The Crimson Mask
By DigiDawg
Chapter 1: And so we met
The cold autumn air did little to distract me as I feverishly worked against my bonds. I pulled against the ropes holding my wrists behind my back as the chair squeaked in my efforts. My arms could do little more than shimmy as I slid my shoulders up and down against the rope across my chest; a fruitless effort as the coils neither budged nor loosened. "Hrmmmph mmmmph" I grunted as my own purple ribbons which used to hold my pigtails now were used to muffle my cries as they were tied over my mouth. I tried to wiggle my feet again but they too were tied as well. It was a good thing I was wearing tights tonight or the vile things would've cut into my skin by now. I took a break as I panted thru my nose, hungry for air. I couldn't hold back the tears any more as they streamed down my face. My purple hair rested on the back of my chair as I hung my head in despair as it racked my brain trying to figure out what I had done to deserve this.
A flashback of a few hours ago…
"Well that completes my homework. Now I have all weekend to do..." I paused as I took a look around my dorm. "Nothing... at all..." "When you say it like that, it sounds so sad Aisha-chi" said a purple and white bat which fluttered over and sat on my head. "I didn't mean it like that Angkor. There's nothing sad about having nothing to do."
"Uh huh...sure it is" teased Angkor. I picked up the bat and gave him a playful nuggie. "Just because you're my familiar doesn't mean that you know everything."
~brriiing~
"Oh well would you look at that?" I teased him as I picked up my cell phone and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Aisha, it's me Rena. Are you busy?" I looked back on Angkor and stuck out my tongue in victory. He just pouted and fluttered off to sit on my pillow. "U-um no I'm not busy. What's up?"
"Well do you remember Raven right?"
"The silent guy?"
"Yeah the cute guy. So guess what happened?"
I thought for a second. She and my other friend Eve would always talk about silly stuff like guys and cute outfit. I'm guilty of it too though I was usually just on the bandwagon when it came to those two. I can only blame my shyness I guess. Especially since I never really get close to people. I'm still amazed how I even know Rena and Eve…
"Aisha! You there?"
"Y-yeah" I replied as she snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Sooooo? Guess". She asked me again.
"Umm he said hi to you?" I said weakly.
"More like agreed to go on a date with me!"
"Eeeeeeeeee, really?!" I screamed in excitement over the news. She's only been swooning over this guy for months now. Her and every other girl in school, so it was amazing that he actually agreed to go out with her. "Geez Aisha-chi, is the news really worth screaming about?" Complained the bat. "Mind your own business Angkor!" I shouted as I tossed his stuffed toy at him.
"Are you arguing with your pet bat again Aisha?" Asked Rena. "Geez girl, you really need to get out of the dorms more, you're going batty in there." Laughed Rena. "That's actually why I called. You see I need you to come out with me tonight."
I was puzzled. "Me, why would you need me to go with you on your date?"
"Errrr, because I was nervous..." laughed Rena thru the phone. I could her sweat mark on her face even from my phone.
"Nervous? Why would you of all people be nervous?" I asked.
"W-well..." she stammered. I felt my patience wearing thin as my eyes dead-paned. "What did you do...?"
"Well...well...I was nervous and when I asked him I uh sort ah..."
"Out with it woman!" I snapped.
"Well since he was with his friend Chung at the time I panicked and asked if he and his friends would like to come with me and my friends to the movies tonight and he said yes!" Rena spilled out hurriedly.
"So wait, Chung is going too?" I asked
"Uh huh" she replied.
"So why don't you ask Eve to go?" I asked her. "You and I both know that she has a crush on Chung, even if she won't admit it."
"Well she agreed to go the minute she heard Chung was coming so she's a go. "Laughed Rena."The only one left is you and if you don't come then their other friend will be left out."
"So I'm just a place holder?" I cried as rivers of tears fell down my cheeks.
"Don't say it like that, and besides Aisha..." Rena continued to persuade me."But I'm just gonna be a third wheel while you two are busy flirting..." I said as my enthusiasm dropped.
"And that's why I need you there to make sure I keep a level head so this thing goes thru. "And who's to say you won't be doing any flirting of your own tonight too?" Rena hinted. "Well, times a wasting Aisha so I'll see you at the movie theater at eight."
"B-but wait a minute, I never agreed to go and that's all the way in downtown Elder and its seven o clo-"
"I SAID, I'll see you at the movies at eight, Aisha~" Reiterated Rena. I could feel her infamous "death smile" thru the phone so I decided to agree lest I become another one of its poor victims.
"Okay Rena, s-see you there..." Rena giggled sweetly as she turned back into the girl we all know and love.
"Great, see you there~"
I hung up the phone and sighed as I layed my back down on my bed.
"It sounds like you got some plans tonight Aisha-chi, though it looks like you don't really wanna go..." said the bat. "Its not that I don't want to go... it's just that..." "you want to go on a date too huh Aisha-chi" chirped Angkor. My face instantly flushed red. "Noooooo, t-that's not it at all!" I shouted. "I-I just don't wanna be stuck there while those two have fun flirting with their crushes...while..." "you're sitting there alone?" Questioned Angkor. "Yeah..." I replied in a depressed tone. "Hey, you weren't reading my mind again were you?" "I said I wouldn't didn't I?" He replied. "And besides, I'm your familiar Aisha." He said as he fluttered off the pillow and onto my chest and snuggled."I feel what you're feeling, so I want you to feel happy Aisha-chi." My face was flushed again as my perverted familiar nuzzled my chest. But since he was being sweet I decided to let it pass this time. "Stupid pervert..." I said as I hugged him and kissed his head.
I layed there for a few minutes as I tried to figure out what on earth to wear. I decided to go with my navy blue school uniform instead of the white and brown one I was wearing now. I hoped in the shower and took a quick wash off before getting dressed. I put on a clean pair of off pink candy print tights before sliding on my blueberry checkered skirt over them, stuffing my blouse under it. I took two of my purple ribbons and tied my hair up into two pointy pigtails that hung down to just below my shoulders. I slapped on a bit of perfume. After all, it was supposed to be a date right? When I came out of the bathroom, Angkor immediately sprung up. "Wow Aisha-chi, you look just like a princess." I giggled at the little bat's comment. "Well Angkor I left you some food in your dish there. You be good ok?"
"Ok Aisha-chi, take care."
Unfortunately when I got to the bus stop, It looks like I had just missed the bus. "Damn..." I pouted as I kicked a rock. "I guess I could teleport to save some time... too bad I can only do it for short distances..." I say to myself as I make my jumps a down Wally's memorial bridge.
Ten minutes later I had just made it to town. I congratulated myself because normally walking that would take 20-30 minutes on foot, though I expended too much mana because of it. "I'd better just cut thru some alleyways to get there on time." I panted as I walked down some alleyways. The city was bustling this evening; people working late shifts, couples out on dates, cars at stoplights with commuters wearily trying to get back to their homes. Elder…it was a nice little city indeed, even though as of late taxes seem to be on the rise. Wally seems to be getting greedier and greedier every day. I looked up at the half moon, laminating the night sky as I waited to cross the street. "Damn, its already eight o clock...oh well." I thought to myself as the light changed and I crossed the street.
"I guess should get some snacks now since lord knows that movie food is overpriced." I said to myself as I approached Echo's, a classmate of ours shop. Oddly enough, the shop was closed although the shop closes at nine pm, not to mention the lights still on too. "We're friends right? I'm sure she would mind reopening just for me." I thought to myself as I knocked on the door. Oddly, when I grabbed the handle, the door wasn't locked.
"Well that's weird...why would they close the store but leave the door unlocked? I pushed open the door slowly as I crept inside. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, other than the fact that the store was closed but the door was still open. "Hey Echo are you still in here?" I called out. "If you're closed you're doing a bad job because you left the front door unlocked~" I teased. There was still no reply, the store had the air of a ghost town and was eerily quiet. I picked up a bag of chocolate peanut butter bites and a grape soda and walked to the counter.
"Hey Echo, how much do I owe you for this?" I called out. Still nothing. Looking around there was nothing out of place... other than no sales clerk. I noticed that the door to the back room that was closed to the public was wide open. "Now whys that wide open?" I said as I went to inspect the door. As I got closer I heard some shuffling going on. "Echo? Is that you?" I called out again as I followed the shuffling to the basement door, which was also open. This is getting weird now… I thought to myself as I walked down the stairs.
"Oh...my...god..." was the only thing that fell out of my mouth. As I came downstairs, I was greeted with a disturbing sight. A disheveled lab, complete with scattered papers, open drawers, overturned machinery and spilled fluids were on the floor. "Its like a tornado was in here..." I said as I explored the basement lab. While exploring I noticed the fire escape door the back alley was open. As I went to investigate it I stumbled onto a conversation.
"Let that be a lesson to you lil miss sprocket." Said an unfamiliar voice. "What in the world?" I muttered as I crept up the stairs of the fire escape and into the alleyway. "What am I gonna tell my parents!?" Cried a familiar voice. I snuck up behind a dumpster and peered around to get a better look. "Echo!" I gasped. I watched as Echo was pinned up against the wall by two thugs while a big brawny man was in front of her. From the angle I was in I saw that he had a big curved broadsword at his waist.
"Well miss sprocket, just tell them that you got robbed." Snickered the brawny thug. "Oh and by the way..." he said as he was shuffling around in his pocket."The boss says to make sure you finish up the blueprints for his plans." He says as he pulls something out of his pockets. "He's getting tired of waiting you know." I could hear Echo grumbling while she wrestled against the two thugs hold on her. "How can I do anything with you guys' terrori- ziiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I heard her scream in pain as a blue light in the main thug's hand connected with her stomach. "I'm glad we have an understanding."Echo!" I screamed as I watched her crumple in an unconscious heap on the wall.
"What the hell!?" Yelled the three goons in unison as they turned to me. I instinctively ducked back behind the dumpster hoping they didn't see me. Their footsteps walking towards my location proved otherwise and the firm grip on my shoulder just shut down any hope that they didn't see me.
The brawny thug pulled me out from behind the dumpster as he glared at me. I winced at the sight of his mug as I got a good look at it. His ruffled brown hair hung over his forehead as his bangs almost covered a scar over his right eye as his other eye focused on mines.
"P-p-please... I didn't hear a-anything I-I-I swear!" I manage to get out. "I didn't ask you that." The thug said grimly. I was so petrified, I couldn't stop shaking. "P-please, don't hurt me." I pleaded but his glare remained the same. His iron clad grip on me began to tighten. "Ahh- Oww, stop it! You're hurting me! "I cried."I promise, I don't know anything! Just let me go!"
"Hey Banthus, do we really have to do this? I mean she's just a little girl." Protested one of his thugs. She was probably just one of Echo's friends." Banthus...the notorious thief and outlaw?" I muttered out. "All the more reason to find out what she knows." Said Banthus. "Who knows how long she's been here tonight? Go get the car Bruce." The one called Bruce looked at me and sighed. "Well he has a point cute. I tried eh?" And with that he walked down the alleyway. "No! Wait! You can't do this! Pleas- eeeeeyaaaaaaah!" I screamed before everything turned black.
A cold breeze howled thru the old warehouse as it woke me from my flashback. I looked up at the blue moon shining its rays thru a window in the ceiling. Despite my situation, its luminous glow among the few clouds and stars was surprisingly calming to me, refueling my resolve to make it out of my ordeal alive. I shuffled my wrists again in an attempt to escape but the ropes were unforgiving as they always were.
"Hey boys." A voice I wish I had never met said. I looked up to see Banthus and his two thugs walking towards me. "It looks like our little princess has woken up." I growled but the ribbons over my lips just muffled any animosity into muffled murmuring as they towered over me. I closed my eyes as I watched Banthus's hand hovered towards me. "Hmmmmph!" I yelped as the pervert was groping my breast. "Damn, they're pretty nice boobs for a brat like you. Your boyfriend must play with these every night." He said as he leered and stared at me in his perversion. I screamed and try to shake him off but the muffled yells only seemed to fuel his appetite. If I had a boyfriend I wouldn't mind him doing this...all I have is that perverted bat. Ooh somebody help me!
"Now I'm gonna take your gag off and ask you a few questions and I hope for your sake your answers are favorable." He said as he pulled something out of his pocket. "Otherwise..."
"AAMMMMMMMMPPH!" I yelled as electricity ran thru my body. "You get the message, right?" "Hmmmph! Hmmmmph!" I panted into my gag and the bastard released the taser. That jolt felt like an eternity although it was only a second or two. I wasn't paying attention as he reached forward and pulled the gag out of my mouth. He gripped my chin again as he pulled my face to view his. "Now... what do you know?" He asked grimly.
My face froze in shock and disbelief that they thought that I even knew anything. "W-why do you keep asking me that!?" I screamed as my eyes began to get teary again. "I don't know anything - Eeeeyaaaaaaaaaaah!" I shrieked as he pushed the taser into my stomach again for a few seconds before removing it again. I twitched from the jolt, trying to alleviate the pain with my panting. "What did I tell you about telling stories?"
"But I'm not!" I cried back.
"Oh yeah? Then why were you in the alleyway tonight hmm?" questioned Banthus as he picked my head up by my hair. "Aaaaah!" I cried. It hurt so much. " If you want it to stop tell me the truth."
"But that is the truth!" I cried as tears rolled down my face. "I came to the store for some snacks and the door was unlocked, even though it was closed. So since Echo was my friend i didn't think it would be a problem to go inside!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I wailed as the monster held the taser longer than the last time he shocked me. I hung my head backwards as my eyelids twitched. I don't know how much more of this I can take.
"So you just happen to wander inside and happened to end up in the alleyway?" He questioned as he hovered his face close to mines. I weakly nodded yes. I watched as pressed the button on the taser, causing it to spark wildly. "Don't fuck with me little girl." He said grimly as he pressed the taser into my leg.
"Eeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I shrieked as I screamed bloody murder; tears streaming from my eyes.
"You expect me to believe you heard nothing of our plan?! After you found your way all the way to the alley way and hid there for who knows how long?! Only snoops do what you did!"
"Anybody would do what I did!" I screamed. "I came in and saw that there was something wrong so I followed the noises and murmuring to the alleyway, and then I watched you taser my friend. That's it though. I don't know anything about any plans, I swear!"
"Yeah...Bruce?" I heard Banthus call out to his henchman.
"Yes sir?" replied the thug.
"Go and get the cement." said Banthus as I watched a sadistic smile make its way across his face. "We're gonna give our little girlfriend here some new shoes." My heart sank to my stomach as I heard the insidious intentions for my demise at hand. In a last ditch effort I mustered all of my remaining strength as I tried to escape my bonds. I looked up at the ceiling where the moon shone brightly, even for a crescent.
"SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, PLEEEASE HELP ME, I DON'T WANNA DIE HEEEL-MMMMMMMPH!
Muffled screams filled the room as I protested the cloth tied around my mouth again.
"Well that's about enough of that now." snickered Banthus.
"Ok Banthus, I got the cement, and the pan." Said the one called Bruce as he dropped the pan with a clang. That was the loudest clang I've heard in my life. With that clang, I hung my head in utter defeat.
So this is it for me huh? I thought to myself as my tears rained down, soaking my skirt. I can't believe my life is over... but why me? All I wanted to do tonight was to try and be happy...to maybe finally meet someone. I mean... I wasn't expecting much with tonight's blind date but...I… I was genuinely gonna try tonight... And now I'm gonna be killed...alone...I'm gonna die...alone? I sniffed amongst my sobbing as I was drowning in despair.
It's not fair...
"Well let's get her to the river." said Banthus. "We'll do the shoes whe-"
-CRASH- went the glass window in the ceiling.
"What the hell was AAAAAH!" went the three villains. I looked up to see them jump back just as a giant blue glowing blade was about to crash down in front of me.
-SSSHHHHNK!- went the blade as it stabbed the ground in front of me, the tremor upon contact was enough to blow dust, debris and myself included as my chair skidded backwards from the force of the wind.
What in the world was that? I thought to myself as I looked up and gazed at the giant sword planted in the ground.
"This... is un...forgivable..." a voice said from the sword. With that being , a figure of a man, shrouded in shadows, was hanging from the handle of the blade. He then hopped down from the giant handle, landing in front of me in a kneeling position; his back facing me. Bathing in the glow of the blade he rode in on, he stood up to reveal that he was no man but rather a boy, a boy who looked to be around my age.
He then turned around to face me, which shocked me because the face was covered up with a red mask. A mask that was red as his hair which was spiky and layered; framing the mask, which was simple, like a ninja turtle mask; simple but effective. His hair was a little long as i examined they ran down into to ponytails that hung down to his shoulders and complimented his face. He wore a black vest that only covered up to his torso, which I might add was also pleasantly toned. He also wore wide white and black pants. These were all held up with a belt that had something similar to a rune as a belt buckle. I found it odd because it was so late at night in autumn and he didn't seem to be cold. He wore black fingerless gloves which had black belts wrapped around his forearms and a wide broadsword about half his size attached to his waist sideways. He was actually pretty cute in my opinion, even if it was a little weird.
"I'm sorry I'm late miss." He said as he walked over to me. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Hrmmmph?" I tried to reply as he asked me the very ridiculous question. I don't even know you red mask guy, but please save me from these guys I thought to myself as I tried to get free again.
"Hey buddy, who the fuck are you!" yelled Banthus, as he recovered from the shock of the blade crashing thru the ceiling. He began to storm towards us as his lackeys followed suit. I screamed in my gag as I saw him coming towards us.
"Ah yes, these guys..." replied the boy. -Shhhhnk- I was amazed at what i saw. Behind the boy and stopping the thugs in their tracks was a giant ethereal blade that seems to have erupted from a magic circle on the floor.
"Tonight, as payment for what you've done to this beautiful girl here, I will show you the true meaning of the word fear."
I blushed when I heard him say that I was beautiful. The boy with the crimson mask... I didn't know it yet, but we would be seeing a lot more of each other in the very near future.
End of chapter~
Digi: So with that chapter one is now complete. I hope you all have as much fun reading this as I did writing this. I made sure to make this chapter extra juicy for everyone reading it. As always, reads and reviews are greatly appreciated. I will try to get chapter two up soon or chapter 6 done for an Elsword tale. See you all soon.
Aisha: Hehe, Yay X3
Rena: So you're the star of this series huh?
Digi: Yup she is~
Rena: So what made you decide to to make Aisha the star this time?
Digi: I dont know...shes cute?
Rena: But I'm cute too!
Eve: And me too!
Digi: Meep!
Raven: ...Idiot...
Aisha: Come on girls don't be mean to him.
-Eve and Rena stares at Aisha with murderous intent-
Aisha: W-well at least he found and fixed the errors when he first posted.
Rena: Oh yeah he did didn't he?
Eve: Yup the typos are gone
Digi: Yay :D
Aisha: Well everyone I guess we'll see you all very soon
Everyone: Thanks for reading!