Why is she here! That idiot! Why did she come here! It’s the middle of the night! Damn it! Damn it all!

The entire place was covered in red, a sign of the upcoming destruction. It seemed impossible for them to have a power that would dominate the entire area. Their previous actions didn’t point to any truly destructive power. How could a power that was regulated towards how the eyes work be attributed towards the power of a bomb.

And yet, he had to believe it. The proof was right in front of him. And so, he had to act.

He turned around quickly and sneaked to the guard station just a few meters out. The rectangle of space provided a dark oozy quality of disgust and fear. It was like an Impressionist painting. In bright colors, the emotion of violence shaded each and every character in its violent mood.

Tsk. There’s no point in keeping up my Specialty now. All the Desire Lines would fade in among one another endlessly. And besides, there are too many people.

As soon as he stepped inside, his eyes began to pound in pain. He raised his hand to his eyes, and saw that an eerie green color was emanating from it. It was another confirmation that they had the capability to take out the entire area, somehow.

But what’s their goal anyway? If they were here to kill me, then they wouldn’t destroy an entire station like this. If they had wanted, they could’ve killed me without me even waking up. I gott a stop thinking about things like this. I have to get River out of there.

He looked at the guards who were setting up patrols around the area trying to find either the messenger or the message itself. Black and green figures moved between lights relaying information. A group of people were huddled near the guard door, their marks glowing a brilliant red and they had a white band around their bicep.

Supporters.

Their job, from what Xander knew, was to measure the danger. Some of them would become hyper aware of sound, changing how sensitive the tiny hairs in their ears are to hear any disturbance, or someone would try and ‘sniff’ them out. These were the most basic Specialties which these types of detective roles had. Usually, among these, would be someone who turned on the lights or had something that would make them see better.

He was waiting near the entrance to the police station, hiding behind a police carriage that hid him from view. He was waiting for an opportunity to hop over the railing beside him to stealthily get through the door. While waiting, he listened to a conversation between two of the supporting members as he was crossing through

“Where’s Jason! He should be putting in the same amount of work as we are!”

“What good is Jason going to do! Didn’t you hear, it’s the Mistress which we’re going up against. No looking. Jason would die here if he was with us. He’s probably looking after the girl who’s in here.”

The Mistress? Xander perked up as he stopped shimmying down the small crevice. The more he knew, the more capable he was going to be in case the worst comes to happen.

“What the hell, the Mistress! I thought the point of being placed down here was so that we wouldn’t have to face shit like this! You’re telling me that monster lurking around here beneath our noses! Can’t we just pretend we saw nothing and leave it at that!”

“Oh right, and let her go like we have for the past twenty years. You’re a man of justice, aren’t you? Or are you just boasting at the bar for nothing. Just think of it as crossing off one more name from the board. Just think of the reward money”

“And why shouldn’t I just up and leave. Screw the money or the justice, this wasn’t what I signed up for!”

The coward was about to stand up. He put away his ring and was about to stand up but a large ebony hand clasped his shoulder and kept him down. It belonged to a large man. The coward looked up and saw a revolver pointing at him with it cocked.

“You leave and you die.”

An imposing dark man crouched behind him. The man looked up at the man and shivered in fear as he dropped down to the floor almost eating pavement. The man beside him shut up and looked down, secretly taking glances at what was happening beside him. Xander found it satisfying.

“Uh, Captain Holt, I didn’t- I didn’t know that you were here. I- I was j-just joking around about that. I’m h-here to protect. Wow, I love peace so much sir.”

“You useless bums. You're only here because our station didn’t have enough funding for one of those Thales devices. We don’t have it because of slackers like you, so shut up and do your job before I put a pile of lead between your eyes.”

“O-of course Captain Holt. I will do that immediately. Yes sir.”

“Don’t disappoint me. I don’t care if you’re scared of any Mistress, but I’m sure your wife would love seeing her man in a bodybag instead if you want. It’s not just our lives that are riding on this.”

The captain withdrew his revolver and put it back into his black trench coat. He retracted his hand and stood up with a purpose. He had to be about two meters in height by how he towered above most of everyone. In his matte black coat, he turned around like a reaper in the night.

The disgruntled guard clicked his tongue and knelt down, giving up. He held onto his Jade steadfast as a mark circling around his neck began to glow red. Once he saw his superior had left, he began to mutter off to himself.

“So we have to work our asses off to find a Hydra while the Captain gets to order us around like dogs and Jason gets to flirt around with the girl. I swear…”

Both supporters were reorganizing their effort to use their Jade after the Captain had visited. Xander used this opportunity to pull himself up the railing and go into the guard station. They literally said nothing useful. How great. However, their incompetence made the perfect opportunity to slip inside the station where hopefully no guards were patrolling.

As much as Xander wanted to go and talk to the guards directly, he was a priority for every government official in the Versprechen kingdom. There was no way he wouldn’t be held in detainment while they dealt with the threat, though, if they were all going to die anyway, there wasn’t a lot of harm in doing so.

Who cares if the Child of Ignorance had shown up if they were already marked by death. Not like they knew anyway. Just thinking of that title made him cringe.

In the worst possible scenario, he would willingly work with the station, but all he wanted to do was get River and get out of there.

The police station had a wooden floor with a healthy amount of baseboard inside. The walls were painted in a simple pastel white with various directions being painted on in blue paint. Around him were various devices and revolvers. Looks like he had stumbled onto the weapon and devices part of the police station.

They were all locked behind a series of iron bars though, so no stealing for Xander. It was a shame, they would’ve gone for a good handful of silver coins. The devices themselves, which were ordained with a dull green, would’ve gone for some gold. Xander stared at them for a moment then shook his head.

There is no time for this. I gotta steal- I mean save River. But if… Jason (that was his name, wasn’t it) has the keys, then I might keep it. Damn it, you’ll die if you stay here. Get out!

Just down the hallway, he heard the squeaking of wood. A pair was walking. Quickly, Xander hid himself behind a wall. His back was against the wall and he peeked across the wall to see who was walking.

A youthful looking face, blonde hair and blue eyes, with a fair complexion walked across the hallway. They had the same white sash that the other two guards were wearing. Xander identified him as Jason.

And next to him was a chestnut-haired, full-of-life, and a glasses-wearing girl. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing her. It felt like an invisible weight was lifted off of him and the choking feeling he had disappeared. His eyebrows unfurrowed themselves.

River had a smile on her face while they were talking about something too unintelligible for Xander to hear. They were laughing and joking around even in the strange predicament they were in. He pursed his lips for no particular reason before activating Perspective once again.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

I have to find out where he’s walking so I can take River and go. Just to be safe.

He stared daggers into Jason while trying to limit the Reference he would detect. It was a higher toll than before because there were too many conscious people around him. Instantly, he could sense feelings of fear, confusion, and despair. Everpresent, like a fog dwelling on a small town, was the desire to murder, but he blocked that one away easily.

He breathed in and out and found the mental energy to sift through the various References and find the Origin Point of Jason. Taking a few seconds, he marked him through all the different noises. The places around Jason, where he was seeing, were dyed in a bunch of different colors and objects. The route he was taking was lit up in green shoe-shaped highlights. The windows which were shown outside were yellow. It was rather clear. However, one thing about his Reference stood out.

River was positively glowing. Cute little white flowers sprouted around her in beautiful arrangements that Xander could appreciate. If Florian was here, he would’ve admired them too, as Xander unfortunately picked up bits and pieces of his friend’s horrible hobby. Everywhere she stepped, it was like another garden appeared. Xander had time to muse that it was like Persephone walking on Earth.

He didn’t like what he saw one bit. He didn’t want to come off as an overbearing brother, but to get friendly with a guard. What would family dinner even look like with an infamous runaway and a cop at the same table. River might even grow distant because of whatever his face was.

A plan formulated in his head about how to take Jason out, and he almost acted upon it too, but something about the flowers that were sprouting was eye-catching. A conversation with Florian bubbled up his mind.

***

“I don’t always love my job. I just pick whatever draws my fancy during the moment, you know? If I see a flower on the road, I’ll pick it if it comes up. If a pretty little piece at auction shows up, I’ll purchase it. I love flowers but not what I have to do with them.”

“You spend everyday inside of your greenhouse with all of the world’s flowers. You have better relationships with flowers than your neighbors. You’re telling me you don’t always enjoy your life.”

“Not all the flowers I work with are so loved by me. Like these ones.”

He waved his hand over a wreath of light colored flowers, pink and white and picked it up showing it to Xander. They were traditionally very calming from what he could tell, but that was all.

“Lilies, roses, carnations… they all convey a sad sort of somberness whenever someone asks me to arrange them together.”

“What’s the problem… they’re just flowers.”

“I thought we spent enough time together to know that no flowers are just flowers, my dear Xander.”

He flaunted his perfect teeth while laughing lightly. Xander felt the tiniest bit annoyed.

“Flowers carry emotions in their petals and stories in their thorns. These ones carry the sorry song of regret in their spirit. I have these addressed to a funeral home on the surface. A sad little accident happened up there and they needed to say their goodbyes to their father.”

“...Funeral flowers. That’s what they are, aren’t they?”

Florian put down the arrangement and began to water a sickly plant in silence. He had a sad smile on as he answered with closed lips. After he finished watering, he gently lifted the flowers’ graying leaves.

“People wilt. Flowers die. Neither God nor a florist can change that. So, even with these heavy feelings in my heart, I’ll give them a proper ending with my bunch of flowers.”

***

For no particular reason at all, Xander gave up on subduing him quickly. He would just lightly put him to sleep and drag him to a safe place.

Consciously turning off his Perspective, he went ahead of the pair and snuck into a nearby office where the pair was heading. He waited as he heard the pair of voices come ever closer.

“Are you for real? I thought guards went through an entire school to… you know… be smart.”

“Hey, I actually passed all the classes there with flying colors. I was a real valedictorian. With a mind like mine, who cares if I forgot to wear some parts of my uniform.”

“You showed up to a crime scene in nothing but your boxers and yet I’m the one stuck down here in the Layers. It really isn’t fair sometimes.”

River had a big grin on her face, her nose wrinkled and her spirits high while talking to Jason. It was a look that really suited her. He was also happy. From what his Reference told Xander, he really did see River as someone to protect.

From time to time, he took nearly invisible glances outside and his microexpressions gave away his uncertainty. That type of attitude made Xander more at ease. There isn’t such a thing as someone who doesn’t worry. Though, he would feel more at peace if River was with him.

“You’ll get up with everyone up there in the big city. Trust me. You give me that type of feeling. You’re a smart girl, and in that world up there, that’s all that matters.”

“All that should matter. I’ve heard the stories of what happens up there. This Wunderkind system, it really is flawed. I mean, just look at the mess ten years ago.”

“You’re a real pessimist. Seriously, you’re just like her.” Jason smirked.

River was about to speak but she was too distracted by the arm that reached around Jason’s neck. She made a subdued scream before running into the opposite office, disappearing from Xander’s view.

Well, Jason was probably. He was currently as pale as a fish right now, but luckily, he went down quickly. He could move in a moment, but that was enough time for Xander to get out. Before things could escalate, he stepped out of the office with his hands up and declared.

“River. It’s me. We have to get out of here, now.”

A small brown-haired head appeared next to the doorway before a small torso appeared connected to that head. Finally, a granny skirt appeared attached to that skinny torso completing the body. She was holding a golden statue which on further inspection was a clock, displaying a time.

Was she going to try and bludgeon me to death?

“Xander, what are you-”

“You heard me. Good. Now come with me.”

He grabbed River’s hand which dropped the clock she was holding. River looked at Xander in amazement and surprise, mouth agape. But then out of her open mouth came a flood of questions as he practically dragged River.

“What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Why are you being chased? Why did you knock out Jason? Why is your eye glowing”

“A really dangerous woman is chasing me and she threw needles at my head and torso. I don’t know why I’m being chased and I can’t let anyone, especially a guard, know I’m here. So, if you have no more questions, let’s just go and get out of here as fast as possible.”

“Of course I have more questions!”

River glared at Xander but still went around with him. However, she did take a quick look back.

“Let’s save those for later. Alright?”

.They were just around the weapons room and almost made their escape. However, before they could make it out the same entrance, a familiar voice cried out from near there. It was the coward from before.

“J-Jesus Christ! She’s in the building. One of our own got taken out, lying on the floor of Mr. Anderson’s office. She has a hostage!”

A deep voice barked out orders in an amazingly loud fashion.

“Move out of the way, now! Elite Squad, head in from this entrance. All the rest, surround the building and take out your weapons and devices. I want the engineers to set up their Brahma suppressors and create a perimeter. I don’t want any more men dead tonight!”

“Damn it!”

Xander saw the barrel of a revolver enter from the entrance they were just about to take and he immediately pivoted the other way towards where they just came from. Loud footsteps made rounds across the place as he got as far as possible.

“They’re the police. You’re clearly not the Mistress so what does it matter? The enemy of our enemy is our friend, heard of that?”

Xander shushed River quickly and tried to look for any other exits around here, but he didn’t know the place well enough. The sound of footsteps from all sorts of places brought imminent threat.

“They won’t be using sight to identify her. You can’t look at her. Right now, they’re not even shooting on sight. Any sign of a living being and they’ll shoot. That’s how dangerous she is. That’s what being a Hydra class threat is.”

“How do you know this?”

“I need you to be quiet. Did you see any windows opening outside, or any vents big enough to fit a person when you were taking a stroll.”

The pair passed the office where Jason was taking a pleasant little nap and went into another corridor near where the main reception was. They ducked under a desk as they discussed.

“I don’t remember. Give me time… there was one in the bathroom, it led to the back of the building next to where the wall was. It came from… where me and Jason were walking earlier.”

Xander stayed quiet but took River’s hand and went in the direction. In silence they stepped through the guard station searching for their exit. They passed by empty cubicles and scattered papers. Lamps lit up their pathway in orange light as they crossed the empty station.

It looks like all of the station was sent out for the Mistress.

“Xander… why isn’t there any noise. I thought they were chasing us.”

Xander stopped and realized it was true. Not a single noise, not even footsteps were heard. The station seemed empty except for them. Quickly, he turned on his Specialty and held his eye. He had to find out if the worst really was true.

“What are you doing?”

“Not now.”

He bit the inside of his cheek. There were about four fewer people than before when he used it last. He furrowed his eyebrows. River stared at his face and tightened her grip on his hand.

Fear, disgust, despair, terror, regret, anger, and sadness flooded his brain causing him to gag. Hot tears welled up and he felt like vomiting up the crepes he had previously.

He never wanted to feel this way ever again, but somehow, for some reason, he had.

“What’s wrong! What happened!”

“The Mistress is inside the building with us.”

River stared at him. Two pairs of eyes had stared back.