"...It's over." Nightingale spoke. Which was kind of redundant since she said this when the fight ended.
"019, 098, stay here to contain the monster and protect Chief. Leave the woman to me." Nightingale ordered.
I couldn't tell if they were okay with being called numbers or not. Hecate was silent at the command and Hella just smiled innocently.
"Hehe, don't worry. Leave him to me. I will! Aaahhh!" She shrieked.
With a loud bang, the ground suddenly cracks and monsters of different sizes swarm out. Unusually ignoring me, they began destroying the entire underground experiment area wantonly.
"Wait a minute that's -!" I pointed out. One of them lifted up the intruder (still wearing my face!) and began to return to the floors above the ground.
"Amazing. You guys are still alive. I was worried it would hurt you." The intruder smiled. My face didn't look right smiling all wrongly with malicious intent in 'his' eyes.
"You were worried and still sent it anyway? Mixed signals there!" I protested charging forward, Hecate immediately close behind.
I lunged for the strange blonde intruder but the creature carrying her immediately threw me so I slammed comically into a wall and was about to be slammed harder by a monster tail.
"Whoa!" I yelled.
However Nightmare shielded me, taking the attack for the most part.
"Nightingale aim for her head-" I told her.
"I see... The riot and attacking Chief are just diversions. Your real aim is to destroy this place." Nightingale lowered her weapon.
I blinked. 'What could come of destroying this place..? oh-- instability. Power...'
"That's not true. I was dying to see Chief and truly hoped the poor Sinners would be set free." Blondie shook her head, but her coy smile didn't match her sincere tone.
"I just... didn't expect anyone would stay voluntarily and accept your restraints." Her gaze turned to Hecate who stared back with a solemn expression.
"Why didn't you run away when you got the chance?" She asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Silly girl... This isn't what a Sinner would say."
"Or ..! Maybe she has something precious to her that compelled her to do so. Something only she holds value to," I immediately defended.
Hecate had a look of momentary surprise.
"Is that right?" The intruder asked a mocking smile on her lips. "Sinners don't have such things of course," she grinned maliciously. "Didn't you know that Chief?"
"Bull-" I was about to teach Hella a new swear word when Nightingale interrupted.
"It's over now. You can't resist the Chief's shackles no matter what ability you have." She spoke.
"Hmm... Try me." She mused.
"Bet" I said practically throwing myself at her.
"Hey my pipe!" Hella protested.
"I'll bring it back!" I promised. But I honestly don't know if I could.
The ground beneath my feet suddenly collapses. Disoriented, I couldn't defend against the next thing.
At the intruder's silent order, something wrapped around me and shot upward, the acceleration putting me in a daze momentarily.
"Chief!" Nightingale yelled, at least, I think it was her voice.
Hecate released the shadow, only to be blocked by the stacks of monsters. I'm now left alone with the intruder, again.
"Well, what are you going to do to me? "The Sinner who dares to attack you."
There's no way I could answer that. It's a trick question.
I'm not going to do anything." I laughed, ignoring the metallic taste in my mouth. Probably from the impact. Immediately contradicting this I pulled a arm free and tried to use the shackles.
I grab the intruder Sinner's hand. The crimson pattern flows out once again to bind her body. The crimson pattern burns that disguise of hers, making her face blurred again.
"You seem to know a lot about me, woman I never met," I spoke.
"So this is what it's like to be bound by the shackles... You've awakened an incredible power indeed."
'Wait only an idiot or a cunning person would do this knowing I can shackle them,' I realized. Abruptly i stopped.
"What a pity... I can't be caught just yet." She gave me a closed eyed smile that said 'I caught you looking stupid just now and I regret not recording it '. It said too much considering we were enemies.
"You really know a lot. Is that what you wanted to meet me for..?"I asked.
"Already living up to your role as Chief. I'm impressed. She hummed.
"Don't be too impressed! I'm a new hire!" I argued using Hella's pipe to tsp her wrist and dropping the pip to grab her other hand.
I couldn't help but be dismayed she didn't react to the sting not even as the skin briefly reddened then healed.
"Like I said... I can't be caught just yet."she said as though she were declining a trip to the movies on account of other plans. After a moment she gripped my hand and moves it away.
The crimson shackles on her shatter at once.
'So they can be overcome with willpower..?' I had to admit I was in awe. But I had nothing to be surprised about given one opponent was a clueless teenager and one wasn't trying to fight anyway.
The blonde hair sways in the wind, back to it's proper look. The woman in front of you finally reveals her real face.
"...Chief, do you remember me?" She asked. It was the most vulnerable she'd sounded the entire time. I felt guilty for not recalling. It seemed important if she knew me and was doing so much for me....
"Uh--" I froze on the spot. "I should. I really think I should.... And I ought to.... But -" a sharp headache interrupted me.
"Fuckin migraines!" I complained.
She smiles and cups her hands on my face.
The deceptively gentle caress reminded me of the time I was eight and my dad bought a really fancy yogurt ice cream from a restaurant I don't remember the name of. He had the bright idea to feed it to me. But all we did was get yelled at by mom for being so clumsy with food and getting it on our shirts.
The memory was more bitter than sweet, seeing her melancholy expression.
"Then remember it now. We'll see each other again when it's all over." She smiled.
".... Wake me up when it's all over... I trailed off.
".... Just who are you... Tell me! So I can remember -!!" I tried to grab her hand.
But Gunshots sounded off. Several monsters fall off instantly, leaving a hole in the wall of white flesh, through which I see Nightingale with her gun aimed at me.
"Uh-- Nightingale..?" I asked intelligently. I had shackles yes, but I wanted a gun. How come she's got a gun? She's only reloaded maybe three times.
"Chief don't be so reckless!" Nightingale scolded.
"And you!! What exactly do you want?" Nightingale snapped.
The blonde woman laughs. I registered the grip on my body loosen, then I fell onto the flesh below-
'Oh crap!' Hecate! A little help!
- and I'm (thankfully) quickly caught by Hecate.
In the meantime, the defeated white monster suddenly stands up and flaps its wings, creating an overwhelming gust.
In the midst of the smoke and dust, the woman slowly walks toward the creature.
"Wait a minute! At least try to give me a hint!" I yelled.
She looks back at me, her gaze all coy smiles and insincere, plotting eyes.
"The secret will be revealed one day, but not now." She relented.
"But that's -" I tried to protest.
"Look at your cities. Look at what monsters human sin is breeding... This is the final revelry you will enjoy." She spread an arm out gesturing to the world around us.
In the end, she looks over at you and gives you that familiar smile again. Her eyes don't betray any sadness this time though.
"...Chief, go witness the end of this revelry. Whatever happens, don't look away. If you can do it..."
"I'll be waiting for you at the end with all the answers you have been looking for."
"I will ... Wait for you .." the distorted dream woman's voice spoke.
I stiffened. 'No.... Was she the woman from the dream .? The one asking what I remembered?'
"Goodbye..." Was her final words and she disappeared out of reach. The white monster rose in a powerful current of air and breaks through the dome, disappearing into the night sky.
But it is a beautiful sky filled with stars and a myriad of possibilities.... I want to believe that they are good ones.