Chemical Poison

A rose is so much more than just a simple flower. Petals tucked into one another with their vibrant colours screaming stories; whispering the secrets better kept silent. An erect body, a force to be wrecked with.

Desire, adoration and longing. A plethora of expressions, all within the soft petals and the colours they make. It's both the murder and the birth of humanity, the circle that makes description.

Yet, it's the stem to the everlasting rose that changes it all. Tricked by the allure of loving romance, one forgets that spikes climb the same route. All searching for a chance of unrelenting bliss.

Desire turns to rivalry. Adoration is obsession and longing becomes something to fear. Deaths retaliation to make the smell so sweet yet so dangerous.

Fangs beg for blood, the food for the petals. How ought are the colours to be a deep red, unless they are painted with the richest man-made dye. Blood is the ruination of lovers, and roses follow shortly behind. A reminder that romance is dead, the beginning of war.

Yet, it's the knowledge that roses are not red. Not truly. They're white. A message of purity and platonic love. The reminder that not all beautiful things are bold and bright, as some lurk in the moonlights tears.

Then you have red and white roses, a bundle of several sizes and shapes. A symbol of unity; the window of the heart. Weddings usually do not idealise such a combination, but what more is wanted than to express the hearts warmth for another? Red and white roses together, abundantly so- is, and always will be... a sign that romance was not in fact dead, but growing in the under city.

Arriving at the hotel apartment, Anneliese couldn't shake the feeling that there was something enormously wrong with the room. Even as Alexander unlocked the room, she knew there was something off the second Howard said he allowed Alexander to choose their accommodation in Brooklyn. 

Considering Howard's Brooklyn home was still being built and Anneliese was banned from all Grey estates - not that she expected anything less from Fredrick. It meant they had to put their trust into Alexander to find somewhere to say.

Growing annoyed by the rattling, especially as Alexander failed to unlock the door. Her eyes lazily met Howard, who also seemed to be growing more frustrated as each rattle, ching and creak sound ricocheted down the hallway. There was nothing luxurious about this hotel from the outside, it's appearance seemed to be more favoured for the middle-class - not the elite. 

Definitely not a hotel Alexander Grey or Howard Stark would be pictured anywhere near.

"Nearly there," Alexander mumbled as he wrangled the lock for another few seconds. The excruciating sound from the keys hitting the metal lock drove Anneliese mental, wishing nothing more than to just enter the accommodation.  

Tapping her heels impatiently, she made her huffs of frustration loud enough for Alexander to hear. Her sighs met Howard's own agitation. With her eyes snapping towards his hand as he roughly dropped the leather suitcase to the hardwood floor. She didn't notice when Alexander unlocked the door and pushed it forward.

However she did see the size of the room before she even entered.

Gasping loudly, Anneliese did not move from her spot. Her eyes remained on the room in front of her, slowly she tilted her head towards Alexander - who picked up a suitcase in each hand, carrying them in. As another second past, she narrowed her eyes at Alexander.

"How does this room cost well over fifteen-hundred dollars a night?"

The question bounced down the corridor and back towards Howard, who had picked up the two suitcases (one in each hand) and headed towards the door. However, both suitcases were dropped again once he entered.

"What the actual fuck."

Anneliese couldn't even bring herself to lecture Howard for the impropriety of his language. She agreed.

Watching Alexander place the two suitcases at the end of a single bed, he threw himself on the double bed - only a mere two foot apart. They were practically together. Anneliese waited for Howard to pick up the suitcases again and enter, before she even thought about picking up her suitcase.

Closing the door behind her, she dropped her suitcase with a loud THUD before her eyes met with Howard. It seemed over the past year, the two easily became able to speak through their eyes only. And a short flicker towards Alexander and back, Anneliese knew the two wanted to not only fire Alexander - but to ruin him.

He had spent over fifteen-hundred dollars from the company allowance to buy a room smaller than her kitchen, with only a single and double bed. For fifteen-hundred dollars, their wasn't even a sofa in the room. For fifteen-hundred dollars, Alexander had made himself a dead man.

"Its home-y," Alexander begun. She noticed the shift in the atmosphere as he begun to speak, he was in fear. Good, she thought. If anyone had to be worried for their life, it should be Alexander. "A nice home away from home."

Walking towards Howard, she leaned against his side as she spoke. "And where exactly are the three of us meant to sleep?"

Silence.

A murderer's silence.

Alexander was dead.

Her mouth gapped open as he didn't reply to her answer, as the answer was obvious. The two beds were the only beds. Turning her head violently towards Howard, his eyes were trained on Alexanders. Within an instant, she knew he was plotting Alexander's death - and for the first time, Anneliese wasn't opposed in enabling Howard's more violent desires.

"I am not sharing a bed with either one of you," Anneliese stated clearly.

Alexander instantly protested. "I'm not sharing a bed with Stark!" 

She watched him jump from the double bed to the single, as if that would give him some sort of strange claim over the bed. Rolling her eyes, she met Howard's gaze. He had tilted his head downwards, making direct eye contact.

"I don't want to share a bed with Alexander again."

Raising an eyebrow, Anneliese mocked him. "Again?"

His lips quirked into a smirk and Anneliese couldn't stop the rush of heat that vibrated around her body. It was the beginning of addiction, and then he flashed his smile - his liquid sunshine.

"I'll take the single," Alexander interrupted. "And since you two are together, surely you can share the double."

Shaking her head. "That is not happening," Anneliese stated. "I refused to share a bed with a man before marriage, I'll like to keep my purity."

Howard leaned into his ear, "Pretty sure you don't follow that rule."

Shivering from his whisper skating across her ear, she groaned. "Unwillingly, and that was the floor."

"Whatever makes you feel better, sweetheart."

Turning back to face Alexander, his nose all scrunched up - as if he saw a sight he didn't particularly wanted to see. It didn't take a genius to know he meant the conversation between Anneliese and Howard.

"So it's decided," Alexander stated. "I am taking the single, and you two are taking the double."

His declaration resulted in an hour long argument. No ones argument being fleshed enough to win. Alexander rather sleep on his own, Anneliese had the same thought. Howard agreed that Anneliese shouldn't sleep in the same bed as Alexander - and as the romantic he was, wanted whatever she wanted... which was to sleep on her own.

However, Howard did not want to sleep with Alexander.

"Let's just book a different room?", Anneliese suggested. Growing more frustrated as both Alexander and Howard bickered over who got to sleep on the single.

Alexander shook his head, "No, can't do. They're completely booked out."

"What do you MEAN they are booked out?! There is nothing interesting happening in Brooklyn at the moment!"

The room remained silent for a few minutes until Alexander sighed. Throwing his hands in the air.

"FINE!" He yelled almost childishly, "I'll share with Stark... and I swear if your hand comes anywhere near my face," He paused before he spoke. "I'll kill you.

Howard replied, just as coldly. "Keep your freezing toes to yourself, and we won't have a problem."

It was still dark when Anneliese was startled by a noise. Jumping up from her bed, hugging the quilt to her nightgown, she blinked a few times to see shadows moving around to her left. Rubbing her eyes, she could hear the distinct noise of Alexander and Howard's hush whispers.

"Your foot, grey"

"Stop whispering in your fucking sleep-"

"-Then remove your leg from my leg-"

A light cough, and she knew both boys had snapped their head towards Anneliese. Even with shadows hiding their faces, the message was delivered. The two stopped bickering, and Anneliese returned to sleep. However, Alexander always needed to have the last word.

"Git."

Sipping at a coffee Alexander had retrieved for her, Anneliese was seated on the single bed - opposite to Alexander, as she read the morning paper. Both waiting for Howard to get ready, who was currently in the shower. In a normal circumstance, she would be blushing bright red at the thought of Howard taking a shower in such close proximity. 

Today wasn't normal. Not because it was Monday, not because she would watch humanity manipulate a man into something greater, and not because the coffee tasted unnaturally sweet. None of it mattered. Apart from the back of her dress photographed on the front page of the newspaper. 

She studied the photo: dress tight across her backside, leaned over the table with a wine glass and the stain splattered across Fredrick Grey's white suit. Even with the photo being in black and white, she can remember the red colour clear enough to lift a smile.

That smile did not last as she read the headlines.

'ANGRY GERMAN THROWS WINE: THE TRUTH ABOUT ANNELIESE LAWRENCE'

"Your brother is the worse."

No other words needed to be exchanged as Alexander nodded in agreement as he read his own copy of the newspaper. Both muttering small conversation as the minutes passed, until Howard finally came out from the bathroom. Dressed in a cream shirt, deep maroon vest and matching trousers - Anneliese was most certainly guilty for staring for too long.

No words were exchanged between the three of them as Anneliese picked up her handbag, and they left the terrible accommodation - towards the new SSR base for the initiation of Project Rebirth.

Arriving at the base earlier than most, Anneliese and Alexander spent the time talking whilst Howard did checks of all the machineries. As neither one of them knew how to use a screwdriver, let alone understand the electronic current buzzing through the wires - they both decided it was best for them to sit out.

Howard looked good working at the machines. He stared at them as if it was his whole world, never falling. However, a chill ran down her spine as she recognised the gaze, especially how focused he was on his work. It was exactly how he would stare at her.

The base itself was shockingly medical looking, with its grey, green and white hues - metal and grey brick. There was nothing in the room that caught her eye. It all smelt like disinfected and the sounds of clinking machinery was all that could be heard. Until she noticed a small glass vase in the middle of two brick pillars. A single red and a single white rose within it. Raising her eyebrows, about to question who would place a vase of two roses there. Alexander spoke.

"Interested in attending Fredrick's 30th birthday?", Alexander teased. "I'm sure Howard would be happy to give up his invite for you."

Rolling her eyes, Anneliese allowed her feet to dangle aimlessly as she spoke back. "Yeah, tell him I'll bring the wine."

Alexander cackled loud enough that neither noticed that Howard had made his way to the backroom, where plenty of loose parts were located. Not even the loud creak of the front door to the laboratory caught their attention as Alexander did a shocking attempt to act out Fredrick's reaction after Anneliese left.

That of course, the two stopped speaking as another voice echoed across the room.

"Schatzi".

Snapping her gaze away from Alexander and towards the voice, her lips instantly curled into a smile. And for only a second, Anneliese took in the sight in front of her. Countless men in white suits, all wearing them with pride as their grey and balding hair complimented the black slack pants. All of them wore button up's underneath, however the colour was hard to notice, as unlike the mechanical engineers that had arrived just shortly before, they wore their coats correctly.

Of course they would, she knew her father would have their heads if even the smallest crease was found in their coat. A scientists coat was the most important item of clothing to them; a symbol of study and truth. Yet, staring at her father and Abraham walk in the other scientist. She couldn't help but frown slightly.

How much of her past had been a symbol of truth and study, but the wants of men and the desire to survive and then conquer? As much as she wished to believe, she knew there was blood on her father's hands. Blood that was stained willingly, meaningfully and in the pursuit of knowledge. It lead her to wonder, when does mankind rule the line of good and bad. 

Does it begin with the intention to harm or the actions of violence? Do definitions only come to power if one doesn't fit the category they've been placed it, are the evil truly bad - or just misunderstood? Could the good be vile and cut throat?

The victors always write the history books, regardless of good and bad. That much was true, so she wondered. How much was true of her father's intentions?

Closing her eyes, begging to have her mind grow blank. Unwilling to ruin the first time she's been able to see her father in weeks. And as the will desired, they offered. Anneliese's mind was completely empty, the only feeling within was the need to give her father a tight hug. 

Jumping from the medical bed Alexander and herself decided to sit on whilst Howard worked, and walked rather quickly towards her father. Ignoring the passing stares, she embraced her father. Hugging tightly around his mid-waist, her chin on his chest as she stared up at him smiling.

"Hello, father."

She was glad her father was home now. Well away from danger.

The next hour, Anneliese found herself seated on a chair talking to Alexander, her elbows on her knees as she used her hands to support the weight of her head. He was seated on the floor, his legs stretched out under her hair with his arms bent behind him. It was a picture of impropriety, yet neither cared.

They were exceptionally bored.

Howard had explained to both of them that they were needed at the base within the early hours of the day, however they'd spent the entire time talking and making sure they were out of the way. What was a trust-fund baby and a Secretary meant to do when neither knew how to efficiently screw in a bolt? When neither had a clue about human anatomy or had the formula of the super serum.

So this was exactly how Anneliese had begun explaining to Alexander about the mistreatment of woman in the work force, everything from the pay and opportunity to the uniform and expectations. Surprisingly, Alexander was more than curious. Anneliese had her bets that he was only interested because it involved talking about woman.

Anneliese couldn't comprehend that Howard was exactly like this not even two years ago, a self declared play boy. Nor did she understand why such a title was one to brag about, but the again, Anneliese didn't understand much that happens within Alexander's mind.

"But woman aren't usually qualified to be managers."

Groaning, Anneliese repeated herself for the fifth time within that hour. "And that's because woman are not given the opportunities to study or be provided the experience necessary for the occupation. I had to lie on my resume."

Alexander's mouth dropped open. "No way!"

Rolling her eyes, she whispered back. "Nothing compared to Howard, of course."

A shit-eating grin appeared across Alexander's lips. He leaned in closer towards Anneliese as he whispered. "Should've seen the lies he would spill when we went to college. That, that was his prime."

Biting her lips to stop herself from laughing, Anneliese could imagine the lies he would say. Considering Howard lied his way to the top, she knew that he could easily lie to her directly in the face and get away with it. He could lie to anyone and she suspects that is what made him such a successful businessman in the first place.

Alexander was only successful because his father paid the college to give him his degree in business management. 

A cough alerted the both of them: Anneliese jumped in her seat and Alexander closed his eyes as his smile grew.

"Hello Brandt."

Sending Alexander a glare for his lack of manners, Anneliese quickly spoke over him. "Good morning Senator."

He nodded at her, before sending both of them an incredulous look. "Why is Mister Grey on the floor-"

"And I thought we were good enough friends to go by our first names."

Groaning to herself, she swiftly kicked Alexander's knee with the heel of her shoes. He clearly got the message and stopped his pouting - deciding that being quiet was the best idea. After all, Alexander was only at the base because he invited himself. Not really a good reason, if Anneliese thought hard enough about it.

But that didn't matter, because the Senator was about to top Anneliese's most wanted list. 

"Why are you here, Miss Lawrence?"

Narrowing her eyes, Anneliese didn't miss a beat.

"It's Miss Lorenz," she begun, her voice cold. "And I'm the head of the project, so it's my job to oversea the process."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy him, not in the slighest.

She watched as his face twisted into disgust, before he spoke. "All the patrons are questioning your credentials to lead such a project, and many are quite disturbed to be in your presence."

Tilting her head slightly, she arched an eyebrow.

"The Colonel wants only whats best for the patrons, so I am asking on everyone's behalf... for you to exit the premise."

Before she could speak, Alexander replied.

It all happened within seconds. In all the horror her face could muster, she watched Alexander raise his head to look upwards at the Senator - the same shit-eating grin across his lips from earlier. He was about to get a Senator to hate him, again.

"I do believe that's very sexist of you, Brandt." He begun, completely missing the point. "It is rather discriminative to ask a lady to leave her own workplace to please your cock-sucking-"

Without any caution, Anneliese kicked Alexander's thigh painfully. His howls of agony left unanswered as Anneliese replied.

"What Alexander was meaning to say, is that it's highly improper for the patrons to ask the head of the project to sit out of her own project."

The emphasis on words did not help her case in the slightest.

Senator Brandt tutted under his breath before he spoke. His eyes a beady blue as they met Anneliese's. "I was hoping to say this much more subtler, but I suppose I can be brassy - since Mr Grey has been so bold."

"The patrons do not believe a German should be leading the operations, especially one who's mental stability is so easily swayed by their emotions. If you do not incorporate with us, I will have an agent escort you out."

Anneliese didn't move an inch, instead her eyes dropped down to meet Alexanders. And without a single word, Alexander stood up and walked past the Senator, just as she responded.

With a cut-throat tone, Anneliese replied without any caution. "If they are not comfortable with my nationality and gender, then they are more then welcome to leav-

"-OI STARK!"

Ignoring Alexander, she continued. "-leave. I am more than happy to open the door for them."

The two remained quiet as Alexander continued to yell across the Laboratory. 

"LETS GET DRINKS AFTER THIS, YEAH?"

The familar voice of Howard responded, yelling as well. She wasn't exactly sure where he was but she assumed somewhere under a machine or in the backroom.

"Only if Anneliese agrees."

Once he spoke, two agents walked towards her. Both with the same intention, to kick Anneliese out of the bunker. Shooting her eyes back at the Senator, a snarky smile sealed his lips shut as the agents forced Anneliese onto her feet. 

Wrestling against their hold, she spoke loud and clearly. Turning the heads of the numerous patrons, politicians, nurses, chemical and mechanical engineers. "Unhand me. This is completely indecent!" 

They did not. As she was being escorted out, Alexander curated the jury to form a judgment. "Yeah, she's not going to agree." He yelled across the room. "In fact, she's not even attending the experiment. Never thought I'll see the day she'll be kicked out of a building."

If Anneliese was the judge, Alexander the jury. Howard was certainly the executioner. 

She watched him step out of the back room, catching his eyes instantly.

"What the fuck-", he paused before he continued. Storming straight towards them. "How dare you handle my employee like that-"

Howard was right in front of her and within the second, both Agents had let go of her wrist. There was a small chance bruising would occur, but it was nothing like the bruises Mr Anderson left all those years ago. Rubbing her wrist self-conciously, she listened to the heated conversation between Howard and the Senator.

"What the actual fuck Brandt," Howard begun, getting right into the senator's face. "You do not get to kick out my employees, and you certainly do not get to order agents to handle my girlfriend in such a manner."

Anneliese was definitely blushing, but nothing compared to the embarrassment of her father and Abraham watching everything play out. She would prefer Alexander's waggling eyebrows any day, over the arched eyebrow from her father.

"You're only here to provide access to the power grid, considering you lacked to give us the necessary generator. If all of Brooklyn looses light, that is on you. And if a single bruise forms on Anneliese's wrist," Howard paused again, pointing a finger in the Senator's face. "I will be suing not only you, but your entire government." 

After all of that, Anneliese and Alexander decided it was best to forgo any introductions with the other patrons - missing the chance to meet Steve Rogers, Abrahams selected candidate. However, Anneliese couldn't careless as Alexander listed all the good bars to go to in Brooklyn. Starting strong with the bar beneath their accommodation. 

"Instead of finding bars to go too, find a new place to stay." Anneliese said, just as everyone slowly started to fill in the show box seats. Levitated above so the viewers could see the experiment occur.

Alexander shook his head. "I still think the place is rather swell, more so if I had the single."

Curling her lip into a smirk, "Don't enjoy sharing a bed with Howard?"

"Once you share a single bed in college with Howard, you too would hate it."

Before Anneliese could question him, Abraham had flicked the microphone painfully. Sending a rather nasty noise in the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this morning we do not take another step toward annihilation. Today, we take the first step on the path to peace. We will begin with a series of micro-injections to the subject's major muscle groups."

Watching carefully, Anneliese studied how Howard and his older assistants, all mechanical engineers, readied the machinery. His work ethic was meticulously order, with every check on each monitor - a corresponding BEEP occurred. She often forget to remember the lengths of Howard's intelligence, and within this moment she was humbled.

He was a genius.

Abraham continued to speak into the microphone. "The serum will cause immediate cellular change. In order to prevent uncontrolled growth, the subject will then be saturated with Vita Rays."

As the microphone shut down, she noticed the small nod Abraham gave to her father, who was seated on a stool behind the monitors. Overlooking Howards work. Then, Abraham nodded more virtuously towards a nurse. A needle was injected.

"Was that it?" Alexander asked.

"That's penicillin."

"Oh," he replied. "OH!"

His change of tone was merited as a panel slid back on the machinery, to showcase the blue serum within glass virals. Anneliese shuffled closer towards the window as the virals connected with the needle injectors, perfectly placed. So far, Howard's invention was working.

Steve was rather scrawny, it was in those final moments before the lid of the machine closed that she realised how small he was. How thin he looked. Sick couldn't even describe his appearance, Anneliese instantly started to question Abraham and her father's selection.

"Beginning serum infusion in five, four, three, two...one."

With being in the show box meant that seeing the finer details was difficult, Anneliese could not see Steve undergo the serum but from Abrahams next words - the candidate had received the serum.

"Now, Mr Stark."

Her eyes snapped back to Howard, watching him wink at Alexander and herself before he pulled down a lever. Which tilted Steve from his resting state to an upwards one, almost rocket like. Ignoring Abraham's next words, she stared at Howard. Admiring the smile plaguing his lips. But it was the gold in his eyes that Anneliese translated quicker.

This was the moment he knew he had made it. Anneliese just knew it. This was his golden moment.

By the time she finished staring at Howard, the room was filled with light. Blinding her. Covering her eyes out of instinct, there was some sort of commotion occurring and Anneliese had not the smallest clue what was going on. Too busy trying to stop herself from going blind at twenty-four.

Her hands remained in front of her eyes until Alexander whispered into her ears. "They've done it."

Snapping them open, she blinked a few times only to be startled to see that Steve Rogers now stood much, much taller. Following the crowd back to the lab, Anneliese basically threw herself into Howard. Hugging him tightly. What she had witness was the closest thing she could ever call magic. Even science baffled a scientist. 

"That was-"

"Amazing!" Alexander exclaimed from behind Anneliese. 

Instantly, Anneliese let go of Howard and moved towards Abraham, giving Howard some time with his best friend and current partner in bed. Avoiding the crowd of men around Steve Rogers, Anneliese smiled sweetly at Abraham and her father. Who seemed just as excited as she was.

That was when she noticed a smile grace her father's lips, a rare sight. She couldn't help but-

BOOM

CRASH

BAM

Instinctually, Anneliese covered her head as she glass came crashing down the from show box she was sitting in now even a few minutes earlier. Panic flooded her system as her eyes met her father's and followed by Abraham. This was an attack.

A Hydra attack.

Standing in front of Abraham and her father, she studied their clothes for any damage and blood - making sure they hadn't been hurt. She completely neglected to remember that for an attack to occur, someone needs to be within the building to complete the mission. It was this mistake, this simple error that resulted in the end of the beginning.

She would have seen the spy that stole a viral of the super solider serum and she would have seen the gun.

She did not see the gun.

Instead, all of it happened in slow motion.

BANG

Life ceased to exist.

Her first mistake was checking for injuries and the consequences was watching the light - the life in Abraham - darken. It was watching him fall to the ground, the blood soaking his clothes and spluttering on her white dress. It was the panic as she turned around to meet the eyes of the owner of the bullet.

Terror struck her-

BANG

A second bullet nicked her arm, landing the final blow on Abraham's shoulder. More blood than normal spluttering out from his wound. If Anneliese was to be analytical in this moment, she'd inform herself that Hydra was made up of sick individuals that wanted more blood per injury. Therefore enhancing the bullets to cause more unnecessary damage.

But Anneliese was anything but analytical. She was silent.

Her father was not.

For the first time she heard her father scream, cry and collapse towards Abraham. Trying and failing at stopping the blood from leaking from his wounds. Anneliese couldn't move, staring down at the blood staining Abraham's clothes - similar to her own. Blood, blood, bloo-

-BANG!

Unsure where the bullet was delivered, all she knew was her legs were unbelievably weak. She was to fall, collapse into a muddle mess and to be lost forever. If she could think, she would have heard the scream from the man. A single name.

LORENZ

She would have heard her name being screamed, not from someone she cared from. But from the man with the gun. If she could move her gaze from the bullet wounds on Abraham - she would have seen the tear stained cheeks of her father, the horror in it. 

Then it all caught up to her.

Racing bodies and flashing lights, Anneliese collapsed to the floor. Trying to stop wounds that will not close, her hands growing redder by the second as she took over from her father. Who was a weeping mess, his face pale.

She did not notice the majority of the agents, Steve and Argent Carter leave. But she noticed a shadow lifting her from the ground, holding her tightly - as if letting go would cause certain death.

Blood soaked her dress, if it was hers or Abraham's, she was unsure. But one fact she did know was that Howard Stark stared down at her with his golden eyes of worry. His eyebrows knitted together as he tried to figure something out - and perhaps the wound on her arm solved it.

"Your the target." He whispered, staring up at him. She noticed how much larger his eyes grew, terrifyingly so. "They don't care for Josef, they want you."

Dropping her gaze from Howard, avoiding the terror and the gasp from his lips. She couldn't help herself as her eyes wondered back to the small vase, tucked in a corner between two brick pillars, illuminating the only other colour in the room. White and red. With the room a strange green, grey and medical white, the two singular roses stood out amongst the bricks and tiles. And her eyes could not drop their gaze: one red rose and one white rose.

The two roses would appear to be romance to the eyes of an American, the expression of respect and devotion. Yet, death to the eyes of a german; a signal of bloodshed.

Violence was looming, and Anneliese no longer held a white flag of security. The wants of greed had long overtaken her system.

Desire and lust already held her blood hostage, leaking a sticky red substance on the rose. The once white rose, a representation of her purity, was slowly destroyed.

Dropping her gaze to her dress, what was once white was painted in red. What ought to be panic and fear from the blood staining her dress was reinvented into something completely new. She was the ruination and the destruction, the exception to the rule of roses. Anneliese wouldn't know it then, but she was the singular white and red rose.

As she will, and always be... a sign that romance and purity only ever encompass the steps to demise, a promise that war is to come.