Chase Part 8
Azure stood in his cell. He'd been brought here without any ceremony. He hadn't seen anyone either. This world was a weird utopian place. It didn't "have" problems. The company who had him, ruled the world. To anyone on the outside it seemed perfect but if you look just a little harder, you would see the mold that grew. They had amazing technology though, and Azure needed it. Unfortunately they also had extremely strict laws on inner-world travel. Only high ranking members of the company can leave and go. Zero tolerance. The women in charge was named Alice Golden, Azure hadn't met her yet but he figured it was only a matter of time. Azure turned to his door and examined it, he couldn't figure out how but the room suppressed his semblance and weapons. Normally he would've had no trouble fighting his way out, but he'd been teleported straight into this room. He had his knives though and while they could some how suppress the explosions, they couldn't suppress the pointy ends. He was waiting until the doors opened to make his move. 'What about Silvia?' a small voice in his head asked. Azure shook it aside. He couldn't think on that right now. He hoped she hadn't seen him get sucked in. And if she had, Azure she'd have better sense than to follow him here. Suddenly the doors opened and Azure spun around throwing a knife straight at the opening. However instead of flying forward, it flew up and clanged against the ceiling.
"A special magnet. Your knives will be sucked straight up if they are used in any aggressive way." Azure frowned. The two men that had come for him grabbed Azure by the shoulders and pulled him out. "The boss wants to see you."
Silvia sat in the corner of her cell, looking over her sword in her hands. Her face glinted in the reflection, but it wasn't her. Rather, it was the version of her similar to when she arrived at Beacon four years ago. Cold, untrusting, closed off to anyone. Then Azure entered her life, and he changed all that. They've been through so much together, good and bad. So why would she give up on him now? Her grip on her hilt tightened slightly before quickly loosening. She placed her blade at her side and rested her head against the cell door. How would she find Azure in all of this mess? Silvia sheathed her sword and went to the cell door, taking a closer look at her surroundings. The walls were concrete, enough to hold anyone that got access to their semblances. It sucked that hers wasn't working. If she could, she would be able to slip out through the bars and find her friends. But that woman made it extremely difficult. Silvia started to pace in her cell. How could she get out of there and find the others? She stopped in her tracks, an idea popping into her head. She could use her magic. It got her into this mess and it would get her out. She started to chant a small teleportation spell. Silvia suddenly appeared outside of her cell, all of her weapons with her. Pumping her fist in the air, she activated her semblance and proceeded to the cell where Viridian was being held.
Viridian lounged against a wall yawning. Silvia had been separated from him early on. He'd tried to flirt with the people on the way to his cell. It did not work. Not even a little. Sticks in the mud. But who was that man. To anyone paying attention he was the person in charge. Not that lady who was standing there. Viridian had changed his mind, he did not like this world. Freaking Azure getting all wrapped up in some crazy alternate world adventure. Next thing would be time travel or aliens or something. Viridian stood up and paced slowly. He'd quickly figured out his semblance wasn't working. He couldn't charge anything up to explode. How annoying. He looked the door up and down trying to figure a way out. There wasn't one. Viridian pulls out his cards and shuffled them a few times trying to come up with something. Clearly this place was built to hold someone far stronger than him. He'd have to come with something else. But what? Viridian adjusted his vest. And leaned against the wall.
"Hey. I gotta use the potty." He said. Silence followed this as his guard didn't say anything. "Seriously I gotta use the loo, the wiz palace, the bathroom!" Silence again. Viridian shook his head. Dammit that wouldn't work. Viridian had just sat back down when a giant sheet slide down from above and covered his bars. Then a sound like an elevator started and it felt like the room was moving. Viridian stood up and looked around extremely confused. "Well gosh diddly darn."
Silvia got to his floor and looked around in a panic. When she got to the place where 3-F was supposed to be, Viridian wasn't there. "No..." She frantically searched the rest of the floor, thinking she'd misheard the cell number. But all she found were the other cell mates. Suddenly sounds of fighting come from the floor below Silvia. Her head turns to the sounds of shouting from the stairwell and she proceeds down it, her sword in her hand.
Azure is fighting a person in a hood. Two more were unconscious on the ground near by. As Silvia approaches he kicks the person in the chest causing them to fly back. He flips in pursuit and kicks them from above into the ground. Azure lands and looks up seeing Silvia. Her sword is already raised, her semblance dropped at the sight of him.
"Azure? Is that really you?" He stands up straight.
"I see you did follow me. I'm not surprised I guess. Come on let's get going."
"Wait. They have Viridian." Surprise crossed his face.
"You brought Viridian?"
"More like he saved my ass from that falling building and he wanted to come along."
"Alright, well lets find him then. Any ideas?"
"I know he was in cell 3-F. But they must have moved him or something, cause he's gone."
"Strange. It's too dangerous to just walk around in the open like this. Let's find some place to stay low and figure out our next move." She nods.
"I'm pretty sure she knows I'm out of my cell, so we need to move quick."
"Golden? Damn her. Come on follow me." Azure runs off in the opposite direction she came from. Silvia runs to meet his speed.
"That's her name?" Silvia asks.
"Alice Golden. The face of this company. Basically the whole world actually. This company is far more than a simple company. They also run the government. That's why they can hold us like this and it's legal." Silvia scoffs.
"Some government. So is that why they're after you?"
"Well they have strict no travel laws. Kinda broke them. Twice. Oh here we are. In here." Azure skids to a stop next to a door. He kneels next to the panel on the wall and starts typing. After a minute or so the door slides open. "Quick get inside!" Silvia doesn't hesitate to slip inside, checking to make sure the coast is clear once in.
"He said it would be easy. He wasn't joking." Azure said standing. His blue eyes flickered to green as he hit a button on the panel a laser grid popping up in the doorway blocking her way. Jade smiled, his face identical to Azure's in all but one way, Jade's face was cold. A metal door starts sliding down. Silvia looked around the room in shock. She fell for it. She cursed at herself silently as she turned to face Jade.
"I should have known it was you." She says as the door comes closing down shutting the room in darkness. Jade's muffled laughter could be just heard from the hallway. Very dim lights flickered on. A big man stood at the end of the hallway. He stood 7 feet tall and wore a perfect white suit. The hulking man turned around and looked at Silvia.
"Hello." She removed her sword, lighting up blood red from the fire dust shard installed in her hilt. The hatred burning in her eyes grew brighter with the glow of her sword.
"Who are you?"
"Don't you recall?" The huge man stepped out of the shadows. "You really should." Silvia takes a step back. He looks like Noir. But they had killed him years ago. Hadn't they?
"But... how?" Silvia asks. He simply laughs slightly.
"You interest me, why keep chasing the boy?" The huge man ignores her question, instead asks his own. Her eyes flicker over him, unsure if it's the real Noir.
"Why does it matter to you?"
"Well there's no reason for you to be so obsessed with him. You're a decent fighter, especially against Grimm. Furthermore as long as he is around you'll live in his shadow. Without him you'd been freed. I had taken him. Let him be." The man had a reasonable tone, a convincing one. Silvia opens her mouth to retort, but she finds herself believing what he's saying. Is that all she really is? A shadow under Azure? The man smiles. "You could be so much greater. A respected huntress, loved by many. A protector. Instead of Azure's... girlfriend." Silvia nods blankly, unsure of why she's suddenly agreeing with him. "Take Viridian and leave, we won't stop you. Just don't return. It will benefit everyone. And everyone will be happy." Silvia starts to lower her sword, but she stops halfway. He smiles warmly. "I understand your hesitation, you've been through much together. You aren't required to be here anymore though. You're free." Her eyes raced, unfocused. What the hell was going on with her? Her mind wouldn't meet up with her body. There had to be something she could do. The door opens behind them. Jade is gone and Viridian is there.
"What the heck is happening? Silvia?"
"Ah yes. Viridian. Silvia and you were just leaving. To live a better life." The grip on her sword tightened as she started muttering a spell from her book, one she considered useless until now. The man shifted his gaze to her and then presses his hand to his ear.
"What is she doing?" She looked up, the dazed look gone from her eyes.
"You're a fool..." she mutters, glaring daggers into him. "I'm not leaving." He sighs.
"Everything would've been much simpler if you had. At least for you."
"Lucky for you, cause I'm not a simple girl. And I'm leaving with everyone. Including Azure." Silvia retorts.
"Sadly you will not." The man responds.
"Look around my friend. You are outnumbered." Viridian said stepping into the room.
"So you two will fight me?" The man asks. "A shame really. I'd like to keep you alive."
"Who said you were walking out of here alive?" Viridian counters.
"Because I have other business. Time is money. And money is power. And power, power is key." The man walks to the far wall. "Have fun. I have other places to be." The wall opens up and he steps through. As he walks away the ceiling opens up and 5 hooded men fall from the ceiling. Silvia draws her sword. "You ready, Viridian?"
"Of course. Let's go." Silvia sends forth a plume of fire towards the hooded figures. Viridian pulls out his staff and spins it around blocking a few strikes from the nearest hooded figures blade. They exchange strikes back and forth for a moment before he steps back and flips a card at the hooded person. The person catches it and looks at the card.
"Aces over kings." Viridian jokes as it blows up in the person's face. Silvia traps a figure in a ring of Fire. She sheathes her sword and jumps over, pulling out her bow and arrow from her charm bracelet, shooting the man in the knee. When she lands, she knocks him out with a blow to the face. Viridian throws three more cards at a person's feet launching them into the air. He runs forward and slashes his staff knocking them out. The fire dissipates around Silvia. She shoots an explosive arrow at the feet of the rest of the men, knocking them against the wall. "Well that wasn't to hard." Viridian remarks back kicking one of them.
"Where's their leader?" Silvia asks, scanning the area while turning her bow back into a charm.
"The big guy? No idea. I was brought here and then they all left."
"He looked too much like Noir." Silvia says.
"Noir?" Viridian asked surprised, he'd heard the horror stories of the man. "Different world. Must be this world's Noir. He isn't ours." Viridian assures her.
"I know. It still makes me uncomfortable." She starts for the door.
"Makes sense. Makes sense."
"I went looking for you. By the time I got to your cell, you were gone. What happened?"
"I dunno. It turned into a weird ass elevator and went away. They must've known from the beginning you were out and about."
"Which means we won't have much time before they discovered we beat their goons."
"Okay that's true. So we run? Regroup elsewhere. Then come back?" Viridian asks.
"We're in here now. They're no way we'll be able to get back in."
"But even inside what can we do?"
"Sneak into a control center and find where they're hiding Azure."
"Alright. Let's hurry." She nods and cloaks them with her semblance. They go through the open door and walk down the hallway.
The large man was walking down a dark corridor when a voice speaks in his ear.
"They have taken out the men and are on the move."
"Alright. Keep me updated. Also send video B to my computer. Keep an eye on them. They have free rein of that floor and the two above and below."
"Yes sir."
"Oh but do make it seem like we're trying to keep them restrained." The man walks into an elevator. It climbs quickly and after a minute he excites the elevator and walks into the office. It was the office from earlier. A single person stands in the room, it's Azure. Azure stands near the desk looking around. He looks up when the man enters.
Silvia walks up to a panel with directions. "It says the control center is down this hall. If we use my semblance for a sneak attack, we'll have free rein over the building."
"Alright. Sounds good." A man comes running around the corner. Viridian throws a card and it hits him in the face. Popping slightly. The man falls over unconscious. "Do let us hurry though."
"Already on it." She sits down in the chair and starts pounding away at the keyboard. "Where are you, Azure?"
Azure frowns at the man standing before him. He's the spitting image of Noir. Yet he knew it couldn't be him. Not the least of which was that this was the wrong world. Still he was silent. Unsure of what to say.
"I know what you are thinking. That I look like Noir. You'll be happy to hear that I'm not him." Azure blinks in surprise. He knew that he wasn't Noir, but how did this man know about Noir and his relationship to him, did he keep tabs on his doppelgängers?
"Then who are you?" Azure asks slowly.
"Someone much more dangerous. Noir was child's play next to me. All he cared about was being a criminal. A powerful one yes, but he wasted our semblance on plans of mass death sabotage and so on. Noir even stooped so low to work for people. He didn't see it's potential. Instead of using it to gain power like I have he just instituted fear. What a waist!" The man growls the last word. He takes a breath and steadies himself. "However he did train you. That was something I shall be forever thankful for."
"Ha won't do you any good. I won't help you." Azure tells him.
"I think you will. You see Azure, your friends Silvia and Viridian are here. I currently have them running around several of the lower levels like lab rats looking for cheese. They won't find you in the computer like they plan to, because I never had records of you computerized. But they will look and look."
"Whatever. They won't be stopped by you, they'll get out." Azure counters. 'This man sure can talk can't he?' Azure thinks to himself. Azure watches him talk, listening. Why is he so confident that he can get him to work with him?
"You see Azure I have a way of controlling "magic". Things like that only happen if I allow it. Silvia's biggest strength is gone. I could kill them at anytime. I could gas them, I could seal them in an airtight room, I could use the turrets in the ceiling. So many ways. However I'll let them live if you help me."
"That's your plan? Blackmail me into helping? Not the best plan."
"Haha! Oh my dear child no. This is my plan." The man had walked all the way to his. While there he pressed a button and a video screen popped up. "Play." He commands and a video starts showing. It's a video of Silvia strapped into a machine screaming "That is the true fate that awaits Silvia if you don't help me, not painless death, but endless pain as I force her to use her powers for my will. Though Viridian will die. I have no purpose to keep him alive. Rest assured though, it will painful. The point I'm making is that I could've killed them whenever I wanted to. However I have no interest in that, I simply want your aid, if you don't help me, well." The man finshes speaking with a gesture at the video. Azure stood watching the video in shock. He couldn't let that happen to his Silvia. Damn this man! This must be why he can control magic. He has another Silvia strapped up somewhere and he's using her to control magic. Azure growled and looked into the face of the man. He was calm.
"Fine. I'll help you. What do you want." The man smiled and sat down.
"Many things Azure Požar. Many things. Now do you see why Noir was child's play?" Azure doesn't respond. "Whatever don't reply. Noir was always the popular one. Our parents always liked him better. He was always the smart one, but not anymore. Not anymore." Suddenly Azure understood everything. He wasn't Noir, he wasn't even his doppelgänger. This man was Noir's twin brother. Bela Oranžová.