucket full force at the sudden intruder without thought, only to see the container fly through a cloud of gray smoke and smash into the wall and crumble like a soda can. The smoke condensed in the chair she once sat in, forming a person who tutted once their vocal cords formed.
“That bad huh?”
“Damn it ‘Trina, you scared me!” Catheryn released her death grip on the bottle when she realized who the figure was, “You could have knocked.”
In a playfully silly gesture, the red haired woman merely leaned back in the chair and knocked on the frame of the open window, a smirk growing on her lips.
“Thanks.” Catheryn brushed loose strands of her blond hair behind her ear.
“Anything for you Cathy.” Katrina kicked her boots on top of the withered desk littered with papers and manilla folders. Her gray eyes glanced over at the blinking light of the answering machine, “You gonna listen to that?”
“I have to do it sometime.” The blond woman sighed, “I was hoping for a drink first.”
Truth be told, she didn’t want to listen to the voicemail at all. She knew who it was. Frustration creeping in her brain, Catheryn put the glass on the desk and ripped off the cap off the top opting to drink straight from the source. After a minute, the last bit of liquid went down her throat and her green eyes met the smokey blue across the room who was staring at her unperturbed.
“Feel anything?” The red haired woman asked, her tone already implying she knew what the answer was.
“Not a thing.” The blond said dejectedly, “I was told this was supposed to be 300 years old, the ‘good stuff’,” She scoffed as she tossed the bottle in the small trash receptacle nearby, “Tastes like apple juice.”
Katrina merely nodded. It was a common side effect of the enhancement treatment. The acceleration of toxin processing and purification in the subject. Designed on paper to prevent the subject from being poisoned or distracted in missions. It also made it a bitch to get drunk.
Red creeping onto her face, Catheryn slapped her manicured hand on the phone dial pad to delete the answering machine, to stop that damned light. Instead,she succeeded in playing the message with the speaker on.
“Hey Catie… Catie -hic- I’m-I’m so sorry baby. I s-swear she was nothing! She was just there to clean the place honey, that was it. I -hic- can explain it all to you-it's just a misunderstanding baby. You know I still lo-”
The machine cut off as Catheryn hit the ‘delete’ button and the drunk male voice cut off with a sharp beep, “That was the fifth one today”
“Who was it this time?” Katrina asked, gently creaking in the swivel chair.
“Apparently the maid we don’t have.” The snear crawled across her face as she felt the shame bubble inside of her. “I was gonna surprise him by coming home early.”
She could still see the scene clearly in her head despite it being hours in the past. The sheets on the floor, the champagne glass in his hands and her hands on his-
“Okay well I know one way to solve this issue-.” Katrina sat forward.
“No Kat, I can’t kill him, for the last time.” The blond woman rubbed her temples.
“I know that. Still don’t know why but whatever.” The red haired woman waved off the thought, “You know what you need?”
“Please tell me.” Catheryn crankily answered as she heard the woman stand up beside her.
“Two words-” A peace sign from the intruder in her direction emphasized the points, “Girls Night.”
Catheryn groaned, “I was afraid you were gonna say that.”
“C’mon, it will be fun!” Katrina sat next to the blonde on the desk, “When have we never had a bad time?”
“Austin, New Mexico, Reno?!”
“Hey, those were GREAT times!
“A few days later- once the tranquilizers left our systems…” The blonde shot back, “besides I have court tomorrow.”
“Then we have time!” The redhead hopped off the desk determinedly, “More time then we really need.”
The lawyer looked firmly up at her companion to deny such an accusation before looking at the old hanging mirror on her wall next to the window. The surface that reflected a shell of a woman she once knew. She could not go to trial in this state. Catheryn sighed before she already knew how the night was going to go, “I’m going to regret this.”
“Probably will, but you won't know until you do it.” Katrina mused before heading toward the window, “I’ll send you an address. Meet me there in 30 minutes with something more… fun on.”
Catheryn could feel her day-old slacks stiffening at the insult before the red haired woman looked back at her with a wicked gleam in her eyes, nodding before exiting the window down the rickety fire escape and into the night. The blonde closed the window, relocking it from the inside. She wrote a note to Mark of basic preparation instructions and gathered her belongings on the chair for the morning. She would be back by then.
-----
Catheryn was not a woman to be intimidated. She had survived many training sessions of all branches of the military from multiple countries and interacted with god-complex characters on a daily basis. She was raised to never look down upon herself or others different from her regardless of their walks of life.
The bar that Katrina had chosen was the picture perfect image of a place you went to for a bad time.
Katrina was posed outside the rusted gated off entrance, fiddling with an unlit cigarette between her fingers. Her normal black trench coat was switched for a leather biker jacket with a white tank top underneath with her usual dark jeans and combat boots. Her light gray eyes were staring intently ahead, like the brick wall littered in graffiti was truly interesting. Though Catheryn doubted she was actually interested in the various phone numbers or various scribbling of ‘Keith has a tiny dick’.
“I feel sorry for Keith.” The blonde spoke to bring the redheads attention to her. Her outfit was not nearly as dark as Katrina’s- opting for brown leather calf boots, tight medium washed jeans and a nondescript white shirt under her brown suede moto jacket. She wore enough makeup to cover any wrinkles or blemishes but not enough to fool anyone into thinking she was younger than she really was.
“I feel sorry for the person who slept with Keith.” Katrina replied before tucking the cigarette away in one of her many pockets, “You clean up good ‘cept for that stick up your ass.”
“Ha ha, fuck off.” Catheryn withdrew her hands from her pockets and rubbed them for warmth. It was late enough for the evening chill to crawl in despite their city location, “I’m freezing my ass off, let's start the pity party already.”
Opening the bar door with ease, Katrina bowed and motioned forward, and the blonde took the key to head inside and did her best not to flinch at the abhorrent smell assaulting her senses. Smoke clouds hovered above their heads and clouded the dingy industrial lights over the various pool tables, dart boards and card game tables. The bar was not packed, but had enough business that they’re presence stood out. The two made their way to the empty side of the busy bar and took their seats.
“Where’d you drag this place out of Kat?” The blonde remarked at the crowd of patrons from bikers to street thugs to roughened prostitutes.
“Somebody owed me a favor.” Katrina spoke haughtily, “I asked where the best place for a fight was.”
Catheryn was about to retort when a skinny, tattooed bartender approached them, wiping a mixer glass clean.
“Welcome ladies,” His voice was slimy and already the blonde could feel the sexism in his voice, “What can I get you all started with this fine evening?”
Katrina looked over at Catheryn and nudged her arm, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Catheryn’s green eyes glanced up at the chalkboard of various alcohols and liquors. Nothing catching her attention, she met the bartender's waiting look and decided to make the night more interesting. “We’ll start with the house whiskey and see where the night takes us.”
The man merely nodded before moving down the bar to fetch their orders. Katrina snickered, “If you would have said Cosmo he would have shit bricks.”
“Well we can’t all be as predictable as you.” She shot as Catheryn noted the same bartender now speaking to rough looking men in their mid 20s with untrimmed beards and ripped clothing, “What are they talking about?”
Katrina took the cigarette out of her pocket and lit it smoothly, closing her eyes to tune out the excessive noise of the bar and focus on the direction of whispers a few feet from them. A black cloud of smoke travelled from her hand, disguised by the cigarette into the air and travelled to hover across the mysterious men
The women at the end of the bar are primed to be messed with Tony.
Ya think so? They’re kinda old for our type, dontcha think Keith?
The older they get the dumber they are. Besides a couple of good looking guys like us? They’d kill for the attention. Want me to drink 'em under the table?
Bet, call dibs on the blonde.
“Talking about trouble.” Katrina said, opening her eyes, glancing as the men started their direction, “Go easy on them now.”
“Hey I’ll buy the next round ma’ams.” The balding, goatee man named Tony spoke with a smile on his face while the long haired man named Keith did his best to hide his snickers.
Catheryn could feel the silent game hanging in the air; reject the offer and get called for it or go in and annihilate these fools. On any other day she would have turned down the offer, got up and left. Today was not their day.
“Oh, why thank you gentlemen! How about you pick the first round?”
-----
The first round was some crappy beer that could barely be defined as alcohol. Katrina admired how at first Cathy made an effort to look like swallowing the liquid was difficult, feeding into the illusion. Looking up at Tony's skinny partner Keith, she smirked, “Bet $100 your friend won’t last past round 9.”
Keith’s laugh was similar to a hyena, wheezy and long before he stuck out his hand, “You’ll be eating your words by the end of the night, $150.”
Katrina shook the hand firmly, tempted to squeeze just hard enough to bruise his fingers.
Round two was the whiskey Catheryn ordered earlier, which both parties finished with relative ease. Catheryn asked what Tony preferred to drink and the goateed man said he liked Jägermeister, so that became the theme of the evening. Round 3 was Left Hooks. Round 4 Catheryn ordered Blonde Haired Sluts. By round 5 a small crowd had taken notice and started to gather around the two drinking and joined in the betting pool. Round 6 was Silver streaks. Round 7 was Killer Bees. By round 8, the normally impenetrable Tony was looking a little woozy from the variety of liquor swirling in his systems while Catheryn merely looked like she had some mild blush of her cheeks from the heat of the crowded bar. Round 8 was fat bastards, Tony’s speech slurred as he ordered and Catheryn had the nerve to ask if he wanted to stop.
“F-fuck you.” He sloshed with this shot in his hand and watched as The blonde woman gently took the shot down her throat before placing her glass on the bar.
She looked up to meet his gaze, “C’mon Tony, Mama didn’t raise a quitter did she?” Her delicately manicured nail guided the fluted bottom of his shot glass up to his mouth as he knocked the liquid back with a groan. “There ya go, well done.”
“Round 9?” The skinny bartender asked with the face of a man that made his weeks worth of pay and maybe more.
Tony’s fist tightened as he fought his gag reflex down and nodded his head heavily. Catheryn looked at the man down for the count, leaning back on her chair to stretch, her gaze met Katrina who motioned for 2 more rounds and flashed five fingers twice. $1000.
“Diesel fuel.” Catheryn said at last, “Then we’ll have a German Chocolate Cake for dessert.”
After a moment, the shots were placed in front of the two patrons by the bartenders shaking hands. Catheryn raised the shot in a small cheering motion before slamming it back and placing the glass mouth down on the bar. Tony grasped the round 9 shot, watching helplessly as the one glass wavered into two then four in his blurry vision. The blonde watched the man start to lean forward to drink before his body caved inward and he crashed on the bar floor, unconscious to the cries and the jeers around him.
“Oh, what a shame!” Katrina cried as she slapped her co-better on the back as he numbly handed over his promised cash. As Katrina was collecting the remaining cash, Catheryn finished both the remaining German chocolate cake shots. Wiping her mouth clean, she realized she actually was feeling a little buzzed from the quick doses of strong and varied alcohols.
While she should have been pleased to have won, her head was only occupied by the curled form of the other man on the ground of the bar, passed out helplessly and she could only feel shame.
“Well that's all for us folks!” The redheaded woman smiled as the blonde got off her stool, “Gotta walk this off, stay safe y'all!” The two women left the bar and headed out the door and neither saw the bartender hit a small red button under his section of the bar.
---
“Talk about eating your own words, did you see that guy topple like a tree?!” Katrina laughed maniacally as she imitated the cartoonish whistle of a fallen log, “Timberrrr!”
“Quiet down Kat!” Catheryn shushed her as they turned to enter the alleyway headed to the nearest street, “You wanna wake the whole neighborhood?”
“Who cares?!” The smoky eyed woman continued, “We just made more money in a night than you made in three days at court! You can’t tell me that it doesn’t feel good.”
Catheryn was about to reply when both women turned to see a group of the same thugs they saw in the bar standing behind them. Now they were holding weapons- baseball bats, knives, Cathy thought she saw a handgun on one of them. Grabbing Katrina’s arm she started to move toward the top of the alley to see another group had cut them off, trapping them inside. The hole in her stomach dropped further.
Katrina also sensed the atmosphere tense and she moved run at the groups but Catheryn held her back a calm looking her eye said it all-
No powers.
The red haired woman sighed as she crossed her arms. The blonde turned back to face the closest group’s leader, “We don’t want any trouble. What do you want?”
“Bartender didn't get paid.” The leader said simplistically, and stepping forward Katrina realized the man talking was Keith from the bar, “We just here to pick up the tab. If you two happen to lose a few teeth ain't no skin off my dick.”
“Then take the money,” Catheryn said strongly as she held up her hands in surrender. The woman in black beside her looked troublous but followed in her footsteps and she took the large wad of cash out her pocket throwing it at Keith’s feet. To both of their surprise, the man merely stepped over the cash and continued to move closer to the two women. “Please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
At this point Katrina had been restrained by the men from behind as they forcefully held her arms and legs still. The red haired woman immediately tensed as her discriminative touch signaled to the unwanted touch and her body started to shake, the nerves screaming to be released and her heart rate shot up. She had to repress the urge to vomit as what felt like millions of hands roamed her body for weapons and… other things.
Keith walked out to Catheryn and grabbed her by the throat, the woman grasping his forearm in instinct, “You will pay for fucking over Tony. Now we’re gonna fuck you over.”
Blood was rushing to her ears as the alcohol and the nerves finally caught up to her. Looking over at Katrina’s grey eyes she saw the tampered back bloodlust, the disgust and maybe just even a little bit of fear. It was the final straw in her moral hat.
Catheryn smirked as she braced the arm holding her with enough force for the man to wince painfully.
“How are you gonna fuck us over with your tiny dick Keith?”
She jerked the arm down from her neck and a bone-splintering crack echoed through the night.
She looked over at Katrina while Keith screamed and grabbed his now severely broken arm. “Kat, we keep them alive, you hear me?”
"Yes Ma'am." Katrina’s eyes gleamed as she smiled before her body evaporated into a cloud of smoke up into the air. The men holding her previously, looked confused before Katrina’s dark form slammed into one of them, crushing their faces beneath her steel toed boots.
After a few moments of face punching, arms breaking and bodies slamming against various surfaces; the group of thugs lay about like confetti on the alley floor. The two women took a moment to catch their breaths and adjust their rumpled clothing.
“Well that was fun!” Katrina chirped after a moment as Catheryn grunted exasperatedly.
“THIS is your idea of fun?!”
“You can’t tell me you did not enjoy telling Keith had a small dick.”
“We just maimed half a dozen people!”
“We could have taken more honestly.”
“Not the POINT ‘Trina!” The blonde woman waved her arms around at the scene, “We have seriously injured multiple people we didn’t have to!”
“Well they looked like they wanted their asses kicked to me.” Katrina spoke up, “We were acting in self defense.”
“Not within reasonable doubt.” Catheryn reached for her pocket and pulled out her phone, “I’m calling an ambulance.”
“What? Why?!”
“Because these people will die if they’re not treated!”
“They got what they deserved, Cath.” The smoking figure spoke firmly, “If they didn’t want to get hurt then they shouldn’t have messed with us.”
“Don’t you get it?!” Catheryn pleaded to her friend, “We are not judge, jury and executioner! We don’t get to decide who lives and who dies! Regardless of our abilities!”
Katrina sighed as she crossed her arms, “The world would be better off without the scum of the earth like them.”
Catheryn’s green eyes hardened, “And this is why we should never be together.”
The finality of the statement hung in the air like a weighted blanket as the two figures stood there in the chilly alley. Katrina finally turned on her heel and walked away, without looking back at the other figure as she sighed and placed the phone to her ear as she called 911.
---
“Not guilty by insanity was the best solution we could have gotten with this case.” Catheryn and her assistant Marcus exited the elevator, “It will have to do.”
“Can I ask you a question Mrs. Wynters?” The dark haired man asked as he took the files from her hand, a glance from green eyes and nod prompted him to continue, “If the case was impossible to win then what did you take it on? Anderson and Steelworth both said the case was a lost cause.”
“I do not fight these cases because they will be easy or they will help my reputation. I take these cases because everyone deserves to be defended.” The woman’s words dropped pearls of knowledge she hoped her apprentice would take to heart. Turning the corner to her office, she remembered the night before as she twisted her door handle.
The door was open. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Mark, can you run down to the breakroom and get me some ice for the office?”
Eager to please, the younger man did as asked and once he was out of harm’s way, the woman slowly entered the room and closed the door behind her.
“I knocked this time.”
Katrina Ward sat in her hair again, facing the open window that let in a cool morning breeze. Catheryn bit her lip to withhold the flood of words that rushed to her tongue from apologies to curses.
“I’m not going to apologize for last night.” The woman's smoky eyes looked over her shoulder to meet her forest green hues.
“Neither will I.” The green eyes met hers back, hardened from a morning of defending.
“Good to know that stick up your ass is still comfortable.”
“What do you need ‘Trina?” Catheryn scoffed as she removed a messenger bag off her shoulder to rest on the chair nearby.
After a moment of talking plainly the blonde blinked with genuine surprise. “You want to form a group of rag-tag outcasts to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves?”
“That’s one way to say it.” The redhead replied.
“And you want me to join you?”
Katrina laughed, “No, no we don’t work that well together, remember?” Catheryn ignored the pang of guilt that crawled in her throat, “But you do have access to a wide variety of outcasts with a rather large range of skills. I’m calling in a favor.”
“One of many in the future no doubt.” The blonde thought for a second before nodding, as she removed reading glasses from her eyes and rubbed the inner corners, “I will see what I can do.”
“Uh Mrs. Wynters? Who are you talking to?”
Catheryn opened her eyes to see her chair empty, with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it last trail of smoke crawling from the window outside.
“Nobody Mark, pass me the black label bottle and glass from the bookcase bar? I need a drink.”