Hey, hey! Hope you're alright!
I want to tell you that I'll take a while replying to your comments this week because I've gotta solve some college stuff, but dw, the chapters are ready to be posted on the 4th and the 8th! Also, want thing I've been meaning to ask you guys: do you prefer shorter (1k-2k words) or longer (4k words) chapters? I tend to post longer chapters, but if you guys prefer, I can split them in two and make them smaller... Please, let me know what you prefer on the comments :)
A huge thank you to AnimeLoverKenzo3, BethxAngel, TishaLiz, baeechan and caroline31102902 for supporting this story! I can't believe there's so many people reading Cataclysm already 0.0 It's barely been two weeks now, this is crazy! I would honestly love to know what you expect for the story and what your opinion is so far, so feel free to comment if you want to!
I'm currently working on a new artpiece for chapters 11 and 12. Stay tuned, guys!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
See you soon,
—Cherry
Spaces with too many fluorescent lights made her feel overwhelmed. She should've remembered that when she got to the restroom, but she didn't, and now the lighting was making her dizzier than she already was.
Bile rose to her throat and she bent over the one of the cleanest toilet seats she had ever seen in her life. Her body was shaking, her palms were sweaty, and she was pretty sure her blood pressure was getting lower by the second. She felt like shit. But, somehow, she was still unable to vomit.
How humiliating.
She had been fine just a few minutes ago while talking to Alluka and the others, it didn't make any sense. It was almost like a superhuman pressure was imposed upon her body. Like being suffocated by smoke in a fire.
It was getting harder to breathe now and sweat dripped down her neck. How strange. Medea rarely got sick. On top of that, she had no contact with anything unusual or sick people lately.
She could only assume this has something to do with how badly her nerves were affecting her.
It wasn't common for her to beg. Especially for something that was rightfully hers.
Once the horrid urge to puke subsided, Medea closed the lid and sat down, feet pushing the cabin's door as she waited for her body to go back to normal. She dried her teary eyes, trying her best to regain her composure.
You're not weak. Control yourself. This is nothing but a stressful day, you can handle it.
You handled worse.
The bathroom door opened with a thud which made her jump a little in her seat. Loud, obnoxious voices filled the place so suddenly that Medea frowned, completely annoyed.
Hell, couldn't she have one moment for herself?
Someone entered the cabin right beside hers while the other two waited, all completely oblivious to the young woman who was having a meltdown a few feet away from them.
With a deep breath, Medea counted to three, fixed her posture and was about to open the door when she heard:
"Did you guys see Lanfort?" One of them asked. "She came in and didn't even talk to anyone. Just showed up and disappeared."
The other one who was also outside laughed jokingly.
"Poor thing. Her ego must be so wounded now that she's been replaced for the mission…" Medea widened her eyes. She knew this malicious voice better than she'd like to admit. It belonged to her infamous rival, Evie Gargani. "But, come on, it was about time someone put her empire to an end. This bitch acts as if she owns the place!"
The first woman, whom she concluded to be Sartha, one of Evie's best friends, agreed.
"She's unbearable!"
Leaning towards the gap on the door, the woman was able to somehow catch a glimpse of their faces. She sneered. They remained as tacky as she remembered, and her outfits were truly… Well, Medea could only assume they had no mirrors at home.
"You know what they say?" Evie whispered, the long reddish-brown strands falling on her back as she put a hand on her hip. "That she used to work at a brothel in Proyca before she became a Hunter."
Medea froze. Then she felt her blood boil. She clenched her hands, the distress within herself being replaced with anger.
"Oh, hell no! There's no way! She was a kid back then… What? Maybe eleven, twelve?" Sartha retorted, visibly shocked.
The cabin door next to her was opened and a pink-haired young woman walked towards the sink to wash her hands, turning to Sartha.
"It doesn't mean anything, you know?" A cruel grin adorned her lips. "I mean, it does mean she learned from an early age how to climb socially by… Descending to powerful men's beds."
Evie giggled, looking slightly high, probably because of the various glasses of champagne she must've had since the beginning of the ball.
"Verin, stop!"
"It's true though! She certainly looks like she knows how to use her pussy to her benefit." Verin told her. "And I'm not going to lie, she's got this… I don't know, but it's just this vibe…"
"What kind of vibe?" Asked Sartha.
"That she's into butt stuff." She promptly explained. "I'd bet my left kidney if I still had it that she likes that weird kinky shit."
Sartha frowned. "Doesn't it hurt?"
"Bitch, why are you asking me? You know I don't do that kind of thing!"
Evie rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Wow. You are conservative. How cute."
Verin flipped her off. "Fuck you."
"But I think you have a point. She must use a lot of those kinky teachings to her favor during arduous nights. I mean, how would she be able to be nominated to those important missions?"
Sartha giggled. "You guys are terrible."
"Am I wrong?" Asked Evie once she pulled herself together. "Besides, that whole "I don't use Nen because it's unnecessary" bullshit is suspicious. She mustn't even know how to use it…" She rubbed her temples, apparently annoyed, and then smiled. "But anyway, enough about Lanfort, tonight is all about me! Let's go back to the ballroom before they call me on stage to talk about the expedition. I need to memorize what I have to say."
Their laughter subsided, becoming more and more distant until it was muffled entirely by the music that played on the outside.
As soon as she was sure they were gone, Medea opened the door and walked out. She grabbed the sink tightly, facing her own reflection.
Was that how everyone saw her as — a prostitute? A woman unable to achieve her goals on her own? Did they really thing she'd stoop so low as to do sexual favors in exchange for prestigious missions that were only considered as such after she fulfilled them?
All she did was going for the missions others avoided for being labeled as suicidal!
Just once, let it all out. Come on, you know you want it…
She felt adrenaline run through her body, filling her with hatred.
Medea wouldn't give up her position to an alcoholic who lived off slandering others. She would regain her leadership and teach Evie a lesson.
Although she was still physically uncomfortable, she left the bathroom calmly, determined to put an end to the problem.
Glancing at a guest's phone, she realized it was a quarter past eleven pm. Did she spend that much time stuck in the bathroom trying to vomit? Gross.
From afar, she saw Killua and Alluka's table, but no one seemed to notice her, so she decided to look for the research financiers. They had probably arrived by now.
Next to the small dark wooden plank there was a group of men, all very well-dressed and older than her, who talked to the current Chairwoman, Cheadle Yorkshire, and some members of the zodiac.
It was time.
She adjusted her gray blazer and put her prettiest smile on her lips before heading to the group.
The first to notice her was Gel, who seemed surprised to see her there since she never attended the Annual Balls, then one of the businessmen and, finally, the head of the group — a man in his fifties with salt and pepper hair and serious brown eyes. He politely returned her smile.
Fake ass son of a bitch.
"Medea Lanfort! Our golden girl! Responsible for yet another successful mission!" He greeted her.
"Mr. Lasym, it's a pleasure to meet you again!" She greeted him. "Chairwoman, Zodiacs, long time no see."
Cheadle just nodded, analyzing her subordinate's behavior.
"I thought I'd never see you at an organization event. Have you changed your mind about crowded spaces?" He joked, a hint of irony in his voice.
"Not really, I'm only here for a special reason." She replied. "And I suppose everyone knows what I'm talking about."
Gal glanced at her boss and pressed her lips in a thin line, lowering her head and staring at her glass of wine.
Lasym looked at Cheadle and raised an eyebrow as if saying I told you, before turning to the young woman with a slightly more serious countenance, still smiling.
"Do we? Why don't you enlighten us?"
Medea placed a hand behind her back, nails piercing her skin and marking the flesh due to the repressed anger. With her other hand she straightened the pearly strands leisurely, amethyst eyes darkening under her thick eyelashes.
"I would like to regain my position in the Dolphin-Sentinel Research Mission." Her voice was firm and determined, but her palms and the soles of her feet were sweating profusely. "And, of course, to know why you fired me, in the first place."
The Chairwoman sighed.
"Medea, I believe this is not the ideal time to talk about it." She warned.
"And why wouldn't it be?"
"Because we're in the middle of a ball and it's not the right place to talk about work." She replied with a serious look.
"Ma'am, I apologize, but is this not the reason for this event?" Medea asked, batting her eyes as if confused. "I mean, we announce important research that will happen and we name the best achievements of the year, don't you think it's kind of silly to say that it's not the place to debate about work?"
Cheadle frowned, displeased with the woman's stubbornness.
"I think Miss Lanfort is right, Miss Yorkshire." He agreed, sighing. "It is better to solve this at once before it goes on and harms the Association's member's relations, which would be a pity."
Cheadle said nothing, but drank from the champagne and watched the scene unfold, allowing Medea to get immersed once and for all in the situation.
Around them, the other businessmen and members of the Zodiacs remained silent and static, uncertain about how to react to what was happening.
"The truth, Medea, is that it was very difficult to make the decision to replace you, since you are one of the Hunters that gives us the most return." He spun the glass between his fingers and took it to his nose, inhaling the drink's aroma. "But let's be honest, do you really think you deserve the title of Single-Star Hunter?"
Medea blinked, surprised.
"Of course! I worked hard for it!" She assured him, not understanding where he wanted to get to.
The man sighed.
"The thing is… Well… You don't have what it takes to become one, sweetie. I mean, you came from Clayso, a country known for money laundering and misery, you didn't have a relevant upbringing and you don't like to interact with your colleagues." She blinked, unsure of whether she was hearing it correctly or not. "Single-Star Hunters are people who've had a solid foundation in life, people who manage to do great teamwork and, above all, who are willing to make use of their skills completely. Including Nen." He sipped some liquid from the glass, completely relaxed.
Rage took ahold of Medea and she gritted her teeth.
"Are you saying that no matter how hard I try, I can't get this insignia because I don't come from a wealthy family like Evie or because I don't accept bullshit from anyone? Do you mean that my choice of not using Nen disqualifies me among the others? Is that what's depriving me of recognition?" Her voice trembled, but still sounded cold and sharp, she could hardly believe what she heard.
"Partially, yes." The man admitted. "But let's face it, a Hunter whose past is tied to a brothel being part of the most important mission sponsored by my company? The media would go insane! It'd be a disgrace to my company, a joke, even!" He shook his head with false sadness. "I'm sorry, but you just don't have what it takes to be a leader nor a Single-Star Hunter, sweetie."
Being slapped would have hurted less. Her breath was caught in her throat, her violet eyes were glossy, her knees were weak.
He stared at her and, as if trying to cheer up a kid, patted her shoulder twice. And, with that, he left, mingling among the crowd before disappearing.
It was over.
She stared at the businessmen around her, who pretended to pay attention to the orchestra, and her fellow Hunters, who looked away or scratched their necks in discomfort.
Gel looked at her with pity, as if she wanted to say something to comfort her during that tense moment, but opted to sip wine.
Cheadle remained impassive, as if she wanted to show that she was right by saying that it had not been the best time to talk.
It was all over.
Medea simply exhaled and turned around as she walked away — chin up and posture impeccable as she fought to keep the tears at bay.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Alluka waving her arms and had to gather all her strength not to collapse into tears right there.
One of the boys called for her, but she ran as fast as she could to the elevator, pressing a random button before finally allowing herself to cry. She leaned against the metal wall and sobbed, her entire body trembling and struggling to keep herself up.
When the door opened again at the Self-care floor, Medea only mustered to march to one of the wooden benches in front of the indoor pool and collapse there, frozen in place.
Was this how her dreams were supposed to end? Simply because of her past at the brothel?
They didn't even know the whole story and already jumped to conclusions!
And yet, it caused her to lose her position to Evie and she'd also received the terrible news that she couldn't become a Single-Star Hunter as a bonus.
Why did life hate her so much?
Her eyesight became blurry, her own heartbeat was suddenly way too loud for her and her throat burned with the silent cries she still tried to hold.
For how long she stayed like that, she had no idea.
She leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling.
Shit.
This place was shit.
This event was shit.
Her life was shit.
Everything was.
She hated being out of control over anything. Despised it, actually. Why couldn't things go her way? Was that too hard?
It was already too late, she soon noticed, and she didn't want to raise any suspicion as to why she had disappeared. She couldn't. She didn't want people to pity or mock her.
She stood up with a grimace and wiped her face, trying to look minimally stable to go find Alluka and the others to apologize for her disappearance.
But then, a heavy pressure fell on her shoulder once more, forcing her down.
It was like being tied up in an invisible rope and having it be tugged insistently on the other side. She tried to turn around, but was unable to. Like something was telling her a hard no.
She glanced in the opposite direction.
Yes.
With a lot of effort, she made her way towards the massage room's long corridor. Medea frowned as she realized that an unusual cold was spreading through her body, bristling her skin and practically pulling her to one of the adjacent wings. She found it rather odd, but followed the path it told her to, even if the shadows embraced her more as she did so.
Dark and small passages like this one weren't things she was too fond of, but she couldn't ignore how the magnetic force on her body became stronger and stronger with each step of hers. If she didn't know better she would even say that she was under hypnosis.
All the doors in the corridor were closed, except for one.
Carefully, she peered through the open gap, but didn't find anything out of normal. She was about to leave when a pained groan came from the part of the room that her vision couldn't reach.
She arched an eyebrow, intrigued, and opened the door a bit more, ignoring the feeling in her gut that told her not to. Her breathing hitched.
A tall figure on the opposite side of the room hovered over something. Bloodlust oozed from him, completely oppressing and lethal. Medea bit her lower lip.
Had this man been the one to bring her here? Or rather his hostile Ren?
Another groan was emitted and she was sure something was wrong. That man couldn't be hurt and releasing bloodlust at once. There was no way he was alone.
Reluctantly, she reached for the needle in her pocket, the only weapon available and also the one that most resembled the Kanzashi she had lost, and waited for an opening. Anything could and would be used in her favor to intervene.
To her surprise, the voice of Mr. Lasym rang through her ears: "Please let me go! I promise I won't say anything about this!" He begged. "You can keep the money earmarked for the future missions, but, please, spare me! I am an important man! M-my death would affect the political and economical aspects in this country!" His voice sounded like he had been crying.
Medea stopped.
That was a golden opportunity. If she saved him, maybe he'd give her the leadership back as a reward!
But knowing that man like she did and after hearing everything he had told her, was it worth saving him?
Medea didn't even notice when the other man approached her, Nen burning in blackish flames, and attacked her.
Several sharp objects were thrown at once towards her like a silver rain. Due to the slowness to act, some needles scratched her face making thin droplets of blood drip from the wounds. She cussed. Fortunately, she was quick to regain focus and jumped backwards, placing more distance between herself and the man.
He was fast. Each of his attacks were agile, precise. His long black hair moved with his every move.
His focus was on striking strategic points to injure her body severely. No. To kill her. Medea, begrudgingly, had to admit he was good. It wasn't everyday that she fought with someone as confident in their abilities and made her break a sweat.
The needles he threw in her direction were imbued in his flaming Ren. He wasn't playing. If any of them touched one of her Nen nodes, she'd be doomed.
The mere proximity of his aura left her in an indescribable daze.
Sweat dripped down her body.
Ok, this fucker isn't good. He is great.
If dying was inevitable, which it seemed to be true considering how unlucky she'd been lately, it was time to change tactics. She wasn't going down so easily. She had to at least harm him really badly.
Needle in hand, just like she held her usual weapon, she sprinted at the man. The sharp object cut through the air in zig-zag movements.
He had no problem deflecting it, although later than she'd expected. Maybe her reaction had caught him off guard. Good. When she got too close, he ducked down and rotated to the other side, nudging her ribs.
Medea hissed in pain.
She turned around like a lightning, piercing the arm he had used in his attack with the weapon. With a quick strike, she tore the flesh from his jaw to his Adam's Apple, causing blood to drip down the pale skin.
The man kicked her chest and sent her flying to a wall across the corridor, where she fell to her knees.
His hand reached the injury and he stared at the scarlet liquid. In the dark, it almost looked like he was surprised.
Regulating her erratic breathing, she decided to put into action something she had not done in a while.
Turquoise flames flowed from her body, surrounding her like a neon smoke amid the shadows, and allowed her Shu to increase the resistance of the needle while focusing the Ko on her hands and feet, the limbs she used the most during offensive moments.
Of course, it left the rest of her body vulnerable to the opponent's attacks, but she didn't care as long as she had a chance to beat his ass.
He, in turn, activated his Ren, ready to attack her once again.
Running towards her opponent, Medea dived under his arm. She aimed for his carotid artery, but he blocked her onslaught with his other arm. The needle sank into his muscles quickly, and he used it as an opportunity to grab her pale hair with his free hand. He tangled it between his fingers and pulled hard. She shrieked. Suddenly, her face was smashed against the white tiles, blood dripping down her nose.
Her head was spinning. Her vision was blurry. There was a white noise ringing through her ears.
Shit.
She barely had time to react before he repeated the action, even harder. An indescribable pain spread through her face. She was pretty sure her nose was broken by now.
Medea tried to elbow his diaphragm, however, she was prevented by him. She smiled. He had given her the perfect opening to the rest of his body. He was vulnerable. She pierced her pointy heels into the dorsal surface of his foot, ripping part of his flexible shoe.
The man hesitated for a moment, so she redirected Ko to her head and threw it backwards, bashing his nose. The grip on her hair loosened up enough for her to escape it, and she promptly jumped over the figure, landing on the other side of the hall.
The blood in her nose dripped down her chest and ran down the valley of her breasts. She knew her clothes were ruined, but she couldn't care about it at that moment.
Despite the darkness, Medea was able to see when he wiped his face and spat red on the floor. A satisfied smile sprouted on her lips. They were even now.
Realizing an opportunity to check whether Lasym was still alive and show that she was worthy of becoming a One-Star Hunter, she ran to the open door, the assassin right behind her.
She fell to her knees, analyzing the miserable businessman's state, ignoring his desperate eyes and murmurs. Several holes were marked on his garments along with some golden spheres, blood dripping from the bruises.
Medea looked at her own hands. Her eyes widened.
They were identical.
This couldn't be serious.
"Lanfort! Oh, thank Heavens! Please, get me out of here!"
"Step away from my target or I will understand that you want to meddle in my work even further." Ordered the assassin with the same quiet, unbothered voice from the first time they'd seen each other, as if they hadn't fought ardently until a few seconds ago.
"And why don't you kill me now?" Inquired Medea, turning around. Under the Moon's partial illumination, Medea could finally see him again. The black hair was slightly messy and blood stained the beautifully fair skin of his face, neck and forearm, but, putting that aside, he looked as tidy as the other times they met. "Your colleague seemed interested in the idea when we met in Padokea."
He remained impassive.
"We don't share the same ideals. I'm only giving you that opportunity because I wasn't hired to kill you, but I can make an exception if you get in my way."
Medea turned to the businessman and looked deep into his eyes.
"Were you honest when you told me those things earlier?" Her voice was devoid of any emotions.
"No, of course not! I-I was worried about Miss Gargani's career, that's all! Her family is powerful, I need allies in politics!" He hurried to say. "Of course your past means nothing to me or my company! If you get me out of here, I'll put you in charge again." He guaranteed.
Medea lowered her head for a few seconds and, out of a sudden, started laughing, scaring the shrunken man on the ground. She shook her head, sighing.
"Do you really think I don't know you're saying that so I take the bullet for you?" She stated, lifting her face and looking at him with haughtiness. "That once you're safe I'll be discarded again?" Her voice was venomous, eyes dark with contempt. "A man who needs to lie about his ideals to save his ass is no man. You're nothing but a pathetic worm."
"So you're going to let me die by this monster's hand, is that it?"
Smiling, she replied:
"Precisely."
She got up and walked to the killer, who still analyzed her thoroughly. The businessman despaired and tried to lift his body, weak arms failing their task and dropping the body again.
"W-wait Lanfort, don-"
A needle sank into his skull and he went quiet. Forever.
Medea stared at the corpse with a sensation of fulfillment in her chest. Justice had been served, at last. She sighed, leading her hand to her nose to dry it.
The assassin turned to her with something she could not decipher in his countenance. His ink black eyes glimmered under the moonlight, contrasting with the damp blood on his face. And then, when he spotted the needle between her fingers, he arched an eyebrow.
"So it was you back at the Emerald Kaniv?" His voice sounded slightly indignant. "Give me back my needle."
She giggled.
"If you can keep this a secret, I'd be grateful." She placed the object on the man's warm, soft hands, scratching her neck after doing so. "It wasn't my intention to take your weapon, by the way. I just assumed I had my Kanzashi in hand as I always do." She explained and massaged her temples. "In the end, I lost my hairpin, which is a bummer, but, you know… That's how life works, right?"
The assassin didn't say anything, he just continued to study her uninterestedly.
"And don't worry, no one will know you were the one to cause… Well… That." She pointed to the crime scene.
"Alright." He responded. "Your secret is safe too, thief. Have a good evening."
Medea nodded, the two quietly leaving the room and following opposite directions from the corridor.
She messed up her hair as much as she could and pressed the elevator button, false despair all over her bloody face.
Upon arriving in the ballroom, the door slid open. There was a gasp, a scream, and suddenly everyone's attention was on her.
Her lower lip quivered, tears surfacing and making her vision blurry. She tried to run, but her body ached so bad that her knees failed and she fell, a grunt escaping her lips.
"Medea!"
Madam Thoshe, who she'd seen for the first time ever since she arrived, approached her. She crouched by her side, embracing her side as she pulled her subordinate up.
"Thoshe, I'm so… I'm so sorry!" Medea cried. "I swear I tried to- to help. I did, I tried. I…"
"What is going— Miss Lanfort?!"
The chairwoman watched them with horror in her eyes.
"Oh, Miss Yorkshire..." Warm tears rolled down her face and she sobbed, completely desperate. "I swear I tried to intervene, I swear on my life!"
"Medea, what happened?" Cheadle questioned, assessing the young woman's condition.
She stared at the leader of the organization, her face completely pale.
"Evanor Lasym is dead."
Women's wrongs = my everything
Go, girl, give us those crocodile tears!
Her first fight against Illumi will always hold a special place in my heart :') Gotta love these derranged bitches XD
—
Medea learned that revenge is a dish best served cold. But was it worth it losing the thing she wanted the most? And how will this affect her future? To find out about these and many other questions, stay tuned for the next chapters of Cataclysm.