Chapter 22
"So.." Zoey started, shooting Maylene a warm and welcoming smile. "Why are you interested in joining the basketball women club?".
"Well." Maylene breathed in deeply, straightening the lumps on her school uniform. She was standing in front of Zoey who was sitting in a chair holding Maylene's application letter. "I am interested in basketball. Might just be my favorite ball sport." She sheepishly claimed.
Zoey crossed her legs and looked back at the application letter Maylene handed to her earlier.
It was thirty minutes past five in the afternoon and the school dismissal bell had already rang. Maylene already told Roark that she'd be going home late to pass her application letter to join the basketball women club just as they have already discussed the other night. The orange rays of the sun filtered through the jalousie of the club room, the dry summer air making her sweat more than the usual.
She instantly looked forward going home to take a refreshing shower.
The emptiness of the club room coupled by the murmur of the afternoon breeze made it a hidden oasis within the academy. It seemed like the only place within the school that held such peace and tranquility. Although it hasn't been a month since the school year had started, she almost couldn't believe that such an oasis existed in the academy.
Zoey cleared her throat trying to catch Maylene's wandering attention.
"This looks good." Zoey flashed another bright smile and offered her hand for a shake. "The team welcomes you."
Maylene's expression glowed with the sunset background. She tried her best not to jump from happiness and concealed her excitement.
"Thank you so much!" She grabbed Zoey's hand with both of hers in an intense handshake.
Zoey laughed at Maylene's unexpected reaction. "I'm not so sure if this is something to be this happy about, but I'm glad that it makes you happy."
Realizing that Maylene's been shaking Zoey's hand for too long she dropped it and bowed apologetically. "Sorry! I tend to overdo stuff when I get excited."
Zoey waved her off. "Anyway, practice will be every morning. It is mandatory as a club member. Got it?"
"Yes captain!" Maylene saluted. "And you can call me Maylene."
"Okay." Zoey walked back and grabbed her backpack. "You can call me Zoey too. So I have to go, a friend of mine is waiting for me."
"Oh I see." Maylene started grabbing her shoulder bag as well.
"Here! Heads up!" Maylene looked up and caught a key Zoey threw at her. "That's the club room key, locked the door when you leave will you? Just give the key to our head coach Johnny after. I don't like seeing that guy's face." Zoey walked past her and waved a goodbye before opening the door and leaving her alone in the clubroom.
"Yosh captain!" She saluted for a second time and sat down when Zoey finally left.
Maylene then let herself deflate on the chair as she breathed in one deep sigh of relief.
"Okay, this whole undercover stuff sure is scary." She moved a hand to her chest and felt her rampaging heartbeat. "Good thing my acting skill is topnotch."She opened her bag and pulled out a black notebook she received from Volkner as notes for her undercover mission.
Name: Zoey McMillan
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Height: 150 cm
Weight: 42 kg
Blood type: A
Mother: Marilyn McMillan
Father: NA
Siblings: NA
Relatives: NA
Hometown: Sinnoh, Snowpoint City
Species: Devil
Class: Imp
Rank: C
Ability: Has considerable strength. Agile. Resilient. She also has the ability to heal wounds. As an imp, metamorphosis is still unknown.
Status: Alive
Zoey McMillan, one of the GAS watch list of individuals. She is also the daughter of Marilyn McMillan, the infamous Rank S Imp Devil 'Red Nightmare'. As of current investigation, Zoey McMillan's strength just ranks that of a normal devil, but as the daughter of Red Nightmare, she is still considered a threat knowing that the bloodline could possibly run through her. Her threat level is still high.
"For a devil she sure is too friendly." Once she felt a little relieved and a little less anxious, she stood up deciding to just leave and lock the place. She placed the notebook back into her bag.
"Devils sure are sneaky little skank aren't they." She locked the door and carried her backpack single handedly over her right shoulder.
"Why would the daughter of Red Nightmare be here in the human world? I guess that means I'll have to spend more time with her and find out what she is really after."
...
"Hey Maylene." Zoey called out to her bringing two basketball balls one in each of her hands. "It's your duty today to return the balls back to the stockroom."
Maylene wiped a sweat that slid from her forehead. "Sure I got it captain." She grinned and gave her a two thumbs up.
Zoey patted her back. "For someone who joined the team just two months ago, you sure are fire."
"Ain't I a natural?" She smug and clipped her hips. "Gimme." She received the balls carefully. The rest of the club members were slowly retreating from the basketball court. Maylene checked her wrist watch seeing it was already nine in the morning.
"You don't want any help?" Zoey asked as she wiped her sweat with a face towel. "I can call Jessica and the others to help you out." She suggested to which Maylene politely refused.
"Well I can help you with that Maylene." Their three hundred pound coach approached the two teenagers. It was Johnny, the team coach wearing his usual faded tracksuit that looked like it was barely keeping in all his fats and muscles. He was stroking his unruly beard. "I just finished breakfast and I could use some exercise."
"Sure coac-"
"On second thought." Zoey cut her off, her voice coming off surprisingly firm. "I'll just help her myself coach." Zoey said, getting the other balls on the ground and walking off ahead. "Come on, we'll be late for class if we dawdle."
"Hey captain wait!" Maylene called out. She bowed apologetically to Johnny before catching up to the redhead ahead.
Maylene hurried herself up and walked beside Zoey as they went past the gymnasium door.
"I've been noticing it captain." She started. "But you sure don't like coach that much do you."
With the other students they came across the hallway, busy with their daily club activities and procrastinating projects and assignments, she thought that Zoey must not have heard her. Until Zoey did give her a reply. "I hate him Maylene." Zoey said as they passed by a group of students busy decorating a bulletin board.
Maylene looked at her through the corner of her eyes. Maylene has always taken Zoey as a cheery and upbeat classmate and clubmate, but it was the first time Maylene has seen and felt this side of hers. She sounded angry for some reason. And what she felt was not just any ordinary anger, it felt much more deeply rooted.
Zoey turned the knob of the stockroom. Maylene almost sneezed as the smell of dust and wood welcomed them like a tidal wave. She went inside first when Zoey called out to her by the door frame.
"Maylene..." Zoey said. "Just don't stay around him."
Maylene turned around and gave her an honestly puzzled look.
"Just don't. Trust me. Kay?" She smiled. A smile that Maylene knew as a foreshadowing. But a foreshadowing of what? That she has to know.
Three months into her first major mission as an undercover student, the academy reeks of devils.
'Is coach a devil too? But if Zoey hates him, then he might not be.' She thought to herself. 'I must do more investigation.'
"Got it capt!" She replied, returning her a smile.
...
Maylene walked around the center quadrangle of the school going to a nearby vacant bench. The 12 noon bell had just rang signalling lunch. The high afternoon sun wasn't toying around, hitting her skin with the not-so-friendly autumn heat. She wiped the sweat that have blotted her forehead with the back of her hand. She hurried to the bench protected under the shade of a huge maple tree.
She sat down and heaved herself a deep sigh of relief. She witnessed a few student also walking under the heat of sun. She asked herself why anyone would be under this crazy heat. Then again, she asked herself why would anyone be in this school full of devils in the first place.
But of course they had no idea so she almost smacked herself for asking such question.
She sat back and laid her elbows on the back support of the bench.
A semester has passed since she started her highschool in Hearthome Academy.
Last year around the same time, she underwent a reverse scourging operation under Dr. Blaine Thornton as a last resort to cure her worsening pancreatic cancer as it has already affected both her liver and kidneys. She and her father have signed a waver, that if ever this new technology would save her life, or extend it to even just by a few years, she would use her remaining life as of service to the GAS.
Knowing that this newly developed technology has a success rate of lower than five percent, Maylene had already accepted the fact that she might die. But with nothing left to lose already, it gave her profound courage. And maybe, it was that same courage that pulled her through the gruesome two-day straight operation. Her father had mentioned that her mother also went with the same procedure but was unfortunate not to survive.
And as the contract she has signed up for dictated, she worked as a GAS personnel soon after she fully recovered from the operation. She initially went through applications and seminars together with other successful patients, and after showing promising results of her reverse scourging, being able to efficiently and effectively control and manipulate her given abilities, she was quickly promoted to a vice pillar in less than a year under Volkner Starr as her trainer and mentor. As a newly appointed vice pillar, her first mission was to infiltrate Hearthome Academy.
Being one of Volkner's numerous missions, Volkner had his doubts about the school. To lessen his work load, he has passed the responsibility to Maylene. Because of her cancer, Maylene was home schooled ever since and this opportunity gave her that chance to feel what it's like to be in school and a normal teenager. She easily welcomed the mission with open arms thinking it would be a win-win situation for her.
She felt the gratifying cool breeze of fall brush the nape of her neck. She has always preferred to have short hair for weather like this. Also, she couldn't imagine herself with long hair, the femininity of the idea somehow cringes her.
She fished out her mobile and dialed Volkner's number.
"I have confirmed your suspicions." She whispered through the device. "This school reeks of devils."
"Good work Maylene." Volkner approved. "You have any news who is behind this? And their purpose?"
Maylene looked around, trying to reassure herself that nobody was around to hear her talking to her phone. "I still have to confirm it, but I have a guess. Can you email to me our database on Nyx? She is here in the school too and she seemed to be someone connected to Red Nightmare's daughter. Red Nightmare might still be alive after all."
"I will send it to you as soon as I finish compiling them." Volkner replied. "If you think Nyx and Red Nightmare are behind all of this, never engage them in combat even when necessary. Those two are high rank devils, just press the emergency button on your phone and I'll be there in a flash."
Maylene gave him a knowing nod.
"You have yet to unlock your Enlightenment. Just stay hidden. Be careful." Maylene heard him sigh. "We'll attack the school during the anniversary, just as planned."
"I'll give you my report on the other devils I have also confirmed-"
Maylene cut herself off when she felt someone's presence close by. She immediately snapped her phone shut and turned around.
"Hmmmmmm?" Coach Johnny walked closer to her in his dirty green tracksuit, whistling a familiar tune. "You aren't taking lunch Maylene?" He asked, standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets. He then burped loudly indicating he just took lunch.
"Coach!" Maylene laughed, trying to cover up her nervousness from almost getting caught. "Uh I don't have the appetite for some reason." She rubbed the adhesive bandage on her nose bridge.
Johnny crossed his arms. "Well then." The cool autumn gust ruffling his curly greasy locks. "Mind if I ask for your help?" He asked. "Some equipment have fallen from the shelves in the stockroom last night. I'd be glad if someone could help me with them."
"Yah yah sure coach I'm free anyway." Maylene stood up straightening her skirt as she followed him closely behind.
She remembered Zoey's talk to her last month about keeping away from Coach Johnny. She asked before why but Zoey didn't give her any answer only saying that she hates him, almost suggesting that Maylene should hate him too.
Maylene already knew that Zoey was a devil even before she joined the basketball women team as what she read from Volkner's report. It was the real reason why she joined the team in the first place to keep a track on her as well as a lead to know who the other devils are in the school and to unravel their true intention with the academy. And thanks to her, Maylene was able to note down a few more devils like some teachers, faculties and a few schoolmates. She was even able to track down Nyx, a rank A bane devil disguising herself as the academy admin secretary.
She guessed that if Zoey hated him then maybe Johnny is actually human, but there's only one way for her to confirm it. And that's to interact with him closer and more often.
Johnny opened the stockroom door and motioned Maylene to go in first.
"Wow it is a mess in here." Maylene remarked seeing all the turned over chairs and some balls that scattered on the floor. She went ahead and grabbed some balls. "I'll take care of the balls Coach you can take care of the-"
Maylene heard the stockroom door lock click.
She slowly turned around. "Coach?"
She saw Johnny standing with the door behind him, a sinister smile cracked slowly on his lips.
"Did you just lock the door?" Maylene asked, her heart suddenly thumping madly inside her chest. For the first time in her life, she felt an anxiety that coiled around her body like a snake. She noiselessly gulped, swallowing down an apprehension that threatened to come up her throat.
Johnny didn't reply. He only partially unzipped his tracksuit and licked his lips like a maniac, his hooligan snicker resounding throughout the empty room. He crept to her slowly like a predator stalking its prey.
Maylene suddenly couldn't feel her body, especially her legs. She was so scared that breathing without having to wheeze and hold her body up was impossible. The air around her suddenly gained so much weight.
"N..no..no." She managed to crawl backwards. "Stay back!" She warned, the fear strangling her neck making her voice tremble horribly. "Help! Help me!" She screamed, turning her head around wildly searching for an escape route for her out of this hell room.
"Scream all you want insect." Johnny's greasy snicker sent a shiver down Maylene's spine. "The stockroom is in the farthest corner of the school. Nobody's gonna hear you scream! HA-HAHA-HA!" He pounced and grabbed both of her wrist. He was able to easily pin the shaking teenager down on the floor.
Her wrist were so tiny compared to his sweaty fatty palms that holding them was like holding a piece of pen. He then lowered his body to hers and greedily sniffed her neck. "Why do you insects smell soooo goood! AH-HAHA-HA! I can never get enough of this salty sweaty human teenager scent! HAHA!"
Maylene pulled her head away in disgust. His grip was so strong that it felt inhuman, she felt that Johnny could easily snap her radius and ulna as if they were mere pencils. It was so painful that she cried a few tears.
"No...! No! Help! Please! Somebody!" Maylene cried. She tried kicking him away, but he was too bulky and heavy for her tiny and young body. He licked her collarbone, his tongue snaking up her neck all the way to her ear. His coarse tongue that touched her skin felt like a wet dirty rag. The disgust she felt was so overwhelming that it flipped her insides making her gag. "Help! Please! Anybody!" Maylene helplessly cried out.
On his knees, Johnny then proceeded to unbutton her school uniform hastily that some of the buttons came off. With so much heavy breathing, he excitedly and maniacally pressed his nose on her belly button and smelled her all the way up to her chest, his eyes showing all white from the ecstasy. He was salivating like a rabid animal.
"I can't wait to gobble you up insect!"
Maylene could no longer take it that she released her reverse scourging ability. Thankfully her reverse scourging mark, which is a diamond scar embedded on her after the operation, was hidden underneath the adhesive bandage on her nose bridge hiding its luminescence everytime she would summon her strength.
She easily overpowered him, hitting his stomach with her knees.
Johnny rolled backwards clamping his own stomach in agony. "What..the.. How?" He gritted his teeth and glared at Maylene.
Maylene sat back up. She tried managing her out-of-sync breathing from the anxiety as her first step in this combat. She tried closing her uniform but more than half of the buttons were ripped off. She only managed to fasten one button up. She wiped the tears that have leaked from her eyes.
"Stay back! Don't come near me!" She warned, feeling the surge of power from her scar reverberate through her entire system like adrenaline.
Johnny sat up and spat blood. "Fiesty insects are always my favorite." He laughed crazily, licking his lips before lunging at her again. "I'll have fun with you before scourging! HA-AHA-HAHA!"
Maylene jumped sideways causing Johnny to crash to a metallic basket holding tennis balls. She rolled over and jumped back up, the strength in her making her fidgety.
Johnny pounced at her again but this time Maylene just slid under him as she tried going for another knee to his belly. But Johnny was able to block it by using his palms. Johnny used this opportunity to grab her knee and threw her aside. Maylene's back hit a board causing the stack of plastic trophies to fall on her from the shelves above.
Failing to regain her momentum, Johnny was able to get near and grabbed her by the neck. Maylene squirmed and struggled like an insect. She grabbed his wrist that were too big that even both of her hands couldn't even fully encircle it.
"AHA-HA! Guess I just have to knock you out so I can have my fun in peace. HAHA!"
Johnny punched her in the gut with a force so strong that she felt the pressure pierce through her body all the way to the board behind, rupturing her organs inside. She coughed up blood and her vision doubled. She could have lost consciousness, even died, if she were a normal teenager.
There was no doubt about it now, she thought. Being able to deliver a punch that gave her that much physical trauma, Johnny was a devil.
Her essence suddenly died for some reason. She didn't know why. She guessed that maybe she still felt scared and that affected her in using her reverse scourging. Her body limply dangled by Johnny's grip.
"You monster...le..let..me go.." She tasted the blood in her mouth.
Remembering what Volkner said to her earlier, she tried reaching a hand to her pocket. "Emer..emergency... button." Apparently, the trauma Johnny gave to her was affecting not only the flow of her essence but her blood as well. She couldn't feel her arms.
With his eyes glowing red with hunger, he ripped apart Maylene's uniform as if they were made of paper. "Time for my lunch!" As he started kissing and licking Maylene's chest, a powerful kick to his side sent him flying sideways to the concrete wall knocking down shelves upon shelves of stacked diplomas, certificates and trophies. The force was powerful enough that he instantly let go of Maylene.
Maylene fell to the floor with a thud. She looked up, not knowing what happened. Her breathing became so labored that the lack of oxygen still made her vision blurry. She could partially make out what or who was standing in front of her. The uniform suggested that it was a student, perhaps someone she knew and heard her cry out for help.
"What did I tell you about the club members?" Maylene heard her savior's angry remark. "How dare you!"
"Zoey?" Recognizing the voice, she tried standing up, but the pain she felt earlier from Johnny's punch still crippled her. She could barely get up on her knees.
"Brat!" Johnny stood himself up and angrily glared at Zoey. "How dare you ruin my lunch?!" He growled at her, still salivating like a rabid animal.
"Who told you that you could touch my club members?" Zoey stood keeping Maylene behind her. "I don't remember that being part of the deal."
"Who cares!" Johnny raged. "I wouldn't have to do this if you only did your job McMillan!"
"Would you like me to tell him about what you've been doing?" Zoey ignored his outburst. "I'm sure he'll enjoy castrating you himself after knowing what you've been doing here."
Johnny snarled and bared his teeth. "Are you threatening me?!" Zoey saw him ball his fist so hard that blood dripped on the floor from his hands.
But he soon composed himself and zipped up his tracksuit, his eyes returning back to their dull mahogany color. "The time will come when I rip you to shreds McMillan. Mark my words." He then unlocked the door and left Zoey and Maylene.
Zoey heaved a sigh and knelt down, she put her arm around Maylene's back and lightly tapped her cheek. "Maylene? Are you okay?" She wiped blood around Maylene's lips with her thumb.
Maylene gave her a wounded nod. "I'm a little bit hurt as you can see." She inserted a jest.
"Here take this and cover yourself up." Zoey unzipped her academy sweater and gave it to her. She then turned around and offered her back to Maylene. "I'll carry you to the school infirmary."
Maylene accepted the sweater and wore it slowly, she then zipped it up and hopped on Zoey's back. "Thank you so much captain." She said through her bruised breathing as she encircled her arms around Zoey's neck. "I'm sorry I didn't follow through your orders."
"No problem." Zoey stood up and tightened her grip on Maylene's hanging legs on her back. "No problem." She repeated, giving her assurance. "I need to talk to you once we are in the infirmary." Zoey continued as she locked the door of the stockroom and left going to the infirmary.
"Hello?" Zoey called out, standing in front of the infirmary door. "Excuse me?" She called out for the second time. She tried lightly kicking the door open since she couldn't knock with her hands supporting Maylene on her back.
Maylene said that Zoey can now put her down as she have recovered some of her strength. Zoey gladly complied and opened the door realizing that it was unlocked and that nobody was in the infirmary. Zoey grabbed and wrapped Maylene's arm around her shoulder as a support as they both went in.
Maylene displaced herself from Zoey and unto one of the infirmary beds. She let out one pained grunt as her body rested on the bed.
"Looks like the academy nurse is on a day off." Zoey mentioned after seeing the notice board by the nurse desk. "A working student should be around here but I guess she is on a lunch break judging the time."
Maylene painfully gasped on the bed, clamping the injury around her gut. Breathing felt like getting stabbed by a knife. Her stomach felt like they were on fire.
Zoey walked over and grabbed Maylene's hand that was over her injured abdomen. "Let me." She stated as she unzipped the sweater. The punch Johnny had done created a purplish bruise that almost covered the entirety of Maylene's stomach. It was apparently so bad that Zoey could tell the damage reached her internal organs. She then hovered her hand over Maylene's stomach as a green light flickered from her palm and fingertips.
Maylene almost couldn't believe what her eyes was seeing.
"What are you doi..?" She was about to ask, quite alarmed by Zoey's sudden actions when she realized that the light that emitted from Zoey's palm radiated an essence that felt cool and rejuvenating. "Captain? Are you healing me..?" She asked, feeling the torn tissues and muscles weave themselves back together.
Zoey didn't reply, she just focused her essence flow in her palms down to Maylene's stomach trying to heal her as fast as she could.
Once Maylene's skin coloration was back to normal, she closed back her palms and looked at her seriously. "Yes." She nodded. "I healed you."
Maylene was about to say something when Zoey cut her off.
"And yes, I am a devil Maylene." She said. "And that's why I need to talk to you today at this moment."
Maylene was about to feign being surprised knowing already that Zoey was a devil, but she was too caught up with the moment of Zoey's confession that she ended up actually getting surprised.
"I want you to leave this school. It isn't safe."
"But-"
Zoey cut her off with her index finger.
And Maylene saw one of Zoey's signature smile. It wasn't just a smile that meant to give her confidence, Maylene knew better. More than that, it was a smile that shackled a foreign sense of pain and responsibility that Maylene knew it was out of her department.
"Trust me. Kay?" Zoey said. "All I can tell you is, get away from here. I will be disbanding the basketball women club by next week."
Maylene was lost for words. She didn't know where to begin or what questions to ask. She was so disorientated from the fact Zoey thew at her.
"I'm telling you again Maylene." Zoey closed her eyes and sighed. "Get away. Tell all your friends to get away from this school and never come back again."
Maylene couldn't reply, verbalize any concern or any word for that matter. She only gave her a nod, that spelled obedience more than anything else.
"Good good." Zoey hugged her tight.
And if only Maylene could confess her side of the story to her too, that she is a GAS investigator on a mission, born and raised to treat devils like savages, if only she could honestly tell all of it to Zoey, then maybe she could have returned the hug. Because as someone who was home schooled ever since, the only time she ever enjoyed her school days were during the practice session with the club. The basketball women club gave her life new meaning. Meeting them and meeting Zoey made her realize how much she has missed being imprisoned by the walls of her estate all her life. Zoey made her realize that what she needed was just friends and someone she could talk to.
Zoey, the very same Zoey that was under the GAS devil watch list of individuals. The very same Zoey daughter of the feared mercenary Red Nightmare. The very same Zoey that saved her from getting raped and scourged.
Maylene was so full of mixed emotions that by the moment she was about to return the hug for the sake of courtesy, Zoey has already let her go.
Zoey turned around. And with the door lock of the infirmary clicking close, Maylene was left with so much confusion and doubt that she almost forgot to breathe. The weight of it all pressing her down like gravity.
"Why would she save someone like me?"
"Aren't devils supposed to be heartless and hateful creatures? Especially her, daughter of Red Nightmare."
And the only answer she got was the soft scratching of the silk curtains swaying with the autumn breeze and the foreboding silence of doubt.
"What exactly is going on? I must know."
But one thing remained certain, that her mission has to push through. And with what Zoey had told and did to her, and what she learned from the GAS seminars, everything didn't look like black and white at all.
"Whatever it is. I want to help Zoey."
Chapter 22 End: Unraveling Part I