The Crimson Affair Chapter 25
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, SEGA and Archie comics does. Sorry for the long update. Thank you so much guys for the support all throughout the chapters. You guys rock!
3:15 am at Station Square Apartment Complex
(Rouge's POV)
The red echidna smirked at me.
"Rouge the Bat. Born on the 19th of June. The youngest daughter of Ruby and Grayson the Bat and the sister of our target, Sapphire the Bat. Works at Zen Massage Parlor as a masseuse and works as a part time waitress at Elysium Garden Associa Hotel. Free-spirited, hardworking and has a charming personality. The girl with the 'talented hands' and is rumored to be doing 'special favors' for a prize. Need I say more?"
I gasped in surprise upon hearing that.
"H-how did you know all of that?" I asked, feeling myself shaking a bit at the brief yet accurate information about me.
"I research my targets thoroughly before proceeding to hunt" she lowered her eyelids at me "So, are you ready to listen to our terms, Ms. Bat?"
"Terms?" I muttered as I felt myself tremble at the sound of that "What terms?" I suddenly felt strong hands gripping me from behind accompanied with something metallic.
"Let me go!" I screamed as I struggled to break free but my assailant's grip was so strong that it made my movements limited.
I felt myself getting dragged away from the female echidna and before I could even comprehend the situation, my body was lifted in the air and I was harshly thrown towards the walls then I completely blacked out.
In an unknown place
I woke up with a pounding headache and a sore back just to see myself tied in a chair. I noticed that I wasn't in my apartment anymore, instead, I'm in some sort of a dark room with only a faint light bulb shining above me.
As I got a clear vision, I saw that same red female echidna wearing a black full leather suit that glistened in the darkness alongside a red male echidna wearing a hooded jacket that has a cybernetic left eye and a cylinder-like, cybernetic left arm with claws that served as his fingers.
Looking at his features alone sent a chill down my spine, he looks intimidating. It seems that he had acquired his implants from Ivo Robotics.
"From the aggression that you demonstrated earlier, I think restraining you is necessary" she said as her hand rested on her hip.
The male echidna walked towards me and lifted my chin up with his hand so I could meet his eyes from his dark hood. The LED light on his cybernetic eye pierced through mine, it was almost blinding.
"I remember that look in your eyes" he said while his cybernetic hand twirled the strands of hair at the back of my head "It's the same look your dear sister gave me before I gouged out her eyes"
"You…monster" I shook in violent fits of anger, still glaring fiercely at him "You fucking monster!"
"Oh, I'm flattered" he said sarcastically as he laughed, it was sickening.
I spit on his face out of frustration.
"You wench!" he yelled angrily that made me smirk in response but he took that smirk off of my face by giving me a strong back hand slap on my muzzles with his right hand.
The pain didn't bother me. Perhaps I was too enraged that it has already made me numb.
"Spit on me again and you can call me your 'worst nightmare'" he threatened but I just glared at him in response.
He angrily held my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes once again "And you're starting to annoy me with that look on your face…" he hissed "Why don't you smile for me a little and I might change my mind"
"Bite me!" I snapped back in rage.
"I would very much enjoy that if you weren't so hostile" I saw him taking out a knife and pointed it at my neck "I'd rather slit your throat. It's more satisfying to watch"
My sweat trickled down my forehead as I felt the sharp blade lightly grazing my skin.
This is the end. I'm sure of it. I'm going to join Sapphire soon and I won't be able to see my mother, Flint and Shadow anymore. I'm on the verge of seeing my life flash before me until the female echidna grabbed the male echidna's arm.
"Kragok, enough playing games. We need her alive" the female echidna interrupted as she walked closer to my side.
"Of course…" said the male echidna in disappointment as he let go of me and took a step backwards letting the female echidna pass through.
"I'm sorry about my brother" said the female echidna as she chuckled "He tends to get a little…violent sometimes"
I heard the male echidna grunting at her remark as he crossed his arms.
"Not as violent as you. You're the one who dragged that bat girl mercilessly"
"You're the one who gouged out her eyes in front of her son and you're calling me the violent one? You're such a hypocrite"
"Stop it!" I shouted that made them turn their heads at me.
Hearing them talk about how they killed my sister devastated me even more. Mixed emotions hurled inside me that it's starting to make me nauseous. I feel like I'm going insane that I'm almost to the point where I wanted to scream to let my frustrations out.
Please tell me that this is just a prank. Please let it be just a prank.
Knowing how mischievous Sapphire is sometimes, I'm pretty sure she had planned for this. Any minute a camera would come out and reveal that this is just another one of those sick prank shows and Sapphire would remove that blindfold from her eyes.
Sadly, no matter how I convince myself that this is just a mere joke, the truth kept stabbing me in the back telling me that my sister is not coming back, just like daddy.
I'm starting to feel a certain emptiness within me, it's like I just lost a huge part of me.
"I don't need to hear how you heartless brutes killed my sister in front of her son…Just spare me the details…" I pleaded as I felt a tear trickle down my cheek once again upon hearing how Flint had witnessed it all happened. He was too young to see all that. How could these two allow him to see his mother murdered before him?
Even though I told myself a lot of times that I will not cry in front of other people, my eyes seem to betray me. I couldn't tell whether I was sad, angry or both.
I thought these things only happen in the movies. I can't believe how wrong I was for not realizing how some people are capable of doing something as horrible as this.
Grief and rage filled my mind at the current moment. It's like there's an inextinguishable flame burning inside me and it's starting to burn my heart and lungs into a crisp. Violent thoughts filled me as well.
If I wasn't tied right now, I could already see myself grabbing that male echidna's knife and stabbing them multiple times with it but the thought of Flint getting harmed because of a foolish act made me quiver, I can't lose him, too.
I just hope he wasn't hurt. He's just an innocent little boy. I have to think of something, anything.
"If you want ransom, I can't give you much but I'm willing to give you all of my savings…just don't hurt my nephew" I begged as I kept my anger at bay. I was anticipating for an answer but all I got was sadistic laughter coming from the both of them.
"Oh no, no, Ms. Bat. Who says we're after your money? We don't do that kidnap and ransom thing. Besides, it's getting way too old and predictable" she dragged a chair along with her, placed it across me and sat on it so she could face me.
"We want you to do something for us instead" she took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped my tears with it.
Her gesture made me grit my teeth in anger. I couldn't stand the fact that she even has the nerve to wipe my tears after what she's done. It was insulting.
"You killed my sister, placed her dead body on my table, kidnapped my nephew and now you want me to make a deal with you so you would spare his life?! What kind of people are you?!" I'm losing my temper as I tried to struggle to break free from the ropes that bind me.
"The kind of people who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. You see, it's much easier to negotiate when your target is 'compromised" said the male echidna.
He made it clear. They're exploiting my vulnerability and I'm starting to burst into flames from all of the rage that are piling up inside me but all these rage is pointless if I'm tied up here. Even reasoning with them at this current state would only result with them laughing at my attempts in threatening them if I couldn't even free myself.
I tried calming myself a bit, trying to figure out the root of all of this. I faced the female echidna and tried the best I could to keep a stiff upper lip.
"What did we ever do to you?" I asked.
"Ask your sister, oh wait, how could you ask her? She probably wouldn't respond anymore" said the male echidna which earned a verbal insult from his sister.
"Enough Kragok, or else I'll bind your lips together. Besides, we don't have all night. It's either she complies or we extinguish everyone that she holds dear until she finally gives in"
The male echidna laughed "Alright, whatever. So, what would it be, bat?"
I felt my mouth gaping in shock after hearing what she said. What if she tries to go after mother, too? I wouldn't risk that.
"Alright, I'll do whatever you say! Just don't hurt anyone in my family…now tell me about these terms" I said despite the inner turmoil disrupting me from making a wise decision over the matter at hand. I have to make sure Flint is safe, even if I have to bite the bullet.
"Finally" said the female echidna as she stood from her seat and gave me a pat on the shoulder "It would have been much easier if you weren't so difficult to begin with"
The male echidna cut the ropes off of my chair swiftly with his knife, cuffed my hands behind me to prevent me from escaping and led me outside the dark room together with the female echidna while a couple of echidna guards followed behind us.
As we walked along the corridors of some sort of facility, I felt the walls squeezing into me. It's like I'm a convict sentenced to death and is on her way walking towards the execution chamber.
I couldn't believe what in the world is happening with my life. I'm probably just dreaming, I'm wishing that these were all just a horrible nightmare.
As we turned right on a corner, I saw a fairly large, rainbow colored room filled with toys with a glass mirror in it and inside the room, I saw a small grey bat on the floor calmly hugging a stuffed animal. Recognizing who it was, I suddenly found my strength coming back to me.
"Flint!" I called out towards him as I ran towards the mirrors but no matter what I do, Flint didn't move from his spot.
The male echidna suddenly grabbed me from behind and pushed me forward so I would keep walking.
"Keep walking, Bat. It's a one-way mirror. He wouldn't be able to see or hear you from here" he said that made me glare at him in response.
The female echidna turned to me "That is just a reminder for you to never mess up with our agreement. As long as you follow what we say, that little boy would still be there, safe and sound"
I just nodded in response. At least I'm glad that Flint is safe for now, I just hope it stays that way.
As soon as we reached the end of the corridor, the door before us automatically opened and I was led to a conference room with a long table and a couple of chairs.
The male echidna unlocked my handcuffs and forced me to sit in one of those chairs while he stood behind me, watching my every move in case I ever attempt to escape.
"Welcome to the Dark Legion Empire" said the female echidna "I believe we aren't properly introduced yet. I'm Lien-Da and the one behind you is my twin brother, Kragok."
Dark Legion Empire? I haven't heard about that before.
"I…haven't heard about this organization before" I said calmly.
"We once worked alongside Emerald Industries until a certain echidna renounced technology in that firm instantly driving us away from that company so we ended up starting our own. We work to serve those in dire need of help for a price of course. Unlike Emerald Industries, we remain a ghost to the public, that's how we run things here" she explained.
So they're a hidden organization but why would such an organization have anything against my family to murder my sister and kidnap my nephew like that?
"So what's the point of you people messing up with my life?" I asked, trying to find out about their motives then she threw a cream colored folder just before me.
Opening it, I saw photos that are stolen shots of a dark-furred hedgehog with upturned quills and blue eyes taken in different locations. One look and I immediately recognized who it was, it was the same hedgehog from the magazine that my sister once showed me.
"Darius the Hedgehog?" I muttered that made the female echidna nod in agreement.
"Of course, who doesn't know him? Almost everyone in Mobius does" her heels echoed into the conference room as she walked towards a desk nearby, took a clear book and threw it before me once again.
"Now look what's inside that book" she urged.
I opened the other folder and I was met with a couple of photos, this time, I was shocked from what I saw. The photos still include the same hedgehog but this time, he's with someone, someone that I knew that almost made me choke in response.
"S-Sapphire?!" I almost felt my world grow dim upon seeing some stolen shots of her and this hedgehog together in some places and one of them included Elysium Gardens Associa Hotel.
"So, what's your impression, Ms. Bat" said Lien-Da that made me shoot a glance at him.
"H-how is this…I mean…w-what's going on? This couldn't possibly be….real" I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe what my sister is doing with this hedgehog of all people.
"What you're seeing before you is nothing but the truth. Your sister must be quite a performer in bed seeing how she could easily melt that dictator's suit off of him. She really astounds me" said Lien-Da that made me cringe in response.
"My sister is a decent woman! She would never do such things. She's married and she has a loving family. This might probably be some other bat that looks just like her" I was in denial, I couldn't accept the fact that they are indeed talking about my sister.
"It's pointless to deny it, Ms. Bat. Your sister is Mr. Hedgehog's mistress" she pointed it out.
"No, she's not!" I angrily replied.
"You want further proof? Turn to the next page" she confidently smirked that made me tense. I felt my hands shaking, I was hesitant, maybe because I couldn't accept the fact that Lien-Da was telling the truth.
Finally I found the strength to turn to the next page and there I saw a photo of Flint with a small evidence bag that contained a little bit of his fur inside stapled beside it.
The file beneath it almost stopped my heart from beating. I could feel the blood from my muzzles drained the moment I've read what's written in it.
It was a paternity test done with Sapphire, Flint and that hedgehog and the probability of paternity is stated as high.
There's no doubt that my nephew's father is none other than Darius the hedgehog himself.
I immediately closed the clear book and rubbed a hand on my forehead. Does Sapphire's husband even know about all of this? I couldn't help but wonder.
How could she do this? Why would she even bother seeing this hedgehog? And to top it all that, she even bore him a child, too? This is way beyond belief.
"W-where did you get this information?" I asked Lien-Da who casually flipped her hair and sat among one of the chairs.
"From your sister's private stash" she simply said that made my blood boil.
"You ransacked her house?!" I couldn't believe what she just told me. It was outrageous.
She just rolled her eyes and looked at me with a look of indifference "Is there a problem?" she asked me that made me growl in response.
"You are indeed a monster!" I'm losing my temper once again.
"So what if I am? At least I don't fuck somebody else's husband" she confidently spoke.
"Yeah, you only fuck with somebody else's life" said Kragok as he snickered.
"Whatever…"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself before I make a scene once again. I must be strong for Flint and Sapph.
I can handle this.
I wish Sapphire could have just told me about these things. I still couldn't get over the fact that Darius is Flint's father. I never would have known. It might also be the reason why Sapphire rarely talks about her husband, maybe things aren't working out for the both of them in the first place.
"It must have been hard being related to someone who would betray her husband to seek the finer things in life now, isn't it?" said Lien-Da as she crossed her arms and smirked.
"Maybe that hedgehog forced her to. She couldn't possibly have done that on purpose…she just can't" Despite the proof, I still denied it. I didn't want to believe it even though at the back of my mind, I already do and it's killing me.
"Your sister has enjoyed riding the most influential hedgehog's dick too much to bear his spawn, deal with it" said the male echidna named Kragok that made me stand in annoyance to grab his neck but a couple of guards stopped me before even reaching him and forcing me to sit back once again. I'm starting to hate him even more that I'm already close into beating him senseless if the place weren't guarded.
"Kragok, one more word and I'll have the guards escort you out" said Lien-Da sternly that made him grunt in response once again.
Finally, I couldn't stand him anymore bad-mouthing my sister like that. He's already insulted me enough.
"It isn't forced, it's more like a casual fling that turned into a 'full blown love affair.' Of all the women that beast has slept with, it seems that she's the lucky one that finally melted his heart to the extent that he's willing to neglect his own wife just to get together with her." Lien-Da sighed as she rolled her eyes "Love moves in mysterious ways, doesn't it?" the corners of her lips turned upward.
I couldn't find the words to say after hearing that. All I could think about is why would Sapphire fall for a ruthless man such as him? Almost everyone I met says that he's bad news. So why would she stick to his side despite all that? I'm quite sure she has heard a lot about him.
"Speechless already, Ms. Bat?" she noticed that made me frown in response "Shocked to find out that your sister is capable of doing such things?"
"Why does…my sister's affair with that hedgehog…had anything to do with you? Was it because you don't like to share Darius with anyone that you killed her? I would assume that you might be his wife after that speech you just gave me" I finally found the courage to ask as I faced her with a piercing glare but once again, she just laughed at me in response alongside her brother behind me.
"Me? Wife of that walking catastrophe? You're mistaken, Ms. Bat." she looked at me in disgust "Darius may be the ultimate playboy who has everything but I was never attracted to his charms. To be honest, I have nothing against your sister. Think of it as doing somebody a favor, instead"
I began to feel my eyes warming up once again from the tears that I'm fighting so hard not to shed. So somebody else is behind all of this besides Lien-Da.
"Then who asked you to kill her?! I demand to know who the hell did it?!" I angrily shouted out, controlling myself before I start tackling her once again to the ground to choke her once again.
"It's confidential but I'll let you know that my transaction with that client is already over" I clenched my fists angrily at her but she only took a deep breath and stared at me in disbelief.
"Calm yourself, Ms. Bat. Let me remind you that you're in my territory. Tackle me again and you'll no longer see your precious nephew again" she calmly responded that made me shook my head to keep myself together.
"I am calm" I said but my voice seem to betray me, I am in fact still angry at what she did to my life.
"Good, now we can talk about the 'terms' I told you earlier. I'm pretty sure that this could favor the both of us. IF you're willing to agree, that is" she gave me a challenging smirk, as though eager to hear a response from me.
"You're out of your mind. Do you think I would trust you after what you did?!" I spat back angrily at her.
"Here's one thing that you should know about me, Ms. Bat. Once a transaction is over, it's over. Whatever the transaction I did with my previous client, it's considered null and void. That means, I'm willing to backstab my previous client in order to please my next client. Satisfied? So, are you ready to listen or do I need to explain myself once again?"
"If I agree to this…does that mean…you will also take care of the person who wanted Sapphire dead?"
"Yes" she said that made some burdens in my chest to lighten up. It's like making deals with the devil. I know it's not a wise decision but the current thing I'm feeling right now is a strong drive for revenge, nothing more.
"Okay, I'm listening…" I said calmly. I didn't care anymore whatever consequence may bring. All I could think about is agreeing to her terms so I could get my revenge and get Flint out of here without a scratch.
"Good. My terms are simple. End Darius's reign and I'll take care of that client responsible for your sister's death and Flint will be returned to you unharmed." she simply said that made my eyes widen in surprise.
End Darius? What does she mean by that?
"How?"
"By killing him" she simply said that made me gasp in response "That hedgehog has been taking over Mobius faster than a metastasizing cancer. Who knows how long until he completely takes over the world. He has to be stopped and with your help, we can end his reign."
Is she out of her mind for asking me such a crazy thing?
I felt my heart temporarily stopped once again at her words. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She wants me to kill the most influential man in Mobius and to make it worse, kill my nephew's father? That would make me the most wanted person in Mobius.
This is ridiculous. I can't comply with this
"What? So I could go to jail instead of you?" I sarcastically said.
"Oh, you won't go to jail if you stick with my plans, Ms. Bat" she lowered her eyelids "It's easy to make it sound like an 'accident'"
I was reminded of the plane crash once again that made me cringe at the thought and shook my head in disapproval.
I can't do this, this is too much. It's stressing me out even more. Right now, all I could think about is the desire to escape this facility along with Flint.
Why did it have to be an option like this? Oh, dear sweet Aurora, let me out of this mess.
"Well?" she voiced out impatiently that broke the trail of my thoughts.
An idea stroke me. I decided to converse with her more in order understand her true intentions well, thus, buying me more time to think things through.
"If he's your target all along, why didn't you just kill him in the first place?" I asked, wondering why this kind of burden has to fall on me. She's the one who assassinated my sister, why couldn't she just do the same thing to that hedgehog?
Lien-Da gave me a look like I just told her the craziest thing in the world.
"Sweet Aurora, do you even have any idea who that hedgehog is besides his title? I would have done that years ago if it weren't so difficult to get near him in less than three feet. Darius may look vulnerable but that hedgehog has very tight security guarding him at all times. His home, his office, his car, everywhere. Even his meals were tested every now and then before serving it to him. He's impenetrable and most of the time difficult to track."
Right now, things have become more complicated. I am merely a masseuse and a waitress. I have no skill in infiltration and such, how does she expect me to succeed in ending that hedgehog's reign?
"Listen here, I am in no position to do your assassination job for you. It's plain bullshit! How am I supposed to kill Darius if I can't even get past through his security?" I said, trying to make a point, letting her know how stupid her proposal is.
"Unless you're his mistress"
I felt my whole body shivered at her words. I couldn't believe what I was hearing all of a sudden.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked.
"The only times Darius is vulnerable to his security is when he's sharing a private time with his mistresses. With your background and all, his security wouldn't even suspect you as someone suspicious"
"You're suggesting that I should be his mistress?!" I almost choked on my words but she just nodded in response with a smug look on her face.
"It's not hard, isn't it? You just need to make him fall for you, enough to make him share his thoughts and intentions with you…and once he does…we execute our plan. It won't be difficult since you will remind him so much of his 'beloved' deceased lover, a news he will soon find out later on, and you will be his shoulder to cry on in his difficult times. Just go with our plan, and I assure you, everything will be the way it was before"
I felt another tear trickle down my muzzles. This time, I didn't mind whether Lien-Da would see it or not. My body knows I'm already at my peak of my emotional pain tolerance but my mind is numbing me all of the pain I'm currently feeling deep inside.
This is for you Flint, because I promised your mother that I would take care of you, even if I have to jump off a cliff.
"Alright, I accept your terms and if I succeeded, you have to fulfill mine as well"
"I don't break promises, Ms. Bat" said Lien-Da as she gave me a satisfied look on her face.
"Look on the bright side" said Kragok as he once again twirled the strands of my hair "You get to take your sister's throne…" he whispered in my ear that made me quiver.
I avoided Kragok's touch and scooted a bit further from him as I shifted my eyes away from Lien-Da's gaze and stared into space. Thoughts about Shadow lingered in my head. I just started a relationship with him and now here I am having thoughts about breaking it before it even began.
I'm so sorry, Shadow. I'm really sorry.
5:00 am at Shadow's Single Flat House
(Shadow's POV)
I woke up with a throbbing headache as I felt my whole body drenched in sweat. I checked the time on my bedside clock just to see that it's still too early to be waking up but I feel a strange gut feeling that something is wrong for a reason I couldn't understand.
I closed my eyes for a little bit to invite sleep to take over me again but my headache kept me from enjoying another hour of slumber. I rose from my bed and walked towards my medicine cabinet to grab some analgesics for my headache, took it, then I went back to my bed to get some sleep once again but unfortunately, I couldn't.
The disturbance within me only worsen, it's making me feel uncomfortable.
Damn, what is this odd feeling? Perhaps I've been researching too much about that plane crash.
I should take it easy.