Chapter 6 - Champagne Problems

After some time, the duo did wish to be acquainted more with Len, and they decided it would be best to return the flash drive that they took from her, and it was an excuse for Crozz to see Len once more. So they collectively decided to go back and find her to return what was initially hers from the start. As they got there, they were surprised by Len, who was waiting for them already; she saw them coming a mile away and knew they were headed towards her. "We thought it was only right to give you back your flash drive," ash said, "We noticed that you had some important and unique designs that you planned on bringing to life, and we can't be the bad guys that stop something like that from happening," crozz said after ash. Len just grinned as though she had won a game, almost as though she knew this was going to happen. The two just stood there not knowing what to do, and in a bit of awkwardness, they started to head off knowing that they did the right thing but a bit sad as to not making a connection with someone they started to weirdly want as a friend. Suddenly as they began to leave, they heard Len say, "you know I could use some models to pose in my new designs, and if you guys want as pr, you two can take an exclusive piece from the selected bunch that you try on?". Crozz and ash's face lit up in excitement, and ran back and agreed to it, mainly just happy to be asked to do something like that. "But I will say, you ruin anything, and you two are dead. Understood?" The two, a bit nervous but driven by excitement, agreed to the terms, and they followed Len to her photo studio. Mesmerized to see the clothing and accessories lined up, ready to be tried on and touched up. This was a wonderland for the two, who have never had such luxurious things to call their own rightfully. Len noticed this and took pity and sympathy towards them, so she slowly became more lenient towards their restrictions. As long as they didn't break anything, they were fine, of course, though she wasn't going to let them know she was developing a soft spot for them. Throughout the course of a month, the two became a part of Lens modeling company and were outstanding in the role. Critics loved their natural beauty and their effortless modeling. Not much happened except for the animation of the sowed-up rat army she animated using the artifact that she took from ash and crozz; Len now has her personal squad of rats that watch intently throughout the city and carry out minor roles needed to be done while Len is busy. Which the duo thought was a unique choice to have, but they don't judge a genius and her work. over time, Len, crozz, and ash began working together and forming a bond. Len began to forget about her beginning mission. To be fair, it was a pretty big event coming up that required her full undivided attention; the biggest fashion event of the year was near, and she needed all hands on deck to complete her latest fashion statement since she has held the audience's amazement every year on this fashion show, she can't let her reputation get ruined now. She was starting to think that time got the best of the issue and that nothing would come out of it. So her best option was to just forget about it before it started to get to her mentally. Besides, she's gone a while already without contact. It won't be hard to just keep thinking that they're in the condition she left them in; it was better that way for her. Only two weeks before the first show of the event and Len still hasn't completed her full pieces and still wished to add some desired accessories to go with the pieces she has already but to get some of the needed materials, she needs to travel two cities down to one of the biggest cities for people with a more prominent high status, it mainly consisted of those born in a golden crib. The stuck-up pompous fools who believe that they have rights to anything solely because of their parent's money. Len despised going to this city, but she had to go because that city was the only one with golden linen that was soft to the touch and luxurious to the eye. Len invited the two new friends to come along but first had to "polish" them to fit in with the normal crowd they would be encountering in the city. Crozz and ash didn't mind the wardrobe change. They saw it as a game, in fact. "I'm pretending to be an undercover snob yay," crozz said as she made a cocky expression to her reflection in the mirror "oh me? Why yes, I am a pretentious prick" ash followed up with a high pitched tone the two stared at each other and impossible to keep active the two burst into laughter. Len couldn't help it either and joined in the cackling, and after a few more exaggerated lines into the mirror, the three made their way to an airplane waiting for them at the top of the building along with the pilot who Crozz couldn't stop looking at. "Allow me to introduce myself to you two; I'm Tommy, lens typical pilot" "Hi, I'm Ash; nice to meet you, Tommy," ash replied, crozz taking a deep breath as though she was going to shout says "Hey~ I'm crozz, but you can call me yours anytime you want Tommy" Tommy laughed confused but couldn't respond quick enough as Len proceeded to say "oh knock it off and get in already you whore". After that quick exchange, they were on their way to the city. After an excruciating flight filled with "OOOH LOOK AT THAT" "WOW THAT'S EVEN NICER THAN THE LAST ONE," "LOOK AT THE VIEW OF THIS" "OMG OMG OMG" "ANOTHER BIRD!" from the two girls, they were finally at the city. Immediately crozz and ash could feel the privilege running rampant in the area and felt nauseous soon after. It was too late to turn back though Len was already making her way through the crowd of people. Finally, with the merchant who sold Len the best, highest quality of golden linen, Len was quickly recognized by the other shoppers around, some being big competitors to her fashion company standing around putting up the fakest smiles they could ever make to show their friendliness to her. Len, just dying to get out of there, quickly purchased the linen that she needed and left the establishment. She soon was stopped in her tracks by an obnoxious voice calling her name, "Oh. My. Goodness. Len! Is that you?" Cried out this annoying piercing voice. Len lets out an annoyed sigh turns around to face Taurice, the only person Len hates in the whole universe. Len put up a fake wide smile to Taurice and said, "oh hi Taurice, surprise seeing you here; I didn't imagine you being here seeing as you only use cheap fabrics to create your nightmares. What brings you here?" Taurice visibly annoyed but still holding the act replies with "oh Hahahha! You're just the funniest thing ever. I'm here for my son's suite that I custom for my son Leonard for tonight's ball that's going to take place at Berellis Castle tonight." Len scoffed "OH MY did you not receive an invite to it? Aw poor you" Taurice said in an act to seem sympathetic "no no I did I just didn't want to attend in fear to obtain grey hairs from all the toxins trapped in the building from all the fake stuff you've put in yourself" Taurice didn't like that as she claims to be natural. Blind to the existing rivalry going on, Crozz blurts out, "BALL! WHAT BALL?" Taurice knowing she can't counter Len's remarks, directs it to the two girls "oh Hahahahha, I'm sorry, but they already hired servants to work tonight and they aren't handing out any more charity services" crozz and ash visibly unhappy look at each other giving the signal to lunge at her, before they could Len angered at the remark says "well I suppose a bit more exposure to you won't hurt me, at least I hope not, I'm already risking my safety right now. So what's a little more? You'll find us three there tonight. I'd say I look forward to seeing you, but I physically cannot bring those words out of me" Len and the other two walk out, leaving Taurice alone with her response. Once out the door, Crozz and ash begin to mock Taurice and laugh nonstop prompting Len to giggle, though as much as Len was enjoying this, she had to cut them off, "okay, you two, we have to have a wardrobe change let's go to my nearest store for access to a makeover we can't show up in the same clothes we've been seen with already, come come the sun is already coming down" the two excited to go to their first ball followed happily. It didn't take them long to reach one of her stores since there was one down the street from where they were. After a bit of an extensive makeover, the three were on their way, being driven there by Charles, Len's personal chauffeur. They arrived at the party two minutes after it officially started and luckily for the ash and crozz there was no need to wait in a line for entrance they were expected and had their own VIP-like entrance on the side and soon enough they were in this extraordinary party along with many of high status. Crozz had to hold off her desires to run around and check who the good and bad ones were to end them on the spot, but she knew it would ruin Lens image, so she had to ignore her inner voice. Many men and women came to crozz and ash throughout the night to try and swoop them away, flaunting their riches as an attempt to entice the two, all very unsuccessful. They stuck to themselves only and didn't leave each other's sights as a safety precaution. Len was just going around talking to the designers she didn't dislike as much as others and avoided Taurice and her pretentious son Leonard. As the party became less crowded, Crozz and ash had more room on the dance floor to goof around and dance. They were having a blast partying with each other and liking the power they had rejecting men and women coming to them; they enjoyed watching the look in their eyes as their world shattered to pieces when they heard the word no, followed by laughter from these two girls. Crozz was soon to meet with a very nasty person. Leonard began to make his way over to crozz, looking as stuck up and full of shit as he always does when walking to his new conquest. Leonard grabbed crozz by the hand and spun her to him "hey you hot ass looking women. What's someone as pretty as you doing all alone, when you can be in my arms instead, or preferably on my lap?" Crozz disgusted, slips away from his grasp and says "Ew I'd rather go with that old man that looks like he's on borrowed time than being with you in any form possible" Leonard smirked "oh come on you don't have to resist it only makes you look more pathetic because, in the end, you'll end up in my bed with me satisfying my every need" "As a person with good eyes I see nothing enticing in you, you blander than some of the lower class guys I've come across" crozz proceeds to walk away triumphant when out of nowhere she feels a sting on her behind in shock she turned around to see Leonard going back to his last stance after slapping crozzs behind "come on bitch I can buy you the world, I'm a king, and you serve me whenever I demand it! I can buy your life and keep you for me if I feel like it. So stop being such a stuck up bitch and provide for me" Crozz angered kicked him in the groin, causing him to fall to his knees ash followed with a hard kick making his useless body slide across the remaining tile behind him, with the remaining boosted force he made it to the stairs leading to the backyard falling all the way to the last step, no one saw a thing. Before he could even begin to scram, Len lunged at him from the top balcony. She engulfed the three into their own shadows, dropping the three off far away out of reach from any person to call for help, the only ones close were ash and crozz, and they certainly were not going to listen to his cries for help; they were going to be the cause of those cries. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to slap your ass. I'm sorry please," Leonard begged "oh, it's too late for that one now, buddy," crozz answered back, "way far past that" reinforced ash. Both took turns kicking and punching him until they left him on the edge of death, one more hit of any kind, and he was a goner. The woods still repeating his cries of anguish and fear, music to the girl's ears. Len watching from afar has Leonard seep into the shadows and dumped his dying body onto the front entrance causing fear and panic. Len spawning behind Taurice, who is confused about what's happening outside, gets close and says in a mocking tone, "Oh my, maybe something bad happened, let's go check," and walks away back into the shadows to meet back up with crozz and ash. Who was cleaning the blood off of their fists. "I say that was enough action for one day. Shall we head home?" Len asked out of breath. "Mhm," the other two answered. They walked to an open area in the woods, and Len called over her private airplane. Tommy quickly got there and urgently got out to announce that there was a break-in back home and the front traps were activated, but none killed anything. They buried onto the airplane and quickly made it back to Lens place, where the front door was blown up, and the last bit of flames was burning out. They got out of the airplane, and Len grabbed the crozz and ash and dropped them to the underground floor using the shadows. Len wanted to check the cameras to see what was, but they were destroyed with the blow. Ash suggested they go up and check; they could handle a fight. Len agreed, and they made it to the main floor; pieces of metals and rubble were everywhere. This was recent as the dust was still trying to settle the light from outside, allowing a silhouette to be created with the dust. They knew fighting was now surely on the table. Ash began to see all the possible weak and strong points and began signaling them to crozz, who was ready to bolt in the direction of the silhouette on ash's command. Len just stood idly by in the back, ready in case of anything major. Ash fully calculated and knowing all the possible outcomes of all the moves to take signals to crozz and where to go, crozz fully understanding the directions, zigzags her way towards the silhouette, then climbs a half-standing pillar to jump from it planning on landing a hit from the air. As she reached the silhouette close to enough to hit, it vanished, leaving nothing but more unsettled dust. Ash wasn't prepared for that in any of her outcomes, both now in a defensive stance, ready for anything to happen. Len, shocked, also prepares to intervene when the time is right. The place was silent, so silent that you could almost hear the dust going crazy in the air; the duo was regulating their breath to not miss a single sound. Ash felt it coming and jumped out of the way from the living silhouette, which has now started the battle. Crozz reaches into her boots to grab her knives and dashes to this mystery person barely missing. Len jumps out of the shadows in the direction of the figure, prompting both to dive into the shadows. Len just received confirmation that this wasn't human "is this dev? Why is he here? He can't kill? No, it can't be him, can it?" Thought Len in her head. Ash spots the figure coming through the ground slowly coming up behind crozz ready to attack "crozz behind you duck and do a low kick," yelled ash startling the figure. Crozz follows and ducks, missing the delayed attack from the figure and kicking it "now throw him over you," yells ash once more, the figure sent hurdling to the ground over crozz but before goes through the ground and coming down from the top of crozz. Crozz acted fast upon new orders from ash to throw an upper kick causing the figure's perfect landing to be ruined and fall completely to the ground; now in perfect position, Crozz swings her knife she held in her other hand left and right, making the figure to do a weird backward crawl while trying to avoid the slashes of the knife being swung from side to side Len comes out of the shadows and throws a bola perfectly right wrapping around this strange things wrists causing him to fall ash which was now right behind him who was directly in the path this thing was crawling to swings a rock to their head knocking them out immediately. Victorious once again, the two high five one another for containing this thing that caused a good amount of destruction to Lens main floor. Now there was one last concern on the trio's mind. Who is this?