This Tale contains spoilers from the entire saga. Do not read unless the entire three part saga has been read first.
Warning, this Tale contains the following: Dark fantasy, sexual themes (mostly implied/mentioned), depression (the usual Dark Rose depression).
== Rose and Excalibur =
Desire—for the common individual, desire ranged anywhere from money, love, sex, profession, publicity, or perhaps even mere attention. The secret behind desire was that the payoff of acquiring such would always be temporary, and the significance of the accomplishment on the decline from the very first day and onward. In some shape, more would always be needed for the full sense of accomplishment, regardless of how much more that individual already has over that of another person. Those who know nothing but failure in achieving their best desires would suffer from lack of gratification; those who have little to begin with may find a radical development in their desire. What was once a mere desire, could become a crazed obsession.
Laying on her small bed, the sadistic dark clone of Chiya Flower made constant pants with closed eyes of distress, yet fantasy. The pounding of her heart was strong—almost painful—and the dryness in her mouth horrid. Rose turned her head both directions with barred teeth, her eyebrows narrowed downward.
Just one day this week. Just one day! Just show up one day this week, Excalibur, and I'll find the happiness needed to move forward..! She bit her lip with a sweat now forming over her head. The clone fought the urge to open her eyes, for she knew that the darkness of her eyelids protected her from the awful sight of her bedroom, also regarded as her prison, and even better known as her place of safeness.
She turned her head the other direction and lowered her jaw a bit, she moved one hand away from the bottom of her left breast and proceeded to bite the skin of her finger with great developing stress. I know you have a busy agenda, but please don't forget that I'm your friend. I'm the best kind of friend—one who will do anything you ask. Anything, anything, anything..!
Somewhat violently, she beat her head back against the frame of her bed and began to pant with a bit more intensity. Her right foot began to shake in very quick motions. She cleared her throat and tightened her eyes while almost throwing a fit with herself. The woman's obsession over Excalibur, of whom gave her only small doses of appreciation, was undying and beyond powerful. To her, the Manchu mercenary was the greatest friend anyone could have; however, her desires involving him were extreme. Rose need not date the man she obsesses over, she was prepared to jump straight into the love boat with him for a better life. Kisses, support, mother a child; Rose wanted it all now. She had even rejected the theory that Excalibur may not want her, because in her eyes, there was no way a man could ever turn down a woman with so much to give.
With a scrunched face, Rose tipped her head back and knees up. Her face flushed with sudden redness, and for a moment serenity filled her world along with the built feeling of hyped fantasies and a hopeful future. The clone's face remained glowing red for a few moments, and so she proceeded to open her eyes, revealing two ruby-colored eyes. Her face was lacking of emotion as she gaze up toward the ceiling, and after dropping her legs back down, shame struck her in the form of a small frown.
The woman turned her head away and face palmed, sadness consuming her over the fact that she'd have to endure much more cruel treatment before finally having Excalibur come and tease her heart some more. The more time that passed, the more Rose wanted to uncork the big question to him—the question she feared more than anything in the universe. The concept of being rejected, losing Excalibur's friendship, and return to a life full of no sympathy or love—only hatred.
Minutes later, Rose dropped all of her clothing down in the very luxurious bathroom of Black Shadow's ship. With a drooping face, Rose stood still with the shower blowing away at her forehead. Rather than wash herself, the clone's eyes focused on the dripping water. She was lost and without a clear mind. Deep inside, she could tell that the accuracy of her team's criticism was accurate. It was very often that Rose forgot the purpose of her existence—to help cleanse the universe of the human vermin standing against Black Shadow's master plan for a new species based on his image. The insults and criticism exclaiming this was true and she knew it. Against all odds, Rose even found a way past Black Shadow's programming and had fallen in love with a human—the natural enemy of Dark Million.
Rose shook her head while retaining a blank stare. Humans are evil rapists, murderers, and thieves. But, be as it may, there must be exceptions; but, how could Black Shadow possibly be wrong about that..? Rose began to bite on her finger amidst another moment of extreme stress. Excalibur is the greatest person there ever was. Even Chiya and Earl are great people to an extent—but choose to stand in our way...
For a moment, her thoughts diverted away from Excalibur and onto Team Seppuku. Though she wanted to see Chiya dead, even she could come to terms and accept that the Mysterian and Korean were good people. Nevertheless, Rose's thoughts took off again for Excalibur.
She grabbed both her arms and dipped her head down all the way, then put one foot over the other. Everyone else may think I'm useless, but with the right words, I can make Excalibur believe that I'm an asset to have in his life—perhaps his greatest asset...
Before she could continue her thoughts, a horrid occurrence came to be. All within a second, Rose's eyes widened and her head jolted in shock.
"C- C- Co—old!"
The woman almost fell over as the shower had become ice cold. With one hand over her crotch, Rose dropped to her knees and slapped the shower off. There she sat shivering as the remaining water went down the drain. At first she assumed this had something to do with plumbing damage, but the reality of the situation had become clear as the laughing of Brock Blaskovitz could be heard from the outside. At this point, Excalibur had slipped her mind, and a glare had been put upon her face.
"Blaskovitz! You did that to me on purpose, you bloody wanker!"
Brock grinded his teeth while learning against the hallway wall, "You are allowed hot water for only five minutes, remember?"
The clone cracked her knuckled and snarled, "What? No! Eight minutes, eight!"
"Black Shadow said five, don't you remember!"
"That's a bloody lie!"
The Russian closed his one eye and shrugged, then continued away from the bathroom. Rose had no idea how Brock had control over the shower temperature—but wasn't doubting that he did. With a fury-filled face, Rose tossed her clothing into the washer-dryer machine, waited three minutes, then picked up her already clean clothing. She could only continue shaking her head at Brock's irritable behavior. The woman suffered from severe trauma and depression, Brock and Blood Falcon alike would seize any opportunity to make her feel even worse.
The 'superior' beings of Dark Million lacked the morality to help a fellow superior being in her time of great sorrow; and this would always elude her. If Black Shadow's creations had better morals and were all-around superior to humans, then the question she posed was why these great beings hurt her instead of help. But be as it may, the humans wanted her dead, and Dark Million wanted her to suffer—there was too much conflict for her, and unfortunately, no easy solution.
And so Rose dropped down onto her bed only wrapped in a towel. Under Black Shadow's roof, clothing had become more so of a prison jumpsuit than security. Though Chiya was not someone who desired the nudist life, Rose often found herself longing for the exposing of the clothing enforced onto her—to be free of the dark and gloomy clothing and let her skin be free. If it were her choice, she would live a life where she could let her neck, shoulders, breasts, stomach, and everything else be free; so as long as she is free of humiliation, and that the choice to do so be hers—and not Black Shadow's.
Rose brought herself back down onto the bed and stretched both her legs out, she gazed upon her toes with a quirked mouth. Even her toenails acted as testament to her forced loyalty. Much like Chiya did for Earl, Rose had painted her nails for Excalibur—even if he may never see her feet. Even so, she painted her nails a metallic black, rather than an alluring red or purple; even though this was a small change made to enhance her beauty, Rose still went with a gloomy color in fear of what Black Shadow may think. Her toenails said two things in bold letters for Rose: She had two masters. Black Shadow owned her as a father, leader, deity, and puppet master; but Excalibur owned her heart, desires, lust, and most important—her needs.
The witch closed her eyes and released a loud exhale, but was brought out of her relaxed state by a displeased sound.
"Ahem..."
A violent shock rifled through Rose's body, she sat up with wide eyes and hid her feet under her blanket. Black Shadow, her master, stood at her door with his large cape wrapped around him like a cloak. Not surprising to Rose, her master appeared displeased.
"Rose, I am beyond disgusted to see so much skin right now..."
Rose gulped and looked down, then up, "Uh, my legs and shoulders?"
The Emperor of Brutality quirked his mouth back, "The clothing I have you wear reveals no more than your face and arms." He cracked his knuckles, causing Rose to cover herself up with the blanket. "If you insist on throwing your naked body around like a slutty human, I'll have you thrown into the-"
"I'm not even naked!" she panicked. "Does anyone really care if my legs and shoulders are revealed!?"
Black Shadow growled, "I care." Rose's right eye twitched for a few seconds. "Thousands, if not millions, of human females have been raped throughout history for revealing so much skin. I do not see bravery or strength in your decision to show skin—only idiocy."
"I'm in my room..." Rose fought the intense urge to lash out at her master, and instead came up with a simple excuse. "I just came out of the shower."
"Indeed, which brings me to the actual issue..."
Rose raised an eyebrow as the emperor reached into his cape, at this point both Blood Falcon and Brock had moved behind Black Shadow to watch. Curiosity had been the initial topic of Rose's face, but her next expression came to be extreme shock as her master pulled up her black panties.
"H- Hey..!"
Brock and Blood Falcon giggled silently as Black Shadow stretched her undergarments, "This was left on the bathroom floor. I'll have none of this..."
Rose raised herself up and gritted her teeth, "I- I- No! You don't understand, Chiya did this to Seppuku all the time!"
"This justifies your act, how..?"
The witch gulped again and looked away, "I must have dropped it after washing it. Simple mistake that any person could make, yeah?"
The emperor breathed in and exhaled, "Which brings me to my biggest issue..." Rose's eyes widened even more. "This is unwashed... and it is soiled with your lust..."
Rose bloated her face and nearly screamed, then let everything out with a high-pitched voice, "No, no, no, no! Wait..!"
Brock and Blood Falcon exchanged disgusted glances, and Blood Falcon proceeded to mutter, "...Black Shadow inspects dirty underwear..?"
The emperor tilted his head back, "Hm?"
Both male minions stood tall and became silent. Rose brought her hands together and continued to shake her head with intensity.
"Lust? I don't have lust!" She smiled in a desperate bid to get a second chance, "I know the rules; no lust, no romance!"
Black Shadow tilted his head left while giving her an intensive gaze, "Then how do you explain yourself? This piece of clothing uncovers your hidden horniness for sexual gratification—betrayal in the eyes of Dark Million."
"No, no! You've got it all wrong!"
Both male minions grunted in shock at what they found to be very bad wording, and even Rose found the sudden wish to retract her response. Black Shadow's white eyes proceeded to glow bright for a moment.
"Did you just claim that... I am mistaken?"
Rose began to bite her finger again in a tremble, she shook her head in quick defense, "Uh, uh, I mean..." She had dug herself straight into a cavern. She was free to argue her case, but once she openly stated that Black Shadow was wrong—she had committed a crime. "I... suppose I must admit to my wrongdoing..."
The emperor nodded and tossed her underwear forward. Rose exhaled in relief and grabbed onto her clothing, "O- Of course, I will get dressed at once!"
"Oh, yes." Another shock went down Rose's spine as Black Shadow then pulled out his electrical whip and sighed. "Allow me to enact the appropriate level of punishment for such a disgraceful act."
The clone gasped and jumped straight out of bed. She held onto her towel with one hand while reaching forward with the other, she took slow steps toward her wall.
"N- No! I made a simple mistake that even Blood Falcon has made in the past!"
Everyone in the room became silent with somewhat petrified looks, Black Shadow turned his head with a puzzled expression.
"Is it true, boy? Do you leave your underwear-"
Blood Falcon snicked in fear and backed away, "N- Not with any fluids, no."
Black Shadow turned on his whip and faced Rose, the woman countered this by panicking some more. "I didn't arouse myself by choice! That's a-"
"Shut up and suck it up."
Rose reached her wall with quivering eyes, she couldn't comprehend how painful a whipping would be without her clothing on. One thing was certain, she was to hold onto her towel with all her strength. Just as Black Shadow approached her, a blessing had come from nowhere. Brock and Blood Falcon stepped aside as the man of Rose's dreams appeared—Excalibur.
"Black Shadow."
The Emperor of Brutality remained staring at Rose, but soon turned to face the Manchu.
"The human Excalibur, you came just in time for a good show."
Rose was left with barred teeth and quivering eyes. Overjoyed to see Excalibur had come, but at the same time, distressed that he had come now of all times. No! I couldn't bear to have him watch me get whipped to tears, and God forbid I lose my towel as he do so...
Excalibur pointed forward, "I've come for Rose."
Both Rose and Black Shadow grunted.
"What?"
"What!?"
The man nodded, "I have an important mission for her and I to do pertaining to Seppuku's nighttime schedule."
Black Shadow turned off his whip and scratched his chin, "His nighttime schedule? What significance-"
"The lieutenant is often out at night. With some undercover work, we can determine when he comes home and what street he takes. If we could figure out his routine area of travel, we can put together a good plan on how to capture him—or kill him."
"Capture—only capture," Black Shadow answered. "But why take Rose? She shows only incompetence in her missions."
Brock flailed his arms with anger, "Isn't it obvious? The reason he keeps taking Rose places is so he can slam into her."
Rose gasped with an embarrassed blush, knowing this not to be true; but indeed what she wished to have happen. Excalibur made no movement, and despite Black Shadow's look of skepticism on Brock's point, dismissed the comment.
"She is a miracle worker when paired with me. Trust me, Rose is worth keeping around."
No one was very enthusiastic about his argument, nor were they trusting; but all three Dark Million men in the room saw one positive reason to let Rose go with him that outweighed the cons—the fact that she would be gone.
"Very well, mercenary. Fetch me information on the Red Dove's night travel." To Rose's shock, Black Shadow turned his whip back on, "But first, let me finish up with Rose."
"N- No!" she pleaded.
Fortunately, Excalibur stepped in here as well, "As a rational and very strategic emperor, I must request that you give her a pass."
Black Shadow revealed a very humored expression, "Rational? Strategic? How is what Rose did of strategy or rationality?"
Rose looked into Excalibur's visor with a beating heart. Excalibur approached the two and answered, "We're talking about Seppuku, with all due respect. The role I have planned for Rose will require her to be at full strength. I urge you not to damage her body before this important mission."
Blood Falcon cupped a hand over his mouth and shouted, "Boo—o!"
To this, Excalibur expressed a rare display of hostility, "Shut your mouth, Skullhead."
To everyone's surprise, Black Shadow turned his whip off again and chuckled, "Skullhead, I like it." It was to Rose's relief and amazement that her master turned away and proceeded toward the door, "Do whatever you wish with the woman. I give you permission to beat or punish her in any way you desire while on your mission. She is your vassal for this mission and will listen."
They left the room, leaving Rose and Excalibur together. Rose was left trembling in nothing but her towel, somewhat embarrassed to be almost naked in front of the man of her dreams. Nevertheless, Rose found it within herself to smile and blush a slight bit.
"I... was just thinking about you today..."
Excalibur made a brief chuckle, "Really?"
She rubbed her arm and nodded, "Yeah, like... once..."
It was a dream come true, Rose had been taken away from Black Shadow's realm aboard Excalibur's private vessel. Two major occurrences happened that was making Rose ecstatic. First, she was alone with Excalibur. Second, she was away from Dark Million. These were the two things Rose desired so much but couldn't speak about.
Be as it may, Rose was uncomfortable to a great extent as always. Sitting on the couch of Excalibur's living quarter, the witch trembled with nervousness. She was awaiting Excalibur's return from the cockpit.
Please, oh, please. Let me be useful and flawless on this mission, and keep me from saying anything stupid...
Her thought had been intercepted as the man approached her from the back of the couch, "Rose."
The woman gasped and jumped up with a cool face, "Hey, Excaliburn!"
The mercenary remained silent as an awkward silence separated the two. Rose lowered both her eyebrows and swallowed, having immediate regret for trying to act cool.
"Excaliburn?"
Bloody Hell, Excaliburn..!?
She dipped her head down and laughed the humility off, "Uh, y- you know... because you make your foes feel the burn, and what not." Her entire body began to shake once more. "I- It's a joke..!" she panicked.
Excalibur remained staring at her, sending the most common complaint into Rose's mind: Excalibur's hidden expression. She couldn't tell whether or not he was annoyed, humored, or casual; his mask gave her a major disadvantage.
The witch turned her head away, for humility had turned into shame, "Uh... so where do I come in on our mission? I can handle anything!"
The man crossed his arms, "I'll need you to fight Seppuku once he gets back to the base." The woman's eyes shot open in shock, but then came a rare chuckle from the man, "I kid. I don't want you getting hurt."
"You don't..?"
Excalibur sat himself on the couch and crossed his arms; Rose sat next to him with hesitation. Out of bad habit, she began to bite on the skin of her finger while glancing at him.
"Tell you the truth," Excalibur spoke after making eye contact. "I made all that stuff up so that I could get you off the ship." Rose's eyes widened to a great extent. "The real reason I came to get you is so I could bring you to this one bar in Mute City."
"M- Me? A bar!?"
Though Rose was a whole different person from Chiya, she retained the same anti-alcohol stance. However, Excalibur and peer pressure did not correlate well for her. The power Excalibur held over the woman beat away any rational thinking with no effort at all.
After gulping, the witch beamed at him, "Oh... yeah! Let's get drunk!"
Again, he chuckled. "That's not quite what I had planned, but I like the way you think." Rose exhaled and nodded. "There's this one place in the Lightning Area called 'The Krush', but only the baddest of the bad get in."
Rose pulled up her sleeve and flexed her arm, "You and I are two pretty bad dudes..."
Her attempt to look tough was torn to shreds with his next comment, "I thought I'd take you there and maybe get the pleasure of knowing you some more."
The woman scooted away from him with a taken back expression, "Holy-" she stopped herself and grasped her chest. "Go to a bar to talk?"
"Just to strengthen our partnership."
If I wake up in a moment and realize that this was a dream, I'm going to explode...
Rose launched up with a nervous face, "Okay! Sounds just wonderful!" Without looking back at him, she added, "And, very professional of an activity for a partnership."
Mute City—or more precisely—the Upper City. Even at night the famous sight had not fallen unfamiliar to Rose, for she had once ventured through this metropolis many times while sharing a body with Chiya. Be as it may, the sight of illuminated buildings, glowing advertisements, thousands of pedestrians, and much traffic had become something to gasp in awe over once more for the woman who, on a daily basis, gazed at her bedroom ceiling more than she did an actual sky.
To make this moment all the more spectacular, Rose couldn't ask for a more luxurious mean of transportation—the Thunderbolt; the Dark Million F-Zero machine granted to Excalibur. She was in one of her favorite cities, riding inside her favorite type of transportation, alongside her favorite person; light years away from her least favorite people.
The Thunderbolt was built with an almost identical cockpit to that of the Red Dove—fit for two passengers with enough room for cargo. Rose sat behind Excalibur and was gazing toward the stars, the buildings, and very often the back of Excalibur's green mask. Rose was nervous beyond all comprehension, questioning whether this was a date. If it was, she already hated herself for not preparing, but would try and make up for this by presenting herself as an asset to hang onto.
"You like Mute City?" the man asked.
Rose nodded, "Yes-" The sudden feeling of a dagger going straight into her chest could be felt—only there was nothing. The clone gasped for air and looked down at her chest. "I- I mean... it is a human dwelling and the heart of rape, murder, and thievery."
Excalibur remained silent at this very forced response, and again, Rose found herself conflicted in trying to please two different masters. She could go with this response and please the Emperor of Brutality, or give a truthful answer and please the love of her life. In an attempt to retract some of what she said, another comment was made.
"But, if I had to pick any human city out of them all, I would say I love Mute City."
The Manchu nodded and proceeded past the Falcon House. "How about Aeropolis? That's not made by humans."
Rose brought her hands together and beamed, "I love Aeropolis! I would love to start a fami-" Again, she stopped herself and instead posed a question, "Do you like Aeropolis?"
Excalibur checked his mirror and nodded, "I'd say I do. Less crime and less law enforcement up your throat. You get the best of both worlds on one planet."
The beaming face of Rose expanded, feeling as though she picked out an excellent question to counter with. This established that both adults liked Aeropolis—a positive connection. Yet, there was confusement found in Excalibur's explanation.
"Wait, you're a mercenary who enjoys peaceful planets? Wouldn't there be little opportunities for contracts on that planet?"
"Aye, but I'm under Dark Million contract, aren't I? A universal empire."
Rose rolled her eyes back down and nodded, "True, true..."
It was as she scrolled her eyes down that she spotted something near his dashboard of great significance to her. Both her eyes widened upon spotting a photo of Chiya and Earl together.
"Why do you have a photo of Chiya and Earl in your machine?"
Excalibur took a few moments to think, looking back and forth between the road and photo. Soon, he turned and responded, "Always keep the face of your enemy memorized."
The witch puckered her lips with crossed arms, "Right on, dude!"
Her facial expression became negative after saying this. 'Right on, dude'? I'm really striking out today. I as might as well put on sunglasses, gold, and smoke a cigarette while I'm at it... Rose face palmed after thinking, but soon escaped after realizing something—they had already driven past the Falcon House, the essential border of the Upper City.
"Um—m, Excalibur, did we miss the bar?"
He shook his head, "Lightning Area."
"Lightning Area? Are you serious?"
Excalibur signaled for a left turn, then drove onto the bridge leading to the Lightning Area. He put his machine on cruise control and turned to face her.
"I haven't properly explained where we're going. The bar we're going to is reserved for only the baddest and toughest of the tough..."
"...I hope I don't slip on an ice cube when I get in..."
The mercenary looked back toward the road, "Since we both work in Dark Million, we shouldn't be messed with. This is the perfect place for you and I to discuss at. No police and no harshness from Black Shadow. Just you and I."
Rose took a heavy breath. Good God, I hope this place goes easy on me. I'm really not that tough a person... She forced a heavy smirk onto her face and swung a fist forward, "Sounds great! You'd be surprised to know that I'm both a tough and strategic individual... usually..."
The Krush—the misty smoke of marijuana filled every room and hallway in the establishment. Cigarettes were littering the floor wherever Rose and Excalibur ventured, some were even still lit. The bar patrons had common appearances that were to be expected; dark clothing, tattoos, and biker-styled hair. It was to Rose's great surprised to find that so many of the patrons were ex-Bloody Chain or Red Star. Drinking wasn't the only thing going on at The Krush; there were gamblers to be found at every corner, television at every table, F-Zero betting parlors, the Throwdown arena, and many more activities. There was even a room filled with mercenaries and bounty hunters.
Rose and Excalibur walked through the smokey halls of the establishment, Rose doing so while practically holding her love for safety. Though she refused to admit it, the young woman was petrified by the patrons. It was true that Blood Falcon, Brock, and Black Shadow could inflict more lethal pain to her—but all of Dark Million at least honored a lifestyle of celibacy. A pretty face like hers was candy to these hardcore criminals, she feared that Excalibur's presence was the only thing keeping the many criminals from seizing her.
Soon the reality came to be that Rose was holding Excalibur by the arm. He allowed this for about a minute before bringing the matter up.
"You know, Rose. Holding onto me is only displaying cowardice to these men; even if you're scared, you're better off walking with a tough look."
The idea was that Rose would release herself from him in embarrassment, but to his surprise, she didn't move a single inch from his waist. She did, however, express somewhat of a downed expression in response.
"Um, I just thought that if people saw me getting so close to you, they'd think we're a couple and thus not want to mess with me—out of fear that they'd have to mess with you..." The witch faked a cough, "Erm... I assure you, I'm not scared. Not at all."
The explanation was short but believable, but there was the easy fear of whether or not Excalibur would buy the explanation. Because of his mask, she was unable to read his expression. As the brief silence continued, the two had been passed by a strong-armed thug; he gave a menacing glare at Rose upon passing, which caused her to yelp and squeeze Excalibur's arm much harder.
The Manchu looked back at the biker, then back at Rose, who had now begun to tremble. "You know what?" Rose swallowed in fear and rolled her eyes up at him. "You make a lot of sense, Rose."
"R- Really?"
"Sure, just don't play the love game too radically; or we might find ourselves in some kind of situation."
Rose ran the tips of her fingers along the rim of his glove, then nodded with puckered lips, "Yes... will do."
"Black Shadow, my lord," Brock greeted with a bow.
Up in his throne, Black Shadow acknowledged the greeting, "Russian."
Brock took forward into the center of the throne, then dropped onto a knee. "Master, I wish to raise a concern..."
"Oh?"
"I fear that your decision to send the witch off with Excalibur may have been bad."
Brave words from the subordinate—but provoking to Black Shadow, who glared in response. "Oh!?"
Brock nodded, "I fear that there is something more going on than a simple mission, I believe that there is..." He looked up and gave Black Shadow a solid gaze, "Romantic affection."
"Love is weakness, Russian. There is no such thing in Dark Million." The emperor repositioned himself into a more relaxing position, "Be that as it may, I am still intrigued by your concerns. Speak your mind or be off."
"I do not believe that there is an actual mission. I do not believe that any of these Rose-Excalibur 'missions' have been what he claims. Perhaps Blood Falcon fails to see what is going on, but I know exactly what is going on..."
Brock stood up and cracked his knuckles, Black Shadow leaned forward while scratching his chin. Then, with great enthusiasm, Brock struck a fist into his palm.
"It is obvious that Excalibur, a human bearing human emotions, has fallen in love with our Rose. I would not be surprised if he has corrupted Rose's mind and brings her somewhere to get inside of her womb."
Black Shadow hummed, "You believe the mercenary is lovemaking with our young witch?"
"I need not doubt my suspicions. Excalibur is a traitor who takes advantage of Rose for sexual gratification. He must be expelled at once so that we can heal Rose from his dark influence!"
"Interesting," the emperor said with a smirk. "You speak as though Rose is an asset, yet your face portrays hatred. Why does one such as yourself care what happens to Rose?"
"With all due respect. She may be a failure and thief of oxygen, but she is a member of our ranks, nonetheless. Perhaps Excalibur is behind her failings with his promises of affection."
The emperor smirked before chuckling, "I say, let the man enjoy her."
"Wh- What? But the code-"
"The code I have created states that power is to be respected. If Excalibur can fetch me information and weaken a servant of Dark Million blood just through affection—he has already become more powerful than Rose." He continued chuckling and shook his head. "But I digress, being better than Rose is hardly a compliment."
Brock nodded, "Very well. I will leave the two to frolic."
"And regardless, Blaskovitz... both Rose and Excalibur are mere daggers to my army of swords. I have a feeling, come the day of destruction for humanity, neither Rose nor Excalibur will be left alive..."
In the Throwdown arena of The Krush, a muscular man without a shirt had been tossed to the floor. His opponent raised his foot to stomp the man to death, but had been chopped down with a quick strike to the knee. The crowd cheered and tossed objects into the ring. Blood had been cast down by both opponents, but both were determined to best the other. Residing in his office was Vax—master crime lord and owner of The Krush.
In the center of the crowd were Rose and Excalibur, who watched the fight with mutual skepticism. There was, of course, a missing expression from Excalibur's mask; but an almost shocked look was on Rose's face. To her this was a date, but this was the last place she'd want to romance someone up at. This did give her an opportune moment to sit very close to Excalibur, which he hadn't noticed due to the intensity of the Throwdown match.
Both men stood up adjacent from one another, then ran into each other like rhinoceroses. The shirtless man rammed into the torso of the opponent with his forehead, while the other grasped the shoulders of the man in a clash of manliness. This match had been going on for minutes, thus establishing this as one of the longer matches to be seen.
The wrestling continued with little to no gain on either side. Soon into the fight, objects had made their way into the ring that could be lethal if struck with; among these objects was a baseball bat. The shirtless man dropped down onto the floor in a rush to grab the bat. He crawled forward and extended his hand out, needing to get the bat and strike his opponent out. Just as he grasped the handle, the man had been struck above the head with a television set.
The crowd cheered and Excalibur jumped in shock, but the biggest surprise of all for him didn't come from the show, but rather, the reaction of his companion. Rose had squealed in horror as soon as the television struck the man, she had closed her eyes and looked away as well. The sight of the Dark Million spawn cowering in fear was both shocking and questionable.
"Rose, were you frightened by that?"
The witch's eyes flashed open, "What? Huh?"
"You seemed startled—you flinched and trembled. I didn't think anyone in Dark Million could fear pain."
Rose grunted before gritting her teeth, "Sc- Scared? What do you mean? What you say is true, Dark Million fears nothing and no one!" Excalibur turned his head and looked deep into her eyes. The mysterious gaze of her love sent her into submission. "Uh, but, maybe I was a little frightened. He did get hit really hard..." she admitted.
"I see..." he replied with a nod.
A bit later, Excalibur sat Rose down by a bar counter and gazed deep into her soul. There the witch sat with a swayed face, a conflicted pawn on the chess board of life—in desperate need of a knight. From almost any point of view, Rose's situation was unique; for she found Excalibur to be the most pleasant person in the universe to be around—but also the one person who made her tremble.
Again, Rose placed a finger between her teeth and began to chatter in fear, "I- I, uh... I wish to thank you for taking me out." She widened her eyes and coughed, "T- Taking me out for fun, of course."
Excalibur hadn't moved in the slightest for several seconds, but soon nodded, "It's the least I could do for my good buddy."
"Good buddy?"
The man pierced her surprised gaze, "Yeah, we're buddies, remember? You help me with my side of things, I help you catch a break from Falcon and Blaskovitz."
To this, Rose dipped her head down and confessed, "…considering we're supposed to be a team, those two sure don't help much in making me less… flawed."
The Manchu, following a time of silence, commented, "I must admit, I'm still skeptical of your Throwdown reaction back there..."
The woman raised an eyebrow, "My reaction? What reaction- wait a minute, hey..!" She shook with discontent. "At least I didn't cry or anything. There's nothing that bad about a Dark Million babe finding shock in a TV blow to the head."
"I mean you no offense, I just thought... you know, thought that you were hardwired with resistance to fears."
The witch was preparing a response but had been caught off guard with his last comment. In response, she turned toward the counter and sighed.
"Resistant to fears? You have no idea how wrong you are..."
More silence came between the two, and for almost the first time, Rose seemed to have placed her mind away from Excalibur. The mercenary's opinion of her meant everything amongst the routine criticism and beatings of her 'team'. Rose's sorrow was no secret to Excalibur, for he could spot this much by the tremor in her hand.
"So, Rose..." She turned toward him and cracked a rare smile. "I did bring you here in search of information."
She swallowed, "Information? About me?"
"Oh, sure, sure. But first..." He pointed over at the bartender, "How about I fix you up with a drink or two..."
Her smile died after hearing this offer. Though she had proposed drinking before arriving on Earth, her attitude on the matter had changed.
"I better not. I might give away secret information if I'm intoxicated. And I've never drank before, so I would definitely become intoxicated."
The Manchu was left without words and remained silent. He waited for many awkward moments, testing Rose's resistance of peer pressure. She was true to her word, for she didn't speak another word on the matter, though her attention remained away from him. Following a slight nod, Excalibur broke the silence.
"So, I have noticed that Blood Falcon and Blaskovitz give you a tough time, just so you're aware."
Rose expressed fear upon hearing both names again, especially with the mentioning of Brock. She needn't speak, her reaction explained to Excalibur that Brock Blaskovitz was the primary tormentor.
"Those two... are playful. Blaskovitz just hates me."
"Any idea why?"
The woman glared and struck her fist down, "Because he's a bloody wanker!"
"I see..."
Rose gritted her teeth, "Black Shadow is my master, only he should be allowed to torture me! Blood Falcon and Blaskovitz are supposed to be my allies, yet, they seem to take pleasure in my misery!"
"I take it Black Shadow hits you a lot..."
The witch lowered her eyelids and sighed, "I've memorized the sound of his knuckles cracking against my body by now... I hear those rock-solid knuckles more often than I hear myself laugh." Right before Excalibur could speak, Rose forced a smile onto her face, "But when you come by, I finally have someone I can trust. Someone who could never hurt me."
"Could never, or would never?"
For a moment, Rose's heart sank to a dark place. She sent him a horrid face, "W- Would? You most certainly could hurt me; but I don't think you would."
It was after saying this that a very awkward period of silence crossed between the two. Rose wasn't biting her finger, despite being stressed, and was managing to look straight into his visor without breaking down. Excalibur was offering the same level of attention and focus, if not more. Both adults sought to read the other's mind; Rose fretted over whether she was right or not, but Excalibur's mind resided elsewhere for the moment.
"Right..?" she almost whimpered.
More silence followed, but soon relief came in the form of a nod. After a relieved exhale, Excalibur spoke, "You're not fully on board with Black Shadow and his master plan, are you?"
"What!?" A few heads were turned toward the two following Rose's loud response. "Of course I'm with Black Shadow! Down with the human race!"
Excalibur grunted and scanned their surroundings, spotting various glares and disgruntled looks. Rose covered her mouth and became silent, realizing the mistake she had made. To their fortune, no one seemed willing enough to pick a fight with the two. As far as anyone knew, Rose was just an ordinary human woman—not a clone.
Regardless of the awkward moment, Excalibur pushed his attack by shaking his head, "Nah, there's something you're not telling me. You're not like the others. Not like Blood Falcon, Skull, Blaskovitz; Hell, not even like Zoda or Bio Rex, for that matter."
The witch half glared at her true love and argued, "I am just as capable as any of those guys."
"I'm not talking about capability, I'm talking about morals, philosophy, and loyalty."
"I am all things!"
"I believe you," Rose lowered her eyebrows and grunted. "But my point is, you do not strive in those fields as well as the others of Dark Million. You're... different, in a good way."
The woman's facial expression remained almost hostile and confused, she was for once quite offended by Excalibur's choice of wording—but at the same time feeling empowered and skeptical. Though she hid it well, she was also vulnerable.
"How can you say that about me? I admit, I'm not that strong or even cunning; but I'm a team member of Dark Million!" She frowned and slouched forward, "Is this your plan? To make me look bad so you can join Dark Million and outrank me?"
The next thing she knew, Excalibur grasped both her shoulders and held her still. She grunted a few times while decreasing her anger at a gradual pace. Excalibur continued holding her for a few seconds, then shook negatively.
"You don't understand, Rose. I think you're an amazing woman, if what I say is true."
"Wha-"
"There is honor in following your leader, your people, and your... beliefs; but it is all pointless if you are without beliefs, if your people hate you, and if your leader beats you senselessly. Walk alongside the other members of Dark Million down a one-way road if you must, but that makes you nothing more than a slave."
Rose swallowed and exhaled, now releasing her anger. "We shouldn't be having this discussion. Let's talk about cats instead..."
"Why?"
Her eyes widened, "B- Because, Black Shadow prohibits-"
"Black Shadow prohibits free speech? He isn't here."
Rose's trembling became more immense by the moment, "Yo- You don't understand, every wrong action I make always results in punishment. I assure you, he'll know of this conversation—he'll have us both killed..!"
The mercenary turned around in his seat and faced the counter, but shrugged, "Well, perhaps I was wrong. I thought you and I were alike in that sense..." For comfort, Rose dived her finger back into her mouth and bit down—stress overcoming her yet again. "As a human, I walk the path of status quo. I'll serve your master, but I refuse to make him my master. I am a slave to nobody."
Rose's biting became more intense to the point where she finally created a small cut beside her fingernail, "...I realize that I'm special. For whatever the reason, I have somewhat of a free mind. But if I use it anywhere, I will be punished..."
"Wrong."
Excalibur turned and grasped her hand, forcing it back down onto her lap. The woman looked up at him with very concerned eyes. He raised one finger up and pointed at her.
"There are two places you can think freely. When you're with me, and of course... in your mind."
"My mind?"
"Black Shadow cannot read your mind. This will always be a safe haven for when you're in peril. Be loyal to your master on the outside, but retain control of your mind; if you desire a happier life, simulate it in your mind. Just don't let Black Shadow control your mind as well."
Rose nodded, then looked back up at him with a scared face, "Thank you. I think it's safe to tell you that..." She rested her chin into her palm and looked away, a think layer of blood began to form over her bottom eyelids, "I, often feel lost and without purpose, when you're away—and even sometimes when I'm with you. You are human, the enemy of Dark Million, but I cannot hate you..."
Excalibur rested his hand over hers for a brief moment—a hug straight to her heart. "Then continue aiding me in my search, and I will remain by you."
"Your search?"
"My search for information on Dark Million. What you guys have planned for humanity, when you'll do it, and everything else."
Rose lowered her eyelids and sighed, "I wish I could tell you; but that's where I cannot think freely. That part of my brain, unfortunately, is locked in Black Shadow's safe—and you're not allowed in." Turning away from him some more, Rose grasped her chest and felt her heart beat, "But luckily, there are many safes you are allowed into."
"Your heart?"
"Wha—a!" Rose nearly fell off her seat while wrestling her own tongue, "Uh, uh..!"
"I have a place for you in my heart as well, and I understand your struggle in Dark Million." Rose dropped her lips and nodded in silence. "Just continue being yourself, and stay cautious of your 'friends'."
Rose took a heavy breath and nodded, and after much thinking got an enthusiastic face, "I will, and I'll keep trying my hardest!"
"Excellent."
"I won't give up! I'll keep trying." She looked Excalibur in the visor and brought her fist up like a rocket, "I promise you this, Excalibur. I am not useless. I will slaughter Chiya, Earl, and Seppuku—I must and will. And whenever I'm out hunting the blokes, I'll keep you in mind—in my heart."
Excalibur became silent again for several moments. Rose's determined look remained, much more cheerful looking than usual. He was at a loss for words by her sudden spirit change, and had only the simplest response available.
"Alright."
Rose spun around in her chair playfully, "I know I'm going to be okay. No matter how much pain I receive, I can keep fighting—because I know there's someone out there who likes me, and someone who believes in me, someone who... considers me worthy of heart."
Excalibur placed one hand over her shoulder and nodded, "And I promise, you'll come out with a happy ending. You and I both..."
6 years later, in a time of long awaited peace; the empire of Dark Million had fallen and its followers expelled from existence. Rose, Black Shadow, Blood Falcon, Skull, Brock Blaskovitz—all dead at the hands of Team Seppuku and their allies.
In the end, Excalibur had betrayed Rose; or at least as she believed before death. It didn't take long after her demise to realize the justice in Excalibur's actions, for he may have fooled her into obsession—but he did so to keep Black Shadow from killing many. Now she lived within Chiya's inner realm and could live without pain. Now a self taught scholar and writer, Rose enjoys a life of nonstop writing, but despite Earl and Chiya's many objections—she chooses to focus on the past, writing nothing but books of her struggle of which can only be read by her, Earl, and Chiya.
One day, while Chiya walked Mysteria with her child, Clover; Rose found herself standing on the deck of her personal homestead. The Rose home remained above a mountain with a vivid view of the terrain and Bendek household—in which Chiya and Earl resided.
The woman stood over the wood railing of the deck with whipping black hair and a very concentrated face. She was naked, like everyone else in this world, but felt no shame. When she wasn't writing or reading, Rose would often stand out on the deck and enjoy the freedoms that Black Shadow prohibited. As Excalibur had told her all those years ago, she could think freely without persecution; but now she was allowed full freedom. The right to stand without objective was punishable in Dark Million—but not here.
A serious face that couldn't die and two eyes centered on the Bendek homestead, Rose quirked her mouth back whilst recollecting the memories of her hunt for Excalibur's affection. Having Excalibur to herself was an impossibility and she now understood this. Be that as it may, Rose still acquired what she most desired from the beginning—affection.
Rose turned and proceeded back into her home, but walked straight out the door with a clouded mind. Her feet burrowed into the uncut grass, where she stood for a few moments looking around. The best term to describe the world she helped create would be 'serenity'. Silence, no ships, no industry, no government, no crime; just pure serenity.
After swiping her hands along her rear, Rose continued down the mountain with a simple expression.
"Ugh..!" Earl groaned. "Tha- That doesn't make sense, at all…" he said, looking into the belly of an F-Zero machine.
Within the Inner Realm existed a place of residence for Chiya and Earl, which, of course, featured a heavenly garage to satisfy the Korean's hobbies. The garage wasn't a place just for hobbies, though, it was also, in a way, a place for learning and experimentation. Chiya did not know all too much about her daughter's machine—the Red Dove II—but by looking through her eyes, Earl knew everything he needed to know about it. If he had a solution or suggestion pertaining to F-Zero, he would show Chiya what to do, then Chiya would show Clover what to do.
Standing with an open panel to a replica of Clover's machine, the man thought critically on a solution to an ongoing problem his daughter was having. Utterly naked and with a wiring tool to his bicep, the man found himself with somewhat of a temper. He was close to concluding that Clover would need to perform a total part replacement.
"That can't be the case…" Earl quirked his mouth and dropped his brows furiously. "For the love of all that is holy, will you just -"
"Is everything all right, Earl?" The man jumped in surprise as the likes of Rose emerged from behind slowly. "Maybe I can assist?"
Earl exhaled, calming himself. "Oh, that's alright."
"No, I insist." Rose put a book to her waist and stepped to her side. "If it's an engine problem, I'm sure a joint effort of you, me, and Chiya can figure it out."
He chuckled, "Oh, not even close. It's a reactor ventilation issue."
Rose cringed, "It's a- wh- what, now?"
Finally, the man set his tool aside and turned to face her, "Clover got smacked hard by Roger Buster the other week, clogged up the reactor's ventilation system and now, for some reason, she can't get it working again. I figured it had to do with damaged wiring or battery damage, but, I don't think that's the case at all."
Genuinely curious, Rose inquired, "What does this mean for Clover?"
"Basically, whenever an F-Zero machine boosts, it converts energy into a blast. Well, most of the blast goes out the booster rocket, obviously. However, there's leftover energy pollution that fails to escape out the booster which can be very hazardous if the machine fills up with too much. The reactor ventilation simply makes sure this hazardous leftover energy is released from the machine."
Rose grimaced, "Oh, that's bad. We should get that figured out as soon as possible, especially since Clover's a gambler and might foolishly take chances with a dead ventilation system."
Despite him nodding, Earl replied, "Eh, later. I gotta talk to Chiya about this." Finally, the man spotted the book she was holding. "Is that a new book?"
With a proud pose, Rose brought the book up to her chest and replied, "Well, funny we bring up Clover, because I've written this one with the intention of dissuading her from being gluttonous." Earl raised a brow and leaned against the F-Zero machine. "The text, some forty-thousand words in length, highlights the ramifications gluttony has on oneself, friends and family, plus society as a whole." Earl raised his second brow as a facial response. "I tried writing it in a way that speaks and relates to Clover's way of thinking, that way, she may see my points with more passion."
"Okay, cool!" Earl straightened his stance out again. "So, this is for Clover?"
"Correct, I wish for Chiya to read it and relay its content to Clover. But, before I pass it on to Chiya-"
Earl turned his head and grinned, "You want me to critique this one?"
A bit shyly, Rose raised the book just a bit over her breasts, "Would you?"
"Hey, anything for a buddy; especially one who is trying to educate my only daughter."
The former witch responded with a smile.
