Optima looked at the black SUV disappearing into the distance from the window, "time to go," she muttered and calmly walked out of the room.
Serif is still as brutal as ever, She thought pausing at the door, looking at the corridor, bodies sprawled everywhere, she carefully stepped over bodies as if scared to dirty her shoes.
Her mind drifted to Axel. For some reason, I'm rooting for him, she thought. Unusual for me. She rubbed her cheek and gave a soft snort. I do hope they let him go in the end.
"Speaking of which." She pulled out her phone, dialed a number. The dial tone echoed loud in the silence—almost too loud, as she descended the stairs.
"Hello—" she began, but froze mid-step as she reached the reception area. "Hold on."
A man sat slouched in the lobby chair, eyes closed as if asleep.
"Typical Zoran, unfortunately you're too late, they already left." Optima said, putting her phone back into her pocket.
"Yeah," Zoran lazily opened one eye, " it was too much of a drag, after all Serif was with him, it'll be just too much work."
Optima raised an eyebrow, "so ya let them get away," she muttered, "your boss wouldn't be too thrilled about that." She added.
Zoran shrugged, unbothered.
"And I see you're still too lazy to dress properly," she muttered, eyeing his loose clothes.
He ignored her.
"Eccentric bastard," she sighed, shaking her head as she headed for the exit.
"Well it's expected, afterall ya have to be a bit crazy to be crazy strong like y'all."
"It's not crazy," Zoran said, stretching. "Just being myself. By that logic, your brother's crazy too."
Optima looked back at him and smiled, "maybe," she looked up with a contemplative expression, Serif's blank face, everything about him was indeed abnormal, but he was always like that, at least as far as she remembered, "no I bet he is, most likely, who knows" she shrugged.
She stopped in front of the door and glanced back at Zoran who was now looking up, stroking his chin, his long messy hair hanging down, "ya know, you'll look cuter with a haircut." She muttered.
She reached the door, pushed it open—only to find herself back in the same reception area. The same humming lights, the same smell of gunpowder and dust, she looked back, the stairs leading up behind her.
She massaged her forehead and looked at Zoran who was fiddling with his long hair, a contemplative expression on his face.
Optima tightly gripped her suit case, she inhaled to calm herself and smiled, "What's the meaning of this," She said in a low voice.
"You wouldn't want to get on my bad side now, would you," She tilted her head, her tone sharp beneath the smile.
"Whatever you want, the answer is no," She said and started walking towards the exit again.
"Now be a good boy and let me out, else." She turned the knob, Zoran ignoring her, still fiddling his hair.
But she was back at the same spot, she looked back again, same stairway, same reception area, her jaw tightening.
"You were wrong," Zoran 's voice rang out leaning back on the chair.
Optima's eyes narrowed, "about what?"
"Three things actually."
He lifted three fingers. "First, it's not craziness—it's commitment to character." One finger lowered. "Second, my hair's perfect." Another down. "Third…" His eyes met hers. "I'm not here for Serif. Or the kid."
Optima's hand hovered near the case latch.
"I'm here for you."
Click. The case opened.
Optima's gaze lingered on him, tension growing, then she broke into laughter, echoing within the still air.
"Ha, ha…You almost got me there," Optima said between laughs, "I'm here for you." She imitated him.
"Alright," she cleaned imaginary tears, "enough of this joke," she said and looked at Zoran, her expression serious.
But Zoran just stared back at her, no words said, expression still the same.
"You're serious?" Her voice dropped. "You do know what happens if you touch someone under council protection."
Zoran sighed. "I have orders."
Her eyes darkened. "Even when it involves the council?"
He nodded once.
They're getting bolder huh, even going against the council now, without fear, she thought, well I wouldn't be going that easily, her hand slid into the case.
"I see," She muttered, "but even then it won't be easy," she pulled out a revolver, sleek like before with the same design, but this one was pitch black, the blue and silver designs replaced by red and gold.
She stood up, every trace of humor gone, looking at him as he calmly reached into his pocket, she pointed the muzzle at him, he lifted his other hand gesturing for her to stop.
Optima stopped, looking at him warily, it wasn't necessarily bad to wait, the longer the revolver pulled energy from her, the more effective it would be, besides she knew she couldn't beat him, her plan was to escape, even his domain can't withstand the power of annihilation.
But first, " What does your boss want with me, ya all know I'm not interested in any of this bull crap," Optima said with a frown, although she already knew the answer.
Zoran's gaze drifted to the briefcase, confirming her suspicion.
"My anima, huh," she said flatly.
Optima chuckled, "I see, fortunately I know what he wants, unfortunately it's a no just like before," She muttered.
"We'll pay you whatever you want," he said, pulling a phone from his pocket.
Optima clicked her tongue. "Not interested."
"Just talk first," Zoran replied, holding the phone up.
"Didn't you hear me," Optima shouted, a maniacal grin on her face, her jacket flared as a crimson cross burned across her hand. Red pulsing energy accumulating at the cross, snaking their way through her skin like veins.
The air trembled—then erupted.
Boom!
A red flare streaked through the air, swallowing Zoran in light and dust.
The blast wave tore through the lobby, shredding wallpaper and twisting furniture. The smell of scorched paint filled her nose.
Optima pointed the muzzle at the dust, ready for anything, the cross glowing again.
When the dust cleared, the wall was a smoking ruin. The edges glowed red, sizzling like acid, increasing the size of the hole, although the wall appeared to be trying to mend itself back, resisting the energy, but it was losing battle.
"Hold on," came Zoran's muffled voice as he stepped out from behind the wreckage, still making his call.
Optima smirked. "Persistent, aren't you?"
Then she fired again. And again. Each shot cracked the air, the muzzle flashing red lightning. Zoran dodged between the blurs, the air warping where they passed.
Optima continued firing at Zoran who kept running, avoiding the projectiles, which obliterated equipment and walls in his wake.
Zoran gracefully landed as Optima stopped firing, the red glow dimming down.
Zoran, breathing lightly, lowered the phone. "Why not just talk?
Optima simply looked at the muzzle of the gun, then at Tyrell, "in as much as ya are powerful, even ya domain can't resist annihilation," she said her grin widening.
Zoran looked back, a gaping hole had formed in the wall behind him, the red energy eating at it, revealing outside the motel.
Zoran's eyes widened, he turned around, a red projectile already approaching.
Zoran gritted his teeth twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the projectile, although his coat wasn't so lucky, the edge making contact with the blast, fabric disintegrating midair.
Before regaining his balance a fist appeared at his side, too close to dodge, slamming into the side of his face, the force knocking him back, sending him flying into the wreckage.
Optima sprinted toward the sizzling hole, leaping out into open air, the night wind rushing against her face, jacket flapping, a smirk on her lips.
But when she landed, her smile disappeared, something was off, cold floor, concrete, not asphalt.
She froze. Looked up.
A small, dimly lit room surrounded her. The air smelled faintly of damp stone and rust. A small window leaked pale light.
Her breath caught when she saw the tally marks carved into the wall, too familiar.
A whimper made her turn. A little girl knelt on the floor, arms bound, a black cloth over her head, streaks of blue hair escaping out of the cover, a gun pointed at her head.
Optima staggered back, hands shaking, her eyes slowly moved to the little girls shoulder, praying it wasn't what she dreaded.
But it was, a vivid and realistic blue butterfly tattoo inked at the shoulder, they had found her, her reverse scale, her weakness.
Optima lowered her head, her hand tightened around the pistol, her jaw tightening.
"Zoran!!!" Optima screamed out, her voice raw with anger, the red cross glow intensifying, thrumming as if in response to her anger.
His voice drifted from behind her. "Don't shout. You'll give me a headache."
"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, her voice tight.
"She's fine," he said calmly, rubbing his neck. "Just needed your attention. It worked, didn't it?"
"Now you have it," Optima said aloud, her voice maniacal as she sharply turned around, the gun pointed at Zoran calmly leaning on the wall, his coat missing.
"Woah," he lifted his hands.
"How did you find her," She asked, the gun thrumming, the gold replaced by red, but Zoran was unbothered, "if anything happens to her," Optima muttered, pushing the gun towards him.
Optima's voice turned cold. "You'll regret this."
"Nothing will happen," he said, pulling the phone from his pocket. "As long as you come back with me."
She scoffed. "Threats now? How the mighty have fallen."
Zoran smirked, "wrong again, I could easily take you by force, and honestly I don't agree to this method, but," he rubbed the back of his neck, "insurance, according to the boss, if anything goes wrong."
"Like Serif getting involved," she muttered.
Zoran simply shrugged, She looked back at the girl.
"The boss doesn't break promises, as long as you come with me, she'll be fine," Zoran reassured her.
Optima glared at him, brows scrunched, I can't let anything happen to her, she gritted her teeth and closed her eye then she slowly lowered the gun, accepting she couldn't escape now, since they have her.
But nonetheless the cross was still glowing, still charged the threat still hanging.
"What do you want?" she asked quietly.
"Finally." He held the phone out.
Optima hesitated, then took it. A video played—a girl on a beach, blue hair in a bun, smiling as she built a sandcastle. The sea wind whispered faintly through the speaker.
Optima's lips curved into a small, broken smile. Her eyes scanned the background for clues to her location. Nothing. She replayed it again. Still nothing.
She sighed and threw the phone back, and pointed the gun at Zoran. She pulled out her own phone, quickly scrolled down to a number and dialed it, but after a few seconds there was no reply, just voice recording.
Optima glared at Zoran again, and redialed but same thing.
"It's no use," Zoran muttered, looking up once more.
She stopped and slowly put the phone back and sighed, lowering the gun.
"If anything happens to her," she said, "you'll wish you hadn't been born."
"Nothing will," Zoran replied. "So long as you comply."
Optima sighed and holstered the gun. "You know if Serif finds out—"
"Yeah, we all know he wouldn't do a thing," Zoran answered, "he's strong, but strength in bondage is no use."
Optima's smirk returned faintly. "We'll see."
The room began to fade, the walls burning away into light, Optima glanced one last time at the girl and made a silent promise to herself as the room totally disappeared
until the reception returned. The faint smell of smoke and iron lingered.
Somewhere outside, sirens wailed in the distance.
Optima looked at the door then at Zoran, " well?"
"Time to meet my boss then" He muttered as he went towards the door.
Optima looked back at the motel and sighed, she tightened her grip around the suitcase, she was aware that was the only reason they came for her, after all even among the five pentaclast, she alone held two of them, restoration and annihilation.