Jefferson and June had gone their separate ways, the both of them missing their beds after being away from them so for long. Wilder could feel the fantasy of just face planting onto that marshmallow-like mattress seethe into her skin like a virus, but even so, her immune system didn't fight it off- to the contrary. She seemed to embrace this daydream and perish within it, like sinking into an absorbing beanbag, the next thing she'd see was none other than the sight of people… running.
At first, she was baffled, raising her arms in the middle of the sidewalk, spotting just further down the hoard, vanishing like smoke in winter seconds after appearing. Now standing in the road, her body turned from side to side, analyzing everything as the usual glow of Convergence's perception increased beyond the signature. Reaching as far as 100 meters, surpassing the limit to even 500, despite the nosebleed she received from utilizing so much brainpower so quickly, the only thing she could spot was that same hoard, spread down up there to her location for miles.
"What the hell…" But through the vastness of this stampede, she could make out one unique signature she couldn't mistake anywhere else. Like something out of a film, all she could do in shock at the twist was say it aloud, "Ace…?"
But how could this be? Well, for this to make sense, let's go back in time- one day, to be exact. On April 25th, 2022, after Ace had escaped the clutches of Icarus's torture chamber, he made his way to the best place possible.
In this place, two women were working frequently to crack down on every possibility, for the next step of their new scheme required his presence. Overdoing a map of the city acquired by Natalia's thieving talents, Katie retracted a pointer, marking the circled areas while distinctively informing her partner of their plans.
"Alright! So these three places should be the best bets for us.
One: Kima's penthouse. Reasoning: Ace might be mad at Kima for abandoning him at the courthouse so he'd go to get her reasoning and maybe beat her ass, I wouldn't put it past him.
Two: June's gym she randomly decided to frequent for some reason. Reasoning: He might sense his sister there and intrude upon her training, attempting to gain some sort of explanation for what's happened while he's been gone.
Three: The Hawk's Nest. Reasoning: This is the last known place for where we were, also the most logical because Griffith's dead and we're… well, this is our headquarters. So, we only have to search two places and stake them out for a few nights," Katie shrugged at the end of her instructions, letting the stick subtract its wider size, pocketing it casually, Natalia's pen scribbling notes wasn't subtle enough for the Crow's daughter.
It was clear she was just easily playing tic-tac-toe with herself, somehow losing, but even so, Katie couldn't help but roll her eyes... and that's it. This was a simple plan, and whatever the reasoning, it didn't matter. If Natalia were that stupid to mess it up, this alliance truly was hopeless.
"I feel like that's useless. I'm right here," That voice belonged to none other than the target himself, Ace Wilder sitting right beside the new girl Natalia, leaning back against the cushions, arms stretched out across the sofa's leaner portion.
At that moment, it took the duo of dark-haired girls to process the variable, he who just suddenly appeared like he were some sort of monster attacking them yet again. His nonchalant stance, legs crossed over one another, shades hiding the crimson glow of Divergence's blood-red potential. It had been almost half a year since the last time she'd seen his face... the way they gave those goodbyes to one another at that airport when it was so simpler. The Deck, when they were a simpler threat unable to be combated alone when they believed everything would go right without a cinch. When was the last time she'd seen such a welcoming face, truly happy that she'd finally returned?
Despite being only a week ago when she first arrived at the Nest to greet June, the emotions bottled up from not seeing the iconic ginger cousin she adored so much could no longer stay contained within her heart, spilling out like a prisoner escaping their cell. The first face to comfort her when she was at her worst, Ace couldn't help but stumble as he stood up from his slouched posture, embracing her, too, as she felt her arms snake around his waist.
The summer, when things were so much simpler, the desire to return to that time, when just the faint sound of someone screaming caused the urge to vomit to emerge. Everyone wished for those times to return when things were simpler when their mentor was by their side and guiding them.
"I... I missed you so much!" She could no longer suppress what remained of her pride, face buried into his neck, the croaks in her sobbing voice audible as she cried that declaration against his skin.
"I missed you too, Kay."
The softness of his masculine signaled a soothing chill to prickle down her spine. She could feel her chest tightening, but even so, she held on tight, for the time would come when she'd have to let go. The time would come when the two of them would have to return to the world beyond this warmth. This warmth she's longed for all her life, the only thing that gave her life meaning; the man she was lucky to call a relative and blessed to name her savior. The world would know nothing of this moment, where everything else stood silent, and there was nothing but his warmth.
'I'm not a religious person. If there existed a God, I'm sure, if he loved humans as much as he said he did, he would've saved me. So, I hate him... but even so, right now, I can't help but think of him. God, please, wherever you are, if you're watching over me... please, don't let either of us get hurt again. Let us stay this way forever. Please... I...'
"I don't want to let go..."
Kate could feel herself regressing, at just the slightest glimmer of love in her life, she couldn't help but desire it within her grasp forevermore. Ace couldn't help but smile as he looked down at her face, yanking it back from being locked within his chest, the tears squeezing out eyes' corners as if there were no tomorrow. The joy she felt when she first entered school with Kima by her side, the pride she experienced after staring at her toned figure the first time in the mirror... the acceptance she naturally became accustomed to. And, to her, it was all thanks to him, that red-headed man right in front of her with snowy tips at the edge of his spiky hair. For now, that detail was overlooked, as his lips gave an almost brotherly peck against her forehead, there remained one irrefutable fact in this story of bloodshed and alliances.
"Sometimes we have to."
The past is the past, no matter how hard anyone wished to change it, it had to stay the way it was. Out of all the people, Katie, though reluctantly, knew that best. Exhaling with a sniffle as she wiped away the tears that dirtied her mascara, Natalia stood up and guided her companion to the restroom. Her head doing a 360, just quickly enough, her eyes met Ace's behind those dark sunglasses, they'd never seen each other before, there was a string of destiny tying them together as the Fates guided them to meet at this moment.
Taking the required time to discuss their next moves, Katie's standing position was replaced by Ace, now sitting with Natalia by her side awaiting further instructions from her ginger cousin. While presenting his case, Natalia couldn't help but shake her head, simply remembering the irony at this scene with arms crossed over her stomach, laid flat against the sofa's cushions. Like an imitable painting, unable to be replicated no matter how hard you could try, the simplest glance over to Katie, you could spot the differences in the sparkles in their eyes.
Needless to say… Kate's admiration for the cousin that saved her all those years ago was boundless, just like the sparkles in her azure pupils. Back to the topic at hand, what was Ace exactly presenting about? Well, Katie had been so entranced because of Wilder's thoughts, that's why. For the past week, not to mention the months he was trapped inside that hellhole they call a prison, the ultimate goal was the abolishment of corruption.
"While I was trapped within Paradise, I remember seeing all types of abuses happening, not to mention I could hear them, too. On the lowest layer, there's the worst of the worst. Pedophiles, violators, murderers, cannibals, of course, deserve whatever abuse they get. However, not everyone… is guilty. The justice system is flawed beyond belief, I'm sure you know this by what June told you. But I want to ensure something. When I beat my father in that hallway, I… I was told to live. Not for Alex's words that inspired me, but for myself, even if it was harder than anything I'd done before or if I have to gnaw my way through whatever barrier that was preventing me: all I had to do was live. The Head, the Bureau, the MRG… they allowed me to be taken and tortured by that damn clown."
Ace shook his head, slicking back his red strands, breaths quavering as he forced a breath out his lips. Katie clenched her teeth, grinding the rows' summits against one another like the sound of a grinder, Natalia could barely restrain the urge to cover her ears at the sound. Reaching her hand to stay over her blue-eyed comrade's shoulder… just that touch, Natalia could watch as the aura diminished from being heightened at just the mention of her cousin being tortured. After everyone calmed themselves down, everyone being mostly Katie, Ace continued with the presentation, though, it didn't continue for much longer.
"From this point on, I'm announcing the organization of an anti-oppression group. We'll slaughter those guilty and ensure the victims who had to suffer will find nothing less than justice in the wakes of the bodies we'll leave. This organization will be headed by the Scarlet King… we'll call ourselves:
Riot."
To Be Continued.