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If there is a mission as risky as this, then I am not expecting to see you right here—
Sunset afternoon,
New Cydonia, Royal Flash District
Royal Academy of New Cydonia, addressed to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
The Voice of the People will Reign
Upon noticing the remark, a man stood up, with the paper in hand and excused himself off the faculty room.
“Professor Aberdeen?” a fellow teacher asked, catching the man’s attention, “Is everything alright?”
“Why yes, Professor Nessmith” he replied “I have some business to attend to, now if you excuse me…”
As Professor Aberdeen exited the faculty room and into his private office, he immediately locked his doors and lowered his blinds before opening his personal laptop, and immediately opening his email. His phone rang minutes later.
Upon answering the call, a soft voice opened the call, “ The Voice of the People will Reign. ”
The Professor smiled and responded back ” As expected, the Voice of the People will always Reign. ”
A soft chuckle followed from the professor’s response and responded “Hello Agent V, it’s been a while since hearing your Infernal Voices.”
The Professor smirked and placed his phone down while fiddling his desk drawer for his wireless headset. “Kindred would be nice, especially coming from you~” he flirted, capturing a laugh and a remark from the person on the other line “I knew you’d say that, but of course knowing you, you’d do your way with everybody, you’re The Voice Demon after all.”
“Anyway your mission is such,” the man continued “I’ve sent you an email containing the details. If you have questions, let me know”
He immediately opened his email and found the said email with the subject: Project Nous-Alpha
Nous-Alpha, he thought, was a project that was related to an old mission that made one person disappear before him.
“I thought we’re not allowed to have this mission, Ike?” the man called out
Ike responded “You know me, I have ways, and I may have a contact.”
“You’re bluffing…”
“Not in the slightest Vox, you should be aware of that.”
Vox leans back as he felt embarrassed on hearing that name being called to him once again, but that’s him, Ike knows it, so his colleagues who knew his real self knew, and him .
“Look we better get some answers on this one, especially it has been years now, one day we better find him. I know how important he is to you.” Ike spoke as he sent another email with no subject, just attachments. Vox immediately opened the files and looks over at images of floor plans, persons involved, possible routes.
“I should do this alone.” Vox notes “I am not spending another time on losing another subordinate.”
“Sort of, but most of the time you will be alone.” Ike commented
“What do you mean, sort of?” Vox asked and immediately followed “Will someone tail on me?”
“Classified information” Ike spoke gaining a exasperated groan from Vox
“Please I don’t need babysitting”
“No one is going to babysit you,” Ike responded. “You’re one of the best agents we have, I want you alive in this.”
Vox sat silently for a while as his eyes followed about the routes and floor plans before asking Ike “The fuck am I going to do in this? Why this mission?”
Ike sighs softly to himself and states “We’re given the green light to take this project down once and for all.”
“I’m in.”
“You’re that easy to please,” Ike teased.
“Please, this revenge plot has been running for years.”
Ike chuckled softly, “Once this is over, I hope you do get your peace, and his peace as well. ”
Vox immediately ended the call upon being given the coordinates in his phone, and got back in his Dean persona upon hearing a knock on his door. “Professor?” another co-teacher called “Will you come along with us at the pub tonight?”
“I’m sorry Professor de la Rosa,” Vox spoke as he immediately went to the door to formally address his co-teacher “I’d love to go downtown for a pint and all, but I am definitely going to some matters that will need my sober attention. Maybe next week, after all, payday is closing in.” he coyly smiled as the younger professor meekly nods before excusing themselves and leaving.
Upon disappearing from his view, Vox’s smile immediately dropped and quietly exited the hall, with his things in hand before going to a tailor’s shop.
“Fancy seeing you here, old friend ” a voice echoed from the back of the shop before Vox reacted. A blonde gentleman emerged from the curtains “Do you need a suit?”
“Luca, you never change,” Vox commented, earning a smile from the young gentleman.
“Why change when it isn’t broken~” Luca said as he invited Vox to sit by “Anyways man, what brings you here?”
“Project Nous-Alpha”
“Oh that,” Luca spoke, followed with his emotion dropping down. “Shu told me about it, is it really going to end now?”
“I do hope it will end now.”
Luca started down the floor as the men were just going silent before Luca began to speak “I guess for this mission, you’re going to need all the arsenal you can get, but concealed and undetectable.”
“Exactly, the venue is a high-end area, I’ll need to be undetectable.”
“Follow me then” Luca invites, as he instantly grabs Vox’s forearm and takes him behind the curtains, where most of the weaponry he owned in his underground years were stored, as well as some concealed weapons he commissioned years prior.
“Old habits die hard, innit ?”
“Yeah,” Luca sheepishly rubbed the back of his own head, followed by a giggle to himself as Vox scanned the armoury for any weaponry he could use. ”Well since you told me this is a high-end snob party, might as well get you a suit then.” Luca spoke as Vox gave him a quick nod before picking a weapon.
Early evening,
Undisclosed location, Royal Flash District
Personal invitation to Dr. Vernon Abernathy, Ph.D., ⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧⌧, New Cydonia
To the End of an Era, The Beginning of the New Dawn Fall
Vox adjusted his tie about after entering security without any hitches, Well that was easy, for some odd reason , he thought, but immediately filled with suspicion, as his mind raced immediately in order to keep his guard up, while adjusting the volume on his mock hearing aid on his left ear.
“Do you read me now, Agent V?” Ike called from the headset. Vox chortled softly to himself as he responded “I can read you.”
“Good, what’s the situation?” Ike asked
“Area is good so far, however things are seamless, too seamless, better keep guard up.”
“Good call, check all readily-available exits, and specific areas okay?” Ike added.
“Affirmative.”
Vox went radio silent for a while as he observed from the mezzanine deck of the ballroom, when the host of the party took a glass, rings it gently as he welcomed the guests of the party. Boring and fake , Vox thought as he listened in, yawning softly to himself, not to get any unwanted attention, his head immediately looked back upon hearing such words from the speaker.
“ To the End of an Era. The Beginning of the New Dawn Fall! ”
His mission is in full swing now, there is no turning back. As Vox immediately went down the mezzanine steps and mingled over with the party goers to mellow suspicion, he took a flute of champagne from the server’s hand upon offering when his eye caught a familiar glimpse of ashen grey hair.
My love?
Early evening,
Undisclosed location, Royal Flash District
Personal invitation to Lady Mischelle Riseborough, daughter of Lord Malcolm Riseborough, Fourth Baron Riseborough
My love? Vox thought in his head as he shook his head a bit before trying his best to follow the person who caught his attention, upon seeing the invitation list that was sent to him a Lady Mischelle Riseborough appears in the list, a daughter of a Baron, of course, but the presence is unmistakable to him, it’s a familiar shade of ashen grey hair, with a tinge of brown, he could not believe it that Vox began speaking to himself, and to his earpiece. “I think I saw a ghost…”
“Now is not the time for ghost stories, Vox…” Ike groans as he places a hand on his glasses.
“I know, but..”
“Whatever,” Ike cuts him “Just check what’s going on, and don’t drink that champagne you—”
Vox hushed the earpiece and took a swig of said champagne he had on his flute glass before placing it haphazardly on a pop-up table, and immediately spitting said champagne to a potted plant display, very unsightly .
Music changed through the venue as the guests were offered masks, with Vox declining as he had his own, but appreciated the helpers for such an offer. It was a masquerade after all, he is definitely prepared.
But that person definitely caught him off guard. Surely, he thought, that could not be—
The night started slow as some participants entered the ballroom, waltzing their way to the music, The Merry Widow Waltz, composed by Franz Lehar, a fancy choice , Vox thought as he watched the dancers hold their partners and turn about from the sway of the music. But his focus is only on one thing, and one thing only.
His beloved, the fox, the hound, his reason for revenge.
Vox stood still in his tracks, as he watched the lady before him dance with several gentlemen who offered before her, He was stunned by her lovely charm, until their eyes met.
And the memories flood back to him, memories from all those years ago,
It’s unmistakable, it’s you…
He curled his hand into a tight fist in his pocket before slowly walking to her way. “May I have this dance, my lady? ” Vox offered as the lady gently accepted his hand.
Slowly the two began to dance along with the music, as Vox, still stunned by the lady’s presence.
“You kinda sound familiar to me,” the lady spoke, snapping Vox back into the reality he is in.
“Have I now?”
“Yes, I don’t know when, but have we met?” she asks.
Vox could not believe that he is before this person, the one that exactly looks like his beloved. It has been years since he last seen those eyes, akin to a sunset, fox-like smile on her grin, he gently leans a bit close to her and gently whispered;
“No, I am not sure, but that choker you’re wearing suits you, Mysta… ”
The lady’s eyes widen upon hearing a name and a sly smile followed
“You have the guts to call me by that name, while on a mission with you.” the lady whispered, several octaves lower .
Vox could not help but to smile, doing his best not to cry before him.
“If there is a mission as risky as this, then I am not expecting to see you right here, my love… ”
Mysta smiled as he held onto Vox tighter, “Dance with me” he whispered as the music took pace
As the music shifted, so did the tempo of the ballroom quickened, perfect for a Viennese-styled waltz kind of dance. The audience slowly goes to the sides, leaving Vox and Mysta to have the ballroom for themselves.The audience are only seeing the Baron’s daughter and the Doctor having a wonderful and intimate time, but between the two of them, a soft exchange of mission details and sweet nothings happen.
Slowly a change in atmosphere is noticed by the two, even though the music continues the audience is no more, but only left by the cronies of the man they’re tasked to kill.
“I think the show’s almost ending…” Mysta whines softly as Vox mentally counts how many men are in their perimeter.
50
“That’s a lot of bodies, are you sure you have enough ammo on this Mysta?”
“Possibly, but don’t underestimate my skills, darling… ”
“I missed you saying that~”
“Then let’s keep dancing then.” Mysta smirked as the music slowly climbed into its climax.
A slow lean and roll, with Vox pulling Mysta closer to himself, with an almost kiss,
“ It’s showtime… ” Vox whispered and immediately Mysta turns back on him, hands over his head and reached on the sides of his dress, taking out two guns.
Vox smirked as he took one of the guns off Mysta’s hand and the two started mowing down the cronies who attempted to shoot before them. However the bullets missed them at times, as the two used the gunshot as their tempo, and continued to waltz about on the dancefloor.
It’s weird,
It’s insane even,
But it was fun for them, as they have each other …
As the cronies lie in their combined pool of blood, Vox and Mysta stare at each others’ eyes before Mysta lifts his hand, pointing the gun at Vox.
Vox stood still as he knew the gun was loaded, one wrong move and he will lay before the corpses they just killed.
“It would be a shame my love if you’d die like this,” Mysta said. “It would definitely be a shame…”
“I know, but it would be amazing if I die by your hand~”
Mysta scoffs at the response, “You really are a charmer, my love, my raison d'être… ”
Vox closes his eyes, expecting his death in this scenario, knowing that if he dies by Mysta’s hand, he will be at peace.
One click, and it will be over , he thought as he remained calm and still as he hears Mysta’s voice.
“ Goodbye, my love.. ” Mysta hummed softly.
Bang.
Vox slowly opened his eyes as a wash of white light filled right in, and upon his focus he saw Mysta, still before him, gun in hand, but pointed away from him, literally missing him .
Was that international? Vox thought to himself as Mysta maintained his poised and dignified poise before lowering the gun on his hand. He slowly looks behind him and a body of a man lays just behind his feet. The man on their hit list, dead .
Mysta gave out a big sigh as he finally relaxed and immediately ran towards Vox, holding him tightly.
“Oh God, I’m sorry for scaring you like that~” Mysta huffed as he held onto Vox, with the latter gently patting his head and reciprocating the embrace.
“That’s okay…” Vox replies “He’s dead now…”
“Good thing you played along with me…” Mysta comments
“I’d be really dead if I didn’t…”
Mysta giggled softly from the remark as he tearfully looked at Vox, almost on the verge of tears like himself, as the two finally shared their long awaited kiss.
“I’ve missed you for God knows how long…”
“Me too, my love” Mysta hummed “... me too ”
Midnight
Undisclosed location, Northern Prismarine District
Emerson Pharmaceuticals, the office of Isaac Emerson, President.
One day, the truth shall be known
Ike sat on his chair for a while after receiving confirmation from his satellite team that the mission was a success, with 51 casualties, no civilians were harmed due to the incident and was relocated to an undisclosed facility in Northern Prismarine.
A knock followed on the door, with Ike allowing the person in. Shu came before Ike and leaned to the desk.
“Why haven’t you immediately informed me my brother is alive, Headmaster I?” Shu asked.
“Since I don't want to compromise his existence with his enemies.” Ike coldly responded, with Shu clicking his tongue.
“Well you could have alerted me first, I am still family,” Shu snaps.
Ike blinked slowly as he knew Shu’s reaction upon hearing Mysta’s supposed death and his mission. “I’m sorry…”
Shu scoffed a bit “Look, if it wasn’t from your stupid endeavour, I would not have worried like this….”
Ike blinked from the comment “Endeavour?” he asks Shu “Project Nous-Alpha is not any endeavour.”
“Don’t fuck with me, Ike.” Shu snaps “One day, the truth shall be known, and I don’t know what will happen between my brother and your best agent once they finally know.:”
Ike stared down the door as Shu stormed out the office, and smirked at himself as his demeanour changed.
“Oh Shu, I don’t want something bad to happen against you,” Ike spoke to himself and continued “After all, this is the end of an era, and the beginning of a New Dawn Fall…”
Silence followed, one domino down, and the pieces will finally reveal themselves, it’s only a matter of time.