A Touch of Red
By evolution-500
Genres: Horror/Friendship/Romance
Feedback: Always welcome
WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language, mature themes and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised.
Disclaimer: KILLER INSTINCT is a property belonging to Rare and Microsoft while RESIDENT EVIL is a property belonging to Capcom. I do not own any of these characters.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Interrogation
"What the hell are you playing at?!"
Lighting his cigarette, Dieter took a drag as the Baron angrily admonished him, the hearth burning in the background, the sole source of light in the dark room.
"You seem angry," the former dryly noted.
"'Angry'?" Konrad repeated. "No, Dieter, I am not angry...I am furious! Not only have you gone against my wishes, but now I have a man critically injured. Two men, actually."
Breathing out smoke, Dieter frowned. "Look, it's not my fault that Thunder fella got attacked by Spinal, alright? As for R.I.P.T.O.R. and Cinder, I figured I was doin' ya a solid, you know? The girl was bein' uncooperative, and besides, the Board had been wantin' human/creature fights for some time, so why not kill two birds with one stone?"
A gloved fist slammed onto the handlebar of the wheelchair.
"So your answer is cold-blooded murder?!" Konrad roared, the flames bristling from the outburst.
The two men were still and silent for a long time as light from the fireplace danced along the shadowed walls of the Baron's study.
Even with his sunglasses concealing his eyes, even in spite of the hood covering his features, Dieter could feel the glare that Konrad gave him.
"...How can you do this to me?" the latter spoke, his tone weary, bitter and angry, filled with disappointment. "All these years...and this is how you repay me? I trusted you. Even though your antics drove Jurgen up the wall, you were my friend, and I stood up for you, no matter how outrageous some of the things you did were. No matter what sort of trouble you would manage to get yourself into. I never asked much of you, Dieter. And the one time - the one fucking time - that I asked you not to do something, you go ahead and do it. You were my friend. I thought you respected me."
"And I still am, Konrad!" Dieter insisted. "I do respect ya." He ran a hand over his mouth in frustration. "Look, things were under control, so there's no need to get so worked up over this."
"'Under control'?! 'Under control'?!" Konrad incredulously repeated. "You call what I saw down there "under control"?! That damned animal was this close to murdering a man, and Spinal was loose!"
"R.I.P.T.O.R. would have been dealt with, I assure you," Dieter said in a neutral tone. "We had Theseus androids on the scene, along with some security personnel, all of whom were armed with enough tranquilizer darts and tasers to put down an entire pack of wild elephants."
"Then why didn't you take it out sooner?!" Konrad retorted. "Instead of capturing that damned thing and deescalating the situation, you were there gawking with your fucking cameras! You idiot, Dieter - what would have happened had its tail or acid spit resulted in more creatures being released?! But even more, why were there no guards available in the upper regions of that mansion?! Spinal was loose again, but you were too busy playing your stupid games! Your carelessness had nearly compromised the security of my home!"
The bodyguard was still, keeping silent as his employer continued to chastise him, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
From his seat, Konrad's gaze was locked onto Dieter, his form shrouded by the cloak that he wore.
"You were lucky that R.I.P.T.O.R. had been subdued," the former said in a low voice. "From that awful racket that I heard down there, you were driving all of those things into a frenzy! If I hadn't stepped in, those creatures would have run rampant throughout the castle! Do you want these things to run amok through the Arklay Mountains and reach the city?!"
Puffing on his cigarette, Dieter let out a plume of smoke. "No, Baron, I don't want either of those. But like I said, I had it under control. It won't happen again."
Staring at him with his concealed eyes, the Baron sat there in silence, looking unconvinced.
"It better not," Konrad growled. He then leaned forward, raising a gloved finger at him that trembled. "From now on, you are on notice. You are to shut down your gambling ring immediately. Immediately, you understand?! I don't care if it's an inconvenience to you or not. I don't care if you get bored - this is my house! I am paying you to do a job, not to have "fun"! If I ever hear of something like this happening again, you are out! You hear me?! You are out! You will respect my wishes, whether you want to or not! If you can't accept that, then I will throw you the fuck out on your ass! Do I make myself clear?!"
The Baron's voice was low and threatening as he offered his ultimatum, his tone filled with a restrained fury, his very being shaking and trembling all over.
Even with the cloak on, part of the Baron's back seemed to bristle, making the bodyguard take notice, his employer's eyes glowing so bright that they became visible even with his sunglasses still on.
Clenching his jaw, Dieter's mouth tightened into a grim line as he nodded in submission.
"Crystal," he muttered.
Konrad stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. See that this never happens again. Now get the fuck out."
Exhaling out a plume of smoke, Dieter flicked his cigarette into the fireplace, the bodyguard departing without saying anything else, leaving his employer behind as he sat near the burning hearth.
Her sleep had been anything but pleasant.
Fluttering her eyes open, Orchid groaned as she woke with a nasty headache, her left orbital throbbing.
"God...damn it," she swore, wincing at the bright glare bearing down on her.
As she reached up to massage her forehead, Orchid suddenly became aware of an uncomfortable tightness around her chest and in her limbs, her arm's movement hampered by some obstacle.
"What the hell?"
Sitting herself up slightly in alert, she squinted under the bright light, allowing her vision to adjust, taking everything in.
Lying flat on her back, she found herself strapped down on what seemed to be a hospital gurney, with an IV unit and heartrate monitor connected to her arm and finger respectively.
However, what made her greatly concerned was the fact that both her arms and legs were bound by a series of thick buckles, preventing her from moving any of her limbs.
Struggling against her bindings, Orchid wriggled around as she tried to flex her fingers, testing how much movement she had.
"Well, isn't this something," she mused aloud.
Not exactly how she thought this would turn out, all things considered.
'How annoying,' Orchid thought with some dismay.
She had to admit, the injury to her pride stung and left a bitter taste in her mouth.
The situation was unusual, all things considered, but not unsalvageable in her opinion.
Twisting on the bed, Orchid grit her teeth as she continued to struggle, feeling the bed shake beneath her, the spy's movements ceasing entirely upon hearing a door nearby open with a noticeable creak.
"Ahh! You are awake!" The Baron's voice called as he entered, wheeling himself into her view from the right with some file folders on his lap along with an iPad, closing the door behind him. "Good. I was hoping that you were - we have much to discuss.
'And don't bother trying to get out, Fräulein - the restraints are made of a fire-resistant material. We've also taken the precaution of feeding you a steady stream of tranquilizers into your system via the IV unit."
Blinking in surprise, Orchid looked over to the IV unit, glancing down to the needle in her arm before looking back in her captor's direction.
Narrowing her eyes, she offered a seductive smile.
"Quite the way to treat a lady, Baron," Orchid spoke. "Kinky even. Is this how you treat all of your dates? I prefer candle-lit dinners and roses myself before being taken to bed."
Even with the hood, scarf and sunglasses concealing his features, she could tell from the way that he flatly looked at her that he was less than amused with her remarks.
"Don't be clever, Fräulein," he reprimanded. "You are in enough trouble as it is already. Two men have died because of your involvement, and were it not for the fact that I am feeling charitable, you would have been handed over to the authorities."
The Baron's words coldly silenced any further remarks, the air still and tense as he glared at her from his seat.
Orchid said nothing, her face a calmly stoic mask that betrayed nothing, her eyes carefully watching his movements, like a cat ready to spring.
Moments later, the Baron let out a breath and relaxed into his wheelchair, his arms settling onto the armrests. "Now then, we should start with the basics." He looked meaningfully at her. "Who are you?"
The spy remained silent, her eyes coolly focused, giving nothing away.
Grabbing a folder from off of his lap, Baron Von Sabrewulf opened it up. "You really are something of an enigma, aren't you, 'Orchid'?" he remarked. "Or would you prefer your other alias, "Ada Wong"?"
She said nothing in response, her body still, her expression unchanging.
Gloved fingers drummed on the armrests as the Baron continued to watch her with scrutinizing eyes.
"My colleague David seemed quite charmed by your act," he said conversationally. "Smitten, even. I'm sure that had he been presented with the opportunity he would have left his wife for you."
Orchid shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about, Baron."
"Oh come now," the Baron chided. "David has been very talkative. Even he couldn't forget a face like yours - he told me that you very much resemble a supposed secretary that we have by the name of "Ada Wong". I've checked all of our employment records, and I have found no trace of anyone by that name in any of our computers and databases, nor do we have any records of our ever having employed such a person. My men and I've checked social media, and we've found nothing. To be honest, I wouldn't put it past the realm of possibility that you have a million other aliases."
Orchid shrugged again. "What can I say? I'm just a simple woman who likes her privacy."
The Baron scoffed. "Ha! You are far from simple. I ran your DNA and fingerprints through every conceivable database that we could find, even sources from FBI and INTERPOL, and not a single thing about you could be found at all anywhere. Tell me, how is it possible for a woman as beautiful as you to leave not a single footprint anywhere? Not even a digital footprint? Why, it's like you are a ghost, and it only makes me all the more curious. Who is this "Orchid" or "Ada Wong", whichever you prefer?"
Orchid remained silent, her eyes focused on the Baron's lenses.
Considering the question, Orchid shrugged. "Nobody really. Just a girl looking to survive."
"Hm," the Baron thoughtfully hummed. Drumming his fingers on the armrests of his wheelchair again, he shifted in his seat. "Yes, you do strike me as a survivor. I can believe that on some level, I suppose."
His drumming ceased. "Of course, that is not entirely true now, is it?"
Orchid said nothing, waiting for the Baron to elaborate as she maintained her composure.
"I've been rewatching the security footage of you," he continued. "I have to admit, I was impressed with the way in which you handled yourself, the way you navigated your way around. Very clever and patient. All the traits of a good spy."
Even as the words were uttered, Orchid didn't even react.
Harrumphing, the Baron nodded. "You are undoubtedly a very lethal creature. It took a lot of daring, resourcefulness, calculation and cunning, even a certain degree of foolhardiness on your part coming in through the front door as you have. You were very careful not giving your hand away. Of course, your infiltration of this facility wouldn't have been possible without help. I have my suspicions as to who is involved, just as I am certain as to who it was that had hired you."
Orchid remained stone-faced, her eyes coolly meeting the black lenses of the Baron's sunglasses without betraying the slightest bit of emotion or reaction.
"However," the Baron continued, lifting up a pad from his lap, drawing her attention over to it, "it was your escape from one of the enclosures in the basement was what had really drawn my interest."
Playing the video, he flipped the screen around, allowing Orchid to see a fiery cat-like being emerge from a door, the video pausing.
An uncomfortable silence and stillness followed as the Baron stared directly at her.
"We had your person checked while you were unconscious," he spoke. "As far as we can tell, you have no cybernetics installed, nor do you have any specialized equipment that would have allowed for something such as this, and my men and I have been very thorough. Making you something of an anomaly."
Furrowing her brows in confusion, Orchid watched as the Baron suddenly reached up and slowly drew back his hood, her stoicism cracking as he then removed his scarf and sunglasses.
Staring in shock, Orchid's mouth parted, her eyes widening as she found herself greeted by the thing that was hidden beneath, a bluish wolfen head with thick and wild-looking fur.
Shaking its head like a dog, the creature's ear twitched and wriggled, its nostrils flares.
"As you can see, Fräulein," the beast spoke with the Baron's voice, its mouth moving in perfect sync with its speech, "I can relate to that."
A stunned silence followed, the spy struggling to even speak, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She blinked a few times, then let out a derisive scoff, slowly shaking her head.
"I have to say, Baron - your sense of humor is very peculiar," she remarked, letting out a slight laugh. "You had me going for a moment! I mean, it's a little early for Halloween, don't you think?"
Without even uttering a single word, the Baron suddenly removed the blanket from his lap, revealing fur-covered legs that were far too long, far too crooked and far too inhuman-looking, the proportions all wrong.
Huge pawed feet flexed their black-clawed toes, tapping the floor as its owner then shrugged off his robe, revealing thick, dark bluish fur as he climbed out of the wheelchair, placing the article of clothing on the right armrest.
Stretching his back with a grunt, the Baron then removed his gloves, revealing long fingers lined with black talons, placing them on the seat of his chair before turning to face her.
"Surprised, my dear?" he commented. "I have to admit, it is good to be able to walk around. Being stuck on that blasted thing for hours on end is a chore and uncomfortable on the backside. And the robe and scarf - goodness me! I always feel like I could die of heatstroke under those fucking things."
Pausing, the Baron tilted his wolf-shaped head, letting out a snort as a thought seemed to occur to him. "You should feel honored, Fräulein - you are the only woman who has ever seen my condition. Normally the thought of revealing my being to anyone would be unthinkable, mortifying even. But...I think I can make an exception in this instance. After all, it is not everyday that I come across someone like you."
Turning to face her on his strangely digitigrade legs, the Baron then started to move toward her, his approach making the woman tense up.
As he drew nearer, Orchid suddenly became aware of a smell - a distinct musky odor that reminded her of a veterinarian hospital.
Stopping right beside her, the spy nervously stared at the creature as it loomed over her, its clawed hands resting by its side.
Lifting one up, Orchid flinched as the werewolf reached up to touch her face, the woman shuddering, almost pressing herself deeper into the gurney, as if to avoid being touched.
Looking up at its ugly wolfen head, Orchid had half-expected to see the creature twist its face into a horrible, if not enraged animalistic snarl or evil grin, if not for it to bear its teeth at her, while another part of her had expected that the creature would roar or howl.
Neither of those predictions came to fruition, much to her surprise - instead, the creature was staring down at her with a profound sense of complete and utter sadness, his eyes haunting and sorrowful.
"How lucky you are, girl, to be so beautiful," he said in a soft and low voice.
Looking at his clawed hand, the werewolf gave Orchid a dejected look before returning back to the wheelchair, its shoulders slumped, the beast looking deflated, vulnerable even, much to her confusion.
Crossing his legs, he let out a shaky and excited breath. "You have no idea how long I have been searching for. How long I have been waiting for this moment."
Puzzled, Orchid's brows furrowed. "Uh...care to elaborate on what you mean?"
He stared at her with those ominously glowing green eyes.
"Thirty-four years," he said in a low voice. "That was how long I have been searching for. Thirty-four years and thousands, if not millions of dollars had been spent trying to find answers! I have searched far and wide across the globe for something to help me! Anything at all! I have spent decades scouring through countless academic archives and libraries, explored countless cultures, got my hands on every conceivable scroll, book or forbidden text about the various myths and legends, every rumor and whisper, no matter how great or small!
'I have searched numerous newspaper articles, television programs, documentaries, and websites, have met with every mystic crackpot, physician and scholar that I could find, only to be met with failure after failure at every turn! I had studied the phenomena of Cynocephali, Loup-garou, and whatever else they have been called throughout the centuries, but at every turn, I was met with nothing but scammers and disappointment." He gazed meaningfully at her, his voice filled with a hushed awe. "All these years...I thought...I thought that I was alone. I thought that I was the only one of my kind in the world.
'And now, after thirty-four years of searching, you suddenly appear on my doorstep."
Leaning forward from his seat, he clasped his clawed hands together on his lap, his eyes eager and jittery, his limbs trembling.
"Tell me, Fräulein," he said slowly. "What are you exactly?"
Caught off-guard by both the question and by the whole ordeal, Orchid found herself at a loss for words, perplexed by the position that she was in. Of all the different scenarios that she had played out in her mind, this was not how she imagined her interrogation was going to be like.
"Um...what?"
The Baron slammed his fist on the handlebar of his chair, startling her.
"You know damn well what I mean!" He roared. "What are you?! Are you a witch? A sorceress? Are you one of Biotechnica's experiments?" Pausing, the lycanthrope's eyes widened, looking as if something had occurred to him as he gazed upon her suspiciously. "...An extraterrestrial, perhaps?"
"What?!" She balked, taken aback by the Baron's intensity, looking at him with genuine confusion. "No! What on earth are you talking about?"
"You can turn into an animal and revert back at will!" The Baron snapped, taking a threatening step toward her. "How are you able to do it?! Is it magic? Genetic manipulation? Herbal remedies? Nanomachines?! TELL ME!"
Recoiling in the bed, Orchid warily eyed the Baron as his intensity and excitement grew, his eyes glowing brighter as he let out an animalistic growl, his sharp teeth and fangs bared.
For several seconds, part of her worried that the latter was going to do something rash, maybe even attack her.
Was this how she was going to die?
Finally, the Baron's eyes lost their glow as he looked around, as if he were abashed, sweeping his clawed digits through the top of his furry head before clearing his throat, averting his eyes.
"...My...apologies," he spoke in a calmer and more collected voice, looking everywhere else but at her. "That was...unbecoming...of me."
Relaxing slightly, Orchid let out a breath, watching as the Baron turned to look over at his wheelchair, his back facing her.
"I realize that this is all a bit much," he said slowly, "but...you have to understand the profound significance of your abilities for a person such as myself. You cannot fathom the countless sleepless nights that I have had, wondering if a time will come when I would find answers. Not only are you the closest thing that I have ever encountered that is even remotely like me, but you are also somehow able to revert back to human shape at will! Something that I am unable to do!"
Rel, watching as the Baron settled back into his wheelchair, her mind cautiously filing that information away.
"I have so many questions to ask you," the latter said, "and right now, you are my only clue as to what this is, if not how to cure my condition."
He gestured to his fearsome-looking appearance.
Placing his clawed hands together, he intently stared at her, leaning forward in anticipation of an answer.
"What are you?" he questioned.
The recovery room was silent, the words lingering.
Resting her head back on the bed, Orchid was silent as she pondered the question.
Part of her wondered how much she should divulge about herself, if not what sort of leverage she had over the Baron with whatever knowledge that she had about her abilities.
Seconds turned into minutes as the two of them sat in silence, the spy weighing her options as she felt time slowed.
"...Well?!" the Baron impatiently demanded. "Are you going to say something?"
Pursing her lips, Orchid clicked her tongue, staring up at the ceiling as she thoughtfully meditated.
Finally, she exhaled, closing her eyes as she shook her head, feeling bewildered by the somewhat surreal situation that she was in.
"Um, well" Orchid said slowly, "...to be...to be honest...I don't really know."
The Baron frowned. "You don't know? Or you don't want to tell me?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. Honest. I wish I had a better answer, but that's the truth. I don't know what I am other than as a survivor."
Crossing his arms, the Baron hummed.
"Interesting," he murmured. As he sat staring as her in silence, the werewolf then tilted his head to the side, giving her a curious look. "Are there...others...like you and me out there?"
Orchid blinked, hesitating as her eyes widening slightly at the question.
The thought of other people having her abilities had crossed her mind plenty of times growing up, but the idea that she could potentially be connected with a werewolf of all things?
Definitely not what she had been expecting.
Humming to herself, Orchid shook her head. "I don't know. To be honest, I thought I was the only one."
The werewolf was still, his glowing green eyes focused on her, his expression unreadable.
Tilting her own head to the side, Orchid raised a brow. "What about you? Have you...always...been like this?"
The Baron scoffed. "Nein. There was a period when I had been normal, once upon a time. I never transformed like you had, nor had it been as instantaneous." He bared his fangs as he stared off, as if in annoyed and frustrated recollection. "Mine was a long and painful one that started in my thirties, a gradual process that had lasted for months, if not years. For a time I had been unable to even walk, confined to a bed and forced to use bedpans."
Grimacing at the image, Orchid's intrigue grew as she regarded the bestial figure. "So what happened?" she pressed. "A moonlit stroll through the woods?"
To her surprise, the Baron barked out a harsh low laugh.
"Nein, nothing like that," he dismissively waved. "There weren't any full moons, bites, scratches and whatever else. None of that fake Hollywood shit."
"So how did you become a werewolf then?"
Shifting in his seat, he sighed. "Time." Puzzled, Orchid found herself wanting to learn more when the Baron lifted his head and gave her a quizzical look. "What about your parents? Had they been aware of this ability? Were they lycanthropes or some variant themselves?"
Giving a rueful laugh, Orchid shook her head. "I wouldn't know. I didn't have any growing up."
The Baron blinked. "You have no family?" She shook her head again. "No family at all?"
Orchid shrugged. "None. Just me, myself and my Firecat to help me survive on the streets."
She watched as he frowned, looking puzzled. "Your what?"
"That's what I call it," Orchid replied. "I don't know anything about it, really. It's just something that I always had with me growing up. I don't know what else to call it, but she's been with me, if not been a part of me, for as long as I can remember."
Humming thoughtfully, the Baron crossed his fur-covered arms. "Didn't you have any relatives? Siblings? Cousins?"
Sighing, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Like I said, I wouldn't know."
Shifting in his seat, the Baron leaned back into his chair, stroking his chin as he observed her. "...I see." Sitting cross-legged, he switched legs. "Tell me, Fräulein, your..."Firecat"...is it, uh...a...spirit?"
Looking up to the ceiling, Orchid gave an annoyed huff. "Look, Baron, I'm as much in the dark about these abilities as you are. I don't know a single thing about what I have, so there's no point in asking these questions over and over again."
"I'm just trying to figure out what you are, Fräulein," the Baron replied. "Believe it or not, you might be the key to my salvation, so it's important that you cooperate."
Frowning, Orchid shifted on the bed. "So what's in it for me, then?"
"It's very simple," the Baron assured. "I will quadruple whatever your employers are offering for your services in exchange for your cooperation. Afterwards, we can go our separate ways. Of course, you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement in relation to what you've seen and heard here."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you will be handed over to the authorities," the Baron answered, his tone harsh and uncompromising.
Orchid hummed, tilting her head as she pretended to consider the offer.
"...I see." She smiled. "Not exactly what I would call "good" options, to be honest."
"They are your only options," the Baron asserted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
She raised a challenging brow. "You would turn me into the authorities. Tell me, Baron...do the police know about the seven-foot monster that you keep in the basement?"
The Baron grimaced, wincing slightly at the mention.
Orchid hummed. "I see. And I gather the other creatures that you featured in your TV program aren't just props and actors either?"
"Nein, they are not, unfortunately. But don't even think to use your knowledge of them as leverage, Fräulein. I am generous to a fault, and I am prepared to let you go, provided that you never speak to anyone about this and that you never tread foot anywhere near either my home or my company." His eyes narrowed, his voice lowering as he continued, "But...should you try to screw with me, Fräulein...I will make your business my business, and then we will have problems."
For several moments, the Baron stared hard at her, the threat in his words evident.
But Orchid stared back unintimidated, her eyes flashing dangerously in challenge and defiance, flickering with a yellowish glowing tinge before she managed to get that part of herself under her control.
As the glow died down, the Baron nodded. "Take some time to think the offer over," he said, getting back up to put on his clothing. "In the mean time, I'm going to be checking in on your other co-conspirators and see what they have to say...including your brother."
Blinking, Orchid gave him a confused look. "My brother?" she repeated. "I don't have a brother."
The Baron harrumphed. "What do you take me for, a fool? Don't play games with me, Fräulein."
"I'm not playing any games, Baron," the spy shrugged. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"You are not convincing anyone, so stop playing dumb," the Baron said as he unraveled his cloak. "You're embarrassing yourself."
Orchid quirked a brow. "Who's embarrassing who, Baron? For the record, I'm not an American. Plus, you shouldn't assume, otherwise it makes an ass out of you and me."
Pausing in his work, he turned to face her, giving her an exasperated look. "You think you are so clever, don't you?"
The spy shrugged. "I like to think that I have my moments. Still doesn't change the fact that what I said was true."
Orchid watched as the exasperation in the Baron's wolfen features slowly vanished, the latter hesitating.
"You were being serious?" he questioned. "You have no family?"
Orchid rolled her eyes. "I already talked about this, didn't I?"
For several moments, the Baron was still, his features hard to read.
Closing his eyes, he let out breath.
"...I see."
Reaching for the file folder on the wheelchair, the Baron raised it up from his seat.
"Well, it would seem that you were wrong, Fräulein," he commented, drawing her attention, causing her to blink.
"What?"
"It's true," the Baron nodded. "Apparently, you had family participating in the tournament, unbeknownst to you. One of your competitors, Jago, has demonstrated some rather unique abilities. Granted, he doesn't transform as you do - at least, as far as we're aware - but he does manifest something similar to what you have. I've had DNA tests done on the both of you while you were sleeping in order to see whether any anomalies could be detected in your genome. We have not found any identifiable mutations...buuuut...we did, however, find a significant number of identical DNA segments in the samples. We had the results checked repeatedly in order to ensure their accuracy, but based on the the samples provided...he's your brother."
Orchid lied on the bed in stunned silence, watching as the Baron opened the file and held it up for her to examine.
Her eyes scanned the documents carefully, the spy carefully scrutinizing every detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
She read, reread, then read a third time, her eyes widening as she felt her heart stopping as realization set in.
'It's...it's true!" She mentally gasped, feeling overwhelmed.
She had a brother!
For the first time in her life, Orchid found herself at a loss for words, completely unprepared and speechless as she stared at the file.
The spy wordlessly watched the Baron as he closed it, the latter turning his back on her as he moved over to his wheelchair.
"I will give you some time to process this news, if not think over my offer," he said, slipping on his dark gloves. "We'll what your brother has to say."
As the Baron finished putting on the rest of his clothing, he departed from the room, leaving Orchid alone as she stared off into space, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
Settling back into the bed, the spy stared up at the ceiling, her mind a chaotic whirlwind that endlessly turned and struggled to process this news.
"What have you gotten yourself into, girl?" she wondered aloud.
Author's Note: Huge shout-out to LunarAquarius, Egyptianmaus and Stuff3 for their help - thank you so much, you three! I very much appreciate it!
Stay safe and healthy, everyone! :D