Crime's Leader, Part 1

"So, you think I've changed, have you?" Thorn laughed bitterly. "And just who do you think was responsible for that change, Blaze?!" Thorn screamed with anger, and Blaze averted her eyes from him.

"Look at me, coward!"

"I…" Blaze's voice sounded like it was cracking. "I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry? Liar! If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't be averting your eyes from me now, would you?!"

"I—"

"Not to mention, attempting to blast me with fire? And you expect me to believe you're sorry?" Thorn shot a large shadow blast at the tree, exploding it in his anger. "Hah! What a joke!"

He's seriously powerful…!

He gave off such a completely different vibe while he was talking to me that I had trouble believing this was the same person. He was a little intimidating when he first appeared, but he really didn't seem like he was as evil as everyone believed.

But this was the leader of Crime, after all. I had never seen such a destructive ability that could destroy an entire tree where it stood…

I'm scared…!

I could feel myself tremble the more I watched Thorn's anger expand. I didn't understand what they were talking about, but it was obvious to me now that Blaze and Thorn knew each other.

I need to ask Thorn about my siblings, but the atmosphere is so tense that I can't find the right timing…

Blaze flinched at the loud sound coming from the blast, but seeing that I was trembling, she spread her arms wide to protect me.

"...What are you doing? Do you feel you need to protect her from me?" Thorn's glare only darkened.

"You attacked Luna after proclaiming you've been searching for her! You can't blame me for being wary!"

"Don't piss me off!? I'll have you know your teammate was the one who broke the branch so that I would fall on purpose!"

Thorn furiously gestured towards Celine, who had a vengeful glare on her face.

"...Perhaps if the branch were just a bit higher, you wouldn't have lived to tell the tale," Celine spoke coldly.

"Ah, so you were trying to kill me then! I thought I sensed murderous intent."

"On the contrary, Regret isn't like your abominable organization; as much as I would have liked to put an end to you here, it's against our rules to kill."

"Riiight. Because your boss is so morally superior," Thorn laughed sarcastically. "Well, not that you could kill me even if you tried."

"Shall we test that theory?"

"You're welcome to try, but you'll just be wasting your time."

"No!!" Blaze screamed.

Everyone's gazes quickly turned to Blaze in the shock of her sudden outburst.

"Don't... Don't, Celine!"

"M-My apologies, Boss…" Celine blinked, clearly taken aback. "I assure you that I had no intention of breaking Regret's rules—"

Blaze clenched her fists as if she were to say that wasn't the reason, but she stopped herself from saying anything back.

"Oh, relax, Blaze! I wasn't gonna fight back!" Thorn threw his hands up in the air with a fake laugh. "No need to fear if this monster will harm your precious friends or not!"

"You know that's not…!"

"Not what, true? Your face says otherwise."

Blaze averted her eyes from him again, unable to look him in the eye.

"Why…" she took a deep breath. "Why are you even here, Thorn?"

"Did I not make it obvious enough for you?" Thorn spun his finger in the air before pointing in my direction. "I'm here for her. Luna Ione."

Blaze, whose gaze was following Thorn's finger, immediately turned her gaze to me. "Whuh…?!"

"Uh… Huh?" I pointed to myself in disbelief. "W-Wait, me…!?"

Thorn shoved Blaze out of the way and approached me. Then, he grasped my hands and smiled cheerfully.

"That's right!" Thorn leaned closer; I thought I could see a glint in his eyes. "You'll come with me, won't you?"

"C-Come with you…? W-Wait, you still haven't explained anything! Come with you where—?"

"Crime, of course!" Thorn casually interlaced his fingers with mine. "Well?"

My breath hitched and I found it hard to respond. Moreover, my face felt oddly hot.

W-What's happeninggg?! Why is Crime's leader acting so touchy-feely with me right now!?

He couldn't have been hitting on me, right?! No way! That sort of thing only happened in fiction!

But he did kiss me…

No, that was entirely an accident! It had to be!

But he is kind of cool…

He was definitely scary, but I felt like he had a different aura now that he was talking to me. Like a gap between his scary side and his cool side…

He's like the kind of guy you'd find in a novel…!

The more I thought about it, the more my heart fluttered.

I mean, his Crime cloak was already cool, but those leather gloves he had on were really cool! It was a strange feeling against my skin, but it actually felt kind of romantic, to have someone so mysterious touch me like this…

What a pretty color…

The color of his hair reminded me of autumn leaves. And his eyes, while a little unsettling with how void they were, were the color of snow. From up close, he really was handsome…

…No, wait a seconddd!? Now's not the time to admire Crime's leader! Think about what he's saying, Luna! Crime's leader, that very leader which I've been searching for for six years, actually knows who I am?! And he came here specifically to recruit me?! Why?!

"W-W-What the hell are you saying, Thorn?!" Blaze sputtered, her jaw wide open. "First, you kissed our new member, and now you're trying to recruit her from us?!"

"Thaaat—!" Thorn was so caught off guard by Blaze's question that his voice went a pitch higher, and he released my hands so that he could face her. "That was an accident! I didn't deliberately kiss her!"

"But you liked it, didn't you?!" Ettie pointed at him accusingly.

"I really liked it!"

Thorn answered almost instantly; Ettie immediately sent him flying backwards into a tree.

"Ow, ow…" Thorn rubbed his head. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"You can't seriously be asking that!?" Ettie questioned.

"I don't think I said anything wrong?" Thorn stood up from the grass and patted down his cloak. "You asked a question, and I answered it."

"Nobody asked for you to be that honest, you creep!"

Thorn tilted his head confusedly. "All I said was that I liked it so much that I didn't really want to pull away? In fact, I'd kiss her again if I had the opportunity—"

"For God's sake, just stop talking already…" Robin stared at Thorn with disgust. "It's gross."

"And stop thinking while you're at it!"

"Please stop breathing as well," Celine glared at Thorn with intense hatred.

"What did I do?!"

Thorn looked as confused as a kicked puppy while the three of them glared at him with visible disgust. I felt a little bad, but I couldn't think straight in my embarrassment. My head was still swirling from his love confession(?).

He liked kissing me?! So much so that he didn't want to pull away?! And that he wants to kiss me again?!

Maybe I honestly didn't mind the kiss— just a little bit, anyway, but I wouldn't go that far!

Does he have no shame?!

It really didn't seem like it! My face felt like it was burning up!

"And how do you know Luna's name, anyway?!" Ettie asked. "Very suspicious!"

"Well, I know all of your names, too." Thorn pointed his own index finger at the rest of them one by one. "Ettie Vernon. Robin Fulton. Celine Dunn..." He paused momentarily when he got to Blaze. "....And the leader, Blaze Winslow."

Blaze flinched from his gaze, while the other three stared at him with even more disgust.

"How do you know our names?! Are you some kinda stalker?!" Ettie pointed accusingly at Thorn.

"Stalk—?!" Thorn looked offended by the accusation. "I'm not a stalker!"

"That's exactly what a stalker would say," Robin crossed his arms with a judging glare.

"I swear I'm not! I've just been watching Regret for a veryyy long time, is all—"

"So, you are a stalker!"

"No!? Look, I may have worded that wrong, but it's not like I'm watching Regret's every move!" Thorn flailed his arms in protest.

"It makes no difference. Scum is scum," Celine spoke coldly.

Blaze lifted a hand to signal the other members to let her speak.

"How long have you been watching us?" she asked.

Thorn paused. "...A while. I came here to retrieve Luna Ione, but everyone's ability demonstrations were interesting, so I decided to wait until after they were done."

"That's not what I meant— Wait, 'retrieve'? What do you mean by that?" Blaze narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry, but that's classified information!" Thorn answered with an eerily cheerful smile.

"W-What do you mean 'classified'?! What do you want with Luna?!" Blaze looked like she was gradually getting more fed up with him.

"That's really none of your business, is it?"

"Quit screwing around!" There was a fire in Blaze's eyes now. "Of course it's my business when it concerns one of my own teammates! Answer the damn question!"

Thorn hummed, "Well, if you really want to know, I want to recruit her."

"Yeah, I could tell. And why do you want to recruit her?" Blaze asked with suspicion.

"Does there have to be another reason?"

The way Thorn was smiling was ominous. There was clearly more he wasn't telling us.

"But anyway, I've been looking for Luna Ione for a veryyy long time. Far longer than you've known her, anyway."

"...And why have you been looking for Luna specifically?"

"Sorry, but that's also classified!"

"You…! You aren't sorry at all, are you?!" Blaze grabbed Thorn roughly by the collar.

"No, I'm not." Thorn's lips curled into a sneer. "But neither are you."

Blaze's hands were trembling. "What… What do you mean by that?"

"You're just having so much fun with your new friends, aren't you? It's no surprise you've forgotten all about us."

Blaze's eyes widened with shock; she loosened her grip on Thorn.

'Us'...?

Was Thorn referring to Crime? I wasn't sure, but Blaze looked like she was startled.

"I… I haven't…" Blaze's voice cracked. "I haven't forgotten…"

"You know, I first came across Regret in the city while you were on one of your missions… about five years ago now? There were only three of you at the time, but you sure looked like you were enjoying playing pretend hero. You replaced us so easily," Thorn laughed sardonically.

Blaze's breath hitched; her lips quivering. She opened her mouth to speak, but unable to say anything, she shut it as fast as she opened it. She released Thorn and lowered her head.

"See? You can't say anything! You just wanted to fill the void we left behind!"

"No…"

"That's why you formed Regret in the first place, isn't it?! To replace us?!"

"That's not true…"

"Because we really meant nothing to you in the end, right?!"

Thorn still had a crooked smile on his face, but…

He looks like he's in pain…

"Really, you're just using Regret to fuel your own ego! You just want them to love and revere you!"

"Shut up!!"

Blaze shot a blast of fire at Thorn; he promptly turned his head to let it hit another tree.

"Ahaha! Did I strike a nerve?" Thorn laughed mockingly. "Well, Blaze?!"

Thorn shot a blast of shadow at Blaze, and she quickly jumped out of the way to dodge it. It hit the same tree her fire did, and the still crackling flame was swallowed up by Thorn's shadow.

"You're wrong!!" Blaze blasted Thorn with her flames.

"Ngh…!?" Thorn was struck by one of the flames; he flinched a little. Then, he quickly let out a wicked laugh again. "Ahahaha! Am I really wrong?!"

Thorn shot out another blast, and Blaze immediately shot back with her flames. Fire and shadow collided, both trying to overpower the other.

"S-Shouldn't we stop them...?!" I asked the other three Regret members, but they looked like they were at a loss as to what to do.

"I don't think we should get involved." Ettie bit her lip. "I've never seen Boss this angry..."

Robin nodded, "Yeah… We'll just be getting in the way."

"Until Boss gives the order, I believe it would be for the best if we stay put," Celine agreed, though she looked miffed by the decision. "Even though I would rather put an end to him right here."

"But…"

The four of us merely stood there, unable to do anything but watch as Blaze and Thorn clashed.

"You know, I really didn't come here looking for a fight!" Thorn's shadows were starting to overpower Blaze's flames.

"Ungh…!" Though Blaze was struggling, she focused on strengthening her flames. "Your actions don't match your words!"

Thorn twitched. "Shifting the blame when you attacked me first?" His shadows grew larger as he furiously faced Blaze head-on. "This is only self-defense!"

"Ack!?"

Though they were evenly matched a moment ago, Thorn's shadows overpowered Blaze's flames, and she was sent flying back.

"Boss!!"

"Blaze!!"

"Don't come closer!" The four of us tried to run to her side, but her scream stopped us. "It's too dangerous!"

Thorn's face darkened; his hands balled into fists. He looked genuinely angry.

"Dangerous…" he muttered.

Blaze picked herself up from the grass, wiping the dirt off her face with her knuckle.

"You know, I really didn't want to get involved with Regret if I could help it. So long as Regret didn't get in Crime's way, I planned to leave you alone."

Thorn stared at Blaze head on, his white eyes deathly cold as he inched closer. "But you just had to go and get in my way, didn't you?" The look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

Scary! He's way too scary! Why is he going this far to recruit me?!

But I couldn't just stand here helplessly when I was the reason Blaze was in this situation! Not when I finally had a lead to my siblings! I had to do something... Anything!

I ran towards Thorn and Blaze, calling out loudly enough to distract them. "T-T-Thorn Shadowshh…!" But I stuttered and bit my tongue.

"Luna…?! Didn't I just tell you to stay back?!"

Blaze objected worriedly, but I wasn't backing down. Thorn, with laser focus, quickly directed his attention from Blaze to me. The awkward silence paired with everyone's stares made me want to go crawl somewhere and hide.

Did I really have to screw up that badly?!

I could feel my face flare up with embarrassment, but Thorn's stare was making me more nervous. His white eyes peered into me like a hawk while he waited for me to continue.

"A-Ah, u-um…" I tried to speak, but in my fear, my words were failing me.

I need to ask about my siblings. I need to ask why he wants to recruit me. I need to ask about Crime. I need to ask—

The questions kept piling up; I was too scared to say anything.

Thorn suddenly smiled cheerfully, "What is it?" And he sounded… kinder, somehow?

"Huh…?" I wondered aloud.

Thorn tilted his head quizzically while still smiling cheerfully. And the aura he gave off was gentler.

Is this… really the same person…?

He was definitely treating me differently than he did Blaze, which was… odd. He looked less intimidating now that his shadows had dissipated, but the sudden switch only made me more uneasy.

C-Calm down, Luna…! Now that you have his attention, you need to ask about your siblings!

I gulped nervously. "D-D-Do you know anything about Violet and Eon Ione…?!" I was no longer able to ask questions calmly, so I ended up blurting it out before I realized.

Thorn blinked. "Violet and Eon Ione?"

"T-They're my older siblings… Twins with purple hair and black eyes—" I started to explain before stopping myself. "No, you probably already know all that, right? If you know who I am, you must know about my siblings."

Thorn hummed, "I might know something. Orrr… I might not."

"W-What's with that vague answer…? You either know something or you don't!" I didn't mean to raise my voice, but I was starting to get annoyed with him.

Thorn didn't seem bothered by it, though. In fact, he looked amused by my reaction. "You're right, I do. But whether or not I give you a straight answer..." he pointed a finger in my direction. "Well, that depends on you."

"W-What do you mean by that…?"

"Hm? I already told you, didn't I?" Thorn's smile was only looking more eerie. "I want you to join Crime."

...I suspected as much. From the start, I was prepared to give myself to Crime if they could lead me to Violet and Eon. That was always my plan. But now that it actually came to this, I was feeling a little uneasy about it.

Enlisting Crime's help wasn't going to be easy. Of course I knew that. But…

He's a little scary…

I still didn't understand why Thorn Shadows was searching for me, but the fact that he was did nothing to ease my nerves.

"No need to look so nervous. I won't bite," Thorn chuckled lightly. "But, well, I don't give information away for free. I'll tell you what you want to know, but only if you agree to join our organization. Don't you think it's a fair enough exchange?"

Thorn stretched his hand out with an eerie grin, as if waiting for me to take it. I stared at his hand, my heart thumping rapidly while my mind raced with panic.

Take his hand. Just take it. You're doing this for your siblings.

I knew I couldn't waste this chance. It hadn't even been a day since I joined Regret. I had no lingering attachments to them…

…Right?

I felt like that wasn't true. Ettie was my friend. I wanted to get along with Celine and Robin. And Blaze…

I want to get to know her more.

I shook my head of these thoughts. That didn't matter. No matter how much I wanted to make friends with them, it was never part of my goal. I had been searching for Crime for six long years. I would be a fool to not take this chance.

"What do you say, Luna Ione?" Thorn asked with a sinister smile.

I felt a chill go down my spine as I held in a gasp. Still, I took a few steps closer to him, and raised my trembling hand...