AUTHOR'S NOTE [12/16/2017]: Fixed some errors and changed some information here, nothing too major.
[11/22/2017]: I'm alive, and I can finally post this! *fistpumps* As it says on the tin, it's a requested fic, but I definitely enjoyed writing this one, mostly because of the premise and the little experimental things I incorporated.
WARNING: This story contains crass language, heavy spoilers, and angst. Reader discretion is advised.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mystic Messenger, it's obviously Cheritz's pride and joy. I also don't own Mariko, she's Shiranai Atsune's OC/MC.
Get their trust, gather information, and get out.
That was it, plain and simple (but nothing was ever simple).
She had entered the apartment as ordered, integrated herself into the group, and continued to keep the guise of 'clueless, helpless, civilian' until she needed to pull herself out.
"I don't know anything! I was just sent her by a weird unknown person chatting with me through the messenger," she had cried that day.
It was ridiculous even when just laid out like that, and even more insane because of what she knew. It was truly convenient to not have more to do because another Believer was already concocting an alibi for her, even if it was somewhat shaky.
Practice with Disciple Ray really polished her acting skills to the point that the lies that rolled off of her tongue just seemed natural. Of course… acting wasn't the same as truly feeling.
That was why she began to feel confused. Her heart would go aflutter at times when she struck up a conversation with him, her palms would get sweaty, and her cheeks would burn in… embarrassment (was she supposed to feel this)? Overall, she had felt very warm and tingly, and she had waved away a stray thought that come about from observing these abnormalities because that couldn't be it (but what if it is?).
She had not taken her doses of elixirs in a while, so her mind could just be conjuring these odd sensations throughout her body, since she had brief moments where her head pounded and she had to take some aspirin. A withdrawal, if you will, which she distantly remembered was something Disciple Ray had warned her about before they went ahead and planted her in. She had been handed some candy to keep the feeling at bay, as if her condition could be simply compared to a smoking addiction (but wasn't it an addiction? Wait, no, it's her salvation).
It wasn't enough at all. These… feelings remained.
And that would cost her.
oooOooo
Fingers tapped on the table in a constant rhythm as a young woman grumbled.
"I found, like, ten icky bugs lurking the other day near my seat while I was trying to draw some floor plans, I was so bothered I couldn't continue working," she drawled in annoyance, moving to place her arm on a stable surface to stop herself from being too fussy. Ten confirmed bugs in the apartment, maybe more. Unable to proceed.
"That's unfortunate. So, you've got no time to relax then, huh?" Standby and wait for further instructions.
The woman pushed aside a few cylinders containing papers filled with unfinished sketches with a heavy sigh, carefully glancing at the general area of the bugs and the CCTV camera with her peripherals. If she had her way, she'd have activated an EMP on those things because despite being cozy, clean and had a proper heater and AC system, it was a rather annoying reminder that this wasn't hers.
"Sadly no, I'm caught up in other stuff. I have to wait for my teammate to finish his workload as well. I swear this will drive me up the wall soon." Time is growing scarce. Status on breach?
"I guess he's been busy huh? He's been going at it for days now, so maybe he'll finish soon." Phase Three is near its end.
"Ugh, hopefully," she lamented, sinking into the armchair she occupied.
"Hey, you sure you guys can finish this project soon? Boss has been hounded by the clients for a while and he's getting pissy." The Savior has been rather concerned over the completion of this mission.
"What? Oh God, why? I'm just counting on my ole buddy to just get his ass in gear and all will be smooth sailing from then on. He doesn't need to worry at all, okay?" Everything is fine, we will succeed.
There was a snort, and the woman couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I'm just sayin Mari. Well, I gotta go, looks like new clients have come in." New Believers have come, Magenta is about to launch soon after all. The Savior expects progress soon.
She ruffled her hair in frustration, knowing she might fail if she just twiddled her thumbs (which she can't do, she CAN'T). "I know! Gah, when this is all over, you guys better treat me." I need my dose. "I still can't believe I'm the one doing all of this, it's utterly exhausting! I hate deadlines," she rambled truthfully at the end.
Her friend chuckled. "Patience, kiddo. You'll grow gray hairs soon if you keep fretting. See ya!"
She blinked a few times at the abrupt call with her handler because a retort was on the tip of her tongue, and after a long, explosive exhale, she then proceeded to bash her face into a pillow.
It had been a week since Mariko, known as Mari for this mission, had been made the new party coordinator for the RFA, and she had become rather restless, for more reasons that one. The first immediate one was the fact that she now had twitchy hands, which had evolved to her cracking her knuckles every so often. It wasn't so bad since she did it unconsciously, but that was proof that she had been here for quite a while.
Second one was the mere fact that she'd gone through a whole week with a migraine the size of the Empire State Building. She mentally patted herself on the back for taking it like a trooper as she was told to do, but that didn't mean she was happy about it at all.
The spy was jolted out of her musings when she hadn't realized she had been gripping at her phone, accidentally turning up the volume and causing the high-pitched sound of the notification bells to reverberate in the room. It also reminded her that the chatroom had been abuzz for the last five minutes, which she had been unable to check in because of the call from her… co-worker.
Her stomach suddenly did somersaults once she laid her eyes on the names of the people online, namely the two she had admittedly gotten close (close enough, and there could be so much more…) to during her stay here.
Jumin and Zen.
The former had been… having a hard time lately because of something his father did apparently, alongside the disappearance of his cat Elizabeth 3rd. In fact, Jaehee had been urging her to go to the man to comfort him.
She would've laughed (the blunt person she was, she may have made things worse thanks to nerves) if it wasn't for the fact that she'd been told to go to perform… seduction tactics at who the most useful target could be, provided she could do so if the breach was taking too slow to achieve, doubling as a distraction. She had been secretly groaning about it in her head for the past couple days. She never really liked the idea, but for the sake of Magenta, she had to.
Then there's the latter. The albino had been strangely moody as of late, which she had chalked up to how weird Jumin had been acting and how worried he was over Jaehee. Of course, he'd act his normal and proud self once she'd participate in the chatroom, so maybe she was just overthinking things?
… Whatever, she just wanted to get this over with so she could go home and finally have her fix again.
She sighed once she decided to say Hello.
Jumin Han: Mari…
ZEN: You can't just keep letting Jaehee do the work, you know?
ZEN: Hello, Mari!
Jumin Han has left the chatroom
Jaehee Kang: Good afternoon, Mari.
Mari: Wait, Jumin?!
She frowned at his sudden disappearance, feeling a gut twist and churn (was she getting even more ill? Or… worried?). Shaking that unwanted train of thought away, she proceeded to reply in her usual fashion.
Mari: I would have asked if ya'll having a good day, but it looks like smtg is happening
ZEN: Well
ZEN: Mr. Trust Fund Kid's been basically shutting him down from the world
ZEN: and I find that it's because of this
A screenshot of an article popped up, and she raised an eyebrow at it claiming a possibility of Jumin being engaged to a celebrity. The woman in question had long, straight, maroon hair, and definitely model-like features with a generous figure and bust size. She filed whatever sparse information on this Sarah Choi she had away for further research, but for now…
ZEN: So he's supposedly engaged
ZEN: But it looks like he thinks it's a bad thing?
ZEN: Haven't gotten his opinion on it bc he's silent
ZEN: and with his furball missing, he's just taken to staying at home now
ZEN: Jaehee's been getting swamped with so much work ;;
Jaehee Kang: It's really ok Zen, it's my job.
Jaehee Kang: Nothing much different from what I usually do.
ZEN: Yeah, but calls every other ten minutes?
ZEN: Because of this guy's love life? I mean, he already had those other rumors floating around and he was okay before.
Mari: Hm, now that we know why… I guess I get why Jumin's bothered. Since he did say his father did something without informing him and now that's he's been so unnaturally withdrawn even more after Elizabeth's untimely disappearance…
Mari: Sure, he'd been dumping stuff on Jaehee, but he's having a difficult time.
Polite to an extent, but she's able to speak her mind freely (the least she could be, if only out of pity).
Jaehee Kang: I figure that it's because of his newfound feelings for you is why he's been confused.
Her mind went to a grinding halt.
Jaehee Kang: You two have been getting along
Out of pretense (her heart clenched at that statement).
Jaehee Kang: It's quite obvious that he's become rather fond of Mari
Does he really? (Or maybe he does…)
Jaehee Kang: and with Sarah Choi's appearance in Mr Han's life
Jaehee Kang: perhaps it made him unsure of himself.
He's only human, after all.
Jaehee Kang: At least that's what I think.
ZEN: Maybe, maybe not.
ZEN: I just wish he just…
ZEN: I dunno, talked?
Mariko bit her lip, something indescribable worming its way under her skin. She breathed in sharply as she ignored the feeling and instead rationalized the whole debacle. Perhaps she should begin with Plan B then.
Mari: I could go talk to him.
And then the world never looked the same again.
oooOooo
Music blasted through her earphones, shoes tapping on the tiled floor with every beat.
She had been sitting at a café for thirty minutes now, and while she had been sipping at her now lukewarm coffee and munching on her sandwich, she had been enjoying this simple lull in her makeshift life.
The call she ended just a few minutes ago still stayed in her mind however.
"You want me to start?" she immediately questioned once she was patched through by her handler.
"Yes. The security system's tougher than I expected. It will take me another two days to rewrite the code before it's under my control."
She muffled a groan, wishing that she could just book it out of here soon. "Anything I should note?"
"Just try to see if you can weed out any information on the former guests from him. In any case, I'll call you once we can proceed."
"Gah, finally. You know, you really owe me that dose."
There was a low chuckle. "Of course. Nothing but the finest for you, my dearest assistant."
Another ring of the door got her to look back from her seat, and a flash of silver left her mind reeling.
"Zen?!" she yelped out in shock, before regret seeped in because even with the noise, it appeared that she had caught the albino's reddish-pink eyes, and the absolute delight and surprise in them got her to squirm uncomfortably. The tall man was wearing a comfortable-looking black hoodie and track pants, and even then people's heads swiveled over to gape at him as he padded over to the counter, passing by her with a wink.
What's HE doing here of all places? Her mind screeched. She only hoped the driver arrived soon.
Her wishes were not granted though, because as soon as the actor was done ordering a latte, he waltzed over to her table with a bright smile.
"Hello there, cutie. Mind if I seat here?"
Her mind blanked out for three seconds before rebooting. "Oh, sure."
She watched as he sat down with a 'thank you', and she pretended to fiddle with her phone, adjusting the volume so she could keep half an ear out in case Driver Kim had arrived with her freedom, and partially because she was a little peeved that the albino was drawing in stares of awe while shooting her inquisitive looks. Her fingers reflexively moved towards her temple, massaging it lightly. She needed the candy and aspirin soon.
Plus, he wasn't doing a very good job of subtly eyeing her.
"What is it?" she couldn't help but ask, because she didn't really like the attention they were gaining.
He flinched slightly at being caught, but instead of apologizing he straightened from his seat. "I'm just curious. Do you know me?" he asked, straight to the point, which she was grateful for.
She grunted out a noncommittal sound. "Maybe."
He leaned forward, interest definitely peaked. "Oh?"
Abort, a voice in her head whispered urgently.
"Like I said, maybe." Mariko made a so-so gesture, resigning herself to short responses so as to not let her nervousness get the better of her. She didn't really want to accidentally reveal her identity to him just yet, not when she had her mind on more pressing matters (I don't want to feel like I'll betray you too, not like what I'm to do with him). "Are you famous or something?"
The albino gave her an amused stare, as if to say 'you're playing me, aren't you?' She met his gaze head-on, feeling her cheeks burn as she felt something akin to a flame sparking within her chest (he's beautiful), just as the door presented her escape.
She abruptly stood up, waving her hand at the older man, much to the confusion of the actor.
"Miss Oh?" he inquired, gazing down at her with kind eyes.
"Yes, it's me. Let's go, shall we?" Sensing the unspoken question in the air, she gave Zen a small smile (it was the least she could give). "It was nice to see you, Zen."
And she ignored the stare burrowing into her back as she left the café.
oooOooo
She had decided at that moment that he had the most interesting shade of piercing, gray eyes—they were cesspools of strength, like iron. Hard, but malleable. They almost seemed to undress her by each micro-movement she made, and she made a conscious effort to maintain her façade and gripped the straps of her duffel bag with more force than usual.
She had come to Jumin's penthouse, ushered along by the man's bodyguards and avoiding the hubbub by the crowd of reporters at the entrance of the building—there's two dozens of them, all armed—in time for her to witness the man conversing with the same woman from the article, something over his missing cat. Mariko briefly wondered if coming here was going to be a bust, idly observing the minimalist designs of blues, whites, and grays with symmetrical patterns of his abode, until she made her presence known. His eyes snapped to her with clear surprise and tinges of exhaustion.
Her first instinct was to call him out for looking like hell had ran him over with an eight-wheeler truck, but she clamped that urge down, observing the wariness that decorated his body language.
"Hello, Jumin," she greeted cordially. "Who's your lady friend?"
The woman turned to her with an annoyed expression. "Who—"
"Mari. I didn't expect you to get here so soon," he cut in, immediately catching on to what she was trying to do as he backed a step away from the woman.
She shrugged. "The ride Jaehee arranged did a good job of getting me here. Although, did I come here at a bad time? I can wait outside."
The director shook his head, before giving his other guest a perfectly practiced smile—fake and devoid of any real emotion. "I believe it's time for you to go, Miss Sarah. It was nice talking to you."
Sarah's face took on a dark shade of red, and not of a good kind. "I'll be back, Jumin. Have a nice day."
She stormed out with a huff, nearly bumping into Mari's shoulder if not for her honed reflexes, and disappeared alongside the tension that clouded the room.
If she was any other woman, Mariko would've blanched and perhaps called herself inferior just from the sheer aura she projected. The maroon-haired woman was truly a force to be reckoned with. The database had shown that she was the heiress to a small company called Sugar Round, the protegee of Glam Choi, and had a fanbase that was catching up to the likes of Echo Girl thanks to her beauty and connection to the older Choi lady. Of course, she was anything but any every-day Korean woman, and with that brought an array of skills that got her to uncover her obstacle's darkest secrets. She had more than enough blackmail material to threaten her to never want to see the light of day again.
A cough cut her thoughts about ruining other people's lives so nonchalantly tragically short, and she stared at the C&R director with an innocent tilt of her head. He gestured to the couches, and she could see how much his posture had visibly relaxed. A sign of trust (that she was soon about to break).
In return, she gave him the best disarming smile she could offer (and how it hurt), alongside a bag of goldfish bread.
oooOooo
In the grand scheme of things, her actions made perfect sense. She was adjusting to her bizarre situation and making friends, and she came to one of said friend's home because she was worried for their well-being.
So why was she being subjected to this?
"Just think about it Mari! He's still a male, and all male can become wolves. You seriously have to be careful."
She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and for a split-second, she had an idea. "So, you mean you're also a pervert?" she teased.
Okay, it was sort of stupid, but still an idea. Zen spluttered and gasped in horror, getting her the desired effect of him sharing her embarrassment over this topic. "I-I-I'm not a pervert! I'm only worried about you staying over there."
"And I said I'll be fine. Jumin's been treating me fine, a true gentleman even." (Almost like a queen, which was… nice)
"And I say gentlemen are just patient wolves, waiting for the right time to pounce on you when you least expect it," he retorted, and she could just imagine him wearing a pout, glaring at her stubbornly for 'missing the point'.
She snickered, feeling a bit bolder at the exasperated tone he had. "Zen, could it be that you're jealous?" she shot back wryly, and then there was an awkward silence that settled once that passed by her lips. Mariko fidgeted in her seat, wondering if she should just change the subject, until Zen laughed.
"I'm just worried," he said once his laughing fit subsided into chuckles. "I could be jealous, but I know boundaries when I see one."
Her chest tightened (had she already hurt him somehow?), and she sunk back into the sofa with a forlorn expression.
"I'm really grateful that you're here, Zen." And I'm sorry, was left unsaid.
"Always."
oooOooo
His lips were soft.
That was the only thing she could think of, wide-eyed and stiff as Jumin gazed at someone behind her, as if daring for the proverbial pin to drop and break the atmosphere. The kiss lasted for five more seconds, and the loud declaration of "I'm leaving!" accompanied by the clacking of heels on the tiled floor didn't go unnoticed. The taller man was the first to pull away, and the warmth that came with him left her with an unusual sense of dread, as if she'd been dunked in cold water.
That smile, more open and brighter than before, the way his eyes softened as he gazed at her, the way his hands touched her hand gently…
"Thank you, Mari."
The spy could only give him a grin, all the while internally grimacing at how her head was throbbing harder (getting too close, too close) "Not a problem, Jumin. But warn me next time, would you?" she joked, the words tumbling out of her mouth as her brain struggled to catch up.
oooOooo
Perhaps it was wrong (but this was Magenta's will, right).
She lied on the bed with the man's soft breaths nearly lulling her back to sleep. She peeked out from under the covers, merely content in watching him peacefully snooze, the lamp by the bedside illuminating his face. She almost wanted to poke him or get a feather to rub on his nose, just to see his reaction and maybe get him to fall from the chair he was resting on, but she held back instead.
Her phone had been sending out signals that her partner was calling.
Slowly slinking out of bed, she grabbed her phone and called back.
"It's time, Mariko."
Pausing, she silently listened to the instructions before ending the call, and the woman steeled herself for one of the longest nights of her life.
Grabbing her bag, she brought out a pouch full of pens, and dissembling it produced a thin stick of incense. It was to make sure her fellow RFA member didn't arouse from his slumber since it acted as a sleeping agent that would last for three to four hours. She slipped on a face mask, placed it in a corner and lit up five of them, letting the scent fill the air. With a nod to herself, she put on a black earring, pressing her pointer finger at it until it activated.
"I'll warn you if you get close to the guards."
Turns out her handler's instructions were more than unnecessary, since it was unbearable easy to get out of the building. She had memorized the floor plans and guard shifts to a T, and all the camera's blind spots in the C&R building allowed her to disappear easily.
Now that she was back in front of the apartment, glowering at the door with the might of a thousand suns, she intently listened to her handler's voice through her earpiece.
"The bugs are still active, but the camera's been dealt with. Go through this silently, and we're done."
Simply grunting an affirmative, she entered the place as stealthily as she could, making her footsteps against the wooden floor as silent as possible. Her breathing was mellow, and she tiptoed her way to the desk that held the prize. She knelt before it, touching the surface with her gloved hand and confirming that yes, the alarm has been disabled.
The spy pulled a small laptop and attached a USB cord to it and the adjacent CPU, making a few keystrokes and turning on the computer. She pressed a few more commands, enabling Ray to obtain the guest information. The process would take five or so minutes, so she placed the device on the desk as she plucked out a lock-pick from the folds of her all black get-up. She honed in on the topmost drawer, her heart beating faster and faster with each passing second. A click indicated her success, and she slowly opened it, the smell of faded ink assaulting her senses.
Mariko stowed all of the blueprints and documents in the unremarkable messenger bag she had slung on her shoulder, before glancing back at the laptop. It was sitting at 40%, and she clenched her fists in order to prevent herself from causing any unnecessary sounds.
It was nerve-wracking to only have her soft breathing fill the silence, and it just made thinking all the more open to happen.
Biting down at her lip, she glumly watched as the numbers slowly trickled upwards, cementing her betrayal to the RFA and her loyalty to Mint Eye's cause.
For Magenta. For Salvation.
… But why was she hesitating?
oooOooo
She sat there, blank-faced and rigid, unable to fathom the correct way of dealing with the tumultuous wave of emotions (should she really be doing this) that just hit her.
It was… difficult.
She had been staying in a corner booth of their set rendezvous point for an hour now, and all she had ordered in the restaurant was a salad left half-eaten and pushed aside. To be fair, the food was appetizing, and the tasteful, homey ambiance of the establishment, the pastel-colored wallpaper, low circular lamps, several fern plants, and the jazz music in the background, would have done wonders to ease her.
Unfortunately, it didn't ease her nerves as much as she would have liked.
The spy had already snacked on three packs of candy and drank three pills of medicine in an attempt to stave off the budding headache that had grown in magnitude since yesterday, and she'd been gripping a stress ball so hard that she feared it could just burst, just like her heart threatened to do, battering against her chest like a madman.
This was it. The end was near.
In only a few minutes, her partner would go through those doors and take her back to where she belonged (but the RFA…), to where a utopia unlike any other was waiting for her.
She exhaled sharply, her skull felt like it was being constantly stabbed at by ice picks.
Mariko was never part of that organization. She was just playing with them (her breath hitched at the idea), all for the sake of their everlasting party to finally begin. She'd discarded her phone in the trash a few blocks away, and all she had now was a back-up phone with nothing but the basic operations available for use, and a burner phone for emergencies.
… She imagined that she'd received a ton of notifications already, all of the members desperately wondering where she had gone in the dead of night. Jumin would have sent out security and the police. Seven would make use of satellite and CCTV images to pinpoint her location. Zen… he'd probably interrogate Seven or Jumin into giving him a copy of her picture so he could begin searching. Yoosung would go to Seven and see if he could help. Jaehee would try doing damage control.
It was of no use. She was only fit to disappear back into the shadows (their warmth... it was a fleeting luxury to have).
Just as she glanced back at the glass door that separated the Mari of RFA and the Believer Mariko of Mint Eye, a single thought dominated everything else.
But why can't I look away?
oooOooo
ZEN: Any luck yet?
Jaehee Kang: I'm afraid not.
Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han has been over at the police station overnight, but I've received no indications of progress.
Yoosung*: She must have been kidnapped
Yoosung*: Even if I rlly hope not ;;
Yoosung*: I've been going thru a couple camera feeds all over Seoul that Seven gave me, and I still haven't found her
ZEN: Don't say that
ZEN: She has to be safe
707 has entered the chatroom
ZEN: Seven!
ZEN: Do u have something?!
707: I do
707: It's…
ZEN: Come on man, spit it out
Yoosung*: Seven?
707: I spotted her entering a restaurant in Gangnam five days ago. But…
Yoosung*: But..?
707: I didn't see her anywhere else after that.
707: She didn't come out, and I didn't see any suspicious persons around.
Jaehee Kang: Are you sure?
707: Yeah
707: I'll still go through everything again
707: I must have missed smtg
Yoosung*: Then I'll go through more too!
707: We'll find her, no matter what
707: Don't worry.
707 has left the chatroom
Yoosung*: I'm lucky we have a long break...
Yoosung*: But either way
Yoosung*: I'm not stopping until we find Mari
Yoosung* has left the chatroom
Jaehee Kang: I'll inform Mr. Han about this
ZEN: Ok. I'm going to drive around some more and see if anyone in Gangnam saw her.
Jaehee Kang: Alright.
Jaehee Kang: Zen..?
ZEN: Yeah?
Jaehee Kang: Be careful.
ZEN: I will.
Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom
ZEN: Dammit
ZEN: Where the hell did you go Mari?
ZEN has left the chatroom
The woman sadly smiled, before pocketing the phone—a new, unblemished phone with which she secretly hacked her way into the RFA messenger with, because learning under Disciple Ray did come in handy—in her trench coat.
They wouldn't be able to find her, not even her old employers (what are you doing, what are you doing, they'll never accept you again!). She'd made sure of that.
She'd already changed her appearance, as exhibited by the bob cut and blonde hair she now sported, and the contacts that changed her eyes into a bright blue. Adjusting her duffel bag, she strolled towards her destination at a sedate pace, knowing that this was her chance.
It took her around thirty minutes, but now she was in front of a telephone booth at the nearest park, moonbeams simmering through the haze of clouds and through the thick trees, casting shadows around her. The only sounds were the occasional howl of a dog, the engine of a passing car and the leaves rustling with the wind, sweeping through the area like a medley. It still was eerily quiet, as if not a soul was stirring this night, and despite herself Mariko stood nervously.
"All or nothing…" she muttered to the wind, eyeing her reflection with a frown.
Pursing her lips, the ever-familiar throb of her head translated to her looking as if she was in between being horribly constipated and throwing up, her clammy palms and quickened breathing making her discomfort all the more obvious to the world.
To put it simply, she looked like crap.
But to be fair… she was about to change something big, and the faith of two groups was resting on her shoulders. It was literally a case of the lives of the many versus the lives of the few.
Betrayal will be met with death, a saccharine sweet voice breathed in her ear, and she went frigid.
"R-Ray..?" her eyes whirled around in a panic, but there was no one else in the park.
You can still come back, Mariko. Punishment will be lessened if you return.
"W-what?" she rasped out, body instinctively seizing up at the thought of punishment.
The cold cells—
The blurs of pain—
The red marks—
NoNOnopleaseDonT—
It's a price that must be paid. No one leaves Mint Eye without facing the consequences. Such is the way of life, is it not?
"No, s-stop..! You're not real!" she yelled, clutching at her head and attempting to block out the words being slurred to her.
I am very much a part of you, Mariko. Don't deny me.
Everything was growing hazier.
The elixir's here. Do you want the pain to flood back? There was a stinging sensation in her eyes, but she didn't care, shivering as she listened to the one person who welcomed her so willingly. The elixir… her hand reflexively twitched, mouth drying, and head almost bursting at the enchanting prospect.
Mariko licked her lips hungrily. The elixir… it was her way of forgetting everything that ever plagued her, her mistakes that were snaking its way around her like thorny vines.
Her happy place…
We are so close to Magenta's completion. Return to headquarters, and become witness to Salvation.
She blinked a few times, gasping at the suited form of her partner, her mentor, her closest ally, who stood a few steps away from her, expectant and smiling in understanding. His silvery hair seemed to glow thanks to the streetlamp behind him, and lime-green eyes twinkled, warm and inviting. From here, his formal attire—a red suit with a white, ruffled undershirt, black slacks, and an orange rose he had pinned on his chest, she vaguely recalled that he only once wore that when they had been assigned to a meeting—and demeanor made him look like a prince.
Come back to me.
His pale hand stretched out, palm facing her, beckoning her. "I-I-I…"
It's alright, Mariko. Just come back to Mint Eye, and this will all be over.
Another blink, and this time, the robed figure of her Savior was there to lead her back, golden hair curling down to her waist… she had the most alluring smile pasted on her face, one that always managed to chip at the barriers she'd erected around her heart.
Come, Mariko.
A beat. She gazed frightfully at the two central figures in her life, both anticipating her next move. If she accepted them… she'd not have to suffer like this anymore, would she?
Yes. Shroud your vision, and you shall be saved. We'll give you the key to happiness.
Happiness…
She hesitantly retreated, images of five important people flashing to the forefront of her mind. "N-no…"
No?
She hated the sound of disappointment in their tones, but she pressed on. "It's all lies. Magenta's nothing b-but an illusion. The elixir… we're g-going to waste away." It was like a knife had embedded itself into her esophagus, and her words were garbled. "It's… all but a beautiful lie."
Piece done, Mariko staggered towards the door in a feverish, drunken manner, and her heeled boots were not making her steps easy. No one will be there for you once you do this, Mariko.
The now-blonde grit her teeth, teeth clacking from the force. Her gloved hand was wrapped around the handle, ready for the final step.
She knew that, but why couldn't she just yank it open?
Think deeply about what decisions you're going to make. If you do this, you're betraying the cause we've worked so hard for. And all for what? What makes you think you'll be accepted by the RFA after what you've done?
They were right. The RFA would hate her for causing them pain, for all the secrets, for the deceit.
I'm offering you a chance to atone, two voices melded together, and the former spy felt her knees buckling.
"I already am," she mumbled. "If facing the ugly truth for my f-friends labels me as an irredeemable sinner... then so be it."
Entering the booth, she ignored the screams of protest echoing in her head and the sweat licking against her skin. She couldn't look away. No more. Her thin fingers hastily pressed at the numbers, and as she adjusted the small device affixed to the edge of her collar, she waited until a voice greeted her.
"Hello, I don't have much time, so listen carefully. I have information on a brainwashing cult and their location…"
oooOooo
Onyx eyes peered down tiredly at the phone in his hands, but none could deny the gleam of curiosity in them.
An unknown number had been persistently calling him thrice now since the lunch with his father and Glam Choi had started, and he was grateful that he had his phone in silent mode or it would have been quite distracting.
Of course, with the way things were going, he may as well welcome such a distraction.
It had been… half a year since her disappearance, and although some may say he had taken it quite well, the bundle of feelings he had pushed to the sidelines were taking a toll on him. For one, he had been hounded by his father for calling off his engagement to Sarah Choi, and Glam had been not too subtle in trying to make him reconsider her instead of some random woman who had 'clearly stood him up'.
He had half a mind to ask Luciel to produce information that could convince his father to stop seeing this woman, more or less because his patience was waning. And partially because he couldn't stand anyone insulting her.
He had been up for many nights, trying to scour the news for any information on the party coordinator, disappointment gnawing at him at every news outlet reporting the police's latest capture of cult members that had been revealed to the public, infamous for their use of a variety of illegal drugs and religious propaganda to lure unsuspecting victims to their cause.
A part of him wondered if she had been somehow tangled with them, but he immediately banished the thought. She wasn't that gullible to fall for such a horrid scheme at attaining 'salvation'.
Though she had foolishly followed a stranger's words to go visit Rika's apartment…
Shaking his head of the nonsensical ideas, he focused on his buzzing phone once more. Whoever this person was, they were quite determined in getting him to answer. It was probably some sort of scammer, or perhaps a person unknowingly calling the wrong number, so he might as well get this out of the way.
That, and he did want some reprieve from the stale atmosphere.
Lips quirked up in a ghost of a smirk, he mouthed to his father that he had a call to take, the man just nodding mindlessly as he continued to chat with his romantic prospect, and promptly moved to a secluded area. Placing the device by his ear, he spoke.
"This is Jumin Han. Who is this?"
There was a sound resembling a sigh, before the caller hesitantly replied. "It's me."
He blinked in confusion. "Who is this?" he repeated, his mind slowly trying to connect the voice to an identity. The woman sounded so familiar…
A chuckle. "Perhaps the six months have dulled your memory?"
The subtle bite, though teasing tone in her voice rang bells in his head. "... Mari?"
"Yes. And please, before you say anything, hear me out." He swallowed back the many things that threatened to spill out of his mouth, which had suddenly become dry. "Sorry will never cut it, I know that, so I want to say thank you. You've all been searching for me still after all this time. It's just… there's a very complicated mess I have to clean up, and… well, I won't be able to show myself for a long while."
"Why?" the question slipped without his permission, but it felt right to ask.
"Because it wasn't fair. I need to do this, Jumin…" The hint of remorse made his chest tighten.
"We can help—"
"No," she snapped back, sharp but strained, and she imagined her eyes glaring at him in defiance. "This is my responsibility. I have to put this to an end, and I won't allow anyone to get hurt more than they should. I… I won't forgive myself if they get away."
Who was 'they'? Hurt more than they should? What responsibility? The burden weighing on the woman's shoulders seemed to be too much to bear on her own, and before he even process everything, she audibly swallowed. "This probably isn't making much sense to you, is it? Well, uh, to make it simple, I just have a huge debt to repay… and even with me being proactive, I'll never get to repay it soon."
He wanted to say that he had plenty of resources to help out any type of debt, but she continued rambling, her voice slightly lower than normal. It was an indication that she was nervous, and she sucked in a breath. "I'm not sure… when I'll be able to even come back. And even then, you guys would probably have moved on or something."
"We'll never forget you Mari," he spoke resolutely. "Everyone in the RFA misses you greatly, and I don't believe that anyone could ever forget your rambunctiousness."
A pause. "Haha, guess so…"
He gently smiled, the image of a sheepish-looking woman making his heart flutter. "You're important to us." To me, was left unsaid, the prickling sensation of unease holding him back.
"I'm… glad to hear that, I—" A screeching noise, like metal grating on asphalt, suddenly put him on edge. "Dammit. I gotta go. In any case, thank you so much. Please tell the RFA that. And… I… I-I love you, Jumi—"
The call ended just as a sound resembling a gunshot got him to scream her name in alarm.
ADDITIONAL A/N: The MC being vaguely described was intentional on my part, as Mariko… wouldn't exactly have a firm grasp on her identity, being a brainwashed spy and all.
Also, I felt like this was the proper way to end this. Her fate's yours to decide, dear reader.