Two weeks have passed since Team VRSZ defeated Turquoise, Royal's second and last lieutenant. News about her arrest spread throughout the town and, more importantly, criminal activity declined to an all time low and the looming fear of Royal had nearly vanished. Many of the townspeople cheered and celebrated, few remained vigilant, fearing that Royal would retaliate in the most horrendous way now that he's cornered. One thing was unanimous among all the denizens of Fortuna; Team VRSZ were considered the greatest thing to happen to their hometown. They brought the good fortune of Fortuna to all who lived there. The team gained fame like wildfire, they have become so popular that there wasn't a person in town who didn't know the name, VRSZ. Their impressive feats have been an inspiration to all the people and the people wondered what miracle this group were performing right now.
Setting: Team VRSZ Base
Zelts sat on the ground in the living room with his back to the wall near the kitchen entrance. Pain and exhaustion was written all over his face along with it being covered in sweat. "Ugh, I can't...do this anymore."
"It's sooooo hooooottt!" Remus shouted from the kitchen. He sat at the table with his face planted face down. He was drenched in sweat. Zelts didn't have the energy to turn his head, so he left his moaning friend to suffer alone.
"I know, taking my shirt off doesn't help either," Silver complained, sitting on the couch drenched in sweat.
"What about the cold stare Violet's giving you for covering her couch in sweat. Is that cooling you off?" Zelts asked, rhetorically.
Silver turned his head to the right, looking at a sweating Violet who was sitting next to him, glaring right back at him with an aggravated look that said 'Get the hell off the couch you sweaty pig.'
"...Nah, I still feel hot." Silver tilted his head upward to stare at the ceiling. Violet still eyed him with disdain.
"Silver, please put your shirt on. You're ruining the couch," Violet said, a little fatigued from the heat. Not wanting to argue or banter in this heat, he reached down between his legs, grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it back on.
Silver wore a new shirt since his old one was destroyed beyond repair in the battle with Turquoise. His new shirt was a grey which that complemented his black pinstripe pants. He also bought himself a new holster strap, a black one that strapped to his chest to give him quick access to Ceasefire when he needed it. The new attire reminded Violet of cops or maybe members of the mafia since it fits Silver's style.
"How's the air conditioner not working? This place is powered by solar panels," Silver complained.
"The air is working, but we live in the desert, it's just really hot today," Zelts explained, finally mustering the strength to get up. "I need another drink."
"I need one too." Silver peeled himself off the couch. When he got up, Violet could see all the sweat he left behind. It was shaped in his likeness and it left her disgusted.
"Note to self; Buy a new couch," Violet thought before she heard a knock on the door.
With everyone else in the kitchen, Violet was left to go see who it was at their doorstep. She opened the door without looking through the peephole and she probably should've. The person at Team VRSZ's front door was Ghost. Violet stared with wide eyes, not entirely sure how to assess the situation. He's the same as she remembered, except he wasn't wielding his gauntlet, Purgatory, meaning couldn't put up a fight even if he wanted to. Which made Violet question how he escaped custody and why he was here.
"I hope you're not here to avenge your boss?" Violet said, hoping it was true. Today was too hot for a fight. She closed the door behind her so her teammates wouldn't see Ghost and attack, though she wished the sun wasn't beating down on her. Whatever he wanted had better be worth it.
Ghost simply handed her an envelope. She hesitated at first but took it. "It's an invitation. My boss wanted me to deliver it to you. It's coordinates to the rendezvous point and what time he wants to meet."
"Wait, he?" Violet questioned out loud. Didn't he mean she.
"Turquoise is out of commission for good. Besides, I wasn't really working for her. I was only a spy sent to keep tabs on her and to keep her under control." This new information astonished Violet and this led her to ask another question; who is he really working for? Her question was short lived as Violet figured it out rather quickly. There was only one person in Fortuna who was above Turquoise, the only person who could take her out besides Team VRSZ.
"Royal," she said, in one breath.
He didn't care enough to make a move when one of his lieutenants were removed from power, but now that both of them were gone, he technically lost his arms and legs in the criminal underground and was beginning to lose face. Even the citizens no longer considered Royal a serious threat. Guess this was enough to rile him into actually doing something.
Violet couldn't say anything as she processed the thought of facing Royal so quickly and maybe they weren't ready to fight him. The prolonged silence between them made Ghost believe that this meeting has come to an end. Ghost turned around to leave. "He wishes to meet tomorrow. When you make it to the destination spot, I'll be there to guide you to Royal. Oh, and don't bother bringing any weapons, they won't be necessary."
Ghost began his walk back to Fortuna, then stopped and walked back to Violet. "I'm sorry, but may I have some water? It's really hot today," he asked, pleadingly. Violet looked at him with underwhelmed eyes. He tried to leave in a cool way by ending the conversation with an ominous message, but he couldn't hold up with the scorching heat and the distance between here and Fortuna. Violet went into her home and one minute later she gave Ghost a cold bottle of water. He took the bottle and drank half of the water as Violet stared at him slightly behooved.
"He works for Royal?"
After finishing his drink, Ghost waved Violet off as he left again, this time for good. Violet went inside her house and went into the kitchen where everyone was located. They were sitting around the table drinking as much water as they could but not on the small cramped table they usually had. Ever since VRSZ formed, Violet's money intake has increased four times the normal rate. They were sitting on a mountain of cash and with that cash, Silver bought himself his new attire and Violet bought a new table for the kitchen. Now that she wasn't living alone anymore, she thought it'd be best to accommodate everyone by buying a table that could fit six people in the kitchen and doing so was a good move. Every night they ate and laughed together like friends should, instead of fighting for a place at the table. And now she was going to buy a new couch now that it was drenched in sweat.
"Who was at the door? Solicitors?" Silver asked, feeling better now that he was hydrated. Violet paused before answering because she couldn't believe what just happened. Right at her front door, Royal gave her an invitation to meet him.
"Um. It was Ghost." The minute she said his name, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her in bewilderment. She could understand why they were staring, she had the same expression not too long ago at the front door.
"Is he still here cause if he's looking for a fight, then-" Silver reached into his holster and was about to make a mad dash for the door until Violet blocked his way.
"He didn't come to fight, he sent us a message; Royal wants to meet with us tomorrow." She brought the envelope out as proof. The shock on her friends face intensified.
Everyone sat at the table looking at the invite Violet held in her hand. "So are we gonna...actually do this?" Zelts asked, unsure of what else to say.
"Of course we do! This is kinda the reason we came together in the first place," Silver said, more confident than the others. "This is our chance to take the fight to him and end this once and for all!"
"I agree with you Silver, but we know next to nothing about him. And I'm not all that sure Royal wants a fight. If anything, this seems like a parley, negotiations. He probably wants to discuss this peacefully," Zelts said, ever the pacifist.
"When you think about it, he has no real quarrel with us. Our fights have been with his subordinates and he hasn't really done anything to avenge them." Violet explained trying to see both sides of the debate.
"That may be true, but he is the big bad of Fortuna, I doubt he'd only want to talk. While we're talking about fighting him, maybe he's doing the same thing. We can hope for the best but we also have to expect the worst."
"He has a point," Violet couldn't ignore the importance of his words. She was glad her friends were adding their opinions in the matter, it really helped her try to form a decision, all except one. "Remus, you haven't said anything about this. What do you think?" Violet asked, wanting to know how he felt. Everyone noticed a change in his behavior after his duel with Blood. His expressions were no longer blank and he has become very expressive with his emotions. And the expression he displayed at this current moment was obliviousness.
While everyone was talking he simply kept quiet because he wasn't sure what he could add. He was never good at making plans for battle, preferring to learn and react in the heat of it all. It has worked for him so far but this moment has made him recognize that he can't do that anymore, unless he wants to become a burden to the others. He needed to say something to prove his worth.
"Remus?" Violet said again, a little worried about his unusual silence.
He raised his head trying to muster any words. "I- I think...um...uh." He stopped when he couldn't say anything. Silver and Zelts continued their back and forth banter leaving Remus feeling useless. Violet wrapped her arm around his shoulder to reassure him that she didn't think any less of him.
"Don't worry. Just say what you feel," she said, comforting the young boy.
With renewed confidence, he said what he always felt about the team. "It doesn't matter what we do or who we face, as long as we're all together we can overcome anything." His words silenced everyone in the room making him experience a new feeling, embarrassment.
Silver and Zeltss debate ended with them smirking at their younger friend. "Yeah, you're right. This is just a meet and greet. We've done harder things before," Zelts admitted. Violet stood to her feet with resolve. She was made her decision.
"We meet with Royal tomorrow. Everyone, make preparations for whatever may come." she proclaimed.
Team VRSZ spent the rest of the day preparing in their own different ways. Remus and Zelts practiced their fighting techniques by solitary training then training together to improve their skills. Zelts even commented about his companion's fighting style on how he lacked any defensive moves. He taught him how to use his speed as defense by dodging attacks and learning when to make a tactical retreat. It took Remus less than an hour to understand this and add it to his fighting technique. Zelts was amazed by how quickly he learned this and he felt pride teaching something to Remus he would use in the years to come. But helping Remus learn how to fight also brought some unpleasant images of his past. Memories of smiling children, adoring Zelts for the things he's done for them. Then the image of those children in battle along with none of them surviving, none except him. A pained expression fell on Zelts' face. He left Remus to train so he could be in his room in solitude for the remainder of the day.
As the two were outside training, Violet and Silver were gathering gear and weaponry. Violet packed as many Vorpal Swords as her pouch could carry and she gave Silver dust to give his ammunition an extra kick. While doing this Violet remembered something Silver said at the table that made her worry;
"This is kinda the reason we came together in the first place,"
He was right. This was also the reason Silver came to Fortuna, so she wondered, if they do defeat Royal, will he leave? The thought made her uneasy. A month or two passed since VRSZ formed and out of all the members, Silver got on her nerves the most, hell, he still does, but she's gotten used to it. She's grown accustomed to his presence and if he were to leave then she would notice every day.
"Hey Silver, You said you came here to eliminate every threat in Fortuna right?" Violet asked. Silver stopped what he was doing but he didn't answer her. He just turned his head slightly to keep one eye on her.
"So...after Royal, will you leave?" Violet asked, her voice sounding a little more depressed than she wanted. She looked at Silver with pleading and waited for an answer. This was out of character for Violet and Silver knew it. This was proof that she felt a true bond between them and now she wanted to know if he felt it too.
"..." Silver was at a loss for words. He thought about his time on this team and the mixed feelings he had.
Remus started laughing for no reason. "This was so much fun!" he said, with joyfulness in his voice.
His laughter seemed to be contagious because it caused Zelts to laugh too and Silver followed.
"But of course you don't, you're boys. You're clumsy, impatient, reckless, testosterone-filled, idiotic boys," Violet said with irritation but when she saw Zelts and Remus with looks of sadness and regret then Silver looking away like someone who didn't want others to know his true feelings. Looking at their faces, Violet can see that they feel sorry for getting out of control and a smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, you boys are all those things...but you're my boys and I forgive you." Her last words and change in mood caused the others to look at her in bewilderment.
"Your boys?" Silver repeated.
"I think you're getting too attached to this team."
"Look, I know you're excited about all this teamwork and stuff, but you know this won't last long enough for this to work right? I don't know if you figured this out but Team VRSZ is temporary any way you look at it. We have a common enemy and when that's gone, boom, we go our separate ways."
"I'm an opportunist. I use whatever I can, whoever I can, whenever I can to my advantage. When I got here I already planned to take down the criminal underground. You guys got involved and I saw...this 'team' as a shortcut to my objective nothing more, nothing less. You guys make the job so much easier. And once the job is done, I'm out."
"No I...I can't stop here. Once Royal is gone it'll be over and..maybe...my life will be better."
"I still need this team to finish my mission.?
"whether you trust me or not, believe me when I say everything I do is so the team can succeed, it's all for the team," Silver said hoping Violet will listen to him.
"Um...about the things I said earlier, I...I'm sorry. I grew up in a not-so-kind world where people could be discarded once their usefulness was used up. I shouldn't have the same mentality when it comes to this team, it's different."
"Are you going to listen to what I say?" Violet questioned.
"Yes," Silver answered. 'No but I'll play along for now.'
"You will stop keeping secrets from the team," Violet ordered this time.
"Yes," 'Honesty is a sucker's game.'
"You will always stand by your teammates."
"I will." 'You're all nothing but tools in my grand scheme.'
"Nothing else comes before the team."
"Of course." 'Everything I do is for the good of the Greyhounds'
"Silver, I lied about what I said earlier, about kicking you off the team, it never crossed my mind. I want you to understand the importance of being on this team."
"Oh and Silver."
"Yeah?"
"Never betray me," Violet said in an commanding tone that could be mistaken as a warning.
"...Never" Silver said quietly.
"Even if he didn't win, he's still strong, too strong to overlook." Silver thought with a serious face before pulling out his scroll and opening a list with names typed in, including Royal, Turquoise, and Zelts. Silver typed and Remus's name appeared on the list then thought about something else that happened during the fight.
Silver reached into his pocket and pulled out the tracer Violet put on him. "She's cunning, resourceful and dangerous, I kind of respect her. Oh well, I wasn't expecting things to go this route, but Greyhound sent me to do a job, no turning back." he said with an amused look that changed back to seriousness before he typed Violet's name onto the list.
All of the memories flashed in his head. He never expected to actually bond with these people. He enjoyed his time with them and the thought of his true mission was fading. He looked at Violet and for now, he told her what she wanted to hear.
"I think I'll stick around for a while, you know, got nowhere else to go," he stated and Violet smiled.
"Yeah, not sure anyone else would take you in," she said teasingly but she couldn't find the happiness in her voice. Silver still contemplated what to do in the end.
"Greyhound gave me a second chance at life. I can't turn my back on them, I swore my service to finish this mission or be discarded and recognized as nothing more than...worthless fodder," Silver thought with aversion.
Setting: Fortuna
The next day, Ghost was at the rendezvous point waiting for VRSZ to arrive. He was standing outside Concordia, the place where he fought and lost to VRSZ. It was the designated time for the team to get here and they appeared right on time, but what Ghost saw perplexed him. VRSZ came bearing each of their weapons and more. Silver had his guns, but strapped to his back was something familiar, Terra Cotta's naginata. Silver had a tendency to steal things from strong opponents, he did the same thing to Turquoise by taking her surfboard. He keeps them in his room as trophies, but now he's using them as extra firepower.
"I told you, you don't need to bring your weapons, it would be pointless, trust me," Ghost said not really caring either way.
"I'll be the judge of that." Violet wasn't backing down. Seeing that she wouldn't budge, Ghost just sighed.
"Fine, not like the outcome will change." He waved his hand for VRSZ to follow him.
Ghost lead them around town for a good hour. He seemed to be walking aimlessly and Violet was about to complain that he was stalling until he lead them to a secret passage in an alley way. The passage was dark, too dark to see or know where they were going, even Violet lost track and had no idea where they were. Eventually, Ghost pressed a button and a ding sound was heard. The door was for an elevator and it opened for everyone to enter. "We're at the last leg of this. You'll be meeting Royal soon." Ghost said then entered the elevator.
After every battle they had, every new experience, it has led to this moment. Violet has lived in Fortuna for two years and she never thought she'd be taking on the ringleader of the town's organized crime. She looked at each of her boys and felt a little better knowing they were with her, but it wasn't enough to completely calm her mind. They steeled their wills and entered the elevator. The silence was suffocating. No one could hear anything except the beating of their own hearts. Finally, the elevator dinged again and the door opened to an empty hallway.
Ghost exited first and everyone continued to follow him one last time. The only things in this hallway was a grand door with Royal most likely on the other side and new paint plastered on the wall adjacent to the door. The paint was the same color as the hall but obviously new, it was shaped like a circle probably covering a hole.
"Guess Royal has time for some redecorating or something," Violet thought.
They stood before the door with anxiety. They had no idea what Royal had waiting for them beyond this barrier. Ghost opened the door for them to enter and so they did. Inside the room was a desk, windows to the outside, and a large chair facing away from VRSZ. Ghost entered and went to stand next to the chair. He respectfully bowed to whoever was in the chair.
"I brought the guests you wished to see," Ghost said, still bowing, showing respect he never displayed to Turquoise. The person in the chair seemed to acknowledge him and turned the chair around to face Team VRSZ who were utterly flabbergasted at the unexpectedness of Royal's appearance.
"Hello," a feminine voice said to Team VRSZ.