Hae took the clock off the wall and took the batteries out. She'd been cooped up in the apartment for so long that the tick, tick, tick of it was starting to get to her. Yoosung had hinted that Zen was on the way to pick her up from the horrible place. She didn't want to be there for another minute. She'd already packed up her bag -- she hadn't had much to pack as it was -- and had been pacing for the last twenty minutes. The idea of the bomb still scared her. Seven had said it was disabled, but was it really? Why in the world had Rika made him put a bomb there, anyway? It didn't match with everything the members of the RFA had told her of the almost-mythical woman who could do no wrong. Something wasn't right.
She had just completed her circuit around the sofa when there was a loud crash. The window exploded inward and she shielded herself reflexively from the glass that rained down around her. What--? What had happened? She was on the fourteenth floor! When she took her hands from her face, a strange man stood there. White haired and wild-eyed, like Zen had described from his dream! He had a strange half-mask on his face and a tattoo on his arm. She'd never seen anyone like him before.
"You're busy with the party?" the man asked calmly, as if he hadn't just come rappelling down a building and through a window. "You want to scream? Shhh. I'll just force you to shut up so you'd better be quiet."
"Who are you...?"
"Oh. I get that you want to see my face, but if you come closer, you'll step on glass."
He was crazy. Hae was sure of it. His eyes -- they weren't right. His pupils were dilated and his voice...the hair on her arms had stood on end. There was something wrong with him. Fundamentally wrong. Some kind of drugs? She had no idea what, but it was bad. This was bad. She took a careful step away from him and he blinked at her owlishly, tilting his head to one side.
"This was the only way to avoid the thermal sensors and the security cameras." He brushed some glass off of himself. "Wait. I'll go to you." He stepped forward, glass crunching under his feet. Hae backed further away, but there really wasn't anywhere to go. The apartment wasn't that big.
"What do you want?"
He had her cornered now and grabbed her wrist. "I'm from paradise," he said. "You don't know this, but you were invited too...from the moment you installed that mysterious app."
She tried to twist away from him but his grip was like iron. He didn't even seem to notice her struggle.
"I know it took some time for me to come for you." He almost sounded apologetic. "Now let's go together, to Magenta!" Hae pulled as hard as she could, but his grip, if anything, tightened. This close, the look in his eyes was even more terrifying. It's like he wasn't even there. "You look scared," he said. "But don't worry too much. I won't hurt you. I was ordered to bring you alive."
Was that supposed to make her feel better? He was hurting her now! She couldn't go with him. Wouldn't. Somehow she knew that there was no coming back from whatever place he wanted to take her too. None of what he was saying made any sense. She struggled harder, hitting him with her free hand, kicking, scratching -- but he simply stood there. She could see the faint outline of a smile under his mask and that, perhaps, was the most terrifying part. He was enjoying this.
"So...don't fight back."
"Why should I listen to you?" She was trying to buy time. If she could only reach the table by the bed, maybe get the lamp -- anything.
"Because I'm a generous person who will take you to paradise. I'll need days to explain all the good things about paradise. Endless parties, overflowing love, joy without pain..." He was staring off into the middle distance. She was sure he wasn't even seeing the room they were in. "Reality is ugly. There is nothing good about this world." That last sentence he practically spit out, then his face changed again, his smile grown bigger. "I'll save you. You won't get hurt if you just listen to me."
She shook her head and continued to pull against his hold. Another inch, two...she was almost there.
"I'm sure you must have heard strange things ever since you entered the RFA. What a pity..."
Ding-dong.
The doorbell! Was it Zen?
"Huh? You invited someone?" For the first time, the man looked surprised.
The door shook as whoever it was knocked on it. It had to be Zen.
"I wonder who it is? Maybe Luciel Choi? Since he's the only one who knows this place."
He knew Seven's name? Who was this man? The door shook again as Zen pounded on it. "How do you know Seven?" she yelled, loud enough that hopefully Zen would realise she wasn't alone. Would the question distract this strange man?
It did. He turned and leaned in to stare at her face. "Of course I know him. Since..."
The door burst open and Zen charged in.
"Oh no, someone seems to know the door password." The strange man sounded almost detached, like everything was happening to someone else and not to him, almost like it was a movie he was watching.
"Hae, are you hurt?" Zen looked wild-eyed himself and scared. He looked from her to the man and back again.
"I'm fine!" She wasn't, not really, but the answer came out of her anyway. She wanted to at least reassure him, to take that look away from his face. To protect him.
Zen held out his hands and slowly approached them. "I...I don't know who you are, but let go of her."
 |
| Poor Hae. She still has no eyes. Or teeth, apparently. |
"If you don't, I'll have to use force to protect my girl."
The man let out a short laugh. The mask had fallen off of his face and Hae could feel his breath on her ear. "You move a single inch, and you see this switch here?" He waved the thing he was holding in his hand. "I'll press it. If I do...the whole place will BLOW UP!" He was screaming now, right in her ear. "And go to ASHES!"
Zen flinched. Hae could see he was unsure what to do. His shoulders were hunched. Was he going to rush them anyway?
"I already have Luciel's device figured out. It did take some time though." The man had calmed down again. He tsk-tsked. "Installing a bomb in a house a woman lives on her own? What is wrong with everyone in the RFA?"
"...What do you want?" Zen asked through gritted teeth.
"To escape this place safely with RFA's party planner. Of course, I'll take all of the members away soon. If you don't want to activate the bomb, you'd better stay still. Just watch as I take 'your girl' and disappear."
"Damn...!" Zen was shaking in anger. "Where did you come from? What do you want...?! Are you the one who led Hae here...?"
The man just laughed, a full belly laugh like it was the funniest joke he'd ever heard. Zen twitched. He was going to do something. Hae knew it. She could see it in his eyes. She had to do something. She was not going to let this man hurt Zen. She pulled as hard as she could with both hands on the man's arm and sunk her teeth into his hand as hard as she could. She could feel the bones of his hand grind against her teeth.
"OW! What are you doing? Let go!" He shook her off and she stumbled away from him, her jaw aching. Could she taste blood?
"Hae! Come here!" She ran to Zen. The rest of the room was a blur. All she could see was him.
"I'll activate the bomb!"
But Zen was already pulling her towards the door. "I'm so sorry for being late," he said. "Hold tight. We're going to run!" They were through the door, hands together. "Just trust me and run!" They were out the door and into the stairwell. Was the man following them? Was he going to set off the bomb and blow himself up? They kept running, feet pounding down the stairs until they finally emerged, breathless, at the bottom, but they didn't stop there. Zen pulled her after him and stepped in front of a passing taxi to stop it. The man's light wasn't even on, but Zen got in anyway, taking her with him.
"Hey!" said the driver.
"Just drive!" yelled Zen. "Go, go!" And the man did, something in the urgency of Zen's voice spurring him on. He took the corner and raced away. Hae collapsed onto Zen, panting and out of breath. She was shaking. She was hot. She was cold. She couldn't breathe. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Zen's chest. He was safe. They were safe. Zen wrapped his arms around her and held on tighter than he'd ever held onto anything before.
(I'm not clear on whether Unknown/Ray actually blows up the apartment or not, but I'm guessing he doesn't since Rika wanted the information anyway. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't blow himself up. Or maybe he does hit the button, because he's just that crazy-pants but Seven's disabling of the bomb had actually worked and nothing happens. Actually, I'll go with that. He pushes the button as they are at the door, but nothing happens and he is left staring stupidly after them and cursing. His arm throbbing -- Hae broke the skin -- he rifles through some of the drawers in the apartment and grabs some things that the Savior had described to him. He leaves through the front door, stopping just long enough to stare into the camera for a long moment. Then he's gone.)
(Also...I'd just like to say...DUDE. Unknown. Man. Do you realise how much you freaking monologue? Don't you know what that means? You're the villain in this story, man. Villains do all the monologuing. Don't you know anything?)
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