A/N: I'd like to point out the fact that I haven't smoked anything while writing this chapter. And no, Assassin's Creed hasn't inspired me to write this, not at all. Also, it's kinda long, but I couldn't really cut it. Soooo, enjoy!

March 15th to 17th

"Hello, Yuri. You finally found me, didn't you?" Raven said softly.

Yuri had no idea what to say and for the next few seconds, there was only silence. There he was, the man who had been hiding from the world for months under another identity, standing in front of the two graves and smiling faintly at Yuri. Even if half his face was veiled by ash grey hair, the anguish of his traits was obvious. For a moment, the uniform he was wearing looked too heavy on his shoulders, and the gun hanging on his side felt more like a burden than anything else. Why? How did Alexei force you to turn into this? The more Yuri looked at Raven, the less he could grasp the reason behind this farce. Then, remembering the main reason he was there, he made a step forward and finally spoke:

"I was told I could find you here on certain days." he said, shrugging, though there was no lightness in his tone.

Raven scratched his head with a faint chuckle, and for the span of a second, he looked like the old Raven Yuri knew. "Ah well, no need to ask you for the source of the information. Anyway, I suppose you have something you want to tell me?"

"And stuff I want you to tell me." Yuri replied, not swayed the least bit by Raven's act.

The latter stopped pretending. "I'm listening."

"Whitehorse wants you back." Yuri said bluntly. "He wants revenge on what Alexei did yesterday."

"If he wants revenge for yesterday, it is me he should target." Raven replied.

Yuri's fists clenched in his coat's pockets. "Are you saying you actually did it?" he asked, gritting his teeth. "I didn't want to believe it. I thought there was no way you could actually order such a massacre. Not you."

"Those men are under my command. Even if I didn't take part directly to it, it is still my responsibility." Raven said wearily.

"And you are under Alexei's command!" Yuri snapped before cooling down. "If we follow your logic, then it's his responsibility. Though it doesn't mean I don't feel like punching you for everything you've done until now."

"I won't blame you for holding it against me. But I'm afraid complying with Whitehorse's request is the one thing I cannot do."

"Why? What keeps you by that bastard's side?"

Raven didn't reply immediately, as if looking for the correct answer. "A promise." he finally said.

Yuri waited, but no more explanations came. With a hint of frustration, he pressed him on: "What do you mean, a promise? How can a simple promise make you arrest hundreds of people and put them to jail? How can it force you to destroy families and kill innocent people?"

Again, Raven didn't give an immediate answer. Instead, he turned round, contemplating the graves erected in front of him. His eyes lingered on Yeager's one, Yuri noticed. He stepped closer and stood beside the other man, also looking at the tombstones. On one of them was a single orange flower, yet so bright and fiery it made up for a whole bouquet. It was Casey's grave. Yeager's was bare.

"A promise can make you do a lot of unreasonable things, Yuri." Raven replied.

'If something happens to me, promise me you'll take care of her.'

"What would you gain from keeping that promise?" Yuri asked.

The foolish hope of seeing her smile again.

"I'd lose the little I have left by not keeping it."

"Listen." Yuri said dryly. "I don't know what that promise of yours is and who you made the promise to, but I'm not sure that person would agree to what you're doing just for their sake."

"I don't require you to understand my point of view, Yuri." Raven replied with a sigh. "You brought me a message from Whitehorse, and I gave you my answer."

"You're staying with Alexei."

There was no answer.

"Whitehorse thinks of you as his close friend!" Yuri insisted, irritated. "By refusing to talk to him, you're betraying the trust he put in you!"

"But I've already betrayed it, haven't I?"

"Stop that crap, old man. Even a blind person could see that you're not following Alexei of your own will. And no one around you is happy about this either. Judy has been worried sick about you, not to mention Whitehorse, and I'm so pissed at you I'd gladly beat you up to a bloody pulp."

Raven merely nodded. "Yes, I suppose I must have disappointed all of you." He then turned to Yuri and asked suddenly: "Do you wish to beat me up so badly?"

"Hell yeah." came the immediate answer.

"Then why don't you draw that knife of yours and do it now?"

Yuri felt his muscles tense up, trying to make out whether Raven was actually serious or not. He noticed the man rubbing the hilt of his gun absent-mindedly. Yuri was almost about to reach for his own weapon when he heard Raven give a short laugh. The boy frowned. He's making fun of me? Or were some of Raven's men hidden in the area and ready to shoot him down as soon as he showed any suspicious movements?

"Relax." The older man said, as if reading Yuri's mind. "I haven't fallen so low as to start anything here." His gaze turned back to the tombstones. "Today you're here to talk, and I have no intention for it to be otherwise."

It barely reassured Yuri, though his instinct told him that Raven still valued his late friends enough not to spill blood in this place.

"So you won't even reconsider going back with Whitehorse." Yuri stated more than he asked.

"I cannot."

"But Alexei practically declared war to the lower quarters and Whitehorse doesn't intend to let him get away so easily after what he's done."

"And Alexei has no intention to let Altosk live either."

"And you're fine with that?" Yuri asked angrily. "You're fine turning your back to your friends and making even more victims in the lower quarters?"

"I'll let you guess the answer to that question." Raven replied calmly, which only served to irk Yuri even more.

"It seems like Whitehorse was wrong about you." he said, his fists trembling. "He trusted you and believed strongly that you'd take the hand he held out to you. But apparently you value some silly promise over the lives of hundreds of people – including those of your friends."

The next second, Yuri was caught off guard as Raven grabbed his collar and pulled him off the ground with one hand, staring straight at him. For the first time, Yuri saw anger – genuine anger – in Raven's visible eye. And for a heartbeat, he failed to recognize the man who had once been his teacher.

"Don't speak about things you don't know. I have reasons to do what I do, and I won't allow some youngsters like you to judge me." he said acidly before putting Yuri down. A sigh escaped his lips. In a blink of an eye, he was back to his normal, controlled self. "Yuri, listen to me well. In two days, Alexei plans for me to eliminate Whitehorse and destroy Altosk. He will probably announce it publicly tomorrow."

"You're Alexei's right-hand man." Yuri replied, unflinching. "You have the best spot to get rid of him quickly."

"And assuming I do get rid of him, what will happen next?"

"Everything will be over! No one will have to suffer because of him anymore and you'll be able to move on!" Yuri said, exasperated.

"Yuri, I thought you were more sensible than this." Raven replied calmly, though there was probably also a hint of weariness in his tone. "If I kill Alexei, there is no way I can move on. I've done things that cannot be forgiven so easily, and the people will never allow Damuron Atomais to get away from this unpunished."

"Then drop that identity and become Raven Schwann again!"

The man actually laughed. "You make it sound so easy, Yuri. But do I need to remind you that I have a promise to keep? And for that purpose, Alexei must live. If he dies, Damuron has to die with him."

"You can't be serious." Yuri gritted his teeth. "You'd be ready to sacrifice so much for one promise? And why do you need him alive? The world is better off without him."

"That's what Whitehorse is there for."

"What?"

"He's there to stop Alexei... and myself." Raven added with his most serious tone as he gazed upwards. Oddly enough, at that same moment, a bird flew by, his plumage jet black in the cloudy sky. A crow.

Yuri stared at the man, puzzlement written all over his face. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, though something deep inside him told him that he had already understood. He simply feared to admit it. Raven turned to him and graced him with a wry smile.

"Exactly what I said. Yuri, when you report to Whitehorse, tell him that Alexei will raid from the northern side with the main part of his troops, but it'll be a decoy. I'll come from the southern side with the rest, through a passage that only he and I know of. So he'd better have a welcome party for me there too."

"Why are you telling me that?" Yuri questioned, now more suspicious than ever.

"I told you. I'd like to have someone welcome me home when I arrive. It would be lonely otherwise."

"Stop screwing around!" The unpleasant feeling that had been stirring inside Yuri's stomach started growing into a certitude. "First, you claim to fight for Alexei, and now you're revealing his strategy? Or is that some kind of trap? Or..." The words died in Yuri's throat. He refused to believe what his intuition was telling him.

"Or?" Raven urged him on.

Yuri lowered his head, letting a few strands of hair fall on both sides of his face. He opened his mouth, but words didn't came out easily. He wasn't able to control the faint trembling of his voice. "You don't plan to fight through this, do you? You plan to have Whitehorse stop you – no, you plan to have him execute you."

Silence floated between them for an unknown lapse of time, leaving Yuri's words hanging in an awkward atmosphere. Then a hand patted his shoulder.

"You read too much into what I say." Raven said softly.

Liar. I read your face all too well to know I'm right. Yuri wished he was wrong, though. "Why?" he asked in a low tone. "Why are you doing this?"

Because I'm but a selfish old man. "It's getting late. I have to go back to work, and you have to report to the Don." Raven removed his hand from Yuri's shoulder and was about to leave when the boy stopped him:

"Wait. What about Estelle?"

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Estelle? Do you mean Estellise Sidos?"

Yuri nodded. "Where is she?"

"Ah... I'm afraid I don't know."

"I don't believe you. You were talking about her to Alexei yesterday on the phone."

"Quite the eavesdropper, aren't we? But I'm telling the truth here. Alexei doesn't tell me all the details, you know?"

"What does he plan to do with her?" Yuri insisted.

"She's a simple hostage. She's unharmed."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Alexei wouldn't gain anything by harming her."

"He'd harm her just for the hell of it." Yuri protested. "That man's completely insane!"

"As much as you'd like to believe it, it is not Alexei's hobby to hurt young girls."

"Yeah, he just enjoys purging the country of half its population and calling it 'justice'." Yuri snapped back humourlessly.

Raven sighed. "Yuri, we could spend hours discussing about it and it wouldn't change a thing. I have nothing left to tell you. So, go back to Whitehorse and tell him what I told you."

Yuri gritted his teeth. It couldn't end like that. It couldn't. Raven was supposed to leave Alexei's side and fight for the lower quarters. He was supposed to tell him that he had acted stupidly and was regretting it. He was supposed to turn back to Whitehorse.

"And one last thing." Raven's voice interrupted Yuri's thoughts. "In two days, stay away from the lower quarters. It'd please this old man if no harm came to you."

Yuri watched Raven's back as the latter waved at him and left. He frowned deeply.

Concealed by the trunk of a tree not far from his spot, unnoticed by him, a woman with long, blue hair was biting the tip of her thumb. Hard. Her lips moved silently to form two words.

Stupid Raven.

Rita angrily sent all her pencil-blackened papers flying.

"They're wrong, they're wrong, they're all wrong!" she burst out, though – fortunately – there was no one in the lab to hear her curses. "Are they all stupid or something?" she muttered. Honestly, what good were those so-called 'best scientists in the world'? They had been wrong all along. She looked into her microscope again, just to be sure, then scribbled a few notes on a scrap of paper, for herself.

"I have to tell Duke Pantarei." she spoke to herself. All of the eminent scientists who had been working on the 'virus' had been led on a wrong path since the beginning; it was only natural that no cure could be found. Rita moved to her computer and typed an email.

'I found out the cause of the disease. It's not a virus. Please contact me asap for details.'

She then dropped on her chair and checked her watch. Past 10 pm. Maybe it was time to get something to eat, and get some sleep afterwards. She still had a few exams left, after all. However, as she grabbed the sandwich in her bag, her phone rang. At first cursing silently, she immediately picked up the call at the sight of the caller's name.

"Miss Mordio, I hope I am not bothering you."

"No, not at all! Must I understand that you received my email?"

"Indeed I have, and the matter is serious enough for me to phone you right away."

"I understand. Well, about what I found–"

"Miss Mordio, pardon my interruption but I was thinking it would actually be better if we met face to face to discuss about this. You could also show me the research you've done."

"Oh." Rita blinked. Was he actually suggesting a real encounter? She would actually get to meet him and talk to the famous Duke Pantarei? Wait, now I sound like some overexcited schoolgirl. She scolded herself to reason.

"Would there be a problem with it?" Duke asked, who had visibly been expecting a more developed answer.

"Oh no, not at all! I'm fine with that. When would you like to meet?"

"Does tomorrow for lunch sound like a good time for you?"

Rita thought quickly. She had an exam in the morning, but she could get out earlier if need be. "Yes, it does."

"Very well. A car will be waiting for you at 11.45 in front of your university."

"Y-You don't have to pick me up." Rita protested. "Just tell me where to meet and I'll go there.'

"That would be very discourteous from me. I do not want it be said that I lacked the basics of courtesies towards a young lady."

Is that how all rich people behave? Rita sighed mentally. Well, she couldn't help it, could she? "Very well. 11.45 in front of the university."

"Excellent. I will be looking forward to our meeting, then."

Rita allowed herself to sigh heavily after hanging up. The next day was going to be interesting.

Later on that night, Yuri was led once again to Whitehorse who welcomed him warmly.

"Glad to see you again, boy. Have a seat and tell me everything." he said, leading him to a table where a few other Altosk members were having a drink. And Yuri made his report. He didn't omit a single detail of his dialogue with Raven, and the more he was speaking, the more the faces around him darkened. Not once was he interrupted, but as soon as he was done, Whitehorse hit the table violently with his fist, knocking over several drinks which spilled their content all over.

"Does that green horn think he can get away so easily?" he flared, a deep crease between his white brows. "Does he expect me to simply kill him and forget about everything he's done? That kid has always brought me nothing but trouble!"

It was almost funny hearing Raven being addressed as a 'kid'.

"We need to teach him a good lesson." Another man added.

"A quick death is too sweet for a traitor like him." A third one nodded.

Yuri didn't like that last sentence at all. "He's suffering more than you imagine." he intervened. "He has something binding him, and even though he refused to tell me what, I'm sure he's about as happy about it as you are."

"That's no excuse, son." Whitehorse replied darkly. "Yes, I know that Alexei is having a leverage on him somehow, but that's no excuse for everything he's done."

"Then what do you plan to do?" Yuri asked cautiously.

"If what you said is true, then we'll have to deal with Alexei's men on one side, and Raven's men on the other. If it's about number, then we're obviously at a disadvantage."

"We can ambush them." One of the other men suggested.

Whitehorse nodded. "We can. But we have to keep in mind to avoid any casualties among the people of the lower quarters. And there may also be demonstrators."

"The police won't care about that."

"But we are not the police." Whitehorse turned to Yuri. "I thank you for your cooperation and the precious information you gave us. I don't want to hold you here any longer."

"Wait." Yuri said. He hesitated for one second only before making his final decision. "Let me help you."

"It's going to be very dangerous, son."

"I know. But I remember your saying that you could do with some extra help."

Whitehorse laughed. "Your memory is good. And you know the ways of the lower quarters well, too. Alright, you're in, but under one condition: I'll have no thoughtless recklessness from you. You'll be with us, but if you have the option of endangering yourself or running away, you run away. Is that clear?"

Yuri felt like protesting, but he knew better than that. Instead he nodded.

"Good. We don't have much time to design a plan, but it's not like we haven't been prepared for months. Harry!" Whitehorse called his grandson. "Gather everyone here. We're gonna show that vermin what it means to anger Altosk. Blood is calling for blood!" he roared, and the entire room replied to his call.

When Yuri opened his eyes on the next day, he felt that there was something wrong, as if he had forgotten something rather important.

The exam!

He fumbled to grab his phone and check the time, and when he did, he let his head drop on the pillow again, stifling his heavy sigh.

Well, damn. He'd have to take the re-exam in a few months. He doubted he would have been able to write anything even if he had managed to wake up on time. When he had finally came back from the lower quarters, it was past 5 am and he had been practically struggling to climb each step of the staircases leading to his studio. And the coming night wasn't going to be much kinder to him. Yuri was starting to think that he may have as well settle in the lower quarters for the time being; that would have been more handy.

This thought triggered another one. He still had the rent to pay for this month, and in his half-awake state, he managed to vaguely remember asking Flynn for a bit of help. And...

Right. I said I'd think about his offer to stay at his place.

Now wasn't the time to start thinking about complicated things. Yuri decreed that, since he had already missed the beginning of his exam, he might as well fall back to sleep. Which he did happily, until he was woken up again an hour later as his phone rang. Stupid phone. He let it ring. The phone bipped, indicating that someone had left a message. With a grunt, Yuri finally extended a lazy arm and grabbed the device. He mentally cursed himself when he saw that it was Flynn who had tried to call him. Yawning, he sat up on his bed and stretched himself before dialling Flynn's number.

"Yuri? Where are you?" the boy on the other end of the line inquired.

"Hey, Flynn. I'm at home. Just woke up, actually." Yuri yawned again to make his point.

"At home? But didn't you tell me you had an exam this morning? Are you sick?"

Yuri pondered for a second on whether to tell the truth. If he did, he could be positive that he'd have to face the wrath of a certain blonde one. "I'm just a bit tired. Didn't manage to sleep much." It wasn't a complete lie, at least.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"Nah, it's fine, don't worry. Sorry I wasn't able to bring you some lunch." He heard Flynn chuckle.

"Don't be silly. Your health matters more to me than your cooking."

"How considerate of you."

"Anyway, I suppose we won't be seeing each other today. I plan to go to the hospital this afternoon, and this evening, I'll be a bit busy... with my parents."

Yuri frowned. "The hospital? Why? And what about your parents?"

"Ah, I'll pay a short visit to Sodia's mother. She's been sick for quite some time. The flu, of course..."

"Oh, I didn't know." Yuri replied, for lack of anything else to say.

"She told me only recently."

"And what about your parents?" Yuri repeated.

"Ah, well... Let's say that things have become a bit tense since... you know..."

"Yeah, I understand. How are you faring?"

"Not too bad, actually. I'm supposed to negotiate the terms of the contract that will keep me silent. I can't believe I've reached a point where I can actually negotiate with my parents."

"At your level, I'd call that blackmail, pure and simple."

"Yuri..."

"I know, I know. I was joking."

"Anyway, you have plans for tomorrow? Since I probably won't see you today, I suppose we can do something tomorrow. Unless the demonstrations here turn half the city into ruins and we can't get out of our homes anymore."

Yuri stiffened, though he quickly regained his composure. "I'm afraid I'll be a bit busy tomorrow. I... need to study for next week." Sorry Flynn, but there are things best left untold.

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then: "Yuri... you don't plan to go to the lower quarters, do you?"

Yuri's heart almost failed a beat, but his reaction was quick enough not to let his half second of hesitation sound too suspicious – at least he hoped so. "Huh? What do you mean? Why would I want to go there?" Does he read minds or something?

"Maybe because Alexei announced this morning that he would start an operation against those 'responsible for the bloodshed which tainted our city'?"

"He said that? Flynn, I was sleeping through all this morning, how could I know about it?" Yuri lied, ignoring his quickening pulse. "Are you really serious?"

"Yes, it's all over the news. He said he would send his forces to the lower quarters to eliminate any threat to his justice. Those who disrupted this city's quiet would be put to trial and sentenced accordingly."

"Yeah, right. He plans to kill everyone off."

"So you're not going there?"

"I told you, I plan to study tomorrow." I'm sorry, Flynn.

"Swear to me that you're not going."

Yuri flinched. Forcing a laugh, he tried to get a humorous tone: "Hey, hey, what's with you? I told you I didn't know about this thing before you told me."

"Let's say that I know you tend to have... unwise reactions when it comes to Alexei."

Yuri didn't know what to answer. The more he was lying to Flynn, the less comfortable he was and the closer he was to spill the truth. But he's going to convince me to give up if I tell him that I'm going.

"Yuri, swear it to me."

Gosh, how annoying can you be? Yuri thought with slight irritation. "I... swear it." At that moment, Yuri felt like a small part of him had decayed inside of him. It didn't help to hear Flynn's relieved voice answering:

"Good. Then in that case, how about we see each other on Sunday?"

"Sunday? Sure, why not?"

"I'll call you then. You should get some rest for now."

"Yeah, yeah. See you, Flynn."

"Goodbye, Yuri."

When Yuri put down his phone, he felt guilt overwhelming him, cutting into him quite painfully like a blade that had been too sharpened. Flynn was trusting him way too easily, which made Yuri feel even worse. No matter how many times he repeated to himself that lying had been the best option for Flynn not to worry, a part of him was still screaming 'Fool!' at him. By offering to help Whitehorse, he had acted on a mere impulse, without really thinking about the consequences; but now that he had some time to ponder about it, he was starting to realize that he may have not made the wisest choice. Still, it was too late to back down, now. Flynn would certainly be mad at him, but it was an outcome he was ready to face, for he didn't regret his choice, wise or not. His talk with Raven had convinced him of one fact: he was too far involved in this to allow himself to stay at home while the lower quarters would be facing Alexei's forces. It was the place that had taken him in at a time he did not know where to go and what to do; it was the place he had met people – good and bad – whom he had shared three years of his life with, the place that had taught him to survive and strengthened both his mind and body. The least he could do was to return the favour.

Flynn would understand.

And if he didn't, then so be it.

Estelle had stopped counting how many laps she had walked in her "room" in the basement. Her mind was much busier with what Khroma had showed her on the TV in the morning, and all day long, she had put her brain to contribution to find a way to get out of the place and stop her godfather's folly. Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more she realized her own powerlessness. What could a mere girl like her do? And assuming she could escape from this place, she had no effective means to convince Alexei to give up on the madness that had seized him. The pink-haired girl failed to comprehend how her once kind godfather had transformed into an unrecognizable cold and cruel man.

'In order to prevent crime from spreading any further, the lower quarters must be eradicated!'

The words Alexei had pronounced on the TV were still ringing in her ears. This was utterly ridiculous! Why did the lower quarters need to be sacrificed in the name of an unfair justice? Estelle fell tears swelling up in the corner of her eyes as the memory of the article she had read in the newspaper Khroma had brought her. So many victims, for what? And among them, children whose only crime had been to live in the wrong place. In what way could they have threatened the town's peace? It was beyond absurd. And here she was, kept as a guarantee that her father would keep trying and sentencing people the way Alexei wanted to. A knot formed in her throat, preventing her from letting out a rage she had not suspected she could bear.

Images of what Khroma had shown her on the TV surfaced in her mind again. The news had displayed the neighbourhood around the lower quarters, streets filled with angry demonstrators throwing rocks at the police forces and wreaking havoc in any way they could, shouting and attempting to destroy police cars. A few people had tried putting flowers and candles and cards with names only to be dismissed more or less firmly. The scene was similar in front of the police headquarters, where Alexei was supposed to be. Abusive use of stun guns had been reported, and sirens were the main background noise. Even from her place, Estelle could hear them faintly if she paid careful attention. One day after the massacre, the citizens were demanding justice, and Alexei's demise. More injured had been reported and the announcement that Alexei had made early in the morning had only served to fuel the population's anger.

But Alexei didn't care. The ones holding the weapons were his men, not the citizens.

'Anyone who gets in justice's way will be disposed of.' he had declared, much to Estelle's dismay.

The door lock clicked open, letting Khroma in with a tray of food in her hands. Estelle ran to her and gripped her arms so tightly the tray almost fell.

"You have to do something to stop him!" she burst out, her tone pleading. "Please, you can't allow this to happen! You can't allow more people to be killed for no reason at all!"

The fair woman looked unimpressed. She put the tray on a table. Her voice was calm as she replied: "You cannot reasonably ask me to do such a thing. It is beyond my power. And with you here, he has made sure that your father cannot pull any string to hinder him."

"Then let me go! Or tell my father that I am here!"

"That, I cannot do."

"Why?" Estelle asked, stomping her foot.

"Because I made a promise to Alexei not to tell anyone of your whereabouts. And I owe him too much to break any promise made to him."

"But..."

"And assuming I did inform your father, what do you think would happen? This house is under close watch. Neither your father nor any of the men he could send after you would be able to get near this place. Still, even if they somehow managed to get past the guards, what would happen next? After Alexei is done with the lower quarters, he will come back here, see that you are missing and go after your father. Once he gets rid of him and his family – that includes you –, Alexei will choose another prosecutor, less scrupulous, and everything will go on."

"My godfather would never do that to us! He and Father are childhood friends!" Estelle protested, though her horrified expression showed that she was only half-convinced by her own words.

Khroma's lips curled up into a sad smile. "Alexei has changed a lot."

Estelle pursed her lips. "How can you simply stand here and accept it?"

"I told you. I owe him more than I'll ever be able to repay."

"It is no excuse! If you think of him so highly, then you should stop him when you see that he is going on the wrong track! That is how you can repay him!" Estelle declared vehemently. For a second, her words seemed to trouble Khroma. Noticing it, Estelle continued the attack: "Perhaps you owe something to my godfather, but the man who currently calls himself Alexei Dinoia is not my godfather; he is just a man who has lost track on his true goal of justice and peace, and to such a man, you owe nothing!"

"Quiet down, young Miss." Khroma said calmly but firmly. However, the unrest on her traits was clearly visible.

"Khroma, please... You have to stop Alexei. You must..."

"Quiet, I said." the woman cut her in as she turned her back to Estelle and headed for the door. She leant her back against it with a sigh after shutting it behind her.

She had to stop him, huh?

Easier said than done.

Rita's cheeks were as red as ripe tomatoes. She faced great trouble while fighting the urge to snap at the other students who were glancing at her queerly. It was basically to avoid such embarrassment that she had requested to meet directly at the restaurant, but no, courtesy had dictated Duke Pantarei to have a car waiting for her at the university. The car itself was almost boringly normal, though it was obvious at a first glance that not everyone could afford that polished black and blindingly shiny item. No, what was currently the object of Rita's torment was the handsome man in a black costume escorting her from the school's gates to the car, where another man as good-looking as the first one was waiting, holding the door open. I want to die. Rita kept thinking. What the hell is wrong with those models-wannabe? Don't tell me that Pantarei's tastes lean that way.

The few metres separating her from the car seemed like light-years to her. Finally, she was allowed to step into the car, cursing mentally at all the students around her, and let out a small sigh when the door closed.

"Miss Mordio, it is a pleasure to meet you." a deep voice on the seat next to her made her jump. Turning her head, she got a hard time not looking intimidated when a pair of piercing crimson eyes gazed at her. Duke Pantarei's face was as pale as dawn, his colourless hair serving only to enhance the whiteness of his complexion; and yet there was no coldness to see on his traits as his lips formed a very faint smile. Even Rita could not deny that the man had plentiful of charm behind his stoic yet not hard expression. His traits were almost feminine, and his voice contrasted greatly with that first impression. Somehow it added to his charm. She felt her face warm up a bit and proceeded to cough slightly.

"Thank you for your time." she said with her most serious tone.

"I have to admit, I am impressed at how this town can still function normally despite what happened on the other day." Duke observed lightly. "I'd have expected schools and other public places to be closed for fear of demonstrations getting out of hand. Even the airport was functioning fine."

This was definitely not the topic Rita expected. She frowned. "There are demonstrations, in fact. But most of them are taking place near the lower quarters, which you can't see from here. But if you go there, you'll see that half the city is completely upside down."

"I see." was Duke's mere reply.

The car started. Contrary to her first belief, the trip was actually quite pleasant. Rita found herself questioned about her activities at the university and her various centres of interests. She felt at ease talking about her research and topics which she had worked on; Duke would sometimes ask her for more details and add some arguments of his in the discussion. Soon enough, Rita forgot she was talking to one of the most renowned scientists and CEO of the world. When they arrived at the restaurant though, reality caught up with her quite quickly. She almost grimaced when she saw the classy building with big, golden letters on the large front doors. It was another world, one she definitely did not belong to and did not want to belong to.

"Are you sure it's fine for me to come to such a place?" she asked, frowning.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I'm probably not dressed formally enough."

"Please do not worry about such details." Duke replied.

Indeed, they passed the doors – opened by two grooms – without any problem, even though Rita could have sworn that one of them had eyed her casual student uniform with some apprehension. They were soon led to a table for two in a private room where a waiter was already standing, as motionless as a statue. Gosh, what the hell am I doing here? Rita thought to herself. Well, at least it was only the two of them, which would prevent any undesirable stares. When she looked at the menu she was given, she mentally thanked Yuri for being a good cook enough so that she could recognize at least half the dishes. After the orders were placed, Duke crossed his fingers, his elbows resting on the table, and laid his eyes on Rita.

"So, perhaps we could start some more serious conversation? How about you tell me about what you found out yesterday?"

"Oh, sure!" Rita grabbed the bag at her feet. "I've brought a few stuff that summarize the various experiments I did. It doesn't go too far yet, but I think this is going on a better track than what we've been following for all these months." Displaying some papers on the table, she started commenting them, pointing at some diagrams here and numbers there, explaining the protocols for each of her tests as well as her reasoning. Duke listened to her without interrupting her even once, merely nodding from time to time.

"And so, to summarize, all those tests point to the fact that what has been responsible for this flu is actually not a virus, but a chemical reaction, am I correct?" he asked once she was done.

The girl nodded. "Yes, in fact I still don't know what causes the reaction and where the molecule comes from, but I'm certain it somehow attacks the tissues at different levels and gives the same symptoms as a flu, then it propagates to the lungs where it hinders gaseous exchanges at the air cells, hence the coughing. Well, that's only a hypothesis for now, though. But I believe I'm making progress."

Duke remained silent for two seconds, before he spoke again: "I am impressed, miss Mordio. Naturally, I would like to check your results with my colleagues first, but I am quite positive that the verifications will only prove you right, which places your work far above ours." he said calmly, his gaze not leaving Rita a single moment. She looked down at her papers, feeling slightly uncomfortable at those ruby eyes on her.

"It's not much." she said lightly. "I mean, I've simply analysed everything I found and tried plenty of tests."

"Still, your work is remarkable and worthy of praise. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to lend me those results of yours. We will continue our own research on a cure based on what you found. Naturally, your name will be mentioned."

"Oh, I don't care about the name." Rita shrugged. "But sure, take them, I've made copies."

"Thank you. Miss Mordio, I have to admit that you are a pretty interesting person." Duke said, and though Rita should have felt flattered by those words, something on the man's impassive expression left her with mixed feelings. I'm just imagining things, she thought.

"Now I suggest we start eating. I'd be also happy to hear your ideas about further research on the disease."

The rest of the lunch passed pretty quickly, and in the end Rita was quite satisfied with herself as it seemed that she had earned much more recognition from Duke Pantarei than she had expected. If they worked all together, maybe they'd manage to find a cure in time to save Pia and everyone else.

Friday afternoon approached, with the sky cloudless and the weather warm. Unfortunately enough, Yuri wasn't in the mood to appreciate it. He wasn't supposed to be at the orphanage; yet there he was, standing in front of the building. None of the kids were playing outside, though he could see small silhouettes running here and there through the windows. What had he come here for? He wasn't sure of the reason himself. Perhaps he wanted to see that place once more before leaving to the lower quarters. As if he wasn't certain he would be able to come back later. His thoughts were constantly interrupted by images of Flynn popping in his head. I'll be careful, Yuri kept repeating to himself. If need be, I can run away. The words sounded wrong in his head. He wasn't one to run away, for running away would mean leaving behind the others who would most likely be in a desperate situation. Would Flynn understand if he were to get hurt again while defending the lower quarters? Would he forgive him for hiding the truth from him? Probably not. Or maybe if I die. A bitter smile graced Yuri's lips.

Now wasn't the time to nourish such pessimistic thoughts. Now was the time to–

"Yuri!"

The raven-haired male turned round, surprised. "Rita, Karol! Already back?" Meeting them here was definitely not part of his plans. He could simply pretend it was a quick courtesy visit.

"We didn't have any exam this afternoon, and we still have to look over the kids here." Karol explained. Then glancing sideways at Rita, he added: "Even if I know someone who'd have rather spend the night at school."

"Well, I'm a busy woman, what can I say?" the brunette retorted dryly. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Yuri?"

"Just thought I'd see how things are going here. I was about to leave. The area seems quiet around here."

"Yeah, for now." Rita nodded. "But with that declaration of war that bastard Alexei made today, I fear the town's not gonna be safe anymore. We're lucky the orphanage is only in the outskirts, but still."

"Come have a snack with us while you're here." Karol offered, but Yuri shook his head.

"I was already on my way back." he said. At the same moment, his phone rang. The incoming number was unknown. Frowning, he picked the call anyway.

"Yuri speaking."

"Yuri Lowell, my name is Khroma." a feminine voice said. "I currently have your friend Estellise Sidos Heurassein with me."

Yuri froze on the spot at the mention of Estelle's name. He clutched his phone hard. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is that you have to take your friend back." The woman's voice was soft and quiet.

"Where is she?" Yuri prompted her at once. Now Rita looked interested in the conversation. She eyed him questioningly, her head slightly tilted on the side. Yuri put the speakers on for both his friends to listen.

"I will give you the address. However, it will not be an easy task to retrieve her. Listen to me, and listen to me well. Tomorrow, Alexei and most of his troops will be busy fighting against Altosk and reducing the lower quarters to ashes. The place where your friend is being held will be guarded, but there should be four or five guards at most. I know you were a former member of the Leviathan's Claw; you should be able to deal with them. Bring along friends of yours if you want. The guards won't expect anything, which will make your task easier."

"Why should I believe you?" Yuri inquired, incredulous. It could be a trap, for all he knew.

"Because it is the only opportunity you will have to get your friend back."

"Why aren't you telling this to Estelle's father? I'm pretty sure he would also like to have his daughter back." Yuri said with obvious sarcasm in his tone.

"Because the guards know him and have been ordered to stop him would he come too close to this place. The same goes for any suspicious-looking person."

"And I wouldn't look suspicious?" Yuri sneered.

"Your face is unknown to them, and I'm sure you can look like a normal student."

"If you're so keen on having Estelle escape, why don't you do it yourself?"

There was a short pause. "There is something else I must do."

"What?"

"Yuri Lowell, now is not the time to question my actions. Do you wish to save her or not?"

"Let me talk to her."

"I cannot. I already told her about the plan, and she disapproves of it. She thinks it would be too dangerous for you. She doesn't want you to take risks for her."

Yuri gritted his teeth. Glancing at his friends, he read the same questions as his on their incredulous faces. Could he trust that mysterious person? What reason would she have to want to help Estelle? What reason would she have to want to trap Yuri? He represented no danger for Alexei, he knew at least that much. But if he went for Estelle, it'd mean abandoning Whitehorse and the lower quarters, and he couldn't afford that as they were already counting on him. On the other hand, there was no one else who was capable of sneaking into the place Estelle was being held in. Judy, maybe? But he had no time to get in touch with her.

"Your answer, Yuri Lowell?" Khroma urged him.

Damn it. He had to go to the lower quarters to settle things once and for all with Raven and Alexei. But I can't abandon Estelle.

It was Rita who replied, snatching the phone from Yuri's hand:

"Of course we're gonna take her back. Tell us the details." she demanded with authority.

On his way to the lower quarters, Yuri couldn't help but wonder if he had made the most sensible choice. His face darkened as he replayed his conversation with Rita and Karol after the phone call.

"What the hell did you hesitate for?" Rita asked reproachfully.

"Well, sorry for being cautious, but that sounded far too weird for me."

"Maybe, but we can't know until we try. So, tomorrow we're going there and get Estelle out of that place."

"I can't go." he replied with a low tone.

"What do you mean?" Karol inquired, surprised.

"Are you scared you may get caught?" Rita scoffed at him. "I didn't know you so coward."

"That's not it!" he retorted back. "Tomorrow, I'll be with Altosk to defend the lower quarters!"

"I must have misheard. What did you say?" Rita frowned.

He sighed. "I've met Whitehorse, and he needs every hand he can find. I'm only returning a favour I owe him."

"You're insane!" Karol intervened. "You're gonna get killed!"

"Better that than idling around while Alexei destroys the lower quarters."

"Does Flynn know about it?"

He looked away, silent, which was an eloquent answer enough.

"You're being a fool, Yuri. And you never learn." Rita stated coldly before letting out a sigh. "But we can't change the way you are. You know Flynn's gonna kill you if Alexei doesn't do it before."

"Rita! Don't say stuff like that!" Karol protested. "Yuri's gonna be fine! Maybe you can just tell Whitehorse you need to change your plans because you have someone you need to rescue!"

"I can't do that." he replied grimly. "There are still a few things I want to settle with the old man." He almost bit his treacherous tongue for letting the last sentence slip out.

"Who?"

He shook his head. "Never mind."

"So you're not changing your mind then." Rita stated. "Fine. Karol and I will go for Estelle while you get your ass beaten."

"Rita!" Karol protested again, but the girl ignored him.

"Don't worry about us, we'll manage without you." she went on.

"You don't have to–"

"Of course we do! Estelle's waiting for us, there's no way we can let her down!"

"It can be dangerous."

"Hah! As if it could be more dangerous than your suicidal decision to fight Alexei." Rita said with disdain. "Don't forget that Karol and I are the best when it comes to sneaking into dangerous places."

"Climbing walls and picking locks to steal food in the kitchen or toys in Pia's office don't count as dangerous, Rita."

"It doesn't change the fact that we are still the best at that."

"You haven't completely recovered from your wounds, Rita."

"Enough!" Rita whacked him on the head. Hard. "Don't underestimate us! Karol, you tell him too!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Don't worry, Yuri. We'll be fine." Karol nodded with confidence. "That Khroma woman told us exactly what to do, after all."

"That's what makes me worry, actually." Yuri said thoughtfully. "It could still be just a big trap."

"Alexei wouldn't gain anything by trapping us. From what you said, it's Whitehorse he wants. Now stop with your useless arguments or I'll tell Flynn on you. You've got no right to tell us what to do when you yourself are going to fool around stupidly in the lower quarters. Just go do whatever you have to do." Rita shooed him away. "And come back unharmed." she muttered.

It was sheer folly, Yuri kept repeating to himself. Utterly and completely. And Rita and Karol were as crazy as him. But it was either that, or staying at home and praying for a miracle. If there was one thing he had learnt during his three years in the lower quarters, it was that miracles didn't occur on prayers. Therefore the choice was quick to make.

As Yuri got closer to the lower quarters, he noticed that the noises weren't so loud as on the previous day. Well, it seemed that Alexei's forces had been rather dissuasive. There were still groups of people protesting in front of the police cars, yet they were scarcer. Evening had fallen over the city, and the orange sky was slowly drifting to a darker shade of blue. In the morning, the same sky would probably be tainted red. Was there hope for Whitehorse to defeat Alexei? Probably, but it would come at a certain cost. Yuri shivered, but it wasn't of cold. His hand unconsciously reached for the phone in his pocket.

Flynn, he thought. He needed to hear his voice. He needed tohear him laugh. He needed to see him smile, to feel his hand on his cheek and his lips on his own. Not now. Yuri couldn't be distracted now. Tomorrow, when everything would be over, yes. But not now. If he heard Flynn's voice now, he feared his resolve would somehow waver. A knot of guilt was still tied around his throat. Before he even realized it, he was already typing a message to Flynn.

'Flynn, I'm sorry.' he sent.

He turned off his phone and shoved it back in his pocket. It was feeble, he knew it, but it was all he could do.

Yuri made a detour around a few buildings to avoid any unwanted attention and made his way into the lower quarters through the path that Harry had shown him. Soon enough, he realized that he didn't need to conceal himself, as there was no patrol left in the streets. Of course, since they plan to raze everything to the ground. The inhabitants were not inactive, however. If some of them had fled the quarters, most still remained for they had no other place to go to. Shutters were closed, locks had been put to doors when possible. There was one place which remained open, and it was precisely Yuri's destination.

Altosk's headquarters were more crowded than usual when he arrived. Though small, the number of unknown faces was not negligible. Some Altosk men guarding the entrance recognized Yuri and let him pass with a nod. Inside, one could have almost believed that it was an evening like any other, as the hubbub, the noise and the beer looked no different than on any normal day. However, the determination on the faces of the men and women there betrayed that apparent normality. And when getting closer, one could hear that the conversations were definitely not one you would casually have in your everyday life.

Unless planning to crush Alexei Dinoia along with his patrols were part of your everyday life.

"Yuri!" a child's voice called out his name in the middle of the ruckus.

As he turned round, he spotted Whitehorse's grandson waving at him in the middle of the crowd. The boy motioned him to come.

"Yuri, it's good to see you." Harry said with a smile.

"I promised to help, didn't I? Anyway, how come there are so many people here?"

"Let's say they are temporarily working for Altosk. See, most people of the lower quarters can't fight, but those who refuse to wait for Alexei to destroy their homes are welcome here."

"I see... But how can you be sure there are no spies among them?"

"All of them are either close friends or relatives of Altosk members. Grandpa said to refuse all the others. I guess you can't be too cautious." Harry replied, crossing his arms. "So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Yuri managed to smile. "I've no idea. When I was with the Claw, I had never been in such a situation. But don't worry too much about me, I don't plan to fail Whitehorse. What about you? I hope your grandfather hasn't ordered you to stand on the front line."

"No, he hasn't." Harry replied very seriously. "And I'm not stupid enough to believe I'd be of any use there. I mean, he's been training me well, but for now he says I'm not ready for big stuff like this. So instead he put me in charge of communications."

"That's good to hear."

"In any case, I guess you should go see Grandpa. He's meeting with the others to discuss the details of the ambushes, among other things."

"I'll do so."

"Don't forget to get some rest too."

The laugh Yuri let out was strained. "And don't talk to me as if you were my father."

The night promised to be long.

The streets themselves were desert and as quiet as an abandoned city. However, outside the quarters, noise of hundreds of people massing around the neighbourhood and protesting could be heard, like a muffled cacophony. Yuri couldn't hear them from where he was, though. On his request, he had been put into the team in charge of dealing with Raven's squad.

According to Whitehorse, there was but one passage which only he and Raven knew, and it led into the small stone courtyard of an old building. The entrance to the courtyard was a large archway which entrance looked sealed off but which could actually be opened to reveal a tunnel. There was a big, broken fountain in the middle of the courtyard and the place obviously needed a bit of gardening. Upright and over two stories were two stone balconies circling around the whole yard and supported with thick pillars. Yuri was hidden behind one of them, and the rest of the team was scattered in the same way over the two balconies. As soon as the door of the archway would open, anyone stepping out of it would be shot on the spot.

Might as well say the yard was the perfect place to set an ambush. And the old man probably knew it when he chose that place. Yuri had stopped counting how many times he had called Raven a coward. He was coming there on purpose to die, which irked Yuri to no end. He was also leading his squad to certain death. And what about that promise you were so keen on keeping? How do you plan to keep it if you're dead? However, Whitehorse's orders had been particularly clear.

'I want Raven alive so I can skin him myself.' Altosk's leader had declared. He had said nothing about the men who would accompany him, but the implicit meaning of that silence was obvious enough. By coming here, Yuri had promised himself not to kill anyone – and not to be killed either – though he also knew that battles were never won with half-hearted feelings. Still, he had refused the handgun given to him, preferring two long daggers and a set of throwing knives. Blades were the main weapons he had been taught with during his stay at the Leviathan's Claw. And the few sparring rounds he had gone through on the previous night had proved him not so rusty as he'd have feared. Yuri glanced on his right, at the leader of the team, Elias. The latter had an earpiece and a microphone on him in order to remain connected with the second team, the one in charge of dealing with Alexei. He had neither moved nor given any sign indicating that the operation had started on the northern part of the lower quarters.

As a precaution, Whitehorse had put a few of his men on the roofs in several parts of the quarter to check in case Alexei would actually attack from another direction.

The plan on Yuri's side was simple: secure Raven and the area, and then move north to join the rest of Whitehorse's men against Alexei. In case of failure, shoot an emergency rocket and withdraw using the various escape routes. At least, it was the theory. Whitehorse had made it clear that failure would most likely result in the same slaughter that had occurred a few days ago, only on a bigger scale.

Yuri shook his head. He couldn't think of defeat before it even began. Flynn, he repeated the name mentally like a mantra. Flynn, Flynn, Flynn. You'll have every right to hate me afterwards. Flynn...

A first gunshot echoed in the far, making him and the others raise their heads to the north. Another one followed. And another one. It's started. Yuri focused his attention back on the archway. It wouldn't be long before the sealed door was cracked open. The mere thought of trapping Raven and his men like rabbits made him feel sick. It was one thing to deliberately choose death, but dragging along plenty of other officers who were merely following orders was something Yuri had more trouble digesting. But he couldn't change anything about it. And those cops could have chosen not to follow those stupid orders, they could have chosen to refuse destroying the lower quarters. They were as guilty as Alexei was. This last thought eased his doubts a bit, though not as much as what he'd have wanted.

The other Altosk members were visibly on the edge as well, with guns and rifles aiming at the door. A few like Yuri were holding knives. Blades always became handy when running out of ammunitions. Amusingly enough – if such a word could be used – those were also former Claw members, though Yuri hadn't really had the opportunity to talk about good old times with them.

The sounds of the clash between Alexei's men and Whitehorse's were getting louder and more violent. Yuri gritted his teeth. How could the situation have worsened to this point? Barely a few months ago, the town was still a quiet and normal place to live, and now, by the madness of a single megalomaniac, the whole nation was sinking under riots and this very town was turning into a miniature battlefield. It almost sounded too surrealistic to Yuri, and yet, there he was, caught willingly in the middle of that nonsense.

A cracking noise made Yuri focus again. His eyes were locked on the archway, and within a few seconds, in the heavy silence of the courtyard, he heard footsteps crunching against the gravels. Here he comes. Guns clicked and were armed. Yuri produced a knife. The footsteps turned more numerous and louder. In a few seconds, Raven would appear by the entrance of the archway. The atmosphere got thicker and tenser.

And suddenly, a shout rose from within the tunnel. The next second, something was thrown out of it and started filling the place with dense smoke. Yuri cursed mentally. So Raven still intended to put on a fight, didn't he? The smokescreen rendered all the snipers useless, and Yuri wasn't the only one cursing behind his hiding spot. He glanced at the leader who motioned to everyone to stay still. In the span of ten seconds, the courtyard was entirely concealed by swirls of smoke, forcing everyone to cover their faces. Damn it. This is suffocating.

The bang of a gun being fired made him jump slightly. How the hell can they aim without seeing a damn thing? The round hit a stone pillar. The place was in open air, therefore it would be a matter of minutes only before Yuri would be able to see anything again. He heard someone shift next to him, and shoot. Idiot! Don't waste your bullets! Yuri wanted to shout at him, but words died in his throat as a cry of pain rose and the sound of a weapon falling on the ground was heard. What the hell? Those bastards managed to get him? Yuri frowned and risked a glance downstairs, in the yard. The smoke was still too heavy to make out anything clear, though he was certain he spotted some dark shadows moving around. He didn't have time to reflect any further as another shot rang, and a round grazed the pillar behind which he was standing. Damn! They really can see us!

"So that's how Altosk fight?" a voice sniggered. It wasn't Raven's. "By hiding like scared little things?"

Speak for yourself. By now, Yuri had understood. Most likely they were equipped with devices allowing them to see through the smoke, and the first shot's purpose had been to draw out the snipers. Well, it wouldn't work for long. Unless they have more smokescreen, which is most likely. Yuri thought darkly.

"You bastard should all die!" someone shouted as they started firing blindly into the yard. Another one followed, and another one.

"Don't move!" Yuri yelled, but it was too late. A second later, the shooters all collapsed with stifled cries.

"They can see us!" the team's leader shouted. "Don't move from your spots!"

"Yeah, yeah, hide yourselves in your holes, like the worms you are!" a voice from below yelled back.

"Enough, Devan." a composed voice ordered. Old man, Yuri recognized it immediately. "Save your breath. Dispatch."

The fog was steadily thinning, and the silhouettes were getting clearer.

"Get 'em!" Elias shouted.

Yuri and the others didn't need to be told twice. Rifles blared in a thundering racket as Altosk men fired with rare aggressiveness at the moving forms below. Bullets were flying in both way, mostly ricochetting against the pillars, though Yuri saw more than one person let their weapon drop, with blood pooling under them. This is not going as good as planned. The losses on their side were supposed to be none or close to. He aimed, and threw a knife which went to plant itself directly in a policeman's thigh. A quick glance showed him that Raven was suffering losses on his side as well. It would be a mistake to underestimate the resistance of the people of the lower quarters. But you already know that, old man. At the same time, he spotted Raven taking shelter behind the fountain and taking down a man on the balcony. All of his squad's members were wearing some strange goggles and masks. Probably the things that allow them to see us through the smoke.

"They're climbing! Watch your backs! Don't let them in!" Some Altosk warned. Yuri quickly turned round and unsheathed his long dagger, then rushed to the entrance of the staircases and crouched down on one side of it. He was soon joined by another team mate who took place on the other side. As soon as the first cop passed through the entrance, Yuri slashed at his ankles while his team mate shot down the second one. Just how many died already? Yuri had no time to count. His heart was beating wildly against his chest, and the one thought in his head was survival. His body was almost moving on its own, fuelled by his survival instinct and his few years of training, though his hands were slightly trembling. Nevertheless, he kept slashing, feeling warm blood splutter on his arms.

"Don't let them in!" Elias repeated. If Raven's men could take hold of the balconies, it would be the end. Deafening bursts of gunfires were ringing constantly in Yuri's ears. How many of them left? He wondered desperately.

"Hold firm! We're having the upper hand!" Their team leader encouraged. And indeed they were. Though the ambush had not been as efficient as planned, it was still working out somehow. There was almost no fog left. Most of the policemen were trapped downstairs and the few who had managed to climb up were now lying, either unconscious or worse.

Raven's voice rose. "Miley! Another one!" he ordered, and the woman called Miley threw something at her feet. A 'psshhh' noise was heard again, and the place was soon filled with thick smoke again, eliciting numerous curses from Yuri's team members. Here they go again.

"Take cover!" Elias ordered. Yuri narrowed his eyes as smoke was starting to irritate them. His sleeve upon his mouth, he choked several times as his lungs were filled with smoke. A sudden cry caught his attention.

"What the–Aaah!"

"Hey! Who's–Ugh!"

"What's happening?!"

Several other similar exclamations resounded, mixed with strange noises which sounded like sharp thuds, as if someone was using a blunt object to hit Raven's squad members.

"She's there!" There were gunshots.

"Get her!" More gunshots.

Yuri frowned. She? He risked a glance downstairs, even though he could barely make out anything, but there was definitely some action there. Pained wails kept succeeding to each other, and Yuri was obviously not the only one troubled by the unexpected help.

"It's only one person, get her!" Voices yelled, panicked, until Raven's laughter echoed in the yard.

"Gotcha." he merely said, and Yuri could have almost imagined the smile on his lips. "Back off, everyone. This one's mine."

The fog was lifting up, and Yuri's eyes opened wide when the identity of the mysterious intruder was revealed. Down there, dozens and dozens of bodies littered the scarlet-stained ground, and in the middle, standing as motionless as statues were Raven and Judith. The latter had a fist barely an inch from the former's face, her arm stopped by Raven's strong grip while his other hand was pointing a gun at point blank at her forehead. Despite her obviously disadvantageous situation, Judith was still smiling, though her eyes were throwing fierce daggers. All around them, the remaining policemen took aim at her, waiting for further orders.

"Hello, Damuron." Judith greeted him as if they had just met in the street.

"Judith." the latter merely replied.

"What? No 'darling' or 'dear'? I'm surprised." Judith smiled before lifting her head to the balconies. "What are you waiting for? I almost did all the job for you."

Several shots banged, and soon enough, Raven and Judith were the only one standing in the courtyard. Yuri winced when he saw the casualties. Some bodies were still moving, their faces twisted in pain. Next to him, several corpses were lying, eyes open wide and a thin strand of blood leaking down their mouths. He felt like throwing up. Was it how it had happened three days ago, when innocent people from the lower quarters had been shot down like rabbits? His stomach threatened to heave, and the stench of burned flesh and smoky air didn't help him. Something warm trailed down his shaking hand. There was no pain, making him deduce the blood wasn't his. It made him even sicker. He quickly wiped off the trail with his sleeve. When he turned his attention back to the scene downstairs, Raven had lowered his gun.

"What are you waiting for, Judith?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, would you like me to kill you?" she tilted her head on the side. "No, that'd be too kind. You don't deserve kindness. And I think someone else here would like to have the honour of beating you to a pulp. Am I wrong, Yuri?" she asked, directing her gaze at the boy who rose his eyebrows, surprised.

Raven immediately turned round as well, and as soon as he spotted Yuri, his face darkened. Or rather, it turned sad.

"Yuri... I really hoped you wouldn't come." he said, disappointed, though it was hard to determine whether the feeling was directed at Yuri or at himself. "So it is you who told Judith about this."

"Yuri didn't tell me anything." Judith replied. "Let's say I just happened to walk by when the both of you were talking on the other day. Oh, and by the way, Yuri, I suggest you prepare yourself once all of this is over. There is a certain someone wishing strongly for your death as we speak." she addressed the long-haired male, still smiling. Seeing Yuri's puzzled face, she added: "I saw Flynn yesterday at the hospital. I fear I let slip a bit more than I should have to him. He wasn't happy."

"Oh." was Yuri's mere answer.

"Anyway, gentlemen of Altosk, if you'd be so kind as to let me deal with this man–" Judith went on before being interrupted by Elias:

"We cannot do that. Whitehorse requested that we deliver this traitor to him alive."

"Oh I don't plan to kill him, I simply wish to have a private talk with him. I'll deliver him to Whitehorse right after I'm done."

"Could you please stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?" Raven intervened, but he only managed to earn himself a punch in the stomach from Judith, sending him on his knees with a wince of pain.

"You're really irritating, Damuron. Please shut up for now." she said kindly.

"I'm afraid we cannot let you do as you will, young miss." Elias insisted. "Our orders are to–"

"–bring him back alive? Fine." In the blink of an eye, Judith had her gun right on Raven's forehead. "Let's make a deal then. If you refuse to let me have a talk with him, I'll shoot a nice hole in his brain – provided that he actually have one – and you can say goodbye to Whitehorse's orders."

"You'll die if you do that." Elias replied coldly.

Yuri felt tension rising and thought it best to try and cool it down. "I think it's fine to leave them be. We've got enough dead like this here, no need to add some more. She'll keep her word." he asserted.

"Thank you, Yuri." Judith smiled at him. Though she always seemed to be cheerful and smiling, Yuri knew better than to provoke her any further. She could be as icy as her smiles were warm, he had learnt a few months ago.

The leader seemed to hesitate, and the remaining Altosk members were also muttering among themselves.

"We're done here." Yuri insisted. "We're supposed not to waste time here and meet with Whitehorse in the northern part."

"Fine." Elias replied dryly. "You take responsibility if something happens to Raven."

"Yeah, yeah." Yuri mumbled.

"We're leaving, everyone!" Elias ordered. "Julian, you take the injured back to the headquarters and you see to them!" Then, on a lower tone, he added: "We'll take care of our dead once we're done with Alexei."

Shouts of 'Let's go' and 'Let's smash Alexei's face!" echoed in the courtyard as everyone moved forward, leaving Raven and Judith behind. Yuri hesitated. He still had questions for Raven; he still needed explanations from him, and he still itched to land a punch on him. He glanced at Judith who winked at him and formed the word 'Go' with her lips. Reluctantly, he followed the others.

Judith waited for the place to turn empty before turning her attention back to Raven. Blood was trailing down his right temple, but he seemed not to notice it. His uniform which was once bright orange and white was covered with dust, dirt and dried blood. He let himself drop on the edge of the fountain, sitting there the same way an old man would have done when he was tired of living. Acute pain suddenly seared through him and he clutched at his chest tightly, breathing hard.

"Having some heart problems?" Judith asked, though her tone didn't betray any concern.

"Something like that." Raven replied as he panted.

"Alexei really messed up with you when he fixed you." she said as she sat down beside him.

"I was able to live longer thanks to him."

"Do you like the life he gave you?"

Raven didn't reply. The pain was receding slowly, though the mechanical beats in his chest sounded irregular. And then a cold barrel was on his temple.

"I wonder what would happen if I pulled the trigger." Judith wondered absent-mindedly.

"The Don wouldn't be happy." Then he murmured: "I would, though."

The fine woman chose to ignore it. "He wants Raven alive, not Damuron Atomais."

"Playing with words, aren't we?"

"At least I'm not playing with other people's lives." she replied, lowering her weapon. "You know, your discussion with Yuri in the graveyard really pissed me off."

"I got the same reaction with Yuri. It seems like the only thing I managed to do is pissing people off." He sighed. "Damn, I really didn't want the kid to come to this carnage."

Judith turned her eyes to him and gave him her most serious gaze. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" she asked. "Why did hide yourself from me?"

"You deserve better than to be dragged into that mess."

"Don't you think the decision should be mine?"

Several seconds passed before Raven replied: "I was never good with dealing with people."

"That's no excuse."

Her words were followed by silence broken by dampened noises of the fights in the north quarters. At some point, Raven raised his head to the open sky.

"Can't you find any mercy in you to finish me off?" he asked wearily, gazing upwards.

"So you're really serious about dying." Judith stated, and though her voice was never cold, the tone clearly bore no warmth in it.

"Is it such a bad thing? Think about it. Having me gone would mean having half your problems gone."

"That would be too easy for you. Though it is true I want to kill the one called Damuron Atomais." She got on her feet and dusted off her clothes. Then, without any warning, she grabbed Raven roughly by the collar and shoved him on the ground, pointing her gun at him again. "So die and give me back Raven."

She pulled the trigger.

Estelle had not managed to sleep on that night, and tiredness was clearly visible on her face. Still, she was pacing back and forth in her room, unable to dismiss the distress gnawing at her and torturing her mind like acid. The mere thought of more victims had made her cry the whole night, and her eyes were swollen and red, and yet she couldn't do anything. Khroma had left her without a word after Estelle had refused to call Yuri for help.

Maybe she had made the wrong decision; maybe it'd have been better if she had accepted, maybe by now she would be free, and would have been able to get her father to stop Alexei. Or maybe Yuri would have been caught by the guards. She shook her head. It was too late now, anyway.

The familiar clicking of the door made her jump. Who could it be? Khroma wasn't supposed to come back before hours, and the guards never checked on her. Or perhaps it was her godfather who was already done and was coming to announce the news to her. The thought of it made her shudder. The door opened carefully – suspiciously too carefully to Estelle's taste. She frowned, then her eyes opened wide when she saw who appeared behind the door.

"I told you, only four seconds to pick it!" Karol murmured proudly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Rita replied. "Estelle! You're really here!" she exclaimed, though she was careful to keep her voice down. Karol closed the door behind them.

"Rita? Karol? B-But how–"

"No time for questions. We're getting you out of here."

The girl felt both astounded yet happy beyond words. How was it possible? She ran to Rita and hugged her tight, as if to make sure it was real. "Oh Rita, it's you, it's really you! And you too, Karol!"

"Yeah! We came to rescue you!"

"Keep it down, there are still guards up there." Rita warned them. "Let's not waste time. Come on."

"But the guards–"

"We took care of those in the basement. Now we need to sneak out without the others spotting us."

"How–"

"Save the questions for later!" Rita said impatiently.

Estelle's head suddenly felt light. Her face lit up as they exited the room and made their ways to the staircases, while careful to step over the bodies of two guards lying there, sleeping soundly. To Estelle's silent question, Rita merely produced a spray bottle from her bag.

"One of my greatest prides." she murmured. "Rita's special 3-hour-certain-sleep formula. You knock out an elephant with that."

"I keep saying you're a scary girl." Karol whispered.

"I'm a genius, that's different. Oh crap." she cursed under her breath.

"Wh–" Karol started, but Rita put a finger on her lips.

There were footsteps upstairs. Most certainly one of the guards. The footsteps were getting louder and louder. Rita reacted quickly. She strode up the staircase and jumped in front of the man who didn't see her coming. Before he could react, she had used her spray all over his face. The problem rose when the man dropped on the floor loudly. Immediately after, another man's voice echoed upstairs.

"Crap." Rita cursed again. "We run. Now."

The others didn't need to be told twice. Karol grabbed Estelle's hand and they rushed to the main entrance without looking behind.

"Hey! Stop there!" one of the guards prompted as he strode down the stairs.

"Hurry!" Rita urged. "We need to reach the main street!" They would be safe as long as they made it outside, in the middle of the other strollers. They crossed the hall at the entrance of the house, ignoring the angry footsteps pursuing them. Karol literally kicked the door open and the three of them ran outside in the garden of the villa. "We're almost there! Hurry up!"

The gate was only a dozen metres away from them, but then Estelle tripped on her dress and fell.

"Estelle!" Karol and Rita helped her up. The latter swore.

"I should have brought explosives!" she snapped, dragging Estelle to the gate.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" the guard behind them was catching up to them.

He wouldn't dare now that we're outside. There are people out there! Rita thought, but a glance back showed her that the man was already aiming at them.

"Khroma said they were ordered not to draw attention! They can't shoot!" Karol said out loud.

"We aren't out yet!" Rita retorted back. "Stun rounds, is what that woman said. So he won't hesitate to shoot!" And indeed he didn't. A round flew by her, missing her only by a few inches.

Only ten metres left to the gate.

We'll be fine soon. Only five metres left. Another bullet was shot. It missed again. Estelle gasped, but Karol urged her on, still holding her hand.

"Hurry!"

One metre. They crossed the gate, hearing curses behind their backs, and knew they were safe. Just to be sure, they kept running farther away, around the corner and farther, where some walkers glanced strangely at them. The three of them finally stopped their wild run, panting heavily, their hearts beating crazily fast.

Karol grinned. "Mission accomplished! Yuri owes us a damn good meal!"

"Let's hurry! The Don is waiting for us!" Elias prompted. Yuri and the others were running as quickly as possible, ignoring any protest from their legs. "It seems like there are victims among the civilians too." he kept on reporting. "Demonstrators and people from the lower quarters have been caught between the fires." he panted. "But we're having the upper hand!"

But it's not over yet. The mood was definitely better, though. There was hope to take Alexei down, there was hope to put an end to that man's insane schemes. It was all that mattered for now. Smoke was rising in columns in front of them, behind several blocks of buildings; gunshots were getting louder and louder, shouts could faintly be heard if one paid close attention. Yuri's heart had never beat so quickly. It'll be over soon, he repeated to himself. And then I'll apologize to Flynn. Flynn's reaction was the one thing he wasn't looking forward to, but that concern would come in due time, after everything was over.

"Those without guns, follow me!" Elias ordered, his hand on his earpiece. "Ren told me there's an isolated patrol attempting to get Whitehorse from behind. We'll ambush them discreetly from the east side! The rest of you, go straight forward and meet with the others!"

Yuri and a few others made a detour, following Elias through the streets until the latter motioned them to stop in a narrow alley, right before a crossroad. "Ren said there are ten of them. They have to pass by this crossroad. We need to be silent in order not to attract any other patrol. I want three of you on the other side. As soon as they pass by us, we butcher them, got it? Don't let them use their guns. Tia and Nelly, you go round the block and get them from behind. And remember, the quicker, the better."

"So it's a three-side attack, huh?" the girl called Nelly smirked. "I like this."

What does he take us for? Assassins? Yuri didn't like the idea at all, yet now wasn't the time to be delicate. Within a few seconds, everyone had moved silently to their respective spots, and within a minute, the patrol was but a mere memory. The two that Yuri had stabbed were still alive, though they would probably not be able to move a limb for a while.

"You're too soft, Yuri." one of his team member told him.

"Probably." he merely replied.

"Let's get moving! We have to–what? NO!" Elias exclaimed in horror. "Harry, confirm, confirm! CONFIRM AT ONCE!" he shouted in his mic.

"What is it?" the others inquired. "What happened?"

Elias had stopped moving, and his face had suddenly darkened. The hand on his earpiece was shaking. "No... Damn it, NO!" He sucked in his breath. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" He let out a cry of rage.

"They got the Don." he announced with a trembling voice.

Immediately, roars of anger and ire rose. Some were too stunned to speak and their horror-struck faces were the only indication of their current state of mind. Even Yuri had trouble believing it. The great Don Whitehorse, down? It couldn't be. His fists clenched and he felt his blood boiling. It was impossible. He hadn't even had the opportunity to give Raven the bashing he deserved! He couldn't die before even seeing Raven once again!

"Are you certain?" he urged Elias, shaking his shoulder.

"I am. I had it confirmed several times." the other replied darkly. "We have to hurry on and take those bastards down."

"Let's avenge the Don!" Tia raged, her eyes shining. Her cry was followed with several others.

"They won't get away with that!"

"We're gonna send them to the depths of hell!"

"Alexei's gonna lose his head!"

"Let's go!"

The lot sprang forward. There was no time for tears. Those would come later. After Alexei paid for Whitehorse's life.

"Ren! Report. Report!" Elias kept repeating, and given how he clicked his tongue of irritation, things were obviously not going on well. "Damn it. It seems like Alexei is turning the tables. This isn't good at all. With the Don gone, I fear panic has started spreading among us. Either we quickly eliminate Alexei, or we're dead meat."

"Damn it! I can't believe this is happening!" another man swore.

"The others from our team should have arrived already. That should take those bastards a bit by surprise."

'If you have the option of endangering yourself or running away, you run away.' The words rang in Yuri's head. As if he could simply run away now. He had chosen to come, knowing the risks full well.

They arrived at the site of the disaster soon enough, and the scene that unveiled in front of Yuri's eyes was rather singular, to say the least.

Among the ruined buildings of the central square, Alexei and his men were firing ceaselessly at Yuri's team members who had arrived before. There were wooden barricades protecting Altosk, but they were likely to collapse any time soon. Elias had been right: Alexei hadn't expected more support to come from Altosk's side. It was not over yet. They quickly joined with the rest of Altosk to face Alexei. The man was right in front of them, behind a line of policemen holding huge bulletproof shields. Whitehorse's imposing body was lying a bit aside, protected by a few men. Harry was there too, knelt by his side and fighting back tears.

Though he had barely knew Whitehorse, Yuri still felt his heart sink at the sight. But then something new caught his attention.

Noises were coming from god knew where, and they were getting louder.

"There's something going on over there." Yuri pointed out, frowning.

"What are those noises?" someone next to him questioned.

"Look!" a woman exclaimed, pointing a finger in front of her.

A huge crowd was breaking into the streets of the lower quarters, shouting in anger at Alexei and sweeping away the reduced police patrols which were trying in vain to prevent the masses of people from flooding in.

"Are they..."

"Citizens of our town, coming to stop Alexei as well." Yuri murmured. "I didn't think they'd actually manage to go that far, especially for the lower quarters' sake..."

"Looks like Alexei is not happy."

Yuri turned his gaze back at the man. Saying he didn't look happy was an understatement. Yuri almost jumped when he spotted the woman standing close to him. He blinked twice. No, she looked a lot like Judy, but she was definitely not her.

The commotion was at its paroxysm between the crowd's yells, Alexei barking orders at his troops and Altosk still exchanging bullets with them.

"Shoot at them too!" Yuri heard Alexei order.

"But Commandant, they are civilians!" an officer hesitated.

"SHOOT THEM! Unless you want to die here!"

The first bursts were enough to bring back some silence and hesitation from the crowd's side. Some anguished cries were heard as several bodies fell on the ground, bathing in blood.

"They dared shoot!" someone from Altosk exclaimed, bewildered.

"Those bastards!"

"Cease fire at once unless you want more useless victims!" Alexei shouted at the Altosk members.

That made the latter waver. They looked at each other, wondering whether to heed the order or not. And since Whitehorse was no more, there was no one to lead them. Yuri gritted his teeth.

"That bastard is using the entire population as hostage? Is he crazy?" he murmured angrily.

"He's beyond the point of craziness." someone next to him answered. "But the real question now is: what do we do?"

Unexpectedly enough, it was the woman who looked like Judith who gave them the opening they needed. "Commandant Alexei, we have lost." Yuri heard the woman say softly, and the voice rang vaguely familiar.

"What are you saying, Khroma?" Alexei replied, his traits distorted by madness. "They are nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothing, unable to behave themselves and acting like savages as soon as there is no authority to lead them."

"Commandant Alexei, please stop. Open your eyes." Khroma pleaded.

"I cannot lose! Not now! Not after I managed to clean the lower quarters from the scum dwelling in it!"

"Please, stop!" Khroma insisted. "We have lost since the moment the whole city turned against us. I beg of you, open your eyes and realize your own mistake!"

Alexei glared at her. "You dare say that I made mistakes? All that I've done, I've done it to secure peace in this country! Evil needs to be eradicated! Khroma, are you saying you disagree with me?" he asked threateningly.

"Commandant Alexei, I owe you everything, and I swore to follow you no matter what. But it is also my duty to stop you when you are going on the wrong track." Khroma replied, standing straight and unflinching.

"Is that so? Then I think I have no use of you anymore." Alexei replied as he aimed at her stomach, and pulled the trigger.

As Khroma fell on her knees and hit the ground, two shiny trails of tears strolled down her cheeks, and Alexei's name escaped her lips in a final choke.

"That bastard! Killing off his own officers like that!" Yuri cursed.

"That guy is completely mad!"

Apparently, Alexei's gesture triggered some mixed reactions among his own men as well. Some were staring blankly at Khroma while the others were looking at Alexei with sheer lack of comprehension painted on their faces.

Alexei turned to the mass of demonstrators. "And you, who refuse to understand what is good for you, you do not deserve my justice! You do not deserve to be rid of the evil that looms over you."

A voice rose from amongst the crowd. "We do not want your so-called justice. Until now, it has brought us nothing but pain and disasters."

Yuri's mouth fell open and his heart failed a beat, for the person who had just walked forward and spoke out loud was none other than Flynn. Yuri would have jumped over the barricade if it hadn't been for Elias grabbing his arm and pulling him down.

"What the hell were you trying to do?" the latter scolded him.

Yuri bit his lip to bleed, his eyes not leaving Flynn a single second. What on earth was he doing there? What kind of absurdity had gone through his mind for him to come all the way here? And above all, had he lost his mind, opposing Alexei openly like that? Flynn, you idiot! You damn idiot!

And at that moment, Yuri really felt immense fear sweeping over him, paralysing him from head to toe and rendering him unable to form any coherent thought but one: Flynn was going to die. At that moment, he really understood how much of an idiot he had been all this time, and he understood how Flynn must have felt all this time. Now he only wanted to run to him and scream at him to fall back and stop provoking Alexei, and to get away as far as possible from that place. If anything happened to Flynn, Yuri would... You damn idiot! You're supposed to be the smart one! His throat felt dry, and blood pulsed in his temples, more loudly as ever. Flynn, Flynn, Flynn!

"And what does a single brat like you know about this?" Alexei asked back with disdain.

"I'm afraid I'm not the only one to think that way. Why do you think we are all here, opposing you?" Flynn retorted back.

Flynn, shut up! Shut the hell up! Yuri screamed mentally.

"That kid has a death wish." Elias said darkly. "Though he's quite the brave one."

"Alexei must be taken down!" Yuri urged him. "Before there are more casualties!" Before Flynn is killed!

"The bulletproof shields are in the way."

"We have to try anyway!"

"Yuri, calm down! Even Alexei must understand the situation he's in now. He's clearly lost."

Yuri gritted his teeth. If there's one thing he has lost, it's his mind.

"I will not suffer more of your stupid resistance!" Alexei declared.

It happened in a flash, so quickly that it was already over by the time Yuri registered what had occurred.

Alexei rose one of his guns at Flynn who had already plunged and grabbed the firearm that had been dropped by one of the policemen. Two shots banged. Flynn fell backward, under Yuri's horrified eyes.

The last thing he knew, he was jumping over the barricades and rushing at Flynn, ignoring Elias' shouts of 'Come back, Yuri!' and 'Cover him!'. He ran past the policemen, oblivious of Alexei falling on his knees, his eyes seeing nothing but Flynn.

"FLYYYYNN!" he called out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

A/N: And that was the final chapter of this story. Feel free to hate me and despise me. You have every right to.

...

OK, that was a joke. Of course it's not the final chapter :D I'll give a cookie to those who guess what happened in the end. Oh yeah, the part with Estelle tripping and falling HAD to be added. I mean, come on, it's well-known that whenever a girl is being chased, she HAS to trip and fall. Period. And yes, Yuri's an idiot, and Flynn's an idiot too.

Anyway, merry Xmas to everyone!