Ghost of the Red Reaper Part 2

The assassin sits in a small, worn out jail cell. His helmet, cloak, and motorcycle suit have been removed.

He’s a beanpole, but sturdy somehow. He wears dark jeans and a dull indigo, ribbed shirt that clings to his body. Messy, black, shoulder length hair frames a crude face, the type that belongs to a troublemaker. He’s been tied to a simple, wood chair and is closing his eyes, putting on a mask of cool unaffectedness.

Zaki leans by the door, leaning against the bars. Mint stands next to the assassin, holding a bucket and looking miserable. Asa towers over the man, making a stern expression.

“Who sent you?” He gets in his face, demanding an answer. His round cheeks and soft features don’t help him with coming across as intimidating, not to mention the soft cadence that makes him sound like a preschool teacher scolding a pupil.

“I told you, nobody sent me. I’m tight on money so I was going to rob you.” Says the man, his tightening voice betraying his annoyance.

“Then why’d you follow me so far?”

He shrugs. “You looked like you had good stuff.”

“No, I didn’t. Mint!” Mint pours a bucket of freezing water over the man’s head.

His clothes are soaked and his sopping wet hair sticks to his cheeks.

“That’s cold!” He yells, voice cracking as he shivers.

“My shit’s busted!” Asa hisses, with a tone both incrimatory and filled with certainty. “I don’t look like anything special. Litora sent you, right?”

The thief’s stoic facade cracks, letting a confounded look through. It’s gone as soon as it appears, replaced with the same apathetic front. “Why would a country want me to rob you?”

“Quit it with the bullshit! You’re not a mugger, you’re an assassin. Are there others?”

“What, you think I have a gang?”

“Mint!” Water splashes. Mint looks even more miserable.

“Will you st-stop that?!” His voice cracks more dramatically this time.

Asa stands upright and crosses his arms. “Fine. If you’re gonna be like that, you can just stay in here.”

He marches out of the cell, then out into the hallway. The door swings shut behind him. Mint and Zaki follow.

“You think it’s possible that he’s just a normal robber?” Asks Mint.

“There’s no way.” Asa answers.

“That man’s a yeeg.” Zaki chimes in.

“How do you know?” Says Mint.

“I used to be a special agent. There’s ways to tell.”

“Really?” Mint says, curious.

He nods. “I agree with Niklaus.”

Asa grins. “A special agent and a gambler. That’s interesting.”

He then puts a finger on his chin. “What’s bothering me is how Litora sent assassins this fast.”

“Maybe they station them in every town?” Speculates Mint.

“God, I hope not!”

The three walk into the room where the Sheriff is, a tall middle aged man with dull, strawberry blond hair and a mustache. His feet are perched on his desk. He pushes the brim of his hat out of his eyes and looks up at Zaki expectantly.

“Your debts are forgiven.” He says.

The sheriff beams, gathering one of Zaki’s hands in his. “Oh thank you, Zaki! I don’t know what I can do to repay you!”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t expect it to be so easy next time.” Zaki gently warns, a coyness in his words.

☼

As the three leave the station, the sheriff waves. “Have a great night, you guys!”

“He really likes you.” Asa observes, a hint of scandal on his lips.

“He’s my largest source of income.”

“Geez. He has a problem!”

You’re one to talk. Thinks Mint.

“I know a hotel nearby. I’ll take you there.” Says Zaki.

“Thank you.” Asa says. “You’ve done so much for us.”

“No need to thank me. I’ll be staying there, too. Some dangerous people are after you and I wouldn’t feel right if I let you be.”

As they get closer to the hotel, more and more people crowd the streets, all wearing tuxedos, gowns, and formal traditional costumes. Men and women in their finest clothes chatter excitedly as they head towards the same place: an opulent Greek revival mansion, adorned with glittering, yellow lights.

“What is that place?” Asks Mint, eyes shining in awe. It’s like a fairytale ball.

“It’s the home of Hudson Hartono. He’s the Chief Executive Officer of Chi’s yingium mines.” Says Zaki. “Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of his mining operation. He’s throwing a party and all of the guests will partake in a toast at midnight.”

Mint listens with intrigue. Zaki’s expression darkens. “It’s disturbing to see him throwing lavish parties while the people he’s hurt suffer.”

Mint’s face falls. “Who did he hurt?”

“Many. Most people in Chi personally know someone he wronged. He’s cheap, maximizes profits, and ignores safety laws while only paying his workers a pittance. His bad business practices lead to 13 miners getting killed in a gas leak.”

“If 13 people died, why isn’t he in jail?” Mint says.

“He’s friends with the mayor. He didn’t face any legal consequences.”

Asa and Mint watch the crowd of people walking to the mansion. The whimsy of the fairytale ball fades.

☼

Emilia Hartono, Hudson Hartono’s 17 year old single child, stares at a grandfather clock and taps a high heeled toe against the dark, hardwood floor. She crosses gloved arms on top of her over-the-shoulder, white gown.

On her neck is a multi-strand pearl choker with a large sapphire inset. The giant bow on her waist accentuates a poofy, bell-shaped skirt. Her head spins around, whipping her long, blonde hair. “Come on! We’re going to miss the toast!”

“Calm down, calm down. It’s only nine.” Says Kenneth Buford, as he walks from the living room to the entryway. He’s a tall man in his 20s with tidy, brown hair and earnest eyes.

He wears a tailored tan suit with a matching vest. He’s Emilia’s fiance. Patient and good natured, he’s one of the few people who she’ll listen to.

His mother hobbles behind him, a tiny, round, old woman with thick lensed glasses and an innocent face.

Emilia pouts.“I want to be there for daddy’s big moment.”

The old woman approaches Emilia with a guilty expression. “Did I make you late by inviting you here?”

“Nooo!” Says Emilia, exaggerating the ‘o’ to convey how ridiculous the very suggestion is. “Seeing you is more important to me than anything else, Mom.”

She bends down and kisses the old woman on the forehead. She reacts by smiling warmly. A few minutes later, the couple walks through the front door.

“Be safe out there, you two!” Calls the old woman.

“We will!” Says Emilia.

They get into Emilia’s car, a solar powered vehicle styled like a princess carriage. It matches her outfit with its white paint and gold trim. She leans her head on Kenneth’s shoulder as he gets settled in the driver’s seat.

“You’re so much better than my old driver.” She coos, lovey dovey. Kenneth smiles, a touch bashful.

The carriage barrels down the dirt path to Chi. In the headlights, a human figure suddenly appears: a woman with long, red hair and a cowboy hat, holding something.

Emilia screams and Kenneth swerves the car. It slams into a tree, falling onto its side.

The driver’s side door, the one facing the sky, opens and Kenneth climbs out, holding his bleeding head.

“Get out.” A woman’s harsh voice demands. It’s the woman he almost hit, pointing a rifle at his chest. The brim of her hat covers her eyes.

⟡

The glasses tink and the ballroom buzzes with polite conversation. Hudson gazes out the window with a worried expression, swirling champagne in his hand.

There’s nothing to see outside the window besides his own reflection against the blackness, but he keeps checking it anyway.

⟡

Two drunks sit on a porch step and joking and taking turns swigging from a flask. One spots a figure at the edge of town, sauntering down the dirt road and disturbing the low fog.

“Hey, what is that?” He says, pointing. The other one looks, too.

It’s Kenneth, stripped to his boxers and with nothing but socks on his feet. He’s gagged, with his arms tied behind his back. His face is bloody and swollen, ghoulish in the dim light.

⟡

Hudson is chatting with some guests when the ballroom doors burst open. A frantic, wild eyed woman stands in the entrance.

“Emilia’s been taken! Held for ransom!” She yells, breathless.

The crowd gasps and a cacophony of voices breaks out as everyone feels their need to add their assessment of the situation. Hudson’s eyes widen.

⟡

Asa and Zaki play poker in a communal part of the hotel, this time with breath mints so that Asa doesn’t go broke.

Zaki’s pile of breath mints is massive. Asa only has two left. The double doors open. A rotund woman in a headscarf walks in. “Karen! Everybody!” She calls with an anxious voice.

Karen, the hotel owner working the front desk, hurries to the woman. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Emilia’s been kidnapped! They’re keeping her in the abandoned church until Mr. Hartono shows up with the ransom!”

“How’d he respond?”

“He drove there right away! Ignored everyone who told him not to!”

“Do they know who did it?”

“All her fiance said is that it was the Red Reaper…”

Zaki stands, knocking his chair to the floor, and runs for the door. Asa grabs his wrist. “Zaki! Where are you going?”

“We all have problems with Mr. Hartono, but that doesn’t mean they should get his kid involved!”

“Let us come!” Mint says. “I’m a healer and Asa has a melee guard!”

Asa? Thinks Zaki. That doesn’t matter right now. “Fine. Come on. Hurry!”

☼

Moonlight through the cracked, stained glass ceiling bathes the church in a haunting, pale blue. Half of the ceiling has fallen, its original form lost to time.

The white rays of the full moon streams through the gaping hole, illuminating two figures. The ghost of the Red Reaper stands. Her brilliant red hair shines, contrasting the cool surroundings.

Emilia kneels on the floor, bound in rope. Her skirt is torn. The Red Reaper keeps the gun within her field of view, just so she doesn’t get any ideas.

Hudson approaches, a brief case in his hand. He stops before stepping into the white. He stays firmly planted in the blue. It’s like Emilia is separated from him by a thick wall, trapped in a different world. Her face lights up. “Daddy!”

A wicked smile stretches beneath the Red Reaper’s hat. “I see you came.”

“I did.” Says Hudson, grim.

“You brought 25,000g?” A strangely low amount to ask for from a yingium tycoon.

Hudson holds up the case. It isn’t lost on the reaper how light it seems to be. “Put it on the ground. Open it. I want to see it first.”

He places it on the ground and flicks the switch. The hydraulic hinge slowly raises the lid. Inside there’s… nothing.

It’s empty. The reaper stares silently for a heartbeat, mouth a firm line. She then cracks a smile.

A low chuckle escapes her throat. Then a laugh. She throws her head back and indulges in the laughter. After a few seconds, she takes a deep breath and wipes a tear from her eye.

She crouches down and grabs the handle, then swings around, showing its empty insides to Emilia.

“See! This is how much your daddy cares about you!” She cackles. Hurt flashes across Emilia’s features and her eyes fill with tears. The reaper’s smile disappears.

“All he cares about is money!” She yells, throwing the briefcase. It crashes into a pillar, sending echoes through the nave. She strikes Hudson’s cheek with the butt of the rifle.

His body smashes into the ground.

“Daddy!” Squeals Emilia. He holds his jaw, blood spilling from his mouth. The reaper uses her rifle to tilt his face towards her. “Mind telling me why you wouldn’t spare a single gram of yingium to save your child?”

“I know it’s not what you want.” He says. The reaper pauses, then pushes the brim of her hat up. Her face is that of an angry, lost young woman. Lines mar her freckled face and her hazel eyes carry a deep exhaustion. A sadness deeper than most could understand. This face is one he’s seen before.

Memories of that day flash through his mind. The last moment he saw Rose... She was on her way to the mine elevator, among a crowd of other workers. She looked at him with wet, weary eyes and a bittersweet smile. That face is burnt into his mind.

“You know who I am?” Asks the reaper.

He sags his head in shame. “Rose Garcia.”

“That’s right.” She says it like he’s answered correctly on a test, draw out and congratulatory, but also deeply tired. “I’m her daughter.”

“I have another question.” Hudson looks up at her, arms wobbling.

“Why did you think you didn’t need to replace the methane detectors for decades?”

⟡

Zaki drives like a bat out of hell, engine whirring and tires tearing the soil. Asa sits in the passenger seat, one question gnawing at his mind. “Don’t you hate Hartono? Why do you care this much? You’re putting your life on the line for someone you don’t even like.”

Zaki keeps his eyes on the road, urgency in his features. He pauses before answering. “Emilia might be spoiled, but she’s a good kid.”

The church appears, illuminated by the headlights. Its high clocktower watches the world below.

☼

The rifle strikes Hartono again, and again, and again, each impact making a sickening, fleshy thud.

“My innocence!” THUD.

“My optimism!” THUD.

“My happiness!” THUD.

“My future!” THUD.

“My… mom.” Thud.

The last time she saw her was after breakfast. As she left the door, she gave her a teary, bittersweet look. It's like she knew she was going to die that day.

When she got the news, there was no one to comfort her. Her one true family member was gone. Her entire world was gone.

She was sent to live with her aunts, the very people her mother had been trying to protect her from. They spent the savings she died for on luxuries and booze and didn't leave a penny for her. She's convinced they spent it all because it was meant for her.

They had delighted in burning her future right in front of her, while all she could do was watch. A child can't do anything as they're ruined by those who're supposed to love them.

Afterwards, they made money off of her in any way they could. Every job possible, they would make her do. Each and every job she did for a hateful adult hacked off a piece of her soul.

She looks down at him, eyes watering. “Do you know how my other family treated me? Like an object.” She rasps. “I died that day. I’ve been living as a corpse. A hollow shell. Do you know what that’s like? Do you even think about it?” THUD.

“Or do you just party all the time, living an easy life without a care in the world?” She’s winding the rifle back for another strike, when something slams into her legs.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him anymore!” Shouts Emilia, ramming her head into her shins. With her arms and legs tied, she still managed to squirm her way to the reaper. Snot runs down her face.

“Don’t touch me!” She kicks Emilia in the face. She flies back.

“Emilia!” Her eyes snap to her father.

“Don’t fight back anymore. Do what she says.” He orders, gentle but firm.

“But – .”

“No buts! Don’t do anything that’ll harm your safety. You’re my most precious asset.” His eyes shine with tears.

“Daddy…” Emilia backs down, looking uncertain.

Hudson glares up at the reaper. “I do think about it. Every minute, of every day. I can’t get it out of my mind…”

His head hangs. “13 people, gone. Because of my greed. The guilt was unbearable. All I wanted to do was get away from it.”

“More money. More mines. More cars. Expensive parties. Praise from friends and strangers alike. A sweet little girl I loved with my entire heart… No matter how many good things I had in my life, it was always there. This sin inside me…”

“I ran, and ran, and ran. I couldn’t stop running. I still can’t stop. Everything… is just to get away.” His voice is weak, not much more than a pathetic whisper. He raises his head with determined eyes and looks into the woman’s face.

“I don’t want to run anymore. That’s why I came to you.” She stares at him, dumbfounded. Then, her ear twitches. She points her gun at one of the pews.

“Stand and show yourself before I shoot you.” Asa slowly stands, putting his hands up. He’s wearing his Animaguard.

“You, too. Stand before I shoot this guy.” On the other side of the aisle, Mint stands as well.

“You two got any other friends I should know about?” With one fluid motion, a hand reaches in front of her throat and presses an energy blade to it.

“Here.” Answers Zaki, words smooth as silk. “Drop the gun.”

The reaper’s arms shake, hands wrapped firmly around the rifle. She doesn’t budge. Asa steps forward. “How about we deal with things the way we promised to when we came to this planet.”

He shealthes his sword and flips it around, offering the handle to her. A grin comes to her face. “Fine.”

The rifle bounces off the tile. Asa carefully slides it out of her reach using his boot. Zaki meets his eyes. “Asa, give yours to him. I’ll give her mine.”

He looks in Hudson’s direction. Asa nods. He gently places the hilt in Hudson’s hands.

“Is this what you want?” Asa asks softly. Hudson gives a strong nod. Zaki gets out of their way and Asa takes care of Emilia.

She watches with apprehension, whispering a silent prayer. The two stare each other down, each readying their blade.

A few heartbeats pass… Then, the reaper charges forward with her knife brandished. Hudson stares straight ahead, stance solid. He doesn’t move.

Once she’s close enough, he drops the sword and opens his arms. Teal energy seers through flesh. The reaper’s eyes fly open.

“Why?”

“This is my punishment.” Says Hudson. There’s a heavy, morbid contentment on his face.

☼

Hudson lies on the floor. The reaper watches his body with a blank, empty expression. Emilia shakes him, crying. “Daddy! Hey, wake up! Please…”

He opens his eyes and gazes at her. “I’m sorry… I’m making you pay for my mistakes.”

His eyes fall shut. Emilia realizes what’s happening. She sees the situation with a clarity she’s never possessed in her life. With all the lies stripped away, this is what her father is: a miserable man tortured by his own actions, who uses wealth and achievements to numb his wounds instead of healing them.

A weight lifts off her shoulders. Knowing the truth feels like being freed. But, it still hurts. “Father?”

He’s completely still, more at peace than he ever was when he was alive. He continued to run from his problems until it killed him. He chose punishment over accountability, but… He was still her dad, and now he’s gone. Forever.

“Father!” Her scream bounces off the walls and echoes through the night sky. The clock strikes midnight, and the church bells ring.

☼

Asa, Mint, and Zaki watch from a cliff as the sun blooms on the horizon. Asa’s bike hovers behind them. All of them reflect on the events of the night.

“Zaki?” Says Asa. “Why did you make me give my sword to Hartono instead?”

“It’s a part of your soul, right? If it had been used to kill him, you would’ve been stained by his blood forever.”

Asa is touched. “This has been a terrible experience, but I still want to see you again someday.”

Zaki smiles softly. “I’d like to see you again too, Asa.”

Asa’s eyes narrow. “Looks like I’ve messed the name thing up for a second time.” He says, deadpan.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me! As far as anyone knows, I’ve never met you.” Zaki makes a reassuring grin.

Mint stares into the sky pensively. “I know that lady was hurt, and maybe she was right to hate Hartono, but now Emilia doesn’t have a dad…”

☼

Emilia sits on the front steps of Hartono mansion with her face in her hands, her exposed shoulders racked with sobs. Someone puts a tan suit jacket around them.

She raises her head. It’s Kenneth, bruised and bandaged, but alive. He takes a seat next to her and holds her close. Emilia may have lost a lot today, but she also gained something.

She was no longer Hudson Hartono's daughter, but Emilia Hartono, the new matriarch of the Hartono estate. She now a power she'd never had before: the power to change things.

⟡

After the incident, Ruby Garcia, the illegitimate child of Rose Garcia and Hudson Hartono, was taken into custody. She confessed that she'd never been interested in the money, and used the reaper ploy to get her father's attention.

She said that if she had gone to Hartono Mansion confronted him directly, he would've pretended she was a stranger and that she wouldn't have been able to handle that. When he ignored the robberies, she snapped and took Emilia as a last ditch effort.

She thought the duel would help her express her rage towards Hartono. She hadn't planned to kill him.

Hartono was in love with Rose, but chose to ignore her to preserve his social standing. Her teary expression on that day was one of a woman who'd been abandoned, unable to love the man most important to her. Although she understood, it was still one of the most painful things she ever felt.

After his death, a secret diary of Hudson's was found by Emilia. Inside he wrote: "She's free spirited, vibrant, and humble. I truly believe she's my twin flame. If it wasn't for my preexisting marriage and our difference in class, I would marry her."

He took these feelings to his grave, never having said them.