Main White mansion:
Mel rolled on her bed, trying to get some sleep, but in despair. She could not stop herself from remembering the dark narrow stairs, not that she was claustrophobic but she was scared instead.
She looked at herself in the mirror and looked at a wreaked havoc- it was evident that she hadn't slept for days. Ignoring it she went down for breakfast.
" Morning, Grandpa Rick," she said and sat down.
" Morning, little lady, doesn't look like you have got some rest lately, are you ok? " he asked, worriedly.
" Nah, I'm good, I just wanted to look around outside the mansion, do you mind? " she asked, smiling sweetly at him.
" Ok, I'll send a few people to take you. "
....
The dragon was very, very busy puking his food contents, when his phone rang.
He and the Dark Prince were the only people who didn't deal with blood because of this reason, at least he assumed it to be so... Both hated blood, hence one became a sniper and the other chose technology, changing the gore field altogether.
Skylar had a weak stomach and cleaning the 3rd level DT didn't help with it.
" Do you know that I'm so glad that you called me, Ryder? Do you? " he cried over the phone, surprising Ryder.
' Did I call another number? My ex by any chance? ' he thought and looked at the caller ID, ' No...'
" Boss, are you alright? " he asked, hesitantly.
" No, no I'm not alright. " Skylar groaned and washed up.
" Sir, there is an emergency," he said, not sure what his boss meant from before.
" Thank heavens! " Skylar cheered, " I'll be there in a few hours. "
" Yes, boss... "
....
Brenden frowned and moved away from the bloody mess created by Glen Lee.
The person who sat on the chair in front of Glen was bathed in blood, his nails- all fingers and toes missing, parts of his hair, pieces of skin, an eye, the pungent smell, urgh... he was in a horrible state.
Brenden turned away from the blood...
He had really bad encounters with blood, for him to hate it altogether or hate it because he wasn't himself with it.
' We're those people really worth my trauma? ' he asked himself but he knew that the punishment was inevitable.
" Glen, I'm leaving," he said and walked out, away from the gruesome scene.
....
Empress's office:
" Do you really want me to go rampage like I did years ago? " Brenden asked, holding his hands in a fist.
" Can you clean up another bloodbath? "
Amory looked at him and rested her head on her hands, calm and collected.
" Nothing of that happened now so, what's the fuss about? " she asked, continuing with her work.
He sighed and took in a deep breath, " I'm leaving for 2 days, manage my current boss-Glen, for me. Thanks. " he said and walked out.
She looked at his retreating back and chuckled.
' He sure has a lot of guts to tell me, to manage the whiny Glen. '
Suddenly the door of the office was opened wide with a huge bang.
" Amory! I have an emergency come up in DD base, so I'll have to go, bye. " Skylar screamed from the entrance and ran away before she spoke.
She looked baffled at how similar these two boys are, no wonder they despise each other.
' Oh, cr*p, what about Glen now? '
" Have the new guys appointed to Glen immediately, Azriel. "
" Yes, Boss. " a figure from behind her got to work.
....
Mel walked around with a few maids, which was dead-awkward for her, but she didn't have much of a choice.
After a few hours of roaming into the forest, they halted.
" Why don't you guys rest, I'll just click a few pictures of the toucans here? " she offered and set off on her own, without giving them a chance to refute.
They tried to follow her but they were too exhausted with walking and decided to follow Mel's suggestion.
....
Mel walked down with the camera hanging off her neck, she was quite interested in finding Deetra's base, instead of taking pictures.
She kept looking for a huge construction or anything such as a cottage but what she found was grand and extravagant architecture between the mountains.
She hid behind a tree and clicked a few pics and sighed.
' Well, I think this should be enough of curiosity for one day. Let's head back now. ' she thought and walked away from there when she tripped and fell into the bushes, gaining the attention of the DD base.
" Who's there? You better show yourself or be shot."
' Cr*p, I just messed up. ' she sighed.
' Glad that you found out. ' her subconscious snapped back at her.
" Ok, just don't shoot me, it might hurt and I just hate the sight of blood, " she said and got down to the base's entrance. " even if it's mine," she added, nodding to herself.
The guards looked at each other and decided to leave the entire problem to Ryder.
" Call Ryder. " one guard called out.
" On it. "
....
Skylar got into the base in 3 hours and was quite happy that he had an emergency in his base rather than being mad or frustrated.
" What's the emergency... Ryder? " he stuttered as he looked at what was going on in his base.
The guards were busy singing, a few dancing, Ryder was laughing along with a girl- wait, what girl?
He got a bit closer and gulped in as their eyes met...
" Mel! "
" Skylar? "
Both astonished and baffled, stared at each other without uttering a word.
Ryder came into his consciousness and cleared his throat loudly to remind his subordinates that Skylar was there.
" What are you doing here? " Both, Mel and Skylar asked one another.
" YOU- tell me what's going on? " Skylar glared at Ryder.
Ryder frowned and put his head down. " I just wanted to show her that we were not that boring. "
Skylar looked at him in confusion and disbelief, ' What the hell is wrong with his team? '
" What? " he asked in disbelief.
Ryder glared at Mel, who was now sitting with her face in her hands.
" It all started when I found this girl outside our base... "
....
Ryder walked out as soon as he heard the news from the guard.
" What's going on? " he asked as he saw a small girl beside the men.
" Brother, help me, they are hurting me," she called out and ran to him.
' Brother? Who is her brother? Who the hell is she, in the first place? ' he frowned as she came and stood in front of him with gooey eyes.
" Let her in, don't hurt her, just put a small cuff. I'll go call Dragon first. " He said turning towards the guards and left.
....
Mel sat on a chair near the huge throne, handcuffed and sad.
' I could look around and get out, I wouldn't even tell anyone.' she argued internally.
' As if you have anyone to speak to... ' her subconscious sneered.
" Can I just call my grandfather and tell him not to worry and that I'm just at my friend's tonight? " she asked the instant Ryder came into her view.
He glared at her, confused and amused, " Aren't you scared? Do you know where you are? Do you think you can return alive? "
She thought for some time and smiled, " So, your boss would kill me right away? Like without asking who I am or anything? "
Ryder thought for some time and nodded, ' Well, Dragon is known for his haste. '
" There's a lot of chances. "
Mel's smile widened, " Ok then, would I get to say my goodbyes to my grandfather and a few others? " she asked, ignoring the confused guards, as long as Ryder's stern face didn't change, she didn't care.
Ryder frowned at the thought at this girl came here to die.
" Is something wrong with you? I can lend you a ear. I don't mind. " he blurted out, seeing the girl really meant it when she said that.
Mel sighed and leaned back on the chair. " It's a long story. "
" I have 3 hours before my boss returns. " he shrugged and pulled another chair to sit beside her.
" Then, I'll tell you. "
....
Time passed as the stern facade of Ryder faded and he began telling his sad story to her.
" So you broke up with that guy, just like that? " she asked, as she shook her head in disapproval.
Ryder frowned, " Do you think I was wrong? "
Mel shook her head, " It was this place, you're just 20 and you act like you're in the 40s, so boring and I don't know... dull, perhaps. " she shrugged, " No wonder that guy left you. "
Ryder looked insulted, did he just get insulted by a young girl?
Seems like it...
" We're not boring here, wait, let me prove it to you. " he clapped twice and the guards assembled.
" Let's show this little girl, here, that we're not as boring as we look. "
....
Skylar looked at him in bewilderment and was speechless.
He had to ruin his entire facade by coming here. All the time that he had escaped, he didn't get caught when he was shot or when he was covered totally in blood but by a mere emergency?
" You didn't see me, alright? " he asked, Mel.
She looked at him in amusement, " Then, I'm not gonna die? You're the Dragon-whatever isn't it?"
He sighed and embraced the truth, " I am the Vermillion Dragon. "
" So, you know most of the syndicates, isn't it? " she asked, not giving him a chance to think twice.
He nodded and shrugged, " Of course I do. "
She smiled and ran to him, still handcuffed, " Answer me then I'll let it slide." she grinned as he nodded, hopelessly.
" Then, to whom does Brenden work for and what does he do? "