"June 11th, 2022: It's hard to think it's only been two months since everything happened. I wanted to recap this to make sure I remember everything that's happened so when I go over it when I sleep at night, I don't sound crazy to myself in my brain. Alright… where do we begin? Oh, that's right: The Bureau and Riot."
One week after the events of the Raid, there was an unoccupied tower, a half-destroyed city, and thousands of questions left unanswered. Remaining news stations begged for replies from this mysterious organization, more riots appeared in the streets, all for the sake of their peace to be restored, the peace they'd so casually obliterated without a second thought. Not to mention remorseless, too.
"The citizens of this once great city have been crying for about a week! Shortage of hot water, destroyed businesses, crimes unceasing tenfold: all everyone can wonder is the same thing. Where is Riot, and what is their next move? Back to you, Jan."
In the end, Riot was made up of teenagers. Neither of them had any experience leading a government, so why would any of the volunteers do so? In the vastness of a forest, a hand pushed against a tree's bark, the vast territory scanned to the limit. The chirping birds, the roars of distant evolutionaries, the running stream to the side of his feet, not to mention the risen sun blessing its special rays upon this evergreen environment.
'Seems like this is the place. Should go find everyone else.'
Ace turned away after this thought, walking past with hands hidden within the white hoodie's pocket, slumbering male fireflies attached to tall grass. Even as the day stood as bright as this, the crickets couldn't contain their incessant sounds, with every passing step he'd stabbed his soles into the ground, the more complex the schemes abruptly appearing in his mind became. Reaching out his hand to chop away the bushes shielding his party, there sat an unusual place. Composed primarily of stone, there was a warehouse nestled neatly behind the abundance of trees.
The door that'd usually serve as an entrance completely vanished from sight, Ace took a stroll within, casually met with his party members, all scattered about. Natalia, he'd passed on the way in, examining the floors to the front of their hideout littered with vines. Katie playing chess with Jefferson, June reading a book, and Kima taking a nap against a concrete wall, peeks of nature revealed he selves through cracks in the material.
The Scarlet King marveled at the sight of this, just a humble abode for them, reserved from the eyes of the public, so they could resume their plans on their own.
"Everyone! I found the border!"
The rest turned their heads, Natalia peeking in from behind, Kima jerking awake at the abrupt screams. Everyone stood silently, going for the middle as Jefferson walked past, patting the shoulder of the King, raising his hand, eyes now the emerald tint of the surrounding forest. Thanks to the defensive properties of Convergence, forming a shield around their base was a piece of cake, and Natalia using the sun's rays to shield it from outer view added to it. From the naked eyes of the outside world, they were effectively camouflaged.
Everyone took formed a scattered circle, with Ace standing in the middle, his lips parted, and the information relayed to them.
"I've discovered the border. Luckily, it's just a few miles off to the north from here, so it shouldn't be too far until we reach it. Tomorrow morning, we head out. Any objections?" Ace asked everyone, a hand not seen raised among them, Katie was the one to interject with a proposal of her own.
"Yes, I want to overview our plans after we reach the border. Do you mind, Ace?"
He held no reservations, stepping back for her to take a spot at the center, coughing into a fist, the mutters of the purple-highlighted Kima entered the fray.
"I don't remember the plans…"
At least, now Kate had a compelling reason to explain what stood already established, in the guise of everyone, but truly reinforcing the schemes to slam them into Kim's head. That being said, the time for placeholder chatter was over as Kate continued to explain away the new scheme they'd orchestrated together.
"Going back to last week, after Kim and Natalia found the tangled-up corpses of the World Order, courtesy of that Jester, we were given our cryptic message-"
Flashing back even further, as the pocket they were encased within started to crack, Katie stood up, forming the Blackened Blade in her hand. Quickly unsheathing it as sparks entered the air from generating all-around her, the tip just barely touched against his throat, the Jester standing between the unbeatable duo. Ace and Katie now both held their respective weapons to the front and rear of his neck. Chrollo's face held an uncaring nature across his handsome features, one that would send usual commoners to tears at the mere aura of cruelty just barely perceived.
"What makes you think I'll attack you now after I let you guys sit this shit out? Don't play around with me, if I wanted you dead: you'd be dead, simple as that."
Icarus couldn't contain his merciless personality, just barely turning to Ace with a stuck-out tongue poking from well-kept. Wilder, being as arrogant and prideful as his father, couldn't stand this clear mockery, for he was mere centimeters away from cutting open his neck from behind. How dare this horrendous excuse of a man taunt him to his face, as if death hadn't hung just to his back?
"Calm yourself, Ace. I understand your anger toward him, more than anyone. But he's not attacking us... let's hear 'im out, at least," Katie proposed, still holding the katana's tip to Chrollo's throat, black eyes darting to her white face before returning toward Ace's troubled features.
"While you have fun with that cliche internal conflict, Wilder, I have news. July 22nd, 2021. On the day when the Advent occurred, another shall arise, by the hand of none other than the Founder himself. I, being a member of his Frontier, will be challenging you, when the time is ripe, of course. That being said, I inform you to gather your resources, prepare yourselves, for the Day of Reckoning is fastly approaching. After all, the gates of Heaven are built by hands of flesh. When the time is ripe, I shall see you again... Ace."
The Jester swatted the blade from against his throat, lifting Kate by hers, launching her from his tight grip so she could land into the clapping audience with a yelp. Ace ran right ahead, punching at his face, the fist easily caught, fingers sliding down to the wrist, Chrollo carried him up by his knuckles, leaving the ginger limp in the hands of the Devil Jester. Just the tiniest squeeze to one of his fingers left Ace having flashbacks of that horrible time, sending tears to well up in his eyes, childish whimpers squeaking from his lips.
"Not. Yet."
Neither of them stood a match, for just standing on that imaginary stage, within this domain he'd conjured up outside the realm of space, Icarus resonated might, in every sense of the word. Ace fell to his knees, the sphere turned to shards, and as everything reverted to normal, it became clear. With so much as a blink of an eye, everything had warped back to the real world.
"He said July 22nd is the Day of Reckoning. I simply assume something's gonna happen in Riverton, on that date, if we return. The fact they're bringing us back means a suspicion I've had is finally confirmed. Alexander Amara, our mentor, is alive. And if we don't participate in this frivolous little game of the Founder's, I doubt he'll stay like that for much longer. So, Ace and I formed plans, thus leading us to perfectly prepare for the coming incident. This will be the first and last time we go over this, as he's finally located the border between the Capital and the outside world surrounding it. Now, everyone, listen carefully:
July 22nd is two months away, meaning we shouldn't waste any time with preparations. Ace and I have established goals we should meet to ensure we come out victorious when the time for battle arrives. First order of business: my Dad." Katie explained to them all, leaving Ace to now intrude, seated nicely against a fallen metal container, leg crossed over the other.
"When I was escaping Paradise, I was met with my dad, however, his old soul wasn't within the confines of his body. It only returned from wherever it was being kept when I remembered him of his past. Knowing that; we used the same technique on the Crow, and it worked. However, we left before he woke up, so we're going to rendezvous with him, outside the forest, near the border. Katie and I will be going. She's rather emotional 'bout seeing her father, so... duh."
Ace further finished what Katie started, rolling her eyes at the mention of her being 'emotional.' Kim stood still, arms crossed over her bust, while June held her chin, rapidly nodding, affirming the words they'd been told.
"Next, June and Jeff's task:
Both of you'll be heading into the Remnant World to gather more artifacts strewn about. The monsters there shouldn't be any problems for you, so I doubt you'll have any intense trouble. Ace surveyed out the Remnants, and he managed to identify the signature of three unfound artifacts. The main threat you have to worry about is ANZEN intervening. You depart tomorrow morning with Ace and me."
Jefferson nodded with a brooding understanding accustomed to his bulking figure, June jumping up with a hooray crying out from her vocals. Chuckling at the younger girl, Darrell smiled with closed eyes, unaware of Ace's gaze set on the older man and his sister. The way she resonated that signature sense of glee she always had on the island, the way this man seemed too protective of her, he couldn't help but smile.
'At least I know she's in good hands.' Is what he thought, turning to Kate as she finished her explanation with the remaining members of Riot, inconveniently gifted with the hardest task of all.
"Finally, Kim and Natalia's:
You'll be heading to China and climbing Mt. Everest to recruit Hana Saiai, that way we can have her by our side when the time comes for the battle to occur."
However, despite the difficulty of their assignment, neither Nat nor Kim had any reservations, for they couldn't help but turn to one another as if sharing a collective excitement about their next shared adventure, whatever events that future path may hold. That being said, everyone's assignments were given, now, for the after,
"If anyone has any questions, raise their hands."
To her statement, there was one hand raised, and that was from neither of the surrounding party, but one who wore a trench coat over a sleeveless turtleneck. Swaying his hips as he moved from the held-up stage right across from the entrance, the thud his boots made as they touched against the ground sent curious expressions across everyone's face. Maybe the Jester had infiltrated again- but that was impossible, for their eyes immediately tracked up to examine his face. Spiky black hair, dark blue eyes, not to mention the slightest bit of stubble appearing over his lips.
"I think your plan has a bit of a hole in it, kid. You need more allies… doncha think?"
None other than the former Detective Prince of Justice, the Crow, had arrived. One day earlier than expected from the orchestrated rendezvous, but that didn't matter, for even Katie could throw away the mask she'd thrown over her face to seem as professional as possible- and throw her arms over his neck. Almost stumbling as he caught her weight so abruptly slammed against himself, his arms attached to her back, entangling them around as he gifted the tiniest kiss to her head's side as she mercilessly sobbed without regard for their stabbing stares.
But even so, those stares weren't malicious, for June and Ace, both, couldn't help but smile at the sight of this reunion. Despite that, they turned to the other, their eyes, the Eternal Sight inherited by them thanks to their father. How selfish. To turn away from your sibling at the desire for your father to be here, when someone's reuniting with their own. How self-centered could they be? Those feelings of guilt were washed away by comforting hands, Jefferson for June, and Natalia for Ace. Neither of them swatted those fingers away, all Kim could do was stand and stare, hanging her head in shame as time continued.
"Alright, alright, ya crybaby…"
Azazel pushed away from the embrace, to which Katie turned her head with a sniffle, reaching out her hands, attempting to touch his face. Instead, he took her arms by the wrists, got down on his knees, and covered his heart with his palm. Everyone couldn't believe their eyes, for the next thing that exited his mouth was what went unsaid for so long. The transgressions of the past left untended to, wounds barely healed, in the end, there existed but one person she hadn't heard from when it came to her circumstances. Her true father's words were,
"I'm sorry… I'm so, very, sorry! If I'd known what would've happened to you, I wouldn't have told Rivera to put you into this world. That way, we would've all been thriving together, free from pain. I was so careless, and that's… all my fault. I'll do anything to earn your forgiveness, so please, Katie, my sweet girl… is there any way you can forgive me for being a horrible father?"
She remembered a time where it was the norm. Scars marking her arms like trophies scattered on bookshelves, chains of abusive demons locking her down like a prisoner of her influence. Who stood responsible for her being freed of their control? Ace, that ginger relative she deserved to have with her all this time, but beyond that, the first words she'd ever heard when she was thrown into the fray of this chaotic world.
Those hands that pulled on the string of fate as the Blackened Blade yanked out from the ground, riddled with corpses, those not of her soft skin, but his. Guiding her to this point- this special reunion. It felt like causality was guiding her every move for as her knees touched against the rubble-littered floor, her eyes leaked out tears, allowing them to stream down her cheeks yet no sobs croaked from her lips.
"I've… already forgiven you."
From that point on, while the rest of Riot had gained a new ally in the form of the Crow's unparalleled strength, Katie… had her father back in her arms. However, this punctured a hole in the plans of Ace and Katie, with the rendezvous having ceased, there remained an empty spot for what the two cousins intended to do next.
And so, unbeknownst to them, a foot pushed around the decayed corpses blooming into zombies, living fragments of their former selves. Commanding a group of ANZEN soldiers behind him, Ryosuke scanned the environment, as the date of the middle of summer neared, the Evolution Frontier silently advanced as they inched closer to infinite freedom.
Carnal Desires Arc - Part Two: Ascension… Start.