While walking alongside her black and white-haired friends through the Evolutionary Capital's bustling streets riddled with teenage scholars, Kima spoke, "I'm not the only one, right? That thought that was weird..."
"No, that guy was lying. He couldn't even look you in the eye when he was talking--that asshole," Katie murmured, mouth full of sandwich.
"I got the impression he was covering up something," June proposed.
"Yeah, same. That's not really what bothers me, though," added Katie.
"Whaddya mean?" Kima asked with a straw between her lips.
"I mean, I could tell he was hiding something from us, he was way too aggressive for that to be normal. He was probably stressed with having to lie to our faces-- but something smelt in there, and not figuratively. It was the stench of burning flesh, I recognize it from Master Saiai's training," She finished.
Kima agreed, "I smelt it, too, but I didn't wanna say anything in case it was nothing."
"Really? I got none of that," June blurted out.
"Well, maybe we were bugging. We could've smelt nothing, but we should tell everyone just in case. Save the burning flesh smell, he was acting suspiciously. If we report this directly to Dad or August, they'd be able to stop something before it could happen at all," after Katie said this, the girls nodded.
It seemed they were making their way to the court, where Jefferson spun around Azazel, easily breaking his ankles in the process. Azazel was dunked on, leaving Darrell to bathe in glory in the rain of victory.
"Hah! Talkin' all that shit and you can't back it up, huh?" Jeff asked, catching the ball then bouncing it over to Karlo.
Catching it, he momentarily dribbled it, prepping his stance as he bounced it against the concrete floor.
"That won't happen a second time!" claimed Azazel, burning determination singing within his eyes.
"Nah, of course not!" yelled August from the looming bleachers.
While Jefferson played ball with Azazel and August casually commented idiotically from the sidelines, Ace expelled smoke from his nostrils. Clothing infected with weed's smell, he leaned back and rested against the bleachers casually. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary—everything was moving as intended. From the way, the sun shined to the abstract build of those odd clouds' contortions. This day would be the same as any other these past few months, save for the discovery of Retly's existence, right? Ace's hope for continued peace would soon crush under the weight of a foot. To think the perpetrator of that stomp would be none other than those girls.
In unison, August and Ace's heads turned toward the court, where Katie, Kima, and June entered, the latter more sheepishly than the former two.
"Oi, what're you three doing 'ere?!" August called out to the girls.
"We gotta tell you something!" Katie replied loudly.
Azazel and Jeff halted their game. Sleeveless, they turned to the girls and awaited an explanation.
A minute later, everyone reconvened around the bleachers, the plethora of differently-colored eyes locked on nobody but Katie. Despite these peering retinas seemingly gazing into the depths of her soul, her breath stood still, circulating regularly. She was the daughter of an Ace Detective, after all. How else would she live up to that infamous legacy if not with this? And so, she opened her mouth and started to speak.
"We went to the mall. June and Kim put on some dresses, but while June was trying to pick me up so I could put on a dress, too, Kim heard something. There was a commotion happening near the center of the mall. We got there and saw a huge circle of volunteering officers surrounding a center. After some bickering, we managed to allocate what occurred. An A+ ranged Hybrid was robbed someplace and was dealt with. Whether or not the Hybrid robbed a place or not is up for debate in the future, however, there's no doubt that they were hiding his body behind that crowd of circling officers."
Azazel rubbed his chin, pacing around the court, head-turning away from everyone. Inching closer, August said, "Anything else you remember? Any evidence that can help with the conspiracy is helpful."
"Ooh, ooh! Katie and Kima said something about the smell of burning flesh! Well, they said it smelt like that but all I remember is the smell of bacon…" June commented.
"You're very observant," Ace taunted, patting his sister's head.
"Thanks, asshole."
After the siblings' interaction, Azazel paced back to the group, without his hand against his bearded chin.
The Detective asked, "Why would they do something like that in such a public place? Regardless of the threat someone poses, the procedure is to detain or stun, not murder—that's only authorized if the assailant attacked first. Did it seem like any of them were injured?"
"No, they were all perfectly fine. It was like the victim didn't have time to react at all before he was burnt to a crisp," Kima answered.
"Alright, noted," Azazel whispered, scratching his chin, "it just doesn't make sense, though. If this is an inside thing with the Evolutionaries from that group attacking Hybrids again, wouldn't it be racially motivated? And if so, wouldn't they do it in private to ensure they don't get caught?"
"No."
Everyone turned their heads toward none other than Jefferson. His brown eyes that matched the shade of his colored skin, that look in those pupils differed from the glare everyone else shared. How could he deny that probability with such a sure-fire answer? How would he know…?
"There was a chain of events that led to Riverton Island and the Evolution Frontier's formation. 12 years ago, a black man was arrested. He had a warrant out for his arrest, didn't pay off his tickets—forgot too many times. He was arrested after being pulled over. The next day, he was found hanging in his cell. At first, they deemed it a suicide. However, further inspection of the security cameras revealed the truth. Men clad in police officers' uniforms had beaten him to death and framed it to be like that of a suicide. The footage was released to the public, and from then on, the rest was history. Everything descended to chaos and America burst into widespread riots."
"And then?" June asked hopefully.
"Then, Texas was blown off the map. Thus effectively creating the monster we know today as Callum Rivers," finished Azazel.
"Among the many few, I stowed away on the boat to the Island. I witnessed the rise and fall of Riverton's empire under the jurisdiction of the Founder himself," Darrell said, hand on his scruffy chin.
"And? What do you think of their idea to commit such a vicious crime in a public place like the new mall?" Azazel queried, crossing his arms.
"I sure as hell believe it wasn't an accident. I don't think it mattered to them whether or not it was a dangerous Hybrid, they just wanted an excuse to insight terror in the nation. Hopefully, something happens and before long, the situation spreads, the truth wobbly in the minds of the masses. Under the stress of coming disaster, people believe anything to find themselves an out."
"They most likely committed the crime in a public place to insight chaos should the truth be revealed—add more members to their racist parade," added Katie.
"But that's so stupid," commented Ace from beside his dad.
"Hate makes people do stupid things. It's the same with love. Isn't that right, Rivera-" Azazel looked to his white-haired partner.
However, the expression he wore to replace the usual carefree arrogance was nothing short of intensely terrifying. The anger he'd never seen, a burning desire to extinguish anything that threatened the peace he established. To think someone as uncaring as the Reaper would wear that horrifying look of pure hatred. For the first time across his lifespan, regarding both New and Old Worlds, this was the first time he could say that August Rivera looked exactly like his unwavering Emperor of a father.
"D-Dad…?" June asked with a worried face, drawing sweat.
"Dad!"
As Ace called his father's name, August snapped out of his trance. His head turned, what he saw was a mix of confused and worried faces. Just then, it hit him. None of them could ever understand. Slowly, his head fell, snowy strands hiding the differing coloration of his dual retinas.
Azazel sighed, "I think we should discuss this later tonight so we can have time to personally discuss the options and variables I'm sure we all have to rattle around our minds. Meet at the Tower at 9, see you there tonight," he said.
Everyone took the hint, leaving the bleachers. After hugging their father from the left and right, Ace and June reconvened with the other two girls. Katie received a pat on the head from her father then a kiss on the forehead, before she started sprinting away, meeting with the retreating teenagers. All that remained was Jefferson, gifting Karlo a shoulder pat, vanishing into the crowded streets.
All that remained in this vacant lot were those two. August above Azazel on those bleachers, seated with spread legs, not to mention his interlocked hands.
"What's up with you?" The Detective asked.
"Heh… 'Hate makes people do stupid things. It's the same with love.' I can't believe there was a time ago where I wasn't as strong as I am now—" August reminisced on the time he spent in those Old World chains, signing from his nostrils.
"But that face you made— that wasn't one of soft nostalgia or anything of the sort. You were angry… do you miss those old times?" asked Azazel.
"I don't. Being the son of my father, it sucked.
Stuck with the burden of upholding that legacy, surpassing that weight. When I taught Alex, I wasn't mistaken. The Rivera bloodline needed to end. That's why I didn't teach my sisters or my nephew. The Requiem's power would always continue until the end of everything, but I didn't want it to be my merciless bloodline that perpetuated it. Alexander Amara. I'm sure he is the one that can end this."
"This? As in the New World?"
"As in the Requiem legacy. With our deaths surely arriving at some point in the irreversible future, they will pave a new path… and extinguish our past sins."
As August clarified this for Azazel, the Detective wondered. To speak so surely of the future like he knew what'd occur one second after the next, he sighed. If the Reaper said it like that, it made sense. August, for all his irritating self, was never wrong before.
However, to process that end would inevitably occur— his final demise. Would he be ready when his death arrived? He could only hope, for the sake of his legacy and his beloved father, that the answer was unquestionably an affirmation.
To Be Continued.