How long had she been here? Chained and shackled with nowhere to go, she tries to place her memories, her knowledge in any structural way. She had been left on, energy flowing to her cybernetics, but leaving her living side malnourished. She was hungry and thirsty, the food and water being pumped in her system not nearly enough to keep her running out of stasis. But no one came with food or water for her, no one came down here at all.
She vaguely remembers a time when Conquering Storm would use her for everything. She would help train the new recruits and spar with the elders. Her job was not to teach them how to fight necessarily, but teach them how to think, how to prepare a mental battle plan, how to learn and react based on the types of opponents you came across. But something had happened, and she had been placed into this cage without a second thought.
Weakly, the girl tugs on the shackles holding her in place. Just as expected, the chains are unrelenting, even at full strength she wouldn't be able to escape. Why would she expect anything less from the Raiju Clan? They had always been known for their eagerness for the battlefield and she doubted that they would let their prisoners easily escape.
...Although…
Flashes of red, pink, green, molded into some figures flash through Liza's mind. They had managed to escape, they had gotten past the Raiju. Conquering Storm had been angered by that. Everyone had been punished that day, especially her. But, it begged the question, if they could escape, why couldn't she?
Escape to where?
Colors and sounds swirled around trying desperately to form the memories that she so desperately needed. She must have come from somewhere. It didn't take a genius to have noticed that aside from Gordon and Sarah, she was the only chameleon here. The chameleons must have come from elsewhere.
However, she doesn't look or act like Gordon or Sarah. She had little free reign of her body, her thoughts, her emotions. She hadn't even had the chance to think this deeply in ages. Do Sarah and Gordon do this often? Sarah was always talking back to the Bride and muttering about how she had so little power and how she would be so much more powerful after she got rid of them. Gordon, on the other hand, always came up with ideas for how to get things to change and how to fight the other brides. He also would occasionally come and talk to her, he seemed nice.
What does this mean for her though? Is there a place where she belongs? Where there are other robot chameleons who can do nothing but follow orders, but also have the freedom to choose which orders they follow. Liza needs to get out of here; she needs that semblance of freedom and fitting in.
That's it then. Liza is going to escape. She is going to leave this place once and for all. The only question then is how. She doesn't have the strength or the energy to simply break out. Sneaking out would be impossible because the moment she escaped Conquering Storm would be alerted to her actions and she would be chased down by the entire Raiju Clan. Sure, she could take on a couple of them, but with so many opponents… No, she would need to find a different way.
~.~
Things hadn't gone exactly as expected with Espio's trial. True, they had gotten rid of Espio. However, the Bride of Constant Vigil hadn't lost the respect and love of her people. She hadn't been reduced to a crumbling mess, and although the Shinobi Clan is definitely a mess right now, the disaster wasn't to the extent that she needed. Aside from that, Gordon still had his trial pending. Even with Espio gone there would still be a hearing. And, even without Espio there, the amount of evidence against the orange chameleon is more than enough to completely ruin her plans. Furthermore, Gordon had shown his hand too soon in revealing Espio's heritage, leaving him nothing to barter with.
Luckily, Conquering Storm was never without a backup plan. If things get too much to deal with, she could always fall back on her partnership with Eggman to bring in his 'bots and rid her of the Shinobi with ease.
Yes, that would work. That had to work. With the Yagyu no more and the Shinobi just in reach, it is time to go after the Gossamer Clan. The Clans of the Dragon Kingdom are crumbling, leaving the perfect opportunity for a rearranging of the system to a dictatorship where the Raiju are on top and Conquering Storm rules with an iron fist.
Conquering Storm's lips pull at the edges, forming a cruel smile promising malicious intent.
~.~
Small acts of rebellion are what have been keeping Sarah sane. She had been played like a shamisen and hung out to dry. She could see it from now, Conquering Storm's plans are going sideways and who is she going to blame.
Sarah heaves a sigh, sliding her fingers into her wristlet and twirling around her kunai. She pulls it out and stares at the single rose. It isn't the intricately carved flower that draws her in though. It is the little pricks raising from the stem, the gorgeous thorns that catch her eye. There is nothing fancy about them. It is their meaning though, that makes her smile. Rainbow Valley is a long way away, and although she has enjoyed the Eastern World with its undeniable danger, she misses the Western World where at every twist and turn something was happening and she could always rely on Eggman to keep life interesting.
"Sarah." Her name is snapped out, causing the girl to freeze and snap her head towards the source. It is Gordon, standing at the end of the hall, regarding her coolly.
"What!" She hisses in response. He had it easy. He had been loved by the clan. He had been promised power by their Bride. It was only when Espio returned that he felt threatened and joined this endeavor. She had been working for two years to get some sort of recognition. But no, he reaches her rank in two months. And now, now he surpasses her. She hates him, regardless of the fact that they are on the same side.
"I need you to ensure that I am not prosecuted by the clan." Gordon responds, brushing off her venom-laced response.
Sarah's eyes widen, her hands are fists at her sides. Red streaks across her vision. She should punch him. She should just take him right here. Her three years with the clan had taught her a lot, including how to fight, something she is exceedingly good at. She takes a step towards him, waiting for Gordon to flinch and run away in fear. He does nothing.
"No."
"No?" Gordon cocks a brow, his voice light as if considering what Sarah had just said.
"No." Sarah states again, just as resolute in her stance against Gordon.
Gordon's face darkens, his eyes narrowing as he glowers at the girl before him. "Listen. You are the only one completely under the radar with enough influence to sway the public. All you have to do is not be as big as a buffoon as you were in Espio's case and we can win this."
"What's in it for me?"
"You still get to be a part of this."
Sarah laughs, cackles. She throws her head back and all out howls at Gordon's proposition. Be a part of what? Their influence in the Shinobi was nonexistent and Conquering Storm had made it clear that she was of little importance to the rest of the plan and to the Bride herself. No, Sarah would not get anything.
"And what if I still say 'no'?" Sarah presses.
"Heh," Gordon let's out a little scoff, turning away from Sarah. "Well, dark times are coming, and when war breaks, you don't want to be on the wrong side."
Sarah turns to walk away, but just as she's ready to head down the corridor, she hears it, the gentle clink of metal against metal. The girl whips around, her own kunai at the ready. With an easy twist of her own kunai she is easily able to deflect the oncoming projectile and with little thought she fires her own.
Gordon twists out the way, moving to the wall. He looks her in the eye, allowing his eyes to bore into hers, before slowly fading from existence.
Sarah follows suit, turning and heading down the corridor. She can hear Gordon behind her and sends a blind kunai his way. There is no sound of contact. Of course she missed.
Whist
Something had just sailed past her ear. Sarah refuses to move knowing that any movement might alert Gordon to where she is. She closes her eyes, allowing her other senses to heighten, and then she hears it: the carefully concealed footsteps of Gordon. She listens as he stops, presumably trying to find her. However, when he seemingly finds nothing, he continues on, leaving Sarah alone.
The girl keeps her eyes closed and breathing steady, listening patiently until Gordon's footsteps dissipate.
That's it! She decides. She would make each and every one of them regret not respecting her, and she knows exactly how to do it.
The girl is swift and silent, disappearing down to the dungeons to a place she hadn't been in ages.
Her steps are silent, muffled by a soft humming coming from deep within.
Wait…
A humming?
Sarah picks up her pace, never once allowing her camouflage to fade. She quickly finds herself face to face with the pink chameleon, who seems a little too alert for a time like this.
She had been left running, awake all of this time.
Good, that made her job easier.
Pulling out her own set of keys, Sarah easily opens the cell. She moves to the awaiting mobian with a sadistic grin on her face.
"Look at lil' Liza now. Always loved. First by those of Rainbow Valley and then by the Son of the Bride and the Clan. Must be nice, right?" Sarah scoffs, spitting in the chameleon's face. For what it is worth, Liza finally opens her metallic eyes, staring at Sarah. "And when you're roboticized, you become Conquering Storm's favorite. Until you failed of course. Then, you became just like me." The final sentence is punctuated by slamming Liza's head into the wall. Liza gasps, but does little more than that.
"The irony of it all is that I'm gonna get you out of here." Sarah doesn't tell Liza of her plans or her motivation, but it doesn't matter to the pink chameleon anyway. Sarah moves to work on the chains binding Liza's arms and legs, never once noticing the smirk that crossed the pink chameleon's lips.
She had found another way.
Author's Notes:
Well, the ending is near. Only two more chapters before the third installation is started. I personally, am extremely excited.
Well, what do you think? Are you excited or worried for the future? Anyone have any guesses about what might happen to Gordon or Sarah?