Ashes to ashes, and clay to clay... ( 1/2 )

“…if the enemy doesn’t get you your own folks may.” ~ James Thurber

    Enclosing steps. Holding a gun, she immobilized a dozen of meters away.

    Grand sky-blue eyes, long golden hair, it was no one else but the mayor.

“He won't need it in the other world.” Merlish affirmed with a coldness in her voice they never heard before.

    Woodle frowned looking at her, the mayor’s presence surprised him less than her incoherent acts. So far, he couldn’t guess her intentions. This was an embarrassing situation.

“…How can you be here?…” Kiseki asked, his previous assurance fading away.

    She abruptly scowled at him, before displaying a particularly annoyed expression. It seemed that the police didn’t unveil her escape yet. At last she decided to disregard him and redirected her attention on the Players’s leader.

“Since the moment I have been arrested, I have been continually thinking of the moment I would be able to shoot a bullet in-between your eyes.” as she spoke, she pointed her firearm on Woodle. “All that happened is entirely your fault. All I have built years along, you’ve wrecked it in a mere few weeks.”

“How sweet. You’ve came by yourself seeking vengeance.”

    Merlish squinted her eyes at the sound of this irritating voice.

“You’re noisy. I should have done this from the beginning. How neglectful I was to rely on Kiseki. Though I suppose I should be thankful for one thing.”

“Oooh? Let me guess. You always wanted to quit Idonosoko, but it wouldn’t fit your image as you didn’t have a sufficient reason.”

    Joking casually, Woodle was albeit curious about the true meaning of her words and gazed at Merlish with an intrigued look. The latter simply ignored this touch of humour and continued as if nobody had interrupted her.

“In so many years… At last I feel like being myself. I don’t have to behave like that boring clot anymore. And, by the same occasion, I don't need you either Kiseki. Our long collaboration comes to an end today. As you failed protecting the city, I will eliminate all the troubles I met by myself.”

    As she finally addressed a few words to her husband, the latter became very tensed. It wasn't even possible to describe how pale and desperate he suddenly looked like.

“…No. But… You will keep your promise, right?” he mumbled, his voice scarcely audible.

“My promise?”

    Merlish didn’t grant him any over glance, focused on her current target.

“You know I don’t like repeating myself. I said our collaboration ended. Have I to shoot a bullet in your head instead of letting you die by yourself so that you understand? Do the sole thing you’re still able to, and spare me hearing your moans.”

“Far be it from me to disrupt this charming dialogue, however I have an announcement to make. First, you won’t kill me.”

    As he extended a hand to enumerate his statements, Merlish spoke up.

“Don’t make any move!”

    Though… Woodle simply ignored her.

“Secondly, you have ten seconds left before regretting not shooting on me on time. Thirdly, we were waiting for you to come.”

    At the third statement the mayor widened her eyes and pulled the trigger. Unluckily for her, at the same moment, the ground started to quake under her feet. Unbalanced, she lost her fit. Kiseki as well fell to his knees, unable to handle the poison spreading in his veins.

    The leader of the Players grinned mischievously as the bullet narrowly missed him.

“Fourthly, I’ve lied about the time.”

“What the hell did you do?!!”

“I am flattered, but I did nothing. That said, my subordinates did. We knew you escaped the day before yesterday.’

“It’s impossible… They declared nothing about it.” Kiseki claimed.

“Though that’s simple, my dear inspector. The police decided to keep this information secret for the time being, hoping to track down Merlish. This way, they would avoid wreaking havoc among the citizens. Oh-”

    Feigning to be concerned by Kiseki’s situation, he gazed at him.

“Obviously you couldn’t be aware of it since you’ve been suspended. How silly of me.”

“Bloody Player…”

“Hence you shouldn’t know anything as well.” Merlish added, paying close attention to the whole swaying circus.

“Still taking us for amateurs? Don’t forget Ling had been part of the police for a couple of months. She was provided quite enough time to place microphones all around. So, as we heard of your little getaway, we prepared a modest host committee for your arrival. I was convinced you’d be able to find us. Very well, show must go on!”

***

In the backstage, Mekko was typing away on the keyboard of a transmitter, Koff by her side. His handless arm was no longer bleeding as, right away after Kazuya had injured him severely, Mekko joined Koff and sang her heeling melody.

“Haru, are you ready?” Mekko spoke to the microphone of her watch. “I’m unleashing the signal in less than thirty seconds. We count on you to lead us to the target.”

“I am even ready to lead you throughout tortuous spirits if necessary.”

    His hair beating in the wind, Haru was standing on top of the circus, holding the tip of the tent. Though his shirt had a hole bordered with blood, he recovered and any trace of his wound remained. That is with a calm smile upon his face that he was gazing far ahead, towards the city centre.

“Lift-off in three… Two… One… Complete!” Mekko commented.

    This was at this moment that the whole circus begun to quake. From the outside, numerous rocks trembled round the foundation as they came off the ground. Moment to moment, the circus was levitating in the air higher and higher thanks to electromagnetic impulses.

***

“In no time, we will reach our final destination! Look how we’re gallant, we’ll accompany you back to the town hall. You’ll be able to take over your activities while waiting for the police. Well, if you survive the crash! Ahahahaha!” Woodle announced with a satisfied smile.

“Impossible…” Merlish objected. “Even if this moving facility is equipped with electromagnetic propellers it won’t levitate high enough… We’ll end crashing into the first building on the road!”

“False! I amplified the power of the propellers fixed to the base of the circus. It will promptly rise in the air higher than the surrounding buildings.”

    The plan of the Players made the mayor gnash her teeth while Kiseki stared at Woodle with a blank look on his face. This boy was crazy. If they crashed on the town hall, not only Merlish but nobody here would actually survive.

    As they were speaking, Marnie emerged from her own shadow, next to Woodle. Kiseki glanced in horror at her.

“Go away Marnie!! You can't stay there!”

    Merlish soon spotted her and grinned in an unpleasant way.

“Hoooh, here we have a good girl. I did barely even have to look for you.” Merlish applauded.

“You were looking for me?”

“Sure thing.” the mayor replied, suddenly shooting on Marnie. “For I will get rid of you today!”

“NO!!!! Marnie!!”

    The inspector yelled as the bullet cut the air aiming at the lassie. However at the moment it should reach her, Marnie merged into the ground.

“You promised… You promised me no harm would be done to Marnie if I did everything you ordered me!!!” Kiseki shouted, completely disoriented.

“And I kept this promise for eight years. It's not my fault if she decided to disrupt my plans. Now, she will pay the price. But don't worry, this way you will be all together again. Don’t run away Marnie!!”

    The hacker considered the scene with great surprise. Even he thought the mayor was more kind-hearted than that. Would she actually be the devil himself?

“I won't run away.” Marnie replied, showing again a few meters behind the mayor. “For I have to know. Why did you want to kill me back then? I want to know why my own death is part of your wishes from so many years.”

“She's not the one you believe she is, Marnie… She's not Lucy.”