Wait. Wait. Wait. This isn’t good. Roxy can’t let them leave yet. 

Umm. Umm. Umm. Ohhhhh. Not good. Not good. Roxy twiddles and fidgets.

What about the? Ohhhhhhhhh. Ummmmmm. Roxy sweats and gulps, watching as Darcel and Beatrixxx get further away. 

Shaking at the knees, shaking in her bones, shaking in her teeth. Roxy speaks up about something on her mind. “...uh…umm…excuse me…Madame Darcel…Lord Darcel…Master Darcel…can y-y-you ppppplease…” Roxy squeaks out, sheepishly, with zero confidence in her soul. “...wait…”

“FOR WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?” Darcel Duck better not ask twice.

“…umm…my…compensation…(>﹏<)…for The Delivery?” Roxy brings up a fair point.

“Our compensation~(>ᴗ<)” Sina tacks on a fairer supplementary point.  

“Hm~(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠ Hm~(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠ Oh~(≖⩊≖)” Beatrixxx rubs up on Darcel, nudging affectionately. “The Bearrr isss righttt~(≖⩊≖) The Deal~(≖⩊≖)”

“Ah.” Darcel Duck remembers. The Delivery was indeed part of The Deal. “...how silly of me…”

Roxy feels so relieved, proud of herself for not letting this go unresolved.

“Compensation, eh?” Darcel cracks her fingers.

“Compensationnn~(≖⩊≖)” Beatrixxx gently rests the suitcase down.

“Shut them pretty eyes, dolls.” Darcel is oh so sultry. “And count to two.”

Roxy and Sina look at each other, grinning from ear to ear, look back away, and shut their eyes as instructed, with eager paws out. Sina opens one for a sec, being way too riled up, but shuts it again. Compensation, yay~(>ᴗ<) yay~(>ᴗ<)

Roxy clears her throat and keeps a stiff upper chin. “One-”

ঌ Burning alive, painfully alive, the exact fine-tooth-comb moment the “count” was down, her “time” was up. Roxy did receive her compensation…her cruel compensation…melting right down to her criminal core…in raw agony. ঌ

“Two?” Sina pops open that riled-up eye again just as this was happening. “B-Boss!? BOSS!!!” A shrill shriek here and there from Sina, but now it’s her turn to collect. Like it or not. The clock is already ticking.

⚡︎ Sina’s life flashes before her eyes, flashes before her eyes, flashes before her eyes, flashes before her eyes, flashesbeforehereyesflashesbeforehereyesflashesbeforehereyesflashesbeforehereyesflashesflashesflashesflashesbeforebeforebeforebeforehereyeseyeseyeseyeseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…Sina’s cruel compensation will be enough to keep the lights on for another month. ⚡︎

Roxy is bubbling and boiling sludge…

Sina sizzles and sparks. Knees hit the ground first, then head slamming onto the pavement…

…dead…the both of ’em…

Darcel blows out a flame from her palm. 

Beatrixxx clicks and clacks her ears until the power goes out. 

“Two seconds. That’s the most I could stomach those deadbeats robbing us of.” Darcel checks her nails. “And our precious itinerary. Come on, Bea. Not another second to spare.”

Beatrixxx picks up the slack and the suitcase with one ear, and salutes with the other ear.

This Dynamic, some say Demonic, Duo exit stage left under the fading and dying glows of the alley lights that bear common witness to double-dealin’ and back-stabbin’ such as this.

If I were you, I’d keep your head down and lips zipped.