Plight of the Raven
By Mardrena
The heavyset man seated in the backseat of the luxury car drummed his fingers against his knee nervously, glancing out the window periodically. The young driver behind the wheel flicked a glance at the rear-view mirror and smirked. "Relax, sir. This car is unmarked and completely shielded from all external communications. There's no way she can track us," he comforted.
"You don't know her...how relentless she is…she got the last two somehow. I don't know how, but she got to them!" the man wheezed and cringed in his seat. He tensed up when he saw lights from behind slide across the interior and covered his head with his arms. The driver scowled and glanced at the side mirrors, his hands tensing on the steering wheel, ready to take evasive measures if need be.
Over a dozen raucous louts zoomed past on motorcycles, jeering wildly and pumping their fists at no one in particular. The driver relaxed and smiled. "It's just a bunch of kids, sir. Nothing to worry about." The passenger sighed and patted his chest to calm himself and straightened himself in his seat. "Just sit back and relax and you'll be back home in no time," the driver assured. The portly man reclined and tilted his head back slightly. He opened his eyes a crack when he thought he heard the sound of an approaching engine and glanced at the rear-view mirror, spotting a single headlight. The driver noticed and tensed up, frowning. The man's eyes bugged out in dread.
"It's her...it's her! I just know it!"
"We don't know that, sir! It could just be another joyrider out at night..." the driver insisted. The headlight came closer showing no indication of switching lanes to pass. "I'm taking us to the feeder, see if they follow..." the car moved to exit the freeway but the headlight followed. The portly man looked increasingly nervous. As they passed under street lamps, they could see the decals on the helmet of the rider and the chassis of the motorcycle of a diving bird. "It's her! It's the Condor! Hold on sir! I'll try to shake her!" The man cowered in his seat and clutched onto his seatbelt as the car swerved onto another street, the motorcycle in hot pursuit.
It looked solid black all along its frame with the front plate shaped like the beak of a bird. The lithe rider wore form-fitting leather and carried what looked like a sword with a broad tapering blade in a scabbard on her back. A long brown auburn ponytail whipped out from under her helmet. The driver tried to block her from passing but she dropped back and whipped over to the other side. She drew her sword and tried slashing at the passenger door. The tip merely grazed against the reinforced chassis. The driver thumbed a button on the steering wheel and circular plates slid down to cover the wheels. He swung the car to the side, attempting to crush her, but she slipped back once more, evading the slower vehicle. "Nice try, but you're not getting me like the others," the driver growled and tried to put civilian vehicles between them and the motorcycle.
Not one to be deterred, the rider wove around cars and twirled the sword up, holding it horizontally. The tip of the blade spread open into four tines and the ride stabbed it at the door handle, the tines slipping into the keyhole snugly. The driver gasped when the car began losing speed. The rider withdrew the sword and pulled back out of the way as the car began skidding wildly. "She did something to the systems! I've lost control! Brace yourself!" the driver shouted and tried to steer the car into a side street out of traffic. The heavyset man curled up and whimpered as the car spiraled several times before slamming head-on into a lamppost. While not hard enough to cause significant damage, the impact jolted the car to a stop and caused the driver to pitch forward roughly, banging his face against the steering wheel and knocking him unconscious.
The portly man tried to rouse the driver to no avail. He fumbled with the door handle but it refused to budge. Then he gasped when he saw the motorcycle come to a stop close by and the rider dismounted, sauntering over to the disabled car confidently. The doors are locked...the windows bulletproof glass...there's no way she can get inside! The woman drew her sword again and twirled it stylishly in her grip before stabbing the tines into the door-handle, holding the blade steady with one hand while deft fingers of the other danced over a tiny cluster of buttons embedded into the flat of the blade. Lights on a small screen flickered and danced and before the man had a chance to sputter a protest the lock clicked and the rider pulled the door open, sheathing her sword. The man cowered and cringed in his seat as the rider pulled off her helmet, cradling it in the crook of her arm.
"N-N-Now, Raven...I-I'm sure we can t-talk things out! I-I'm not like the others! I was actually on good terms with your father! W-W-We worked together for years, after all!" he blubbered and waved his hands. The woman wore a narrow black band over her face, her eyes only visible through narrow slits. She stared down at the portly man impassively then reached down towards her belt and pulled out what looked like a white sidearm with a matte sheen and aimed it at the man. He cringed and curled up in his seat, awaiting the inevitable. The woman stood there several seconds before holstering the weapon, turning, and walking away, sniffing disdainfully. The man lowered his arms and stared after her incredulously. Instead of sighing in relief, however, his lips spread in a grin.
"Heh...heh heh...I knew it! Even after all this time, you still can't bring yourself to do it! Hah! That is why you'll lose in the end! To think: Osprey wanted to leave the company to a feeble woman like you?" the man crowed as the woman walked over to her parked motorcycle. "You don't have the stomach to do what it takes to avenge your famil-"
Without looking behind her, the woman drew out the pistol swiftly and fired a shot straight at the car. The man's jaw hung slack and his eyes widened. A narrow scorch mark marred what little of the man's thinning hair remained on the side of his head. He gibbered incoherently before slumping backwards in a daze. "Oops...missed...I really need to work on my aim..." the woman commented in a deadpan tone before holstering the pistol and straddling the motorcycle. She pulled back out into the street, leaving the wrecked luxury car and its occupants to wait for first responders. She revved the engine and sped back towards the feeder then onto the freeway.
No one else seemed to know who she was as she wove around civilian cars. Eventually she caught up with the noisy gang from earlier and earned several catcalls when they saw a woman riding a motorcycle. One bald-headed lout with dark sunglasses dropped back to ride alongside her. "Heeeeyyyy babe! Hows about some D?" he jeered and made a lewd gesture near his waist.
Without so much as sparing him a glance, the woman drew her sword and slashed at the front wheel of the punk's vehicle, lopping it in half and sending him and what remained of his precious bike tumbling roughly over the pavement.
"Why you-! You'll pay for that!" the thug's buddies closed in, drawing various weapons like chains and pipes. The woman swung her sword like a wheel, deftly deflecting strikes and disabling bikes. Before the punks had a chance to even contemplate fleeing, she'd left over a dozen motorcycles and their riders strewn along the highway. Satisfied none of the gang remained to pester her, she sheathed her sword and focused on the road ahead.
She spotted the headlight of an approaching motorcycle in the rear-view mirror. She scowled and waved her hand off to the side dismissively. If he wanted to pass her he could. If he wanted to pick a fight, he was more than welcome to. The lamp blinked once, twice, signaling her to move over. She veered the Condor to the left lane and waited for the rider to approach from the right side. It could be some highway punk or some over-ambitious newbie motorcop who thought he could take her on.
She caught glimpse of a white front plate decorated with a stylized black-and-gold samurai helm emblem. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected to see a man clad in silver armor with red accents and a flaring golden crest adorning the helmet. He took one hand off of the handlebar and pointed off to the side briefly, indicating he wanted her to pull over. She scowled and shook her head firmly. Why the hell should she listen to him? Her eyes popped wider when he reached down and pulled an ornate sword from one of two scabbards. Evidently he meant business.
Fine. Two could play that game...She kept one hand on the handlebar and drew her blade, twirling it briefly before swinging down towards the front wheel. While his bike looked nice, it couldn't possibly be a match for her Condor. The man deftly parried her blade and returned with a slash of his own. She had to swerve away to avoid the tip grazing Condor's front tire. Scowling, she cut her speed and dropped behind the armored man, swerving around to his right side. He couldn't possibly respond in time with his sword still in his left hand.
The man surprised her by clenching his blade in his teeth and quickly switching his grip to his right in time to parry her slash yet again. This isn't some cos-playing joker out for a joyride...this guy's got some technique! She marveled as they dueled while weaving in and out of traffic. Not only did he manage to match her strikes, his bike-however cheesy it looked to her- managed to keep speed with the Condor, both of them topping 180mph. He pressed the attack but didn't seem interested in harming her or the Condor. Well I got some technique of my own... She punched in some commands on the console on the steering column and lights flashed along the chassis. She pulled one leg up and inserted her heel into a slot on the fore seat and slowly stood up, bracing her other heel into a slot on the rear. The Condor kept moving, guided automatically via its computer systems.
The armored man raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed. Now she had the height advantage but also both hands free to attack. She drew her beam pistol with her other hand and took aim at the white motorcycle. The man managed to intercept and deflect shots, much to her surprise. She crouched as if surfing and Condor moved close to the white motorcycle. He might have two swords, but he could only keep one of them in play while driving, and he couldn't possibly have the sophisticated systems Condor possessed... The man glanced out the corner of his eye in alarm and she followed his gaze briefly, spotting just in time as they approached a overpass. She ducked down and crouched close to the seat to avoid the beams. She resumed the attack once they cleared the beams, but none of her shots connected. The pistol let out a hiss and it whined as it shut down to avoid overheating. Growling in frustration, she holstered it and plopped back down into the seat.
No matter how many banks and turns she executed, the armored rider maintained close pursuit, his custom bike somehow still able to match Condor's turn radius. They would trade blows occasionally before peeling apart to avoid traffic. Despite him wielding a thinner blade, it refused to yield under her her blows. He displayed bizarre maneuvers she'd never thought possible. His bike had no visible computer systems for her to hack, and every time she tried stabbing the tires with the splayed tines on the tip of her sword, he kept blocking her at the last second, able to maneuver deftly even with just one hand on the handlebars. If he had access to automated controls like the Condor, she hated to see how he'd fight with both swords out...
I've had about enough of this wacko... She tried to lose him by swerving down an exit ramp quickly. She looked over her shoulder, smirking confidently. Her jaw dropped as the man quickly sheathed his sword and pulled up on the handlebars, rearing the bike up and jumping the dividers. He landed nimbly on the exit ramp without missing a beat and resumed pursuit. He glowered at her from under his helmet, similarly frustrated with her tenacity. He drew his sword back out and began twirling it in his grip, apparently preparing for something.
She frowned when she noticed a curious distortion in the air, as if the man moved his blade through water. The air seemed to pull with it, being dragged by the edge. She raised her own blade and thumbed a button along the grip. The blade hummed and a faint blue light shimmered along the edge. They had driven up the freeway again with the distant ground rushing below them. Whatever the man had planned, she could take it. He twirled his sword a few more times, swept it up, then slashed forcefully. She raised her sword to block, the blue glow increasing in intensity.
The blades clashed and a loud clang rang out through the air, a shock going through her arm and sending her and the Condor spinning across the lanes, onto the shoulder, and crashing through the guardrail. The man looked horrified and braked sharply, swinging around to the shoulder and peering over the edge. She cried out and held on tight to the Condor and hurriedly pressed two keys. Two slots opened up by the front and grappling hooks shot out, digging into the overpass. She screamed in frustration as she swung through the air and touched down roughly, the tires bouncing several times. The hooks disengaged and the cables retracted. She slumped forward to catch her breath, still dizzy from the ordeal. She glanced up at the broken guardrail at the man and smirked weakly, giving a mocking salute before driving away. The man watched her depart impassively.
...Who was that lady? Ryo wondered and sheathed his sword before leaving.
The woman entered a traffic tunnel and hugged the wall. Up ahead, a section ground open, revealing a hidden ramp. Without any other civilian driver noticing, she slipped inside the secret exit and drove deeper and deeper underground, the passage sliding shut behind her. The ramp connected with another tunnel and she wound her way down until she reached a lift that descended further until it reached a hidden base. She rolled Condor out onto a platform and pushed down the kickstand and dismounted, striding over to a worktable and drawing out her sword. She placed it into a horizontal rack and reached to the side, pulling out a magnifying lens mounted to a swivel arm. She maneuvered it about and pushed it close to the blade, peering through, spotting a notch in the reinforced alloy.
"Jeez! Nanoscopically sharpened to the width of a molecule and he managed to nick it!" she hissed and leaned back up, raking her fingers through her hair. "Who the heck was that guy?"
"Boy, it sounds like you had a run-in with Raven Mistral!" Crystal Hacker remarked from where she sat at the console.
"Who?" Ryo asked and raised an eyebrow from where he stood beside the chair wearing sub-armor.
"You tellin' me you never heard of Raven Mistral?" Crystal grimaced. Ryo shrugged absently. "Nevermind, I forget this happened a few years back when ya'lls were off-realm fightin' the Dynasty..." she muttered and waved her hand dismissively. "See, this guy Osprey Maestral used to be the CEO of RavenTech. They're big into manufacturin' but HQ is downtown. Me an' Harry's dads used to work for'em. Now that I think of it...so did Conan's dad. Now that I think about it...I think Emma's dad used to be on the board..." Crystal muttered and shook her head. "Anywhos, Osprey was gettin' up in years and everyone expected his oldest son Hawk to take over, but Raven ended up being tapped instead..."
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a sec: 'Osprey', 'Hawk', 'Raven'?" Ryo made a face and shook his head.
"The daddy had a thing for birds. Pop used to say he was crazy enough to make Howard Hughes look sane...whoever that was...Folks nicknamed'em the 'Romanovs of the tech industry'..."
"Because they were business royalty?"
"Because they all died," Crystal replied back, wincing awkwardly. "Xcept for Raven, course...Story goes Osprey had a secret partner to stage a hostile takeover and planned to dissolve the board and take the company private, but Hawk betrayed him and conspired with the board to have the family wiped out if he was made CEO. The board double-crossed him and Raven's been at large since, waging a one woman revolution against the board, goin' after members an scarin'em silly. There was supposed to be a deal or somethin' with a pharma company States-side based out of Utah-" Ryo raised an eyebrow and glanced at Crystal upon hearing that. "But the boss-lady there axed things after Osprey died."
"So Raven's on a quest for vengeance... So far she only seems to attack at night. Keep me posted if she shows up again and see if you can find anymore information about her. I'm going topside to get some rest. Been a long night for me..." Ryo muttered and turned to leave.
"Ryo!" Crystal called out at him and he paused and turned to the side. "There's a reason cops ain't been able to catch her! That girl is crafty an' she quick!"
"If its justice she's after, she's going about it the wrong way and needs to be stopped. She can't just go around attacking people. We can help her, but she has to be willing to listen," Ryo stated and exited the room. Crystal sighed and shook her head, her beads clacking.
"I sure hope that boy knows what he's gettin' himself into..."
She never forgot...
"Come now, Osprey! Let's put aside these silly pipe dreams of yours. All that matters is finding new ways make even more money!" a portly man guffawed. Other members seated around the long table chuckled in agreement. At the head of the table, flanked by two individuals, a wiry-looking man sat in a wheelchair and kept his lips drawn tight. On one side stood a young woman with long auburn hair bound up in a ponytail and to the other stood a weedy-looking young man with sharp features. The wizened man in the wheelchair flicked his gaze up at those seated and sneered in contempt.
"You are all fools if that's all you care about even with events unfolding in the world today! Such feeble men with puny ambitions have no place on this board anymore."
"How dare you speak to us that way! You no longer have a controlling stake, so your 'ambitions' mean nothing!" a man with great flaring jowls like a bullfrog growled.
"Oh I beg to differ. While you've been squandering your dividends on expensive yachts and upscale residences, I've been at work behind the scenes. Now I have enough shares to boot every single one of your revolting asses out and dissolve the board completely!"
"Y-Y-You can't do that!" "This is absurd!" "The gall!"
"In that case, sir, I would like to respectfully tender my resignation," a lean man with dark hair and a neat moustache announced and rose from his seat and bowed gracefully.
"Accepted. You are the only decent man among this hive of snakes, Adrian. Your severance should be more than ample to take care of your daughter, Emma. Farewell."
"What the hell! Coburn! How could you leave us hanging out to dry! We could still hold a vote and put a stop to this farce!" a man with broad shoulders and gray hair sputtered.
"It is done! Now the rest of you...get OUT! Effective immediately I am naming Hawk CFO and Raven EVP." The sharp-faced young man did a double take but clenched his jaw and glanced sideways at the young woman, who tilted her head up slightly and took a deep solemn breath.
It should have ended there...
Osprey sat by the window, unflinching even in the face of death. "Hawk...I raised you to be better than this..." he lamented as his son stood flanked by goons.
"And I slaved away under you for years, just to play second fiddle to Raven?! I think not! I don't care if she was your little darling and you named the company after her, I am the only one worthy of being crowned CEO! And thanks to my deal with the board, I'll retain a controlling stake..."
"Actually...The terms of the agreement have changed. The board's just decided they really don't need you anymore..." a tall man with long thin silvery hair and a chin shaped like a brick drawled. "They've had enough of this little family affair and decided to cut out the middleman..."
"What?! N-N-No! You c-can't! We had a deal! I'm the only one with the access codes for the servers besides Raven! You need me!" Hawk protested and whirled around to face the goon. Osprey flinched upon hearing the *thwip* of the silenced bullet and watched sadly as Hawk toppled backwards onto the floor, eyes frozen wide in disbelief.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out..." the hitman drawled, his grin displaying yellowed teeth.
"It doesn't matter if you kill me," Osprey began and thumbed a button under the arm of his wheelchair. A light started flashing in a dark room. "You'll never get away with this..."
"Who says we're stopping at you?" the hitman turned the pistol towards Osprey.
"What!? NO! YOU WOULDN'T! YOU CAN'T! THEY'RE JUST CHILDREN!" Osprey cried and lunged forward in his seat. The pistol jerked once more and Osprey slumped out of his wheelchair.
"Now all that remains is to track down the bitch and the rest of the rugrats..." the goon snickered.
They wouldn't even spare them...
She pelted through the halls of the estate, eyes wide and heart pumping in panic, holding a little boy by the hand. They'd already caught her mother and Albie upstairs. She wouldn't have time to reach Egret and Corbie. Their only hope now rest in reaching the panic room. She approached a large painting of the entire family and felt along the frame, pulling out a secret compartment and keying in a code. While she worked, the little boy started to totter away from her. "No! Stay with me Pidgie! We don't have time to get your stuffie!" She hissed and pulled the boy back towards her. She finished typing in commands and a section of the wall depressed and slid to the side. While she ducked under the frame and moved to enter, Pidgie pulled away. He wanted his stuffie... She turned around and cried out in horror. "PIDGE! NO!" Too late as the door slid shut between them, timed to remain open for only a few seconds before locking.
She beat futilely at the door, but it would not open from the inside. She screamed to no avail but clamped her hand over her mouth when she thought she heard the creak of a door opening. She had no way of seeing, but she could only imagine the oaken doors swinging inward as a cadre of thugs entered the parlor. Pidgie turned around and gazed up at the tall men, too young to know why they leered down at him menacingly. They couldn't see the seam in the wall, as far as they knew the boy had just wandered around aimlessly until he came to the family portrait.
They wouldn't...they wouldn't! He's just a baby! They wouldn't! She kept her hands clamped over her mouth in dread. The hulking goon with the large chin and yellow teeth stepped forward when his fellow hitmen hesitated. He thumbed back the hammer and aimed the pistol down at the boy.
Even with the wall between them she heard the *thwip* and the thump of something landing on the floor. Her eyes widened and she sank down towards the floor, head brushing against the wall. She could hear their guffaws, their sneers of disdain. She lost track of how many hours she lay there curled up on the floor, but when she finally roused and pushed herself up, her cheek felt wet and sticky. Blood had seeped under the door seam. She staggered to her feet and braced her palm against the wall for support. No turning back now. Her mind in a daze, she walked towards a lift and thumbed the button, leaning against the side as it descended.
"Raven...my daughter...if you are hearing this, then you know the worst has happened, and the board has undertaken an abhorrent action. The care of the family now falls to you...Hawk cannot be trusted to shoulder such a burden. I ask two things of you: to save the company, keep it from falling into corrupt hands and being used for nefarious means, and to avenge me. Never waver, never give up. You are my daughter...avenge me..." the prerecorded message intoned as she reached the bottom of the shaft. The doors slid open and lights switched on, illuminating a secret facility housing shelves full of mechanical parts, weapons, and computers. A huge spot activated over a wide platform, revealing a partially-finished motorcycle adorned with decals of a diving bird.
"I will avenge you, father...I'll avenge ALL of you!" she stated firmly, tilting her head up and narrowing her sharp green eyes in a scowl before binding a strip of black cloth over her eyes.
Never forget!
Ryo awoke from the warmth of the sun on his face. He'd slept deeper than he imagined. He sat up and glanced at his wrist-com: no alerts. The rest of the night had gone quietly. He rolled out of bed and dressed himself before shuffling towards the door. He swung by the bathroom to wash his face and glanced at the mirror briefly, half-expecting to see his 'other self' in his reflection. On the way to the stairs he stopped by Ryu's room to peek inside and saw the boy blissfully napping. Whiteblaze lifted his head up and twitched his ears inquisitively, but Ryo signaled him to remain in place and keep vigil. Ryo closed the door quietly and proceeded downstairs. He couldn't see anyone seated at the dining table but spotted the kitchen door ajar and walked over to see who remained in the household.
"Hey Mia...taking the day off from work today?..." Ryo greeted timidly when he entered the kitchen to find Mia seated at the counter engrossed in her laptop.
"Hmm? Oh, morning there! You slept through breakfast. Everyone else already headed out and about, leaving me with the dishes of course. Even Cye, but he and Brit were heading out of town for the day, I guess to visit his family. So, how you feel?" Mia asked absently.
"Just the same, I guess. A bit drowsy, but otherwise fine..." Ryo shrugged. Mia seemed unusually chipper given what happened the day before. Ryo's gaze strayed to her neck where he spotted the bite scars from the very first time he'd become that monster. They'd never quite healed right or faded, even after so long. Ryo frowned guiltily, wondering if somehow that had allowed the demon to home in on her so easily. "Um...Mia...listen...I...I-" he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well you know what they say, you don't really know someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes," Mia interrupted quickly. Ryo flinched and averted his gaze, sorely wishing he could undo that ordeal. Mia said nothing else and remained focused on her research. She couldn't really blame Ryo, and if anything the experience gave her a deeper appreciation of the burdens he shouldered as a Ronin Warrior. The demon's presence had brought her face to face with a very ugly side of herself, one she'd never believed herself capable of. "Anyway, I've been doing some research regarding our new fanged friend," Mia stated, drawing an awkward glance from Ryo. He made a face when he noticed how eagerly she pursued the subject. She turned to the side and slung her arm over the back of the barstool. "He's not a yokai! He's a daeva!"
"A whata?"
"A daeva! They're incrediblypowerful entities featured in ancient Middle Eastern mythology. They're much different from classical devils and spirits, more along the lines of demigods. They're not necessarily 'evil' in the sense we associate with...just...different..." Ryo stood off to the side behind her. "I'm guessing that's why he was able to fly under the radar even with wards all over the area. Think about it: even Whiteblaze couldn't sense anything off, and he was right next to me!" Ryo frowned uneasily at the way Mia delved into the subject like a giddy schoolgirl. "The first clue came from the last time he paid us a visit, what he said about being from Persia..." Ryo tried to focus on the laptop screen and listen to her prattle on about mythology but for some reason his gaze kept straying to her neck. "The entry about him in Anubis' codex refers to him as the 'Prince of Flame' but I'm having trouble finding specifics regarding his early history..."
Ryo's attention slipped again and his eyes seemed to glaze over as he stared at her neck. He could feel something course through his body and his pulse quickened. He grunted softly and his lips peeled back over his teeth slightly. He couldn't see, but he could feel his gums tingling as the canines grew out slightly into points and he couldn't take his eyes off of Mia's neck.
Ryo let out a sharp gasp and spun away, clamping both hands over his mouth. Mia heard him and glanced out the corner of her eye at him. She frowned sympathetically, inferring what had almost happened from the panicked look in his eyes. He likely had a subconscious desire for her to "be like him". She remembered a comment he'd once made to her the first time...
"You have no idea how good this feels..."
Ryo pulled his hands away from his mouth and his gums tickled as the points receded and his teeth returned to normal. Is this going to happen every time I'm around her? he wondered sadly and shoved his hands into his pockets and walked towards the window. Mia watched him, noticing how he apparently wanted to distance himself from her. At least he could control his urges, she found that promising... Ryo seated himself on the sill and pulled one leg up and braced his right heel and the back of his right hand against the frame, letting his left leg dangle to the floor.
"His presence in your body seems to act as a sort of 'off switch' for your impulse control..." Mia raised an eyebrow when she heard Ryo's despondent grunt. "What's up?" she glanced at him.
"I'm just thinking about something Kento told me once. He said 'there's no Jekyll and Hyde' with him: He's still himself when he transforms...but...what you're basically saying is...that's a more fitting description for me." Ryo looked back at her remorsefully. Mia bit her lip and averted her gaze.
"It certainly would seem that way..." she replied and brushed her hair over her shoulder.
"Do the others know?"
"I'm won't tell them until you're ready," Mia assured. Ryo sighed, wondering if they'd forgive him for what he did before he forgave himself. He thought back to Ritho's cryptic warning. He let out a hiss of frustration and turned away towards the window. "It kind of makes you wonder, if he's already substantially powerful, why is he so interested in you?" While Mia spoke, Ryo flicked his gaze up at his reflection. However, instead of seeing his own eyes, he saw something else.
He blinked several times, thinking it might be a projection of his guilty conscience, but the image remained of the black-skinned flame-eyed beast. His eyes widened in shock as it stared back at him. It didn't seem to be angry with either of them...it almost looked like it wanted to say something...
"If he's obsessed with power you'd think there'd be other things more worthy of his time than us petty mortals..." Mia commented. She knew for a fact she'd put over a dozen students and fellow faculty members in the hospital while possessed, but every time she tried to focus on the messy details, her mind drew a blank. True to the demon's word, the mental block remained in place.
"Don't beat yourself up over it." Mia jumped in her seat when she heard the voice. She whirled around and looked at where Ryo had seated himself. She hadn't heard him cry out or so much as whimper in pain. She hadn't heard the crack of bone or whisper of flesh, it apparently just happened. He still wore Ryo's clothes, only the casual wear draped over pitch black skin. The eyes opened slowly and the candle-like pupils roved about to peer at her. At this point she'd learned to identify the subtle distinctions between pitch and tone and differentiate between Ryo being "behind the wheel"-so to speak- and the demon itself. Ryo either spoke with his own voice or with a slight echo. The demon sounded more gruff with a deeper echo. "Sometimes its healthy to vent. You keep all that frustration bottled up inside, you're liable to blow like a volcano. In all fairness, they had it coming."
"No one deserves to be mauled by a demon..." Mia stated and turned her gaze to the floor sadly.
"Let's be honest, it wasn't a 'demon' that did all that..." he shrugged and placed his hands behind the back of his flame-red hair. Mia flinched, wondering if he intended to break his promise. He flicked a glance at her and grinned toothily, displaying the inch-long fangs. "It was a very, very, VERY pissed off mommy." Mia raised an eyebrow and glanced at him again. If he wanted to make her feel better about herself, he had a peculiar way of going about it... "Besides, a few burns and scratches beats being doused in liquid hot mag-mah," he teased as he hopped off the sill and walked towards her. She remained seated and tried to stay calm. If he meant her harm he easily could have attacked by now. "Hey, seeing as how you've already had a taste, if you're up for it, maybe sometime down the road I can give you a little nibble and we can have some fun together...it might make you feel better..." he draped his arms over her shoulders and leaned close, grinning.
"Alllllright, that's enough out of you. Down boy," Mia chided and reached up, patting him on the cheek gently. Oddly enough he didn't feel any hotter than the outside of a microwave. He seemed perfectly capable of regulating his external heat despite his magma blood. He didn't seem the least bit offended and smirked before withdrawing and walking over to seat himself on the counter close to the cabinets. Mia rose from her seat and walked over to the sink to get started on the dishes. He didn't try to intercept her and remained seated, watching her absently. "So what's an all-powerful fire demon want with a Ronin Warrior of Virtue? What's your story?" Mia teased, stopping short of using his true Name.
"Hmm...you wanna know all the juicy details, eh?" the demon mused and rapped his thick claws against his upper arms. "Where to begin...okay, so you know the story of Aladdin right? Classic fairy tale of a kid down on his luck, rags to riches and romance...okay, imagine if the boy was already a prince and set to wed a lovely princess, and the vizier wanted to seize power. Oh, and the djinn? More of a familiar. Not even a teensy bit of cosmic power. More like comedic relief, or a moral compass. Like Jiminy Cricket, except not as endearing...
"Instead of exiling or outright killing the prince, the vizier places a powerful curse on him, dragging him into Hell where he is slowly and agonizingly torn apart-body and soul shredded-twisted and broken until consumed with the fires of vengeance. Enough of his soul remains intact to remember what he lost and who he used to be, and through sheer force of will, driven by rage and fueled by fire, he claws his way back to the Mortal Realm to reap terrible vengeance. But a day up top is centuries in Hell, and while years have passed in the kingdom, he endured what seemed like an eternity in torment.
"So he returns to find the vizier impersonating him, and not only that! He finds out the princess was actually in cahoots with the vizier, seducing the prince to trick him into letting down his guard to begin with. So already his mind isn't in a good place..." While the demon spoke, Mia listened wide-eyed in rapt attention, her hands partially submerged in the suds. "But while the vizier and the princess spent years banging each other, the prince spent eons in Hell accumulating power, becoming a force of nature. He gets his vengeance alright, but where does that leave him? Where does he go from there? He's still a damned soul...his only hope is to hitch his wagon to noble souls."
"How does that explain Marcar?" Mia queried, remembering the scheming sorcerer that had once targeted Tanya. The demon visibly rolled its eyes and snorted in frustration.
"That little prick...there's a mistake I lived to regret...you know, you take a guy at his word that he's being 'oppressed' by his master and offer to help, and how does he thank you? By keeping you imprisoned as an insurance policy. Well I sorted him out, that's for sure..." the demon grinned toothily before closing his mouth and frowning and flicking his gaze at Mia. "You want to know why I've got the hots for Ryo? Why he's so critical to my agenda? ...Because he's my meal ticket. He's the key to getting back what was taken from me. I just needed to gauge his character first. Make sure he was the real deal...He gets actual cosmic power, and I get to tag along for the ride. It's a win-win for us both," the demon shrugged and placed his palms against the back of his head.
Mia hadn't moved from where she stood and stared at the demon, not sure what to say. For all she knew he could just be lying to elicit sympathy, but the way he spoke so emphatically, she found it difficult to doubt him. He raised an eyebrow and frowned, glancing at her hands in the sink. "...your hands are gonna get all puffy, you know," he quipped. Mia winced and ran the faucet, rinsing her hands awkwardly before rinsing off the dishes she'd already scrubbed. "Here, I'll help you dry," he sighed and hopped off the counter and sauntered over to stand beside her.
"I thought water was hazardous to you..." Mia glanced at him skeptically. The demon said nothing and reached down slowly, placing the tips of his talons on a plate gently and lifting it out of the sink. Water hissed slightly from where his claws touched the ceramic, but he didn't seem adversely affected. He held the plate up and moved his free hand over it, splaying his claws. The air rippled faintly and Mia could see residual water crawling away from the surface, steam wafting into the air. The demon set the plate aside and got started on another plate as Mia started scrubbing the rest in the basin, glancing sideways at him as he continued using his power to help her. He remained quiet as they continued working together, apparently content to spend time in her company.
What a rather curious being...
"Sure, I knew Osprey back in the day. He was a real visionary, had his eyes set on theoretical fields such as space exploration and colonization. The world lost an intellectual titan with his murder... The family weren't even cold in the ground before the board made a hard pivot to weapons manufacturing and artificial intelligence, fields Osprey hated..." Shannon's aunt Jacqueline O'Connor spoke on screen while Ryo-in human form- and Crystal listened. "There's been allegations for years since his death that the company's been double-dealing under the table in direct contravention of dozens of international arms treaties. Accusations of safety violations such as the offshore disaster which claimed Conan's father...We had discussed a partnership not long before the massacre but I pulled out once I saw how the board ran things without Osprey to reign them in..."
"See, everyone knows they were pullin' the strings, but there's no proof they ordered the hit," Crystal added.
"Raven technically still owns a controlling stake, but as long as the board has an iron grip on the company, she can't step back into the limelight without support from Osprey's secret partner. Until she has enough proof to come forward, she can't dislodge those bloated ticks."
"So she's chosen the path of a vigilante...I can sympathize with her loss, but if she keeps it up with her attacks she'll wind up crossing a line she can't come back from," Ryo argued.
"Ryo, when I lost my son, I had my entire family at my back...well except for my ex...the point is, Raven doesn't have the support network I did. She's completely alone and her mind is in a very bad place right now. She learned the ins and outs of engineering alongside her father, and she's got near-limitless resources at her disposal. Intellect and ruthlessness are a dangerous combination especially in her situation. Be careful when dealing with her, and don't underestimate her. It might not be an issue of if you could talk her down from the edge, but if she wants to be..." Jacqueline cautioned.
"Understood. Thanks for the info. Crystal, keep tabs on things here. I'm heading out." Ryo patted the upper edge of the chair and walked towards the main cavern where the Rider waited for him.
"Umm, Ryo, if I may..." Ryo looked over his shoulder at young Miz Paufan. "I wanted to ask you some questions concerning that...rather antiquated vehicle of yours..."
"'Antiquated'!?" Ryo exclaimed and scowled irritably, causing Miz to wince. "Listen, I only use the finest parts for this baby," Ryo insisted and affectionately patted the seat.
"Available to humans perhaps, but you know we have a surplus of equipment in storage for the Raider and Argonauth. It wouldn't be a drain of resources for us to upgrade your, um, contraption..." Miz managed and rubbed his fingertips together. Ryo frowned sympathetically and rolled his eyes. He could tell he meant well.
"Look, I appreciate the offer, but the Rider's got a special place for me. There's just something satisfying seeing something that started out as a long shot coming together into something beautiful. The Rider might not have the bells and whistles of WILDCAT or Raider, and technically Mia's jeep's logged more hours fighting the forces of evil, but it has its uses for travel while keeping a low profile." Miz had to wait until Ryo turned around before rolling his eyes, especially when Ryo shrugged on his thermal jacket, the leather one with the fur ruff and the Wildfire insignia emblazoned prominently on the back.
"You weren't exactly keeping a low profile last night..." Miz commented and stepped to the side as Ryo wheeled Rider about to face the exit tunnel.
"Well obviously this lady is going to require a different approach. If what Shannon's aunt said is correct, she might be more open to talking if I'm not wearing Armor," Ryo reasoned as he started the ignition, revving the engine a few times while the dererium security doors slid open. Miz backed away a step and Ryo put on his motorcycle helmet. "I'll call for backup from the others if I need it." And with that, the Rider took off down the tunnel and out along the abandoned road, leaving Miz standing alone in the main cavern looking apprehensive.
"You wanted to see me?" a coarse voice drawled. In the dimly lit room he could make out half a dozen men seated around the table.
"Yes...the little bird that escaped your grasp has come back to peck at us. She's already gone after three of our members. You are still on contract, and seeing as how you failed to finish the job before, you're being tasked with plucking her wings...permanently."
"Use whatever discretion you deem necessary. If you hear so much as a cheep from her, squelch it immediately! We can't afford any information leaking out to the public!"
"Don't you worry...I have my feelers out. There's nothing she can do in Heaven or Hell that will get through me," the hulking goon smirked.
He didn't stand out as much wearing sub-armor under his jacket. Traffic on the feeder seemed fairly sparse, and Ryo guessed he'd run into his target on on of these quieter thoroughfares because she'd want to travel discreetly as well. He had no way of tracking her aside from traffic reports on the radio, but if she targeted another corporate bigwig, he'd hear about it eventually.
Ryo raised an eyebrow when he thought he heard another engine on the on ramp behind him. On a hunch he slowed down at the same time the black motorcycle from the night before careened off the overpass, arcing towards the ground. Instead of crashing or wiping out, the rider angled her bike just so that it landed on both wheels, bouncing up slightly before skidding to the side several feet with sparks showering from the wheels. Ryo brought the Rider to a full stop and pulled off his helmet.
"I see you're a fan of making an entrance," Ryo smirked. The woman pulled off her bird-themed helmet, shrugging loose her reddish ponytail. She narrowed the eyes of her cloth mask.
"You've been going out of your way to find me. I'd like to know why. Are you in league with the board?" she demanded, hanging her helmet on the handlebar.
"You seriously have no idea who I am, do you? You never heard of the Ronin Warriors? Mystical defenders of humanity? We're pretty well known across the nation. News talks about us all the time..."
"I don't exactly follow the news..." the young woman stated curtly, her tone level. Ryo frowned: the way her mask tightly framed her eyes made her difficult to read. She didn't seem like an irrational woman consumed with vengeance. She actually looked fairly composed and stoic. At least she seemed willing to talk... Ryo cradled his helmet under his arm and took a step away from Rider.
"Look, if it means anything, we're friends with Jacqueline O'Connor from America. She was a former associate of your father. My name's Ryo. You're Raven Maestral, right?"
"It's Mistral now. So I never forget my mission. If you want to stop me, you're welcome to try."
"A Cresta's Wheel is specifically designed to break an opponent's weapon. You're the second person I've faced who's been able to withstand that," Ryo smirked. He frowned when she drew her sword but instead of tensing to lunge she held it before her, keeping the blade horizontal. She tapped the flat of the blade with her fingertip, pointing out a tiny notch in the metal.
"You somehow bypassed the magnetic repulsors. No one's ever done that before. So you've caught my attention, Ryo of the 'Ronin Warriors'. What exactly do you want from me?"
"I want you to stop it with this campaign of yours. You might think its for the right reason, but I can speak from experience, vengeance eventually leads to the Dark Side."
"What, you supposed to be a freaking Jedi now?"
"No. I'm a Ronin Warrior, and believe it or not, I've been going soft on you so far. I'm not saying I'm defending those sleezes you're after, but you'll put civilians in danger in the process and I can't allow that. There's other ways to get retribution, and we have the means to help you, but only if you'll let us."
"I find it rich you think you can talk to me like you know how much I've lost."
"I know what it's like to feel like you've lost everything. I know it has to be painful for you-"
"Do you know how it feels knowing your own brother sold out your entire family? Do you know how it feels knowing your younger brothers and sisters got gunned down just trying to run for help? Do you know what it feels like to wake up in a pool of your little brother's blood? Don't talk to me like you know anything about me! You skirt the law same as me, how are you any different?"
"Because we are. We Ronin Warriors protect the Mortal Realm from harm. There's things out there beyond human understanding. Our duty is to protect humanity, even from itself if need be. You've obviously suffered a great deal, but if you keep following this path of yours someone's going to get caught in the crossfire, and it might be someone else's family that pays the price for your vengeance. I don't think that's what you want. You're too smart and too skilled for that." Raven said nothing and sheathed her sword. She reached for a slim pocket over her left breast and pulled out something and tossed it at Ryo. It looked tiny and he reached up and caught it easily. It could have been a weapon or distraction, but somehow he didn't feel her to be the type to resort to cheap tricks. He held the object in his palm and studied it, noticing the metal plug on one end.
"That's a microdrive with a copy of all the info I have on the board and their actions. Every illegal sale, every under-the-table deal, every shell account, all of it. I've been trying for months to feed the story to the media, but no matter which outlet I visit, the board's hatchet man always shows up to intercept. Even the dirtiest, muckraking-est tabloid refuses to run the story. I can't face him directly: the guy's built like a tank. He's the same slime that slaughtered my parents and siblings. If you won't let me get justice my way, then get it for me. Killing the board won't fix things. Those maggots need to be dragged out into the sunlight where they can squirm for all the world to see. Until my father's company is freed and my family avenged, I can't afford to ease up on them."
"You have my word I'll get this to the proper channels," Ryo nodded and closed his fingers around the device. Raven sniffed and turned around, straddling her motorcycle.
"I'll hold you to that, 'Ronin Warrior'. I'll keep an eye on you," Raven warned and took off on her Condor. Ryo pinched the microdrive between his thumb and index finger, raising an eyebrow as he pondered just exactly how to make good on his promise...
The young man fumbled with his keys as he juggled a sheaf of papers and a cup of coffee on his way inside the office. He heard a metallic thump from behind and raised an eyebrow. "Hey kid, you work at this rag?" The young man turned around and nearly dropped everything he held upon seeing the man crouched atop his car clad in form-fitting black-and-red armor from the neck down.
"Wow! You-You're the leader of the Ronin Warriors!" the young man marveled.
"Heh, I see I've got a few fans...Listen, if you're willing to do a favor for me, I've got a story for you to run. I promise it's legit, but you're welcome to check it out if you need. If you can get this published, you'll be doing the world alot of good. I can't trust the military with this, there'd be too much red tape involved. I'm counting on you to get this story out there." Ryo held out his fist and the young man had to shift his load around to hold his coffee in the crook of his arm and free up a hand to hold open for Ryo to drop the microdrive into his palm.
"Uh-oh-gosh! Um, okay! I'll get this to my editor as soon as I've finished checking it out! I promise!" the young man gushed eagerly and bowed awkwardly before scurrying into the building. Ryo waved after him and remained on the car until the young man disappeared into the building.
The apprentice writer jogged up to his cramped office and deposited his load on the desk before booting up his computer and inserting the drive into a port. He had no idea to expect at first, maybe a publicity stunt or personal memoir, but his eyes grew increasingly wider as he pored through the trove of documents. He wiped his palms over his face, body shaking from excitement. He took a screenshot of open windows and opened a instant messenger before pasting it and uploading it, tagging it with a brief message: "GOT A STORY FOR FRONT PAGE! THIS WILL ROCK THE NATION!"
He continued going through files as he waited for a reply. A window popped up from the editor: "COME TO MY OFFICE RIGHT AWAY." Without thinking to make a copy, the writer pulled the drive out and rushed towards the elevator, all but clicking his heels on the way out to the editor's office.
"Sir! Sir! You're not going to believe where I got this! This will finally put us on the map for sure!" he gushed as he entered the office. He frowned upon seeing his boss seated behind the desk with a tall scary-looking man with a face shaped like a brick standing beside him. "...who...who's this?" The hulking goon stepped to the side out from behind the desk and began walking towards him, hand extended and fingers waving expectantly.
"C'mon kid, hand it over..." the goon purred. The writer's eyes widened and he glanced from the monstrous man to his boss desperately.
"What? No! No! I can't!"
"Give it to him. It's not worth it," the editor stated calmly. The writer tried to back away and scooted along the wall trying to get as far away from the goon as possible.
"No! You don't understand! I promised him-get away from me!" the writer shouted as he tried to dance away from the thug, who kept following him around the room.
"Don't try to fight. Just let him have it..."
"I can't! The guy who gave this to me, he's a Ro-!" The goon lunged and buried his fist into the writer's stomach hard enough to lift him off the floor several inches. The young man coughed and spat up gobs of bloody saliva. His arm hung limp and his fingers slowly curled open. The thug extended his palm to catch the microdrive as it tumbled out of the young man's limp grasp.
"You didn't have to hurt him..." the editor grumbled and shook his head.
"You need to stop hiring so many softies," the goon snorted and flung the injured writer to the side, letting him slump against a cabinet. "All these green wet-behind the ears newbies with their 'ideals'. 'Journalistic integrity'...how quaint. The board sends its regards. You'll receive your 'just' compensation shortly. Until next time..." The barely-conscious writer gasped upon hearing that and tears streamed from his eyes in defeat. The goon stalked out of the room guffawing richly while the editor sighed and shook his head before resuming his work as if nothing had happened.
From a roof edge facing the news office, Ryo saw everything. Now he knew why Raven had resorted to such drastic measures. Apparently the board had every news outlet in town in their pocket... He scowled angrily and waited for the thug to exit the building. The hulking man walked down the street, pocketing the microdrive and whistling merrily. Ryo took off running, following from on high. The hatchet-man didn't seem to have a car, preferring to travel on foot, yet he couldn't possibly be mistaken with that monstrous bulk of his... He didn't seem to fear empty paths as he took a shortcut down a lonely street. He grunted when he heard a metallic tap and clank behind him.
"That doesn't belong to you." He raised an eyebrow and turned to the side slightly, spotting a man with shoulder-length black hair and brilliant blue eyes.
"Well I'll be...the leader of the Ronin Warriors... I should feel honored! A small-time hood like me garnering such 'legendary' attention!" the hatchet-man drawled, baring his teeth.
"You know who I am. That's good. That means you know what I can do. Unless you want to wind up getting fried, I suggest you returning what you stole."
"Drat! You've got me dead to rights! Fair'nuff! Not like a two-bit crook like me can match the 'might' of a Ronin Warrior!" the thug shrugged and held up his hands mockingly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small. "Here's the goods," he held up his hand to show what looked like the microdrive. "Here, catch." He gave an underhand toss. Ryo caught the device easily.
"Smart move. Now go back to your 'masters' and tell them that-" Ryo failed to catch the thug's slight grin and flinched when the device detonated in his palm, flashing brightly and leaving his ears ringing. He staggered and shook his head a few seconds, but it only took as long for the goon to close the distance and deliver a savage chop to Ryo's throat between his armor collar and jaw. The blow left him gagging and unable to react as the hitman seized him by the neck and lifted him up before slamming him back-first onto the ground. Ryo had several thoughts going through his mind at the time. One: This guy was good. Two: this guy intended on killing him. Before Ryo realized what happened, the hulking man had one knee pinned on his stomach, the other on his left wrist, and both hands around his neck.
Raven had followed discreetly using the tracer hidden in the microdrive and observed things from her perch on a slanted roof next to a AC unit. She knew the board's pet brute would show up, but didn't expect to see Ryo get taken down so easily. Ryo squirmed under the man's bulk, unable to move his wrist or speak to summon Lion AnimArmor. He kicked futilely, unable to get leverage against the man's position. The monster dug his thumbs into Ryo's neck, depressing the carotids, the dirty yellowed thumbnails digging into the flesh. The goon seemed determined to squeeze Ryo's head off rather than simply reach for his sidearm. His scarred lips peeled away from his yellowed teeth in a garish grin.
"You're not worth wasting a bullet. All that power you brag about havin' and you can't do jack shit! You might hold yourself up like you're some big-shot 'protector of humanity', but you're just a man like any other, and you'll bleed and die just like ANY OTHER!" the hitman snarled gleefully. Raven rose from her perch and moved to draw her sword as Ryo grew weaker by the moment. She'd have to swoop in and save his bacon from this mess... He relaxed abruptly and stopped struggling, but instead of falling unconscious, his eyes snapped open. Instead of diamond blue, black pools of void stared up at the hitman. "What the-!" the goon barely managed to gasp as Ryo's hand shot up and grasped the front of his chest, pushing the hulking thug up with ease.
"So...you enjoy taking other people's lives, do you?" Ryo's voice purred, tinged with a slight echo. Raven paused when she saw him rise to his feet, unbelievably holding the monstrous man aloft with one hand clenching the front of his chest. The goon watched in horror as Ryo's features changed rapidly: his skin turned black, his hair flame-red, his eyes burning orange, his ears long and pointed, two tiny horns sprouting up from underneath his hair, his canines lengthening into thick fangs. Raven clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp and crouched back down against the AC unit, eyes wide in disbelief. The armored fingers had grown into thick claws that dug into the thug's chest and the hitman could barely let out a gurgle as he felt intense heat seeping into his body from Ryo's palm.
Demon Ryo hissed in delight as he held the hatchet-man at his mercy. "Tell me, how does it feel little man: facing the same death you've dealt out to so many innocents?" The thug croaked and twitched as his heart felt like it roasted within his chest. "Do you like being prey for something stronger than you? It's not fun, is it: feeling so weak? Feeble old men, women, children: you showed no mercy! You're a much worse demon than me..." Demon Ryo splayed the claws of his free hand and held them close to the thug's face, the brick-shaped jaw freezing in a mask of terror. Demon Ryo unceremoniously dropped the goon onto his backside and folded his arms over his chest.
"Thanks to the Charm I just placed on you, you're going to march right over to the nearest government office and sing like a songbird about every single dirty deed you've done dirt cheap for the board." He walked over to the hitman and rummaged around the pockets of his trenchcoat until he fished out the real microdrive. "I'll be taking that, thank you very much...Tempted though I may be to barbecue you from the inside out, you won't be any good to me dead. Heh...that's rich...a demon having to fight temptation. Heh heh heh... AH HAH HAH HAAAA!" Demon Ryo threw his head back and let out a wild piercing cackle, fangs glistening in the lamplight. He grunted and narrowed his burning eyes in an irritated scowl and glanced up towards the roof.
Raven ducked behind the AC unit, not sure if she saw what she thought she saw. This...creature behaved nothing like the stern man she'd spoken to earlier. His personality had done a complete 180! He seemed to relish tormenting the goon. He didn't see me! He didn't! She kept one hand over her mouth and inched towards the edge, bringing just the barest sliver of her vision around the corner. She peered down and saw half of Demon Ryo's face staring up at her intently. She recoiled and gasped, scrambling quickly down the opposite side of the roof and dashed to where she had parked Condor. Without looking back, she started the ignition and sped away, terrified to look over her shoulder and see the monster following her, yet even with her eyes on the road ahead of her, she couldn't get the sight of those burning candle-like eyes out of her mind.
The young man sobbed uncontrollably as he halfheartedly placed his personal belongings in a cardboard box. He was through with this place. All his dreams of working his way up the journalistic ladder, shot down in flames. He wanted nothing to do with such a crooked industry... Laden box in hand, he shuffled towards the elevator to go down but paused and pressed up instead. He clenched his jaw and inhaled as hard as he could through his nostrils without inflaming his injured stomach. He was going to march right up to the editor's office and give him a piece of his mind before he left! He set his box down and raised his knuckles to knock before sneering and discarding courtesy, kicking the door open violently. "Alright you! I've had just about enough of you-"
The writer paused when he saw the desk seat empty. He entered the room, wondering if the editor had somehow stepped out on break. He raised an eyebrow when he heard something that sounded like a soft thump and a muffled cry and walked over to the window. He pulled up the blinds and jerked his head back slightly upon seeing the editor hanging upside down with what looked like a metal pipe wrapped around his arms and legs. It looked like someone-or something had grabbed a drain pipe and bent it around the editor's body as easily as a coil of rope.
The writer pushed open the window and leaned out slightly, puzzled. He looked up and around but saw no one else nearby. A cloth gag covered the editor's mouth as he let out muffled pleas to call for help. The writer spotted something pinned to the front of the editor's shirt and leaned close. It looked like an envelope with "THIS BELONGS TO YOU" scrawled on the front. The writer plucked the envelope off and peered inside, surprised to see the stolen microdrive. The editor thrashed and screamed furiously behind the gag as the writer calmly shut the window and lowered the blinds.
The young man walked over to the desk and reached down, gingerly picking up the nameplate of the editor and merrily chucking it into the wastebasket. He seated himself in the comfy chair and kicked his legs up onto the desk, tapping his toes together as he reached for the phone with his free hand, holding the microdrive aloft between his fingers like a precious treasure. "Hi, this is the editor's office. I've got a story I'm sending down for you to run. Full front-page spread, biggest font possible on the headline. We're about to put ourselves on the map and blow the lid clean off of corporate corruption!" the writer stated calmly while the captive editor let out muffled screams of protest from outside the window.
"We're here outside the headquarters of RavenTech where the entire board has been indicted for a host of serious infractions on a scale never before seen in the corporate world..." a reporter spoke into the camera held by her wiry cameraman while a rotund technician stood off to the side near the van. "Government officials are on site to take the suspects into custody after an earth-shaking exposé went live just yesterday, implicating the members in charges ranging from treaty violations to racketeering and even accessory to murder of members of former CEO Osprey Maestral's family. All of this is corroborted by sworn testimony from a self-described hitman in the employ of the board of directors..."
The members of the board futilely tried to shield their faces from scrutiny as they were marched out into waiting vans, dodging a barrage of questions from myriad reporters. The fat, spoiled men, unaccustomed to scrutiny, found themselves stripped of all comfort as they were subjected to batteries of questions, slapped with numerous charges, and dragged through bombastic trials that saw astronomical fines and prison sentences levied in a matter of days.
Enraged that these actions had occurred under their noses, the government of Japan brought the full weight of their fury down upon the corpulent board members. Pouncing on the scandalous details published in the exposé credited to a brave writer who risked life and limb to see this injustice brought to light, the media at large happily dragged the board through the mud, painting them as abhorrent depraved monsters, leagues worse than lowlifes.
The heavyset man with the flaring jowls shuffled into his drab cell, no longer clad in his tailored suit and tie, but in thin prison garb several sizes too small.
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting...
He stared about his surroundings. Small blessing it may be to have a solitary cell, he had no comforts of luxury. No imported furniture or exquisite food.
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!"...
Not a single word from his high-dollar legal team could soothe the tempers of the panel of judges. Palms greased up and down the military chain for years had closed overnight.
"Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!"
Politicians wanted nothing to do with them, too afraid to endanger their squeaky-clean image. He sat on the tiny bed that creaked under his weight, staring at the square of light on the floor.
"Leave my loneliness unbroken! Quit the bust above my door!"
Scowling in frustration, he stood up sharply and shuffled over to the window, clutching onto the sill with his fat sausage-like fingers. He squinted when he thought he spotted something on a distant roof.
"Take thy beak out from my heart and take thy form off from my door!"
His eyes bugged out in indignant rage as he saw a lithe figure clad in form-fitting black leather perched on the edge of the roof across the street. Even with the wind blowing, even with rain pelting the window, he could see auburn hair bound up in a ponytail flagging behind her head. Her eyes framed by her cloth mask narrowed in satisfaction and she gazed back at him calmly.
"Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore'..."
AOD Soundtrack
1. Hell on Wheels-Stupid Girl-Garbage
2. High Speed Duel-Propane Nightmares-Pendulum
3. Never Forget-Sunny Came Home-Shawn Colvin
4. The Virtuous Devil-Back in the Saddle-Aerosmith
5. One Woman Revolution-My Favorite Game-Cardigans
6. Nevermore-Enjoy the Silence-Depeche Mode
"I have become an Archon, a being of holy might empowered to scour evil from the world!" the inquisitor proclaimed. Reiou seethed indignantly, appalled at this attempt to justify his actions.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy! But that's not what you're turning into." Reiou whirled to the side and looked up towards the roof, spotting a lean figure standing casually on the very edge. It sounded like Ryo, and at first glance it looked like Ryo, only he appeared very different...
Shame of the Order
Author's Notes
WorldEmber 2023 finished recently and I blew past last year's word count with new entries and artwork such as the Traedeskaton, Weeping Death, Richtho Plant, and Master Playwright, including the first fully-formatted Vanguard character page for Roxi Hirochner, along with four new full-color pieces for scenes in Aftermath Chapters 4, 6, 11, and 12.
The dialogue between Demon Ryo and Mia was actually planned for much later but I decided to move it up to flesh out his character more. The others still don't know about Ryo accepting the demon's power...when they finally find out...well things get a little bit heated.
Raven Mistral is the second Vanguard to be added to AoD in Spacequake. Like Trakar, she was created quite a long time ago but could only be introduced recently. She's very much a no-nonsense character with alot of baggage and will have a significant role to play in the upcoming Three Wars mega-arc. What ties she might have to the Ronin and their allies remains to be seen.
We're entering the final stretch with only two chapters remaining in Spacequake. I hope to finish this summer and will likely take a brief hiatus to iron out more of the next season. I've been using World Anvil to do a bit of "pre-writing" by jotting down future scenes as envisioned them to lock them in place. I plan to do at least one "bridge-chapter" for Neo Ronin before the season finale.