• “JACK OF SPADES!”

    “I know you’re here, Jacqueline! Show yourself, or are you afraid to battle me, the Queen of Hearts?” a low, sinister, female voice screamed. Her menacing eyes darted left and right, watching the desolate room for any movement. Her fingertips danced on the hilt or her two short swords, still in their blood red sheaths.

    “I’m here,” Jack replied, stepping out of the shadows. She scratching her dirty blonde hair and adjusted her cravat, “So…long time no see.” She circled the Queen a few times, stretching her body out, “May I help you? I’m sort of busy. Tryin’ to put food on the table, pay the bills…that stuff.” She stopped, and stood face to face with the woman who was emitting pure evil. “I take it this bounty was simply a trap?” she asked, her eyes narrowing a bit.

    The Queen cackled loudly, “Yes, just a trap, for an idiotic mouse.” She unsheathed a blade, and inspected it, twisting it around with her right hand. “I sincerely hope you didn’t think The Suits wouldn’t find you eventually,” she cleaned her blade gently as she spoke, “that they would let you, Jack of Spades, instigator of the internal feud, live?”

    Jack sighed, shrugging her shoulders, “I suppose not. I figured when they defeated us and left us to die…that was that. Those of us who were left were as good as dead anyway.”

    “And yet…here you are, Jack. That’s not right, is it? That you, of all those people, are the one to walk away? Start a new life?”

    Jack gave a hollow laugh, “I’ll never be free. Not as long as I live, not as long as I have the mark The Suits gave to me.” She opened her eyes slowly. Her irises were a dark grey; her pupils were a much lighter tone, in the form of the Spade Suit.

    “’As long as you live,’ is it?” the woman repeated. She gave a small chuckle, “Then…allow me to set you free. Prepare for death, Jack of Spades!”
    She lunged at the young woman, both blades now out and ready to strike. Jack pulled out her single rapier, and blocked the incoming strikes, holding them at a standstill.

    “Don’t misunderstand, Queen of Hearts! I have no intention of dying yet! There is much left for me to do!” Jack shouted, as she pushed the Queen off-balance, knocking her to the ground. She pointed the tip of her blade at the woman’s neck, “And do not underestimate me. It has been a long time since our last battle. Things will not end like they did then.”

    With venom in every word, she spat out, “You’re right! No one is here to save you!” She vanished for a moment, then reappeared behind Jack, almost slicing her in the back. Jack managed to turn around just in time and deflect, deflect, deflect, as each blow came from a different angle. Each Suit had a certain specialty in battle, and Hearts had speed. Jack kept her mind as clear as she could so she could sense the direction of the attacks.

    “NO ONE!” the Queen screamed, “You’re alone, Jack! All your allies, all your friends…dead!” she continued to strike, fiercer and fiercer, “They barely put up a fight! And you were supposed to be their leader? PATHETIC!” Jack groaned as she kept deflecting attacks, trying to keep an even temper and a calm mind. She’d be damned if these mind games would get to her.

    “All that death, all the fighting, for what, Jack?!” The Queen roared, “For a good-for-nothing Number! You know that us Face Cards are the peak!” deflected blow, “The pinnacle!” and another, “So why?! Why did you fight for them?!” She stopped her assault and stood in front of Jack, her breathing a bit heavy.

    Jack hunched over a little, feeling her body ache. While she had deflected the blows well, some still managed to make contact and draw blood. She kept her breathing as calm as she could, saying nothing.

    “I killed her,” the Queen said quietly. She glanced up, and saw Jack’s face turn pale. “Ha ha, that’s right. Your little lovebird, Eight of Diamonds. I. Killed. Her.”

    Jack fell to her knees, dropping her blade. “That’s…”

    The Queen slowly walked over, a big grin on her face, “I don’t know who they told you did it, and frankly I don’t care. All I know is that her death…set everything into motion. Her death helped weed out all the unrest in The Suits. Don’t worry Jack,” the Queen grabbed Jack’s hair, lifting her head up to see her tear-stained face, “You’ll be seeing her soon.” She raised the blade in her right hand slowly, “With this same blade, I condemn you…farewell, Jack.”

    She swung with all her power, closing her eyes to savor the moment. She sighed happily as she felt the blade hit flesh. She opened her eyes to see the blade stopped, in Jack’s now bloodied hand. The Queen heard a “click,” then a loud fire. She felt a bullet tear through her stomach, and out her back.

    She looked down to see Jack’s revolver in hand, prepping another shot.

    She stumbled back, releasing the blade, crawling backwards. Jack stood up slowly, keeping the blade in her hand. “You…”

    Bang. The Queen screamed as the next bullet shot through her left shoulder.

    Bang. The other shoulder.

    Bang. Her left leg. With each shot, the Queen screamed louder and louder, starting to plead for mercy.

    Jack stayed silent, her mind flashing back to the girl who she had loved, the Eight of Diamonds. Elegant, enamoring, exciting. A smile that lit up rooms, the sweetest smelling hair…that was her.

    Jack snapped back, where she has in a run-down old church, the stench of blood in the air. Two rounds left.

    “P-please…”

    Bang. Shot to the chest.

    “Shut up.”

    The Queen’s breath was severely labored, “Y-you…will…”

    Bang. In between the eyes.

    Jack stood over the body for what felt like hours, contemplating her actions. She grabbed the sheath for the sword in her hand, sheathed it, and went to grab her own sword. Once put away, she grabbed the small, diamond shaped locket around her neck. Thoughtfully, she clicked it open and smiled at the picture. She ran her thumb over the glass for a moment, then closed it back up.

    “You have been avenged, Eight. Rest well, wherever you are.”