Finally, they now know that George Pushkin was most likely taken by the Finger of the Liar, the people who want to resurrect Loki.
Marcus: "Good…good…then let's get moving."
Sophie: "Ok."
Fiona: "Yeah."
Marcus: "You stay here, Lina."
Lina: "Uh…ok."
Marcus: "Protect the poor woman if you can."
Lina: "Ok."
Meanwhile
Gulp
An eye opened.
Ruslana: "Thank you, Hildenheim…"
The eye closed.
Ruslana: "Titia…hmph…"
She walked on.
Civilian: "Oh…hey…miss."
Ruslana: "Huh?"
Civilian: "You're pretty…say…wanna have a glass of tea?"
Ruslana: "Hmm."
Civilian: "Why aren't you answering…huh…or is your mouth shut…"
He touched her…right then a bone shot out of her arm and pierced his heart.
Splach
Ruslana: "Don't touch me…disgusting…"
The bones returned.
Ruslana: "Hahh."
He fell dead to the ground…Ruslana's ability is that she can extend and shorten her bones…or rather…she can change her body…she can even turn herself into a child.
Ruslana: "This is going to hurt…haahhh…ghh."
Crack
Ruslana: "Urk…uaghhh."
Crack
Crack
Ruslana: "Aaaarghhh…"
She turned into a child.
Ruslana: "Like this I won't raise suspicion…hehehe…lalalala…"
She looked around.
Ruslana: "Hmmmm…I have to kill the journalist…huh?"
A wagon stopped in front of her.
Ruslana: "Huh?"
Driver: "Hey kid…come in, I've got candy."
Ruslana: "Oh…really hehe."
She got in.
Driver: "Hehe…"
Ruslana: "Mister?…"
Driver: "Huh…urk!"
Splach
Blood splattered on the window as she left the wagon.
Driver: silent
Ruslana: "Hmph…who knows how many children he would've lured…I may be a criminal…but I'm not a monster."
She walked on.
Ruslana: "Now I have to kill this journalist…what if she has children?…no…Zantanel knows I don't kill parents or children…whether she does I don't care…but it's my rule…huh?…ahh…this must be it…"
Knock knock
Jane: "Oh hello, little one."
Ruslana: "Um…miss…I'm sorry to bother you…but…I…was just kidnapped and I…escaped but they'll find me…please…please help me."
Jane: "Ugh…"
Violet: "Huh?"
Jane: "Let's let her in…she's a child, she wouldn't do anything right?"
Violet: "…hmm sure."
She smiled.
Jane: "Come in."
Ruslana: "Thank you."
Violet: "Hmm."
She looked around and then closed the door.
Jane: "So…do you want something to drink?"
Ruslana: "Huh?…but…I don't want to cause trouble."
Jane: "That's only natural."
Violet: "Hmm…"
Ruslana: "(Who is this girl…? I've never seen her…is she from the organization?…no…she's probably working for the Dark Umbrella…understood…I need to be careful.)"
Violet: "Hmmmm…"
Jane: "Alright…"
Ruslana: "(Huh…they both turned around…my chance…)"
But right then Violet stopped her.
Violet: "I knew something was off about you…"
Jane: "Hey what are you doing?"
Ruslana: "Let go…you're hurting me."
Violet: "You're way too polite for a child…and you don't talk like one…"
Ruslana: "Hmmm…hahh…I guess I've been found out."
She slowly returned to her adult form.
Ruslana: "Hahhhh…aaaghh…"
Violet: "Ughh…"
Ruslana: "Hey…my name is Ruslana Iwankov…member…of the House of the Cursed Children…or by our nickname…Dark Butterfly."
Violet: "Hahhh…(she's strong…I can feel her mana…but she…doesn't really seem evil…I feel…anger…)"
Ruslana: "Listen…I don't like killing people who treat children well…so let me make this painless…give me Jane."
Jane: "Huh!"
Ruslana: "Hmm?"
Violet: "She treated you well…"
Ruslana: "I know…I'd rather not kill her…but a mission is a mission."
Jane: "Ugh."
She grabbed her pistol and shot Ruslana in the stomach.
Ruslana: "Urk."
She almost fell…Jane kept shooting.
Ruslana: "Urk."
She fell to the ground.
Jane: "Hahhh…hahhh…"
Violet: "Is it over?"
Ruslana: "Hahahaha…"
She stood up.
Ruslana: "Sorry…I hardened my bones…did you really think I can only use my bones? I have two curses, my dear."
Violet: "Two…is that even possible?"
Ruslana: "If you survive it…my first is the bones…it hurts like hell…the second is…"
Her tattoo glowed…her eyelids turned into rose petals…her mouth turned red…flowers grew out of her back…two eyes appeared on her arms…roses that opened with eyes inside them.
Ruslana: "Scream of the flowers…a curse I got…because I stepped on a fairy's flower…when I was a child…fairies can curse too…at least the strong ones…they're called green fairies…they're peaceful…but they don't like it when you step on their flowers…also…many fairies get their magic from Rumpelstiltskin…enough talking…hmm?…why are you looking at me like that?"
Violet: "You look beautiful like that."
Ruslana: "Huh…what…"
Violet: "Yeah…right Jane."
Jane: "Uh…what…does that even matter…well…you're right…"
Ruslana: "Hehehe…you two are something…or one of you?…whatever…listen…I really don't feel like killing a young woman right now…oh by the way Jane…do you have a child?"
Jane: "No?"
Ruslana: "Are your parents still alive?"
Jane: "…no."
Ruslana: "Great…that means I don't have to feel bad when I kill you."
The plants attacked.
Violet: "Ugh."
Violet quickly turned into smoke and protected Jane.
Ruslana: "Smoke?…interesting…were you also cursed?"
Violet: "Hahhh…hahhhh…I don't understand…you don't seem like a bad person…so why are you doing this…why should someone like you do what Zantanel wants."
Ruslana: "Huh?…look at this damn world…only suffering and torture…look how many wars they make…they're the real monsters…and call us monsters even though we're human too…just born with mana or cursed…they think they're something special…"
Violet: "Someone like you with that heart…shouldn't follow someone as disgusting as Zantanel."
Ruslana: "Ughh…"
Suddenly the plants became violent.
Ruslana: "How dare you call Zantanel that…when I had no one…she saved me…she was there for me…nothing but work…and all because my father sold me!"
Jane: "I knew it…that mark on her hand…that tooth…that's a mark used for prostitutes…"
Violet: "Ugh…(her father sold her…I take it back…she's not the problem…she's the victim!)"
Ruslana: "This world…treated me like I was a monster…I'm just doing what they wanted from me…do you know what they did to me… I will never forgive them…they defiled me…they defiled me…they treated my dignity like it was nothing…"
A purple eye appeared on her navel.
Gulp
Ruslana: "Just like they treated me…I'll treat them the same!"
The flowers attacked Violet.
Violet: "Ugh."
Violet dodged and carried Jane.
Jane: "Huh…"
Violet: "That was close."
Ruslana: "Hahhh…"
Violet: "Hahhh…ghh."
She threw Jane aside and attacked Ruslana…but Ruslana dodged.
Violet: "Ugh…how fast is she?"
Ruslana: "Hahhhhh…"
Meanwhile
Sandybell: "Hmm."
Zantanel: "What?"
Sandybell: "I just hope Ruslana doesn't overdo it."
Zantanel: "You mean how she gets stronger the more hatred she feels…she lives with the trauma…of having her body abused…when someone experiences that at such a young age…sexual abuse stays in the mind…even for adults…so imagine a girl who went through that at 14…"
Meanwhile
Ruslana: "Hahhh…hahhh…hahhh…"
Violet: "Huh?…is she losing strength?"
Ruslana: "Cough…cough…"
She spat blood.
Ruslana: "My…bones…"
Ruslana's curse is that her bones constantly break and regenerate every two hours…this hurts because she feels every single piece…that's why she takes many pills to sleep…almost to unconsciousness…only then can she rest.
Ruslana: "Arghhh…"
Crack
Violet: "Urk…(even I feel pain…what kind of curse is this…)"
Ruslana: "Hahhh…hahh…it's…back…"
Violet: "I could…use this…but…that wouldn't be right."
Ruslana: "Hahh…"
Her pain stopped.
Ruslana: "Huh…you could've taken advantage of it…why didn't you?"
Violet: "Um…because it's not right to take advantage of someone's pain."
Ruslana: "Hahh…just give me Jane…ok…I'll leave you alone."
Jane: "Ugh."
Violet: "Sorry…it's my first mission…I can't let her die."
Ruslana: "Just give her to me…"
Bang
Suddenly a shot came through the window and hit Jane.
Jane: "Urk."
She fell to the ground.
Violet: "Ugh…no!"
Ruslana: "Hahhh…is that you…Harry?"
Harry appeared.
Harry: "Sorry…I figured you'd run into trouble."
Ruslana: "What is wrong with you…why did you shoot her in the chest…now she'll suffer."
Harry: "You should stop being so considerate."
Jane: "Urk…"
She could barely breathe.
Crash
Daisy: "Not so fast."
Violet: "Huh?"
Harry: "Ugh…one of the crows."
Ruslana: "That one?"
Daisy: "I hope I'm not too late…"
Harry: "Be careful Ruslana…she has similar powers…plants."
Ruslana: "Ugh."
Harry: "Retreat."
Ruslana: "What…no."
Harry: "Retreat…she'll die anyway…the shot hit her chest and organs…she won't survive."
Daisy: "Hmm."
Ruslana: "Ghh…"
Harry: "Hildenheim!"
An eye appeared…then a mouth…they entered and disappeared.
Daisy: "Damn…"
Violet: "Jane…Jane…hold on."
Jane: "Urk…ghahhhh…"
Daisy: "Forget it…she won't make it…"
Jane closed her eyes while Violet held her hand and died.
Daisy: "I'll take responsibility, kid…don't worry about it."
Violet: "Jane…"
Some minutes later
Tssssttt
Daisy: "Hello…Marcus, Sophie, Fiona?"
Marcus: "Hello…Daisy…are you there with Violet?"
Daisy: "Yes…but…I was too late…"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Sophie: "No…don't tell me…Jane is dead."
Daisy: "Yes…she's dead."
Marcus: "Damn."
Fiona: "Tss…"
Sophie: "That means…we absolutely have to find George Pushkin."
Marcus: "Yep…and here we are."
It was a large building.
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "And you're sure the Finger of the Liar are here?"
Marcus: "Well…in this area…a scout informed me."
Sophie: "Ok…we have to do this…if George Pushkin is dead…"
Fiona: "Then we have a very serious problem…even worse than now."
Marcus: "Let's go in."
They went inside.
Sophie: "Cough cough…have they ever heard of cleaning…this gives you lung cancer."
Fiona: "Cough…even smoking would be healthier…"
Marcus: "Cough…how old is this building…"
Fiona: "Cough…let's hurry…the longer we stay the worse it gets."
Sophie: "Cough…ok."
They moved forward…no masks.
Sophie: "Cough…"
Fiona: "Hmm…better here…"
Sophie: "Yeah…"
Marcus: "Hahh…"
Sophie: "Let's look around."
Marcus: "Ok…I'll go left."
Sophie: "I'll go right."
Fiona: "I'll go straight ahead…be careful."
Marcus: "Mhm."
Sophie: "Good luck."
They continued.
Sophie: "It stinks…what kind of smell is this…huh?"
Bodies lay on the ground.
Sophie: "…are those…corpses…"
She looked at the blood.
Sophie: "It's still liquid…not long ago…"
Marcus: "Hmm…huh…hey…guys…"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Sophie: "Yeah?"
Marcus: "Come here."
They hurried to him.
Sophie: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "We…are too late…"
Marcus: "Mhm…"
George Pushkin sat on a chair…a bullet in the middle of his forehead.
Sophie: "Hahhh…damn!"
Marcus: "Let's go."
Fiona: "Wait."
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "There's something on his hand."
Sophie: "This? yeah…but how is that useful…it's just a ring."
Marcus: "Maybe a clue."
Fiona: "A clue to what…"
Marcus: "Look at his left hand…it's like he tried to grab something…"
Fiona: "Hmm…a clue to the culprit."
Marcus: "Huh?"
Sophie: "That makes sense."
Fiona: "I had a similar case…the hand tries to take the ring from the other hand…why?"
Sophie: "Oh no…I got it…I know why."
Fiona: "Huh?"
Marcus: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Hmm…ugh…I get it…his wife is the target."
Marcus: "Ugh…"
Sophie: "She…was the victim from the start."
Marcus: "Wait Lina is with her!"
Sophie: "Huh!"
Fiona: "Quick…we have to get back!"
Sophie: "Hh."
They rushed back.
Crash
Marcus: "Lina…ugh…oh…"
She was fine, just standing there.
Sophie: "Oh…"
Marcus: "Where is she…where is Magdelene!"
Fiona: "Huh?"
Lina: "I don't know…she said she wanted some fresh air."
Sophie: "Hhh…"
Fiona: "Hmm…ugh."
A red stain on the balcony.
Sophie: "Huh…is that blood?"
Fiona: "Yes."
Marcus: "Ugh."
They opened the door.
Sophie: "Ugh."
Fiona: "Damn…"
Marcus: "She must have known her secret wouldn't stay hidden…but why is there so much blood and no body?"
Sophie: "I get it…she only helped them find him."
Fiona: "That means she was forced…and now they took her again…guys…this might still work…if we find her…we can do something!"
Sophie: "Mhm."
Marcus: "Yes…she knows important things about George Pushkin…if we get her we can make it look like his death was an accident."
Sophie: "Mhm."
Fiona: "But the police know about it."
Marcus: "Hahh…we can handle it."
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "What are you planning…don't tell me something brutal."
Marcus: "No…not necessary…we'll pay them a lot of money to keep quiet…either way they'll be killed."
Sophie: "Why?"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Marcus: "The Owls are also after George Pushkin…so let our dear rivals do the dirty work…let's find Magdelene first."