Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You stand there, staring at the withering, pathetic form before you. Some man, you inwardly scoff. Can't take what he deserves.

But does he deserve it?

Of course he does! You tell yourself. Even if he is just a means to an end. He isn't the real prize. The one you have been dreaming of. Fantasizing about for months. But you had to start small. Then work up to it.

Others will be harder to break. You remind yourself. They have to be. Because your prize will be the hardest out of them all. And you need the practice.

Vibrant blue eyes roam unfocused around the room of your captive. The drugs playing sinisterly in his body.

"Let me go." He pleads." Anything you want I can get."

You laugh. This is too good.

"Unfortunately, what I want you won't give." You reply.

"And what was that?" He asks, already forgetting what you had screamed at him moments before.

"Tell me," You whispered, "You're biggest regret."

He stares like you are delusional. "Why?"

"Because, everyone has secrets they try to hide. And I'm going to find yours.'

"And do what?"

"Nothing."

He looks at you in fear. Then becomes hysterical, vainly thrashing at his bonds. "You monster!" He screams. "Let me go! You have no right to hold me. I have done nothing wrong!"

"But you have." You calmly reply. "Tell you secret and I'll let you go." You lied.

The fool had no idea I wasn't planning on keeping my word. Or maybe he did.

"Fine. If you must know, my biggest regret was failing my girlfriend. Satisfied?"

"Not quite. Why'd you fail her?"

"I promised I'd wait for her while she finished high school. I lied."

Of course he did.

You slowly walk near him. Eyeing all the scars you have placed on him. The bleeding head and red welts on his abdomen. You gave him a good beating before the interrogation.

Past him to a shelf nearby you walk. A gun lay there. You pick it up.

Oh, the delight you feel when you see the horror in his eyes. Knowing his life is over.

"No!! Don't kill me!!!" he screams. "I told you my secret. You have to let me go!!!!"

"Unfortunately for you I lied. And for the record, that was the most pathetic story I have ever heard."

A single gunshot goes off. You don't' even blink. It's over, just like that.

Your first kill.

It wasn't as sweet as you imagined it. More bitter, like it should have been more.

Don't worry. You remind yourself. There are plenty out there. Plenty to practice on while you wait.

And waiting is what you do.

Here is chapter 1!! What do you think?

Also, this is going to be dark. Torture will be briefly described and mentioned. Letting people know who are uncomfortable sensitive that to not read it.

No sex or smut will be in here. I don't write that.

Chapter Text

Tuesday night at Hawthorne House consisted of a simple dinner before Avery, (with Libby and Max) and the Hawthornes went into the living room to watch the evening news. It was an odd tradition that they had, because over half the time no one was really watching the news.

Avery tried, but Jameson usually was distracting her with a new riddle to solve and she had a hard time resisting. Xander and Max were gone to this world as soon as they were huddled in their own corner. Something was bound to be taken apart. Avery would bet 100,000. Not that that was a lot of money since she was a billionaire. Nash and Libby were two lovebirds curled up on the love seat. Talking quietly amongst themselves. And Grayson, well he probably watched the news the most out of all of them, but since his nose was usually stuck in a book, that said a lot.

And so, every Tuesday, unless they had an event or charity gala to go to, that was how that night was spent. Some would say what a waste of electricity if you weren't even going to be watching the TV, and Avery would probably agree. And often after an hour of this, she usually did turn it off, but tonight was different.

Maybe she was so caught up in Jameson's riddle or listening to Xander and Max goof off that she forgot to do it. But if she had, they never would have seen the breaking news that would cause all of them to go down a long and frightening adventure no one had asked for.

"So heiress, you have a riddle for me?" Jameson Winchester Hawthorne was trouble. But in Avery's eyes, the good kind.

"Maybe." she replied, giving him a sly smile. "You have been vexing me with yours, so I should be given a turn."

Jameson smiled, and it could be described as wicked or enthralled. "Well, vex me then Heiress, I'm waiting."

Before she could, the Tv all of a sudden blasted out: "BREAKING NEWS!!!" startling everybody.

Xander and max jumped from in the corner they were at. Nash and Libby, who had fallen asleep on each other, jolted awake. Eyes frantically scanning the room. Grayson was so startled his book fell from his hands, falling to the floor. And Avery and Jameson knew that Avery's vexing riddle would have to wait.

All eyes were glued to the screen, as they watched in horror to the terrorizing account.

"We are standing to an abandoned house where 20 year old Jacob Rothchild was found brutally murdered. Son of Millionaire John Rothchild, founder of the Rothchild engineer university. His son disappeared two days ago. His parents thought he was staying with girlfriend, but when they found he had broken up with her, and he hadn't been seen in 24 hours, a search has been underway. An anonymous tip sent us to this house where the body was found. Cause of death was a gunshot to the forehead, plus many other injuries."

The reporter kept going on, but Avery didn't hear him. Who would do something so awful? She looked at the others, they all seemed in shock like her.

"Listen!" Jameson exclaimed, turning the TV up louder.

"Something we found next to the body was a piece of paper with a sort of code written on it. I have my best detectives working on it. But we do know who signed it.

The sue tree heirs.

"Interesting name." Jameson commented.

"It's a code." Grayson said, confident at what he was talking about. "It's an anagram."

"Gray's right." Xander said and Jameson nodded.

"How do you know?" Libby asked.

"Their Hawthornes." Avery answered, "They can solves riddles better then anyone."

"Well not anyone." Jameson said, looking lovingly into Avery's eyes.

She smiled back.

"We can solve it." Jameson said. "If it is an anagram it won't take long to decode." He looked at his brothers. Nash shook his head, but the others nodded.

"Well, heiress," Jameson said, "looks like we have another riddle to solve. He smirked. "Vexing riddle."