Chapter 48

"Enough." Crow slashed the air with a hand, shaking his head. "None of that matters, none of what you did is excusable." He knew how that went. "You've had chance after chance to alter your course." A lifetime as a matter of fact. "And you haven't." He unsheathed his pistols, one in each hand. "You will tell us what you know and WE will decide if the disaster can be stopped." He didn't even look at Melyssa, knowing emotion was getting to her because this was her father. "Now, Mr. Brackett."

"I just told you everything I know. When Heidel Rogner wins the election, Jurai will be destroyed. I don't know anything more than that. The Grandmaster only tells his Anguis the deepest parts of his plans, not Enforcers." Mariabell, for example, was an Anguis of Ouroboros and would know every single thing that was planned once Heidel took over as mayor. "You can try to shoot me if you want, Armbrust…" Robert suddenly took out his own gun, which was bigger than both of Crow's pistols combined. "But I bet I'm a quicker and better shot than you."

"No!" Melyssa jumped in front of Crow's pistols, her own Cutlass unsheathed. "You won't hurt him, Dad!" Protecting Crow was a priority of hers because Melyssa had lost him once. She would not lose him again by the hands of her own father. "Are you telling us the truth? Is there no way to stop this disaster from happening?"

"No, there isn't."

"Then surrender now." Crow stepped forward so Melyssa wasn't shielding him, glancing down at her out of the corner of his eye. He was the more experienced of them, she needed to think logically and not be a martyr. "Submit to an interrogation." And unlike Ouroboros, theirs wasn't painful or invasive. Unless the witch could probe someone's mind and then… that was all on her and Celine.

"Come on Crow, talk him down."

If Crow could talk an Enforcer into turning himself in… Rean looked heavenward, praying the Goddess was on their side. So far, everything had gone relatively smooth. He was waiting for the wrench to be thrown.

"I don't think that's necessary."

The hairs on Melyssa's neck stood up as a wicked, sensual voice echoed around them. Even Robert looked shocked as none other than Mariabell appeared before them with her staff in hand. "Naughty boy, Robbie, coming here all by your lonesome and not telling us what was going on."

The spell he cast around the house must have worn off and he kept his eyes firmly on his daughter and Crow. "I can handle this, Mariabell…"

"Oh sure you can, that's why you just gave away some of our plan." Mariabell shook her finger at him and waved her wand, forcing him to drop to his knees. "This is why the Grandmaster only trusts the Anguis with ALL the information."

"Stop! Dad!"

"Stay back, Melyssa!" Robert ordered, grunting since Mariabell was causing him a great deal of pain at the moment. "Go! Get out of here! Leave Jurai now!"

Mariabell cackled wickedly and snapped her fingers as the front door blew open with McBurn stepping inside. "Now, now, why would you want them to leave the party so soon, Robbie?"

Melyssa clutched the handle of her Cutlass, really hoping the backup was on the way because they were going to need everyone to get out of this alive. "McBurn…"

"Ahh so you DO remember me, sweet thing. How very precious." He hissed out, stepping toward her and raised a brow at Crow. They had been comrades at one point during the civil war, but now they were enemies. "You do know I can destroy you in the blink of an eye, boy. Back off, this is between me and Mely girl."

"D-Don't call her THAT!" Robert gritted out, crying out in pain when Mariabell increased the pressure in his stomach.

McBurn laughed wickedly, ignoring Robert's mundane order and kept his attention firmly on the one who held his interest captive. "How I've longed to see that spirit again. Come on, Melyssa, show it to me, so I can extinguish it with my flames! Or perhaps you need a little motivation…"

"CROW!"

They were on the move. Emma was cursing a blue streak at her own wards and everything else she and Celine had done to ensure the safety of Crow and Melyssa failing. McBurn and Mariabell, and he knew there would be more if required, those… that pair was- "Shirley!"

"Now, now, you weren't invited to this party!" She giggled, blocking the route with her own backup. "This is official business, Ashen Chevalier... And YOU'RE not invited."

"I say we take her head off." Ash growled, gnashing his teeth in frustration. Hadn't he said this was a bad idea? Yes, yes he had! Here they were, bad idea realized!

Machias really hoped the rest in the warehouse, aside from Miranda, were listening in because they needed help NOW!

Crow had gone FLYING and hit the wall with a thud, temporarily having the wind knocked out of him.

"MCBURN, LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"Sorry Rob, can't do that." McBurn developed a fireball in his hand and threw it at Melyssa, not surprised when she dodged it with ease. "Now precious, don't go dying on me yet. We're just getting started."

Melyssa was going to die and she knew it, but that didn't mean Crow had to join her. McBurn wanted her, nobody else and she could use that to her advantage. "I won't fight you." She proved it by dropping her Cutlass to the floor and could tell that wasn't what McBurn expected, a flash of surprise in his cold eyes. "I don't stand a chance against you and I know that. You can have me, I won't fight you. Just please let my Dad and Crow go."

"MELYSSA!"

Rean overheard that and immediately started trying to get past Shirley's forces, needing to get to the house now. "MELYSSA, DON'T!"

"I'm sorry, Rean…" Melyssa pulled the ear bud out of her ear and dropped it to the floor, smashing it with her boot to cut off communication. I have to protect Crow, she thought, glancing over at him while he still had a hold of his back, trying to catch his breath.

"L-Lyssa…"

"W-What are you doing?!" Mariabell squawked when her magic was suddenly stopped by a snap of McBurn's fingers, allowing Robert to get to his feet.

"Deal." McBurn growled, turning to look at Robert, who was still holding his stomach and helping Crow to his feet. "Leave now before I change my mind."

"M-Mely…" Robert coughed, tears forming in his eyes while staring back at his brave, insane daughter. "M-Melyssa…"

"GO!" Melyssa cried out, her eyes locking with Crow's before he was removed from the house by her father, leaving her alone with McBurn and a peeved Mariabell.

And then she died.

At least, that's how it was playing out in Rean's head. He skirted around Shirley and her posse, leaving behind others under Ash's charge as he and the rest continued towards the house. "I want Brackett apprehended!" He shouted sternly, catching Altina's nod.

Rean was going to smack Melyssa's head off her shoulders for being a fool, sacrificing herself… McBurn was going to kill her and laugh the entire time. She was DEFINITELY out of Thors, definitely out of Class VII! His temper was rising with each thought. She surrendered her weapon it sounded like and cut communications with them, jeopardizing this entire operation… He got what Emma had meant now, separating emotions from this.

Rean was terrified.

"Oh, here comes the hero to the rescue!" Mariabell announced, standing there with her staff and her eyes were glowing wickedly. "Hate to break it to you, Ashen Chevalier, but you're too late."

Melyssa was nowhere to be found and neither was McBurn.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Rean roared, swinging his Tachi at Mariabell and she simply disappeared, appearing a second later behind him.

"Wouldn't YOU like to know." Another swing and a miss. "You know, you really should work on that temper of yours. I think you should chalk this one up to a loss and move on. You'll never find her."

McBurn wouldn't kill Melyssa, but he would make her BEG for him to kill her before all was said and done.

"By the way, it was all a ploy, you know."

"What are you talking about?!" Rean could feel his heart pounding faster while Mariabell and him circled each other, their eyes locked.

"Oh you know, the whole story of us wanting to destroy Jurai." She cackled wickedly, swinging her staff in his direction as little icicles formed. Rean barely managed to miss them. "We planted it in Robert's head. You see, Jurai isn't the city we're targeting. Heidel Rogner isn't even here!"

Rean frowned, not understanding what was going on anymore.

"Poor baby, you still don't get it, do you? Melyssa is who we wanted, Schwarzer, and now that we have her, we have no reason to stay in Jurai. It will go back to being a SEZ and we'll move on with our main plan." One he would never discover, not unless he continued on this path as one of Thor's Instructors. "If I were you, I would watch the rest of your students VERY carefully from here on out. You never know which one may stab you in the back next. You know, like Crow did." She waved three fingers at him. "Toodles!" Mariabell evaporated into thin air, her laughter echoing around Rean.

Other than the obvious, what was so special about Melyssa? She was a decent swordsman, but prone to being overemotional which negated the fighter aspect. She was… half nobility of a dead and long forgotten house apparently, but he couldn't see what that mattered anymore. This had all been a ploy to get her here, but why? Rean couldn't understand as he simply stood there, his mind failing to grasp the situation.

"Melyssa Brackett."

Melyssa was shoved none too gently in the spotlight that shone above her, teal eyes wide with fright and curiosity. McBurn hadn't laid a hand on her and simply brought her to an undisclosed location. Now, she was in the presence of a black cloaked man, or was it a woman?

Slowly, the hood came off and revealed a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and dark purple eyes. "You are quite the beauty, aren't you?"

"W-Why am I here?" Melyssa stammered, swallowing hard as the rather petite girl came toward her. She was taller than the cloaked girl, but the power emanating from her set alarm bells off in her Melyssa's head instantly. "Who are you?"

"Mmm, I am known as the Grandmaster. That is all you need to know for now. I have a proposition for you and that is why I've asked McBurn to bring you to me."

Melyssa could not believe THIS was the Grandmaster and squared her shoulders, trying to be brave. "Okay, what is this proposition?"

She had to admit she was mildly curious and on the way here, Mariabell had explained the whole setup to get Thors Class VII from the Branch School to Jurai. She also explained how McBurn had gone off on his own to attack the train, which was not authorized by the Grandmaster. However, since he was an Enforcer, and Enforcers could do whatever they wanted, it was a grey area.

"I want you to be trained to become an Enforcer, Melyssa. Join Ouroboros and maybe one day, you'll become one of my Anguis."

"And if I don't?"

The Grandmaster chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, turning to sit back down in her chair. "Well, that would be your prerogative, but l must warn you, McBurn will not let you go easily. You could either train under Mariabell and the others…or become his toy to play with until he breaks you completely." Her eyes flashed demonically. "Now, what shall it be?"

Enforcers could do whatever they wanted, according to Mariabell, as long as they didn't interfere with the Grandmaster's plans. That would definitely work in Melyssa's favor. As much as she longed to be back with Class VII, she knew that wasn't an option or a choice anymore.

"Very well, I accept your offer, Grandmaster."

"Great! Mariabell will start your training tomorrow and, since you've been so obedient, I will ensure McBurn leaves you alone."

At least that was one less thing for her to worry about.

They had no idea where Melyssa had been taken and their only source of information was Robert Brackett. Crow was all for taking his toes off and working his way up. Ash was also on board with that. Miranda was also considering it. Her daughter had been lured into a trap and as far as she was concerned, her husband had been the cause of it.

"Where would they take her?"

"The Grandmaster." Robert couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner, the reasoning behind coming to Jurai in the first place and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I should've known something was up after Crossbell's incident."

"Why would the Grandmaster want Melyssa?"

"I don't know." Robert grunted when Miranda slapped him across the face harshly, tears in her eyes.

"TELL ME WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Emma and Celine had him bound by magic, so Robert wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "I have my suspicions, but I don't know if they're true."

"And that is?"

"The Grandmaster wants to make Melyssa an Enforcer of Ouroboros. Either that or…" Robert couldn't bring himself to say it and another slap from his wife made him loosen his tongue. "McBurn will torture her until she begs for death. It's one of those two options, but either way, you won't see Melyssa again for a long time."

"YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS TO US! I HATE YOU!" Miranda snapped, slapping him multiple times until she was physically pulled away from her husband to go sob and cry. "MELYSSA!"

Robert shut his eyes at his wife's painful wail, his own heart aching because he had done everything he could to prevent this from happening. And he failed spectacularly.

"Rean, we have to find her. We have to find her before she's either turned into an Enforcer or they kill her!"

However, deep down, everyone knew it was already too late.

"But why?" Ash demanded awhile later after having raided the beer. Tonight was one of those nights. "What's so special about her?" Besides what they all already knew but that was about her character, her promise.

Overall, nothing stood out as spectacular.

They all knew she would be sooner rather than later, but… he groaned, dropping his head on the table.