Fiona had finally arrived as well, and thanks to Luca, they now had important information… But what would happen next?
Fiona: "Hmmm…."
She took off her jacket. She wore a backless suit, revealing her tattoos… A large glass with violet-colored poison on her shoulder, and a pistol tattoo beside it…
Fiona: "Mmm… Sophie and the others don't know… but I couldn't take it anymore… The fact that I slowly started showing emotions and let my friends get hurt… so… in secret… I started hunting criminals down… and killing them…"
(A few months earlier)
Murderer: "No… no… no…"
(Bang!)
Fiona: "Hahhhh… hahh… Number 10… Hahhhh… I need to kill more… I must never become weak again… never again let someone I love get hurt…"
Her eyes were furious.
Fiona: "Never again…"
They were wide open… like owl eyes.
Fiona: "Hahhhh…"
She kept running.
Fiona: "…There are still two more in the forest… I have to find them and kill them…"
She pulled out a cigarette.
Fiona: "Hahhhhhhhhh…"
She smoked it.
Fiona: "Hahhhhh… Sophie smokes now too… so I'm allowed to as well…"
She continued walking…
Fiona: "Hmmm… huh?"
She saw someone charging toward her, but she dodged.
Female murderer: "Damn it!"
Fiona: "Hmph!"
She grabbed her by the ponytail and dragged her.
Female murderer: "Let go."
Fiona: "Shut the hell up."
She slammed her against a rock.
(Splach!)
Fiona: "Hahhh… no emotion… no hesitation!… I have to become more brutal… hahhh… hah…"
(A few minutes later)
Murderer: "Hhahh… go away… please… leave me alone…"
Fiona: "Hahhhhh… hahh…"
Murderer: "No!!"
She grabbed his head and tore his eyes apart with her fingers.
Fiona: "More brutal… more brutal… I must never hesitate again!!!"
(Splach!)
Blood splattered across her face.
Fiona: "Hahh… hahhh… hahhhh… hahh… hahhh…"
(Patch)
Fiona: "Who's there?"
Marcus: "It's me…"
Fiona: "It's only you, Marcus."
She stood up.
Marcus: "Are you sure… you want to go this far?"
Fiona: "Hahhh… since when have you been watching me?"
Marcus: "Since the moment you started doing this…"
Fiona: "Hahh."
Marcus: "You think it was your fault…?"
Fiona: "Hmm."
Marcus: "Hahhh… Killing isn't necessarily… what you need… Come with me… I'll train you."
Fiona: "Huh?"
Marcus: "The important thing isn't killing, Fiona… it's how you act in a fight. You're smart when it comes to tactics… First, you need to train your right leg so you can run more…"
Fiona: "Hmm."
Marcus: "Let me train you… I'll make you better at killing… Listen… being brutal doesn't mean being cold… No… that's anger, Fiona… or guilt… Both can be dangerous. You're angry because Sophie once again got treated horribly… and now she's no longer a Crow…"
Fiona: "Mmm…"
Marcus: "Come… I'll show you… You shouldn't just learn how to kill… but how to do it quietly. The quieter, the better…"
Fiona: "Hmm… okay…"
Marcus: "Then come."
(End of flashback)
Fiona: "Hahhh."
She lay down on the bed.
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahhhh… hahhhh..."
Sophie: "Hmm… Fiona, is everything alright?"
Fiona: "Yeah…"
Sophie: "Lately… you've been getting more and more tired…"
Fiona: "Don't worry… I'm fine…"
Sophie: "Get some rest… I'll make you something to drink."
Fiona: "No need…"
Sophie: "Just rest, okay?…"
Violet: "Hmm… you two really get along well."
Sophie: "Huh?... Of course, we grew up together… we were in the same class for almost nine years…"
Fiona: "Yeah… even though four of those years were spent with her bullying me."
Sophie: "(Sweats)… Was that really necessary?"
Fiona: "Yes, obviously… otherwise you'd think you were always some cute little bunny…"
Sophie: "Hey… who are you calling a bunny?"
Fiona: "Oops."
Sophie: "Hahh…"
She walked into the kitchen.
Violet: "Hmm?"
Sophie: "Or should I make you a cold fruit drink?"
Fiona: "Oh yes… thank you very much."
Sophie: "And you, Violet?"
Violet: "Uhm… sure, me too…"
Sophie: "Okay… Fiona, rest until then. You look really tired."
Fiona: "Okay."
She kept lying on the bed… coughing slightly.
Fiona: "Hmmm…"
(Ring ring)
Sophie: "Huh?"
She heard the telephone ringing and walked over.
Sophie: "Yes… hello?"
Dark Umbrella member: "Hello… I'm an employee of the Dark Umbrella."
Sophie: "Oh hello… is something wrong?"
Dark Umbrella member: "Well… there's an issue. You should probably leave the house."
Sophie: "Hmm?... Did something happen?"
Dark Umbrella member: "Well… it seems there's a problem… One of our Crows sent us a picture… and someone appeared in it who doesn't belong with you. He wore a dark suit."
Sophie: "Okay… mmm…"
Dark Umbrella member: "Valentine recommended you not stay there."
Sophie: "Hmm… woww… You didn't say Ms. Valentine. Very interesting… spit it out already… who are you really?... I can fool myself just fine… because those can't be Crows… Demari is closed. No bird can enter or leave here…"
He hung up.
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
Sophie: "Hmm… Looks like we've been discovered…"
Violet: "What?!"
Sophie calmly handed out the drinks.
Violet: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "Thanks… Are you sure?"
Sophie: "Yes… we're being watched… They wanted to lure us out, but luckily the caller was dumber than he should've been…"
Fiona: "How did they discover us?... Something's wrong."
Sophie: "Yeah…"
Fiona: "Mm."
She started drinking.
Sophie: "…Mm."
Sophie drank from her glass as well.
Sophie: "Mm… Hahhh… I quit smoking again."
Fiona: "Ohh… you too… I did as well."
Sophie: "Good…"
Violet: "Hmm… (Those two look more and more exhausted lately…)"
Fiona: "Hhhh…"
Sophie: "How about taking a long vacation after this mission?"
Fiona: "Hahhh… The last time we went on vacation, Tom Fog died… I'm not so sure."
Sophie: "You look worn out, Fiona… I know you've started taking your painkillers again."
Fiona: "Hmm?..."
Sophie: "Hey… don't look at me like that. I'm just worried, okay?"
Fiona: "Hahhh… I only have a little stomach pain, nothing more."
Violet: "Oh… Fiona, since when do you have a tattoo?"
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Since I was fourteen."
Sophie: "I have one too… on my leg…"
Violet: "Ohh… It's rare to see Fiona showing her back…"
Fiona: "Hahh… Unfortunately I don't have any other outfits left… Daisy gave me this one… and… well… she likes showing herself off sometimes."
Sophie: "Hmph… she wanted to impress Tom with it."
Violet: "Hmmm…"
Fiona: "Hahhh… Sophie, can I borrow some clothes? I don't like people seeing my back."
Violet: "Why?... It's only your back."
Sophie: "Yeah… Fiona doesn't really like showing skin… but I do have something for you, Fiona… though it's sleeveless and shows a bit of your back too. Is that okay?"
Fiona: "Yeah… yeah… that's fine."
Sophie: "Okay…"
They kept drinking.
Sophie: "Mmmh…"
Violet: "Uhm… are you sure it's a good idea…"
Fiona: "Hm?"
Violet: "To stay here… even though we know we're being watched."
Sophie: "Hmm… Fiona and I aren't scared… But if you have a better suggestion? We don't have another place, and even if we did, they'd find it."
Fiona: "Mhm."
Fiona continued eating her cookie.
Violet: "You're awfully calm."
Sophie: "Heheh… Fiona's always like that…"
Fiona: "No reason to worry… If they wanted to kill or attack us, they would've done it already. We're talking about the Mafia here. The last thing that scares them is murder… So if they wanted us dead, we'd already be dead."
Sophie: "Yeah… see? No reason to worry…"
Violet: "And the phone call?"
Fiona: "Just intimidation…"
Violet: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
She stood up.
Fiona: "Hmm…"
She ate another cookie and walked to the window.
Sophie: "Huh."
(Light)
(Bang!)
A shot rang out, barely missing Fiona's face… but she didn't react at all. She just kept eating.
Fiona: "Mm…"
Sophie: "Fuck… What was that?!"
Violet: "A shot…"
Fiona: "Looks like they want to scare us…"
Sophie: "Your cheek is bleeding."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
She rubbed it.
Fiona: "Ohh…"
Sophie: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "See?... If they wanted us dead, they would've done it already."
Sophie: "Yeah… even so, how are we supposed to investigate like this?"
Fiona: "Yeah… that's definitely a problem."
Sophie: "Hmmm…"
Fiona: "Hahhhh…"
She placed the cookies on the table.
Fiona: "So… Sophie… when does Demari return to the ground again?"
Sophie: "Oh…"
She looked at the clock.
Sophie: "Any second now."
Fiona: "Hmm."
Sophie: "In… just a few seconds."
(Click… click)
(Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong)
Violet: "Not again…"
The house started moving once more.
Sophie: "Hold on tight, Violet. If you move too much, you'll hurt yourself."
Fiona: "Hmmm."
Sophie: "Hmmm… Something wrong?"
Fiona: "The houses… the gravity… can it be disconnected?"
Sophie: "Hmm… yeah… of course… Why?"
Fiona: "How?"
Sophie: "Uhm… Between every house there's an electric generator."
Fiona: "…Like… the one that guy with the pliers is standing next to?"
Sophie: "Huh?!"
She rushed to the window.
Sophie: "Ughh… oh… oh no…"
Fiona: "Let me guess… no time to escape."
Sophie: "To the car, now!!"
They rushed to the car before the house collapsed.
Sophie: "…Wow!"
They jumped inside.
(Crash!)
The house lost its gravity… but they were already in the car.
Sophie: "That was close."
Fiona: "Hmm."
Violet: "So they DO want to kill us?!"
Fiona: "Looks like they waited for the shift to happen…"
(Vrooom!)
The car sped off.
Sophie: "Hold on! We're driving through a moving city!"
She accelerated.
(Vmmmm!!!)
Violet: "Woow… woooww… The city… the city could crush us, Sophie! The houses are getting closer!"
Fiona: "Ghh."
Sophie: "Tsssss… Come on… hold tight, I've got an idea!"
She drove onto the walls of the houses.
Sophie: "Wooowww."
Fiona: "Ughh."
They held on tightly.
Sophie: "Ghhhhhh… Damn it."
(Bang bang bang bang!)
Sophie: "They're shooting at us! Someone do something!"
Fiona: "Hahh."
She grabbed a pistol and shot the driver in the head.
(Splach!)
Driver: "Urk!"
(Wommm!!)
(Crash!)
Fiona: "One's down… the other car is too close. They might crash into us."
Violet: "Then I'll handle them."
She disappeared into dark mist.
Mafia member: "The girl vanished… where is she?!"
Mafia member: "No idea."
Violet: "Hey… wanna play?"
Mafia member: "Huh?!"
She sat behind them. The moment he turned around, Violet grabbed his head and twisted it.
(Crack!)
Mafia member: "Urk!"
He dropped dead.
Mafia member: "Ghh! Bitch!"
He tried to shoot her, but she dodged and tore open his throat with her fingernails.
(Splach!)
Mafia member: "Urk…"
(Splach!)
Violet: "Have fun!"
She jumped across the moving houses.
Violet: "Hahh… I need to get back to Sophie and Fiona."
She ran.
Violet: "Hahhh."
Sophie: "Violet… hurry!"
Violet: "Okay!"
She jumped—
Fiona: "Woow!"
Violet: "Oh oh!"
(Crash!)
Violet: "Ugh."
Fiona: "Got you… that was close."
Violet: "Oh, thanks Fiona."
(Smooch)
Fiona: "Ugh… what was that just now?"
Violet: "A thank-you cheek kiss."
Fiona: "Wasn't necessary… whatever."
They kept driving.
Sophie: "Damn… damn… hold on tight."
Violet: "Why— huch!"
Fiona: "Well… this is bad…"
Because while the city was moving, a house blocked their path…
Sophie: "Ghh."
(Crash!)
They smashed through the window.
House owner: "Huh?!"
Violet: "Hehe, sorry!"
(Crash!)
They burst through.
Sophie: "Woow… that was close."
Violet: "Woow, Sophie, you're cool…"
Sophie: "Ghhh."
She turned sharply.
Sophie: "There they are again."
Fiona: "Yeah… Looks like they've got a stick up their ass if they're chasing us this hard."
Violet: "(Sweats)… Huh?... I don't have a stick up my ass…"
Fiona: "That was a metaphor."
Sophie: "Ghh… Uhm… I have an idea… but it's risky."
Fiona: "What?"
Sophie: "We drive upward."
Fiona: "What?! But it's opening! If we do that, we could fall!"
Violet: "Ghh."
Sophie: "But they won't follow us. They're not crazy… we are."
Fiona: "Hahhh… Hmph… then let's do it."
Violet: "Hä?!"
Sophie drove faster… upward.
Sophie: "Hold on! It's opening!"
Fiona: "Ghh."
Violet: "AAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHH!"
(Wuuummmmmm!!!)
(Crash!)
Sophie: "Hahh… hahhh… we made it."
Fiona: "Quick, before it opens more! The city keeps dropping lower!"
Violet: "I can't do this anymore…"
(Wumm!!!)
They were back in the middle… and then below again… in Camilia.
Sophie: "Hahh… hah."
Fiona: "Ahhh…"
Violet: "…That was close."
(Beep)
The cities had settled again.
Sophie: "Hahhh…"
Fiona: "At least we lost them for now."
Violet: "Yeah…"
Fiona: "Oh right… since we're already in Camilia… I need to visit an address."
Violet: "Where?"
Fiona: "That Luca guy has a family… he's worried about them. I want to see if they survived… probably not."
Sophie: "Okay… where is it?"
Violet: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Tizoollo Street, number 80."
Sophie: "Okay… It's actually not far."
They headed there.
Sophie: "Why are you sure this is a good opportunity?"
Fiona: "Hahhh… he helped us… We're just doing our job…"
Sophie: "Mhm."
Violet: "I… have a really bad feeling about this…"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Sophie: "We're here."
They got out.
Sophie: "Hmm."
It was a large house.
Sophie: "Hmm… Should we go in?"
Fiona: "Yeah."
Violet: "Mhm."
Sophie knocked on the door.
Sophie: "Hello?... Hello?... Madam Ceaser?... Hmm?"
She looked at Fiona and Violet. Fiona gestured the signal to breach in.
Sophie: "Okay…"
She pulled out a pistol.
(Bang!)
She shot the door lock.
Sophie: "Hello!"
She opened the door.
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Come on, let's go in too. Stay ready."
Violet: "Okay."
They drew their pistols.
Sophie: "Hahh… It's too quiet."
Fiona: "I don't like this… Let's split up."
Sophie: "Okay. I'll search here. You go upstairs. Violet, you take the basement."
Violet: "Okay."
They spread out.
Sophie: "Hello?.."
Fiona: "Hmm."
Fiona slowly climbed the stairs.
Fiona: "Hmm?.."
She found blood trails.
Fiona: "Hmm."
She touched them.
Fiona: "Old blood traces… (Sniffs)… both the smell and moisture are gone. Must be over eighty-four hours old."
She kept going upstairs slowly while Sophie stayed below.
Sophie: "Hmm… found anything?"
Fiona: "Only blood trails."
Violet: "AAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"
Sophie: "Ugh."
Fiona: "Ugh… Violet!"
They rushed downstairs. Violet had collapsed onto the floor.
Violet: "…Look… look… over there…"
Sophie: "Huh."
Fiona: "Ugh!"
Sophie: "Ughhmmm!"
She covered her mouth.
Sophie: "Mmm."
Fiona: "Damn…"
Violet: "Hahh…"
The woman and the child… lay dead on the floor… riddled with bullets… The woman even had half her jaw blown off.
Sophie: "Damn it… Were we too late?!"
Fiona: "Hmmm… yeah… but they were killed long before we even arrived in Demari…"
She checked the pulse.
Sophie: "Huhh… why are you checking their pulse? They're obviously dead… even if they had survived… blood loss…"
Fiona: "Hmmm… Even so… it's the least I can do… hahhh."
She closed the woman's eyes… and gently stroked the child's head.
Fiona: "…Disgraceful bastards… How can anyone kill a child so brutally…"
Sophie: "Fiona…"
Fiona: "Hahhh… damn it…"
Violet: "Hmmm… huh?... Uhm… guys… I heard something."
(Vroooom!!!)
Car sounds.
Sophie: "Ugh… oh no."
Fiona: "We've got visitors."
Violet: "Good… Then I'll kill the bastards who murdered this poor child."
Sophie: "Exactly. No mercy for child killers."
Fiona: "Let's see… how they react… when they can't kill children anymore."