Surprise chapter!
I did say it would be updated soon, so here you are!
Chapter 36: Queen Calls The Knight
Something felt off. As if my brain just glitched out. It was brief, but I still noticed it. But the thought was quickly overtaken by two words.
"Find Cinder."
I pulled away from Yang, saying something about needing some air. I weaved through the waltzing couples, looking for Cinder, but not finding her. That meant she was outside, according to plan. As I made my way up, I brushed past Emerald, who was standing by the punch bowl. As I took a filled glass, Emerald sidled up to me.
"Darrel, you'll need this."
Emerald handed me a bundle of black clothing, and I took it without a glance in her direction. Downing the punch, and walking out the door into the cold night air, I dived behind a bush, and began to strip my clothing, folding it neatly and placing it into a plastic bag hidden underneath a topiary. Quick as I could, I began to pull on the black clothing, which consisted of a simplistic black body sock, with a velvet hood sewn on, along with some gloves and moccasins, with glowing dots on the fingertips and soles. To complete the setup, a black balaclava, which covered every inch of my head. The eyeholes were shrouded with a one-way fabric, allowing me to see out, but preventing anybody to see me.
I was ready.
Looking up, I saw an orange glow, held in a black gloved hand, only just visible over the apex of a shingle roof across the war. That was the signal. Diving into the dark, I leapt to the building, hearing the pads on the gloves and shoes attach to the mortar wall with a quick thunk. Heaving myself up, I began to climb, the adhesive pads quietly making a noiseless cacophony as I scrambled skyward. Finally reaching the roof, a delicate, but firm hand wrapped around my wrist, hoisting me up. As I got to my feet, I looked up to see Lady Cinder standing above me, her lips curved in a slight sneer.
"No one saw you, I hope?" She asked. I just shook my head.
"No, m'lady." I responded obediently. She grinned, placing a mask across her eyes as she did so.
"Good. Now it's time for Phase 2. I'll take the guards and cut the power. You will get to an air vent, climb the elevator shaft, and input the files on this Scroll. I'll meet up with you there." She explained, handing me a jet-black Scroll. Without hesitating, I took it, and hid the device in a pocket on my ankle. Without another word, we took off across the rooftops, the shingles rattling as we sprinted towards the CCT.
Kneeling down at the edge of the roof, I squinted at the entrance, trying to case any threats. Currently, only two guards were on patrol outside, but there would have to be more of them inside. Standing up, I turned back to Lady Cinder, who was covering the rear with a bow and arrow, ready to unleash against anyone foolish enough to cross us.
"Two guards outside, patrolling in a two way route. We'll need to do a pincer movement." I whispered. She nodded, and with a flash, the bow dissolved into a fiery glow, which swirled back into Lady Cinder's clothing.
"Very good. You take the right guard, and I will take care of the left." She explained, before hopping off the roof, and diving into the bushes below. I sprinted to the right side of the roof, and hopped onto a fire escape ladder, sliding down the metal. Slipping behind the guard, right as I saw Lady Cinder sneaking towards the other guardsman, we clobbered both at the same time. Lady Cinder began to drag the unconscious sap to a hedge nearby, whilst I lifted the snoring quarry over my shoulder, and threw him into a rose bush.
"Good. Now, do you see a barred air vent grate?" Lady Cinder inquired over an earpiece. Looking to the wall, my eyes fell on an iron grate, held tight with bolted screws.
"Yes, m'lady. I'll be in shortly." I droned. The radio buzzed again, followed by Lady Cinder's voice.
"Excellent. Keep in contact. Once the power goes out, you'll only have a few seconds before the backup generator activates. Do you understand, Conway?"
"Perfectly, m'lady." I said, before kneeling down and wrapping my fingers around the vent's corner, grunting in effort as I felt the screw's threads chip away at the stone anchoring it in place. It only took a few seconds before the grate peeled back, and the bolt came loose, bouncing away with a clatter. The rest was a little easier now, as I peeled the grate further back, until it finally came free. Throwing it away, I crouched down, and began to work my way through the dusty aluminium maze of the ducts.
It was incredibly claustrophobic in the ducts, and each thud of my gloves and boots was met with the fears that any guards in adjacent rooms would immediately riddle the duct with bullets. But as the vent widened, I noticed another grate, leading to a vertical room with dull maroon lighting. The room appeared to be octagonal in shape, with one gigantic column in the centre. In the dead centre of each section was a tangle of cables stretching from the ceiling to the darkness below. Hanging from the cables was a metal box, suspended by tracks.
I had reached the elevator shaft.
I spun around in the tight crawlspace, and began to strike the grating with my foot. There was no give on the first strike, then a bit of a dent on the second. The third and fourth strikes resulted in similar deformations, until finally, on the fifth kick, the grating was sent flying into the blackness below, clattering on walkways and crossbeams as it vanished into the depths. Kicking my legs out, I planted the adhesive pads firmly on the wall, and began to wriggle my upper torso out of the vents. One hand was worked free, and it slammed onto the wall. It wasn't easy, but I managed to push myself into the shaft, and began to climb up to the comms room. As I did so, I put a spare finger to my ear, and turned on the earpiece.
"Lady Cinder, I'm in the shaft. Which room do you want me to go to?" I asked, still climbing.
"Do you see a door to your right with the number '0267'?" Her voice buzzed. A quick glance told me that said door was about 30 metres above me, on a perpendicular wall to my right.
"Yes. I'll radio when I'm in position. Conway out." I said, before beginning to climb to the elevator doors. It wasn't simple: having to weave around gantries and electrical cables was no simple feat. Once or twice, I had to halt my advance to let an elevator ascend or descend through my path. But after a few painful minutes of crawling, I reached the elevator door at last. And not a moment too soon. Either my body would have given out, and I'd be left stuck on the wall like a fly on flypaper, or my pads would, and I'd plummet to the bottom of the shaft, about 30 metres below.
"Lady Cinder? I'm here. Opening the door now." I whispered through gritted teeth, pain coursing through my body.
"Good. Cutting the power in 3… 2… 1…"
Right on cue, the lights fizzled, and dimmed. Putting a hand on the elevator door, I slid them open, and tumbled into the room, landing on my front.
"Hey, you're not allowed up here!"
Looking up, I was met with a gun barrel in my face, held aloft by a very angry looking guard, dressed in body armour, lined with a yellow colouring. Before I could think, I grabbed the barrel of the gun, and shoved it away, causing it to discharge with a series of explosive blasts into the ground. Following up the surprise attack, I spun on the ground, and swept my leg into the guard's knee. It bent at an awkward angle, accompanied by a sharp cracking noise. He yelled in pain, before I silenced him with a chop to his throat, knocking him out.
There was no time to hide him; I needed to move to the comms room, now. Running down the hall, I dived into a security office, complete with chair, desk, holographic computer interface, and most importantly, a Scroll terminal. I grinned beneath my mask, before planting myself in the chair, pulling out the Scroll that I had received from Lady Cinder, and slotting it into the terminal.
A file browser appeared on the screen, containing the files Lady Cinder wished for me to upload to the CCT's systems. But strangely, all it was a video. Deciding to try and get some answers, I tapped the earpiece.
"Lady Cinder, I think you've given me the wrong Scroll. All there is just a video file." I began.
"Strange… I may have given you my scroll by accident. Could you check the video file, just so I can confirm?" She asked. I hovered the mouse over the file, but as I went to open it, something felt wrong. That last bit of communication…
Did I hear her chuckle as she spoke to me?
…No. It must have been my imagination. I clicked on the video, and a video player automatically opened. But instead of compressed files, or secret documents, or whatever I expected, all it contained was a black screen, with a familiar audio.
Darrel? Time to wake up…
W…
Wh…
Why… Wake up…?
Everything grew blurry, and I felt my stomach retch. My hearing muted, my tongue grew dry, and I barely had the strength to crawl out of the chair, and struggle for the door. I remember seeing a gun barrel pointed at me through a cracked door, before I gave out.
"…incredibly dire consequences…"
"…as well as I…"
"…reaten our students…"
My head was pounding, as I slowly forced my eyelids open, being presented with an all-too-familiar sight.
The ceiling of the medical wing.
Groaning as I swung my legs out from under the covers, I looked up to see Professors Ozpin and Glynda having a heated discussion with a middle-aged man, dressed in a stark white suit, with a red tie and dark slate blue vest. His right hand was shrouded in a satin glove, and a metal plate was bolted just above his right eyebrow. As I stood, the three turned to look at me.
"Good to see you up and about so soon, Darrel. The nurse is thinking about installing a loyalty card system for you, you know." He smiled. I just looked up, and sat back on the bed. Professor Goodwitch strode up to me, a furious look in her eyes, but the rest of her face refusing to betray her emotions.
"Mr. Conway, are you aware of the events of the previous night?" She began, ice apparent in her words. I looked away, trying to think. Last night… last night… what was last night?
"During the dance, there was a reported break-in attempt on the Cross Continental Transmit hub. The perpetrator was a young male dressed entirely in black, with a mask and hood to conceal his identity. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that… would you?"
Dance…? Cross Continental…? Everything was a fuzzy blur in my mind, and my pounding head was not helping matters. Nor was the unknown man, who had stomped over, and gripped my hair, pulling it back so I was looking him in the eye.
"You were caught red handed, trying to upload illicit files to the hub. Not only that, you slaughtered six guards en route. I'd like to hear an explanation for this, boy." He growled angrily. I just grabbed his arm, trying to get him to release me.
"Enough, James. Now, I'll admit the evidence against Darrel is incredibly damning, but I'd like to hear his story before any rash actions are made." Ozpin demanded, gripping his mug of coffee with a straining hand, the ceramic threatening to splinter in the headmaster's hand. The man just scoffed, and released his hold on me. Immediately, I dropped my head, and massaged my scalp.
"Darrel, I know that you may not be in any fit state for an interrogation, but if we are to help you, then you must try to remember back to last night. What happened?" Professor Ozpin asked gently, pulling up a chair so he and I could talk face to face. I looked up, and struggled to remember.
"I… I remember… dancing with Yang… and then there were words… whispering in my head… telling me to find someone…" I forced out. Ozpin looked at me intently, while Professor Goodwitch and the mystery man looked at me.
"I think I… I remember an enclosed space… a dirty smell… clanging metal. I don't really remember anything else." I finished, hanging my head, and preparing for the worst.
"Clearly a desperation play. Amnesia is always a criminal's final excuse. Now tell the truth!" The man yelled, but was unable to continue, as Professor Goodwitch had swung her crop in front of him, and was giving him a deadly glare.
"Enough, General James Ironwood! Threaten Mr. Conway once more, and I swear, you will regret even thinking of the action!" She yelled. Clearly getting the hint, General James Ironwood shut up, and backed away, not wanting to bring the totalitarian wrath of Professor Goodwitch down on his head.
"Glynda…" Ozpin gave Professor Goodwitch a warning glare, before turning his softened face back to me.
"Is that all you remember, Darrel? Any small detail, no matter how insignificant, will benefit us greatly." He stated, in a pleading voice. I thought back, trying to remember. But before I could say anything, the door burst open, causing all present to look at who had interrupted us.
"He's innocent, I swear it! He's not the one I saw!"
That perky voice… Ruby… coming to my defense. Thank God.
"Ms. Rose? Do you have anything to contribute?" Professor Goodwitch asked. The General stepped forward, and put his gloved hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"Ruby, we have already taken your testimony into account. But are you sure that Dar-?"
"It wasn't him! I never saw anyone else when I checked the CCT, and-!"
"Enough, Ruby! We've already taken your statement. But until we can say with absolute certainty that Darrel was NOT the main perpetrator of this incident, then we cannot rule him out as a suspect." Professor Ozpin concluded. I put my head in my hands. This was it. All hope of acquittal was fading fast.
*beep* *beep* *beep*
Professor Goodwitch's Scroll beeped, and she had pulled it open in the blink of an eye. Reflected on the screen was the spinning image, along with my profile. As she read the screen, her eyes grew wide, and she handed the tablet to the headmaster.
"Professor Ozpin… you need to see this." She stated, almost fearfully. Ozpin took the scroll, and glanced it over, before smiling.
"Well, it appears that Conway's actions were not his own last night. His blood tests have revealed an anomalous chemical compound… not unlike the one within his system when he was poisoned."
The general looked over Ozpin's shoulder, and his eyes grew wide.
"Incredible… so this has happened before?" He gasped. Ozpin merely looked up, returning Professor Goodwitch's scroll to her without glancing in her direction.
"Indeed. Darrel was poisoned by an unknown assailant some weeks ago, and the chemical compound found in his bloodstream then is strikingly similar to this one. Granted, there are a few slight modifications to the two, but there is an 87% similarity link. We may be looking at an inside job here." He stated, before looking back to me. In the background, Professor Goodwitch continued to tap on her Scroll, and she let out an audible gasp.
"Professor Ozpin? There's more. Apparently, this chemical has been refined. While the documented chemical was a mixture of truth serum and neurotoxin, this one now has the capability to place the subject under firm mind control upon ingestion."
Ozpin looked up, as did the general. Ruby and I looked uncomfortably to one another.
"But what purpose would it serve? The refreshments were never touched by a foreign body. There were no containers in the vicinity of the ballroom. Furthermore, if Conway was indeed under the influence of this drug, then why would he go to the dance, before going to the CCT?" General Ironwood pondered, gripping the bridge of his nose. Glynda gave one last look.
"Oh my… An enzyme only found in Wahtani saliva is also present. From research, it appears that it can delay the effects of controlling the subject's mind, even suppress them beyond detection… but the effects dissipate when the brain registers some specific codewords. Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine these words, and unless we have a secondary sample from the same Wahtani, we cannot hope to know these words."
"…what?" Ruby and I asked in confusion. Glynda just gave us a harsh glare.
"Darrel's mind can only be controlled when the correct conditions are met, not unlike the codelocks on your lockers. And without the origin of the code, it's impossible to determine the codelock." She explained. Ozpin nodded, and gave me a small smile.
"Well, it appears this is evidence enough to clear you of this incident. Granted, you were present, but given the circumstances, I can assure you, you are innocent of any intentional wrongdoing. You are free to go, Darrel." Professor Ozpin smiled. I nodded, before standing, and walking to the door, with Ruby supporting me. But something flashed in my mind.
"Professors? General? I remember one other detail. The words I heard in my head… They were…"
Queen calls the knight.
Right as those words left my lips, I could've sworn that the colour from all three adults' faces had drained away.
"Right… well, if you remember anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me." Professor Ozpin stated, a hint of finality in his voice. Knowing better than to stand there and argue, I shut the door, and walked with Ruby back to our dorm.
Queen calls the knight…
What did it mean?
Now that that's done and dusted, time to work on the field trip saga. But first...
ZWEI!