Chapter 58

Grabbing him by the scruff of his t-shirt he had on, Melyssa shook him none too gently. "No, I…I need your help! I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Crow! I don't know how to get out of this and I damn sure don't want to be HER anymore!" Melyssa didn't release his shirt, just pressed her forehead against his chest and let the tears flow. "And I'm not telling them anything because I'm not part of Ouroboros anymore! I…I…I just want to be myself again! I want my life back!" Calm down, for the love of the Goddess, calm down, Melyssa! She shut her eyes and channeled it all, breathing in and out slowly, trembling from head to toe. Slowly, she opened them to look up into those crimson eyes of her childhood best friend. "Taking a stand against them means suicide, you know that, right? You know we won't stand a chance by ourselves with just you, Ash, Machias and myself." Even Emma, with her magic, wouldn't be enough. They would need everyone, both old, new and newer Class VII, if they hoped to stand a chance against Ouroboros. "I'll take a stand as long as I'm by your side. Yours, Ash's and…Rean's."

If she was to die, at least she would be with those she loved and cared about. Crow began laughing at her, at this situation, at how absurd it was. She had just said she 'wanted' too, but Ouroboros was still out there. Melyssa hadn't changed, she was still emotional, but he supposed after tonight, he couldn't say a thing about it.

"You can't ask for anything, Melyssa." He said gently, prying her head up. "All you can ask for is a chance to explain." And Ash would forgive her, mostly. Rean… was not the same, he'd probably turn them away before they had a chance to open their mouths. "And I'm sorry, but if you're thinking of anyone besides me and Ash, people are going to question your loyalty." Just like his had been questioned until he had proven himself, multiple times. "It isn't that easy, Lyssa." The old nickname came out easily enough.

This was why she didn't want to say anything, to show who she truly was. It was hopeless. Rean wouldn't forgive her. Ash, maybe. The rest of Class VII, both old and new, she had no idea. Releasing his shirt abruptly, she stepped back and swallowed down everything she felt, just like she was taught to do. "I'm sorry for wasting your time and mine, then. Even though I had no choice that night unless I wanted your blood and everyone else's on my hands…you know what? It doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done…and I'll find a way out of this myself or die trying." Slipping the mask back on, Melyssa ignored Crow's shudder as she transformed back into Lysa Reynolds. "It's late, we need to head back."

Melyssa lead the way back to the car, no other words spoken between them. Her loyalty would be questioned – of course it would, even though Crow's hadn't been. Everyone welcomed him back with open arms, despite him being a terrorist!

Whatever, I'm done trusting others and I need to start trusting myself only. Aurelia, you were wrong this time.

Crow was quiet for most of the trip back to the city, finally shifting to look at her. "I don't know what you want, Lyssa." He said finally. "You can't expect me to not be mad, or for other people to fall at your feet and understand. Well, I understand and I know others would too, but that doesn't change anything. Class VII is among the best, we all are, and a girl who nobody knew tells us all we're dead without her making sacrifices. Can't you see it from everyone else's side?" And why was she guilt tripping him with her 'even though I had no choice' stuff? He had enough guilt from that night without her throwing it on him even more.

"I don't want anything from you or anyone else, Crow. I made my bed and I will have to lie in it. I do see it from all of your sides, just like I saw it from your side when I found out you were alive, that you weren't dead. Your memories were gone and I was very understanding about it, after getting over the initial shock of seeing you alive. Despite everything you've done, you were forgiven. You were a terrorist and they all forgave you, which is why I thought, if I revealed the truth to you, you would help me make them see why I did what I had to do. But I was wrong, and so was my friend." Now, there was a risk Crow would tell all of Class VII who she was and then Ouroboros would find out. Melyssa was living on borrowed time and she knew it, pushing her fear and anxiety aside while driving them back to the apartment building.

"I am TRYING to be understanding, Melyssa, but you are making it very difficult."

She was expecting him to bow at her feet, profess his gratitude and tell her everyone else would fall in line. She kept pointing out she had saved them by sacrificing herself. It was hard to be understanding when she was basically throwing that fact in his face, she was guilt tripping him into whatever. Ouroboros had really taught her well. That was an unkind thought and he shoved it aside immediately.

"You don't KNOW about how or why I was forgiven because you weren't THERE." She was in Jurai, doing whatever she did. "I want to help you, but you can't expect people to just fall in line immediately, that's not how human nature works and Rean is completely different from before!"

"I DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO FALL AT MY DAMN FEET! I'M NOT EXPECTING FORGIVENESS! I JUST WANT OUROBOROS GONE AND WITHOUT ALL OF US UNITED, IT WON'T HAPPEN! WE'RE ALL IN DANGER, CROW, ALL OF US!" Melyssa screamed back at him, gritting her teeth because he wasn't seeing the big picture. He wasn't seeing just how DANGEROUS and LETHAL Ouroboros was. "And maybe I would've been there had you not ran away when you were 13 to pursue a mad, ridiculous goal of killing the damn Chancellor! If you didn't become a damn terrorist and kill COUNTLESS people for your own gain! It's just crazy how I'm not a terrorist, and I did what I had to do to protect those I love and care about, but yet, I'm not good enough for forgiveness, not when it comes to the GREAT Azure Chevalier! Well, screw you, Crow! SCREW. YOU!" That actually felt really, really good to say and Melyssa didn't realize how much pent up anger she'd had when it came to him and what he did. Somehow, she managed to make it back to the apartment building, after both raged at the other, and she cut the ignition. "The ball is in your court now. Do with it what you want. Goodnight." Stepping out of the car, she headed inside, feeling emotionally and mentally drained.

Crow spent the night making calls after thinking about what she had said. She was right. Two years of nothing and her joining Ouroboros meant nothing in the grand scheme of things and she did deserve forgiveness. They all had to be united and that meant they all needed to get over themselves and listen to what she had to say. Obviously, Ouroboros was a bigger problem than any of them realized and Melyssa was the person in the know. Bright and early, the majority of Class VII, the former Class VII anyway, had been updated on the situation, even Rean. Rean was coming, they all were. They all knew not to go to the apartment, or come together. He imagined within a few days, the city would have been infiltrated by Class VII.

That following early morning, there was a fist pounding on Melyssa's door. She did not want to be bothered and tried ignoring it, putting a pillow over her head. Nope. It didn't work. What in Gehenna was going on?

"Hold on!" She shouted out, still half-asleep and nearly forgot to put her mask on. "I'm coming! Hold your damn horses!" Melyssa had no idea where the damn fire was as she trudged to the door, flipping the deadbolt to unlock it. "Whoever this is, it's 6 in the damn morning and someone better be dying!" She opened it and was instantly awake at who was on the other side.

Ash Carbide, recovered mostly from his knot from yesterday, was standing there. The knot had gone down quite a bit though the area was bruised, he was hiding it with a bandana, his hair peeking out from over it. He grinned down at her, pink eyes twinkling impishly.

"You need to get dressed, Ms. Reynolds," He said by way of greeting. "Remember, I promised to buy you coffee."

Of course he had done no such thing, but thanks to Crow, he knew her apartment was bugged and Ouroboros was listening in. She looked pissed, it was early, but he had been up for a while. He had done nothing but slept yesterday once getting home, he was AWAKE and full of energy now.

"I'll wait, meet you outside in 20?"

If she acted like she didn't know what he was talking about, if she was being watched at that moment, it would look suspicious. Crow told him. "Oh Goddess, sorry! I forgot about that. Yeah, 20 minutes and I'll be ready." He nodded, sauntering away and she shut the door, heading to her room to get dressed. Ash knew. Goddess, her stomach was already in knots again. Pull yourself together, Melyssa!

Pulling out an orange skirt with a pink and orange top, she quickly dressed and then did her hair, just pulling it back in a messy bun piled on top of her head. The mask was still perfectly in place, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be for long once her and Ash were alone. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her sandals on and headed outside, looking perfectly calm on the outside, but on the inside, she was a mess.

Ash was waiting there, beside his own ride, arms folded over his muscular chest. His eyes raked over her, taking in all that orange and then focused on her face. A mask. She was wearing a freaking mask that made her look perfect. Crow had already informed him that he would no longer trust ANY woman who looked overly perfect because now he was creeped out. Ash didn't blame him, the thought of it WAS creepy.

"My lady." He stepped aside, gesturing to the orbal car.

She plastered on a smile since they were in public and walked over to him, curtsying to him in a playful manner. "Quite the gentleman you are, Mr. Carbide." Melyssa's nickname for him was simply Carbide, but she couldn't call him that, not out in the open like this.

Slipping into the car, he shut the door for her and Melyssa buckled up, staring straight ahead. The smile was gone as soon as they drove away from the apartment and Melyssa prepared herself mentally and emotionally for the verbal thrashing she was about to receive. She didn't dare ask where he was taking her either, keeping her hands clasped in her lap. Her weapons were with her, just in case; Melyssa never left the house without her Cutlass, at the very least.

"Take the mask off, beautiful, it's creepy now that I know what it is." Ash ordered once they had turned out of the city, in the opposite direction of where she had taken Crow. Crow had told him everything and Ash had pressed for every last detail, filing it all away. He watched from the corner of his eye, while focusing on driving, as she reached up and began peeling it away, feeling his stomach roll. "That is…not right." He also got Crow's 'never trust perfection' thing again, it was unsettling. "So I know you already recapped with Armbrust, do it with me."

"Why? He told you everything already."

"I want to hear it from YOUR mouth."

Melyssa sighed, the mask laying on her lap and Ash reached over to fling it in the backseat, acting as if it just burned him. She frowned at his reaction, not blaming him and agreed it was very creepy. While he drove, she reiterated everything she told Crow, her reasoning for going with Ouroboros that night in Jurai. How she was forced to become an Enforcer, unless she wanted McBurn to turn her into his personal toy.

"Just like I told Crow, I'm telling you the same thing: I don't know why they targeted me. I don't know if it's because of my Dad, or what. They wouldn't tell me and I asked several times. All I know is McBurn said he saw spirit in me and he went to the Grandmaster about it. The Grandmaster ordered him to recruit me, by any means necessary, which is why the train was attacked on the way to Jurai…and why we were directed to go to Jurai in the first place. It was all because of me and I don't know why." There, he had all the details, all the information and she couldn't meet his eyes, instead staring out the window while he continued driving.

How far were they going to go?

"Okay, so you're special." Obviously, she had survived two years with Ouroboros and was now back, willing to risk her life yet again to lay it all on the line for them, to do the right thing. "We'll figure out the why later, or maybe we'll never know. Either way, you're here now." He took a side road, a dirt road, flashing her a look over the seat. "I'm not stopping by the way, not for a while."

Good thing they had the day off, though since Machias was now apprised of the situation, Ash was pretty certain he would be lenient about things. He hadn't seemed overly surprised by the Ouroboros spy in his office either. Now she was a little nervous because Ash wasn't verbally castrating her. In fact, he sounded downright understanding and…happy. Was that happiness? Maybe relief? Melyssa looked at him, trying to figure out where they were going and knew Ash wouldn't hurt her. He would never do anything to hurt her.

"I'm no one special, Carbide. I don't know what I am anymore or who I am. And I don't want anyone falling at my feet," Crow's harsh words flowed back to her from the previous night. "I don't deserve forgiveness. I just want Ouroboros gone." More importantly, she wanted to destroy McBurn for everything he did to her friends and, especially, her family.

Well, she was going to get it whether she wanted it or not. If she was still alive and had been targeted multiple times by Ouroboros, then she was special. Crow had told him all about her meltdown, she was completely different today.

"We all do." He said quietly, turning his attention back out the windshield.

It would happen. They would all be stronger together instead of apart and he knew people may have issues falling in line and taking orders from her, but she knew what the what was on the inside. Melyssa was their best bet when it came to formulating and executing a plan.