This was not going as planned. I wanted to be out of the target's home by now, but instead was pacing the messy study, an unconscious Corra on the floor and an impending possibility that the heist might be a bust looming in my mind like a countdown towards doomsday. I shook my head, Ray Mejia always had a plan, that's what everyone knew, and that's what I had to believe as well. But in a situation like this one, how could I? It felt like I was trapped in a box with no means to escape.
I was known as one of the most cutthroat and ruthless assassins to ever walk the face of Grustenburg, and yet in a situation like the one presented to me, I found myself utterly hopeless. I still remember the day that my quaint life went to hell, I had murdered the only ones I had truly loved for what? All for that bastard Greyson to reach out his slimy gut wrenching hand and make me swear to the creed. If I wasn't careful, Corra might do the same.
But just then almost as if the gods themselves heard my desperate pleas, Corra woke abruptly, her slender frame shooting into the air in a panic.
"T-The hell?" Corra's chest was moving up and down so quick that it looked like she was going to explode.
I sighed, staring blankly into her eyes, "Corra. What did you do."
"I-"
"You swore to the creed," I interrupted, I felt my heart sink. "And.. that was a rhetorical question."
"Was that what I thought I saw… In the dream." She was practically gasping for breath as she laid motionless on the ground.
"That was no dream." I felt myself let out a brief chuckle, I was about to witness the same thing that ruined me, it was almost hysterical. |
"Then what was it?" Corra's eyes resonated with a sense of urgency and panic,
"A reality that very well may come to pass."
A sudden sound echoed from outside the study into the living room of the home, the slamming of the door. The target was coming closer, and soon this mission would be over if didn't do something. I glanced over to Corra, every possible outcome of what was about to go down spinning in my head so fast I was getting dizzy.
"Can you stand?" I asked, footsteps were now coming closer like the beat of a large drum, I felt my heart begin to race even faster than it was before.
Corra winced, "I-I don't think so. Everything is n-numb. Ray, what about the card?"
"To hell with the card, we need to regroup. We're not pulling a successful heist without you."
"But-"
Before she could barely finish the sentence I had already scooped her onto my shoulders, the warmth of her body against mine like a hot iron. I swiftly turned to leap out the window, but as I reached for the wooden frame, the ominous sound of the mahogany door behind me creaking open rang through the room like the bang of a gong. I dropped Corra whirling to see Rufus, the man from before standing no less than fifteen feet behind me, a smug expression sat on his pig-like face.
I felt my stomach rise into my throat as I watched the man slip the little girl next to him a single silver coin. We had been duped, I should have known. This man possessed next to none of the qualities a father did.
"I've been expecting you," Rufus brushed the girl aside, she happily skipped out of sight down the stairs, brandishing her coin like a weapon, "I just knew that someone would be foolish enough to steal an identification pass from me of all people. I suppose…" He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket, revealing a silver embroidered slip of parchment. "... you're looking for this?"
I sighed, this was about to get dirty if I couldn't talk my way out of the situation, and considering there was a chubby middle aged man standing in front of me, I doubt it would be the latter. I felt my palm instinctively hover over my revolver at my side, if I had to draw blood to get my hands on that card, I wouldn't hesitate to.
"Woah there," He glanced at my gun, "No need to get violent here, I'm willing to let you go free, and give you this pass you want so desperately if you just do one thing for me." His voice was oddly attractive considering his other features.
"What would this proposition be?" My hand was still on my holster.
"The girl," The tone of his voice turned from creamy to dark and raspy, "give her to me."
"Not a chance." In an instant my revolver was in my palm, I felt my scarf begin to glow with heat like the coals of a furnace.
"You're a wise man Ray Mejia, but not wise enough. What's so special about this girl to you that you would rather keep her then achieve one of the most glorious victories you could ever hope to achieve!"
"Simple, she's my teammate."
Rufus let out a belly laugh, "You don't actually expect me to believe that will you? You are Ray Mejia, my boy. The bastard's son who murdered thousands. You don't expect me to think you all of a sudden gained the virtue of this so-called friendship do you? That is not the Ray Mejia I know."
I glanced back at Corra, it appeared she was focused more on steadying her breathing and staying conscious than whatever was going on between Rufus and I.
He spoke again, pacing back and forth as if he were deep in thought, "You're an interesting fellow, Ray."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're not wired like the rest of your kind."
"My… kind?"
"Yes." He stopped pacing and stared directly into my eyes, "Your kind… Creatara. You have an interesting way of thinking. A way that's more twisted, more… distorted. Then again, maybe you're not creatara at all."
"Your words ring no truth." I replied, "They're empty."
"The words of a fearful man." He chuckled, stepping closer. The heel of the boot making an ominous clunk, "You're… afraid of what you are… aren't you?"
Again, I remained silent.
Rufus sighed, "I suppose if you don't wish to do what I've asked, I'll simply turn you over to the authorities."
"You can't alert them if you're dead." I cocked my revolver.
Rufus scoffed, "Well, I'm sure the men who currently have this building surrounded would be more than happy to."
"You're bluffing." I slowly stepped forward, Rufus kept his position as smug as ever.
"Would a bluffing man know that your two lookouts out there are slowly beginning to turn back into a creatara?" He glanced down at his silver watch, "And by the looks of it, you and the girl both will be as well."
I froze.
"I must say the transformation spell used on you four is quite remarkable indeed." Rufus continued, "Who's the caster? I'd love to meet them."
Suddenly, a blinding sky blight light filled the room as Rufus finished his sentence, a cold chill running through the room as he whirled.
"Hey."
Alice was now behind Rufus, smugly propped up against the archway around the door like a cowboy before a shootout. She looked different, her eyes were glowing a silvery blue and her long blonde hair had been tied back. Perhaps it was just her unusually confident disposition that was tipping me off.
"Who-"
In an instant Rufus was on the ground, his body lurching over as he grasped at his stomach. Alice hadn't even lifted a finger, she just stood there… watching. Slowly I stepped forward, kneeling down so that I could look Rufus eye to eye. His body was twitching as if he was undergoing some sort of magical paralysis.
I reached into Rufus' suit coat pocket and simply snatched the card from it, "Well then." I glanced back up at Alice, "Good work, it seems you took my advice and finally stepped up your game."
"The Alice you know is gone." She still stared at Rufus' struggling body, the soul and beauty that were once in her eyes were gone. Only Malice remained.