A Mother's Instinct
891 Words
A few minutes earlier...
Long before the white blast tore through the party.
Long before T.L's friends turned against her.
Far away...
Inside Scarlet Fox's headquarters.
The atmosphere was calm.
Well...
As calm as a place filled with monsters, creatures, and dangerous people could be.
Several creatures crawled across walls.
Others slept in corners.
Some growled at each other over scraps of food.
Scarlet Fox sat comfortably on a large throne-like chair.
Roger stood nearby.
Looking unusually relaxed.
Roger folded his arms.
"So..."
Scarlet looked at him.
"So?"
Roger smiled.
"When are we attacking Heroes Academy?"
Scarlet raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Roger nodded.
"Yes."
"I've been thinking."
"Maybe we should just storm the place."
Scarlet laughed.
"Look at you."
Roger grinned.
"What?"
Scarlet leaned back.
"You want to attack Heroes Academy."
Roger shrugged.
"It sounds fun."
Scarlet smirked.
"That's sweet."
Roger laughed.
"Sweet?"
Scarlet pointed at him.
"Very sweet."
Then her expression changed.
"But we have another problem."
Roger sighed.
"Blackclaw."
Scarlet nodded.
"Blackclaw."
Purple energy danced around her fingers.
"We're going to sweep them out first."
Roger's smile widened.
"Interesting."
"I'd like to see that."
Suddenly—
FLASH!
A guard teleported into the room.
He landed awkwardly.
Nearly falling over.
"My Lady!"
Scarlet frowned.
The guard looked terrified.
"Please."
"There's something you need to see."
Immediately Scarlet stood.
Roger's smile disappeared.
Within moments—
They arrived at one of the most secure sections of the base.
Several guards stood nearby.
Looking nervous.
Very nervous.
The giant vault door stood open.
Scarlet looked inside.
Then froze.
Empty.
The Seventh Division LATOT book was gone.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
Nobody dared breathe.
Scarlet slowly turned around.
Her voice became dangerously calm.
"What..."
Nobody answered.
"...am I looking at?"
The guards remained silent.
Scarlet took another step forward.
"Can someone explain to me..."
Her voice echoed through the chamber.
"...how the book got out of here?"
One guard swallowed.
"M-my Lady..."
Scarlet turned toward him.
The guard immediately regretted speaking.
"I..."
"I was doing errands."
Scarlet waited.
"And?"
The guard pointed weakly toward the vault.
"When I came back..."
"The book was just..."
He hesitated.
"...gone."
Silence.
Scarlet stared at him.
The guard began sweating.
Then Scarlet slowly nodded.
"Uh-huh."
The guard immediately brightened.
Thinking she believed him.
Then Scarlet smiled.
"Oh."
"That's what you're telling me?"
The smile vanished.
Her eyes glowed purple.
"That's exactly what you told me..."
Her voice echoed through the entire vault.
"...the last time."
The guard's face turned pale.
Scarlet slowly stretched out her hand.
"No—"
BOOOOM!
Purple smoke exploded forward.
The guard didn't even have time to scream.
The smoke sliced straight through him.
The body hit the floor.
THUD.
Dead.
Everyone froze.
Even Roger jerked slightly.
The room became silent.
Scarlet lowered her hand.
"That's what you told me..."
She looked at the corpse.
"...when the Fifth Division book disappeared."
Nobody dared move.
Roger slowly stepped beside her.
Then whispered.
"Can we stop killing the guards?"
Scarlet looked at him.
Roger raised both hands.
"I'm just asking."
Scarlet sighed dramatically.
"Of course."
Roger nodded.
"Good."
Scarlet pointed at the dead body.
"But they keep doing crazy things."
Roger rubbed his forehead.
The remaining guards looked like they wanted to resign immediately.
Roger turned to them.
"You heard her."
The guards straightened.
"Clean this up."
"Carry him away."
"Before she changes her mind."
The guards moved so fast they nearly tripped over each other.
Within seconds they were dragging the body away.
Scarlet watched them leave.
Roger shook his head.
"One day we're going to run out of guards."
Scarlet opened her mouth to answer—
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The world exploded.
A blinding wave of white energy appeared from nowhere.
The entire headquarters shook violently.
"What?!"
The floor cracked.
Walls shattered.
Windows exploded inward.
Creatures screamed.
The white shockwave tore through the compound.
Like a giant blade.
Buildings split apart.
Entire sections collapsed.
Guards were thrown through walls.
Monsters were crushed beneath falling debris.
The headquarters was literally cut in half.
CRAAAAASH!!
Dust filled the air.
Screams echoed everywhere.
Roger was hurled backward.
Several creatures smashed into pillars.
The throne room collapsed.
Fire erupted.
Alarms began screaming.
Vixen and Sniper burst into the room.
Both looked shocked.
"What was that?!"
Vixen shouted.
Sniper's eyes were wide.
"The building!"
"The building!"
Roger slowly stood.
Covered in dust.
His coat torn.
"I don't know."
Another explosion echoed outside.
Creatures were still screaming.
Guards were running everywhere.
Then everyone looked toward Scarlet.
Because unlike the others—
She wasn't shocked.
She wasn't confused.
She was staring toward the horizon.
Toward the source.
Her eyes glowing.
Her expression unreadable.
Roger noticed.
"You know something."
Scarlet slowly smiled.
A dangerous smile.
A proud smile.
A mother's smile.
Vixen looked confused.
"Aunt Scarlet?"
Sniper frowned.
"What is it?"
Scarlet's eyes remained fixed on the distance.
She could feel it.
That power.
That energy.
That signature.
There was no mistaking it.
After all—
She had felt it once before.
Years ago.
When her daughter was born.
Scarlet's smile widened.
Then she whispered.
"I know exactly what that was."
Roger stared.
"What?"
Scarlet finally turned toward them.
Her purple eyes glowing brightly.
And for the first time in years—
There was genuine excitement in them.
"It's my daughter."
Silence.
Vixen's jaw dropped.
Sniper froze.
Roger stared.
- Writer
