Enemies

The Red Dress

Note: this is set before the events of Enemies

Blinding rainbows of flashing light flooded the room as incessant chatter determined to burst her eardrums. The sickening scent of alcohol wafted through the air, and she held her breath, walking by as if she didn't notice anything. They were all blissfully oblivious as she slid her hand down the stair rail, taking care with every step. But she hated the stares they gave her, those lustful gazes that looked at her like she was nothing more than a prize to be won. The crimson dress was uncomfortably tight, from the way it hugged her waist as though its life depended on it to the long back that countless drunk CEOs had tripped all over. Her earrings dangled precariously, threatening to fall off every time her heels struck the ground and every time the satchel attached to the inside of her dress brushed against her leg. But acting delicate and refined, putting up false pretences, it was effortless at this point. She waltzed her way through the crowds, but someone placed a cold hand on her shoulder, pitch black eyes studying her intently.

"Ren, fancy seeing you here." He smiled politely, but she only rolled her eyes in response. "I didn't know X Corp had dealings with the Mafia."

"I have connections you could never dream of." There was a hint of a smirk at the corner of her mouth as she brushed his hand off, disappearing into the sea of people.

He's certainly going to make things more... interesting.

The deeper into the crowds she went, the fewer people were scattered around, and the more hushed they spoke. Silent schemes, hidden grudges, and concealed secrets that people would kill to get. Well, it wasn't like she didn't have any. Ren picked up a glass of tequila, swirling it around, but not drinking a single drop. Glancing around the room, someone with a cigarette in their mouth caught her eye, and she slowly stepped towards them, her face filled with a slight annoyance.

"Masahiro might make things difficult, but you have what the Boss gave you, right?" Ren whispered, running her finger over the rim of the glass.

They all had no choice but to trust her. Whatever The Mafia's Shadow Executive was thinking, there was no hope of trying to reason. They nodded in response, holding up a small lighter as they began making their way back up to the crowds.

"Are you sure this will work?" They slipped their hands in their pockets, fiddling with something as people suddenly moved out of the way for them.

"I'd say I'm 60% confident." Ren shrugged, tipping her glass over and spilling a few drops of alcohol on the carpet.

"I wonder where the other 40% went." They grinned, dropping their cigarette on the ground.

A small flame began to eat away at the carpet, smoke drifting up as people began to smell it. It burned a bright red, dancing a fiery tango alongside her as she indulged in the madness. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout as the fire alarms yelled out, crying as partygoers sprinted left and right, shoving past each other in a desperate scramble.

Ren leaned her back against the wall, going against the chaos and down the stairs. The stench of hopelessness reeked as the stairs descended into a pit of darkness. She took out the small satchel, a light harshly illuminating the room that was in front of her. It was ghost quiet, yet the silence seemed to be whispering to her. Every step echoed, and at every slight scratch and sound of the machines, she whipped her head around. Her heart was going faster and faster, but once it listened and heard nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief, sticking the satchel behind one of the shelves. To end off the party with a literal bang... it would certainly be a light show. She closed her eyes, listening to the screaming and shouting from the other room.

"I knew you were up to something." Masahiro stood against the doorframe, a satisfied grin on his face. "You think I wouldn't have caught on."

Oh dear. Well, he couldn't stop her now. Ren sighed, pulling out a remote control with a single button. Masahiro's smile dropped, rushing towards her as she kept her eyes closed, listening to his footsteps reach closer and closer. His shouts almost drowned out the catastrophe upstairs, but not quite. It wasn't enough to stop her.

"Boom." She pressed the button, and the satchel suddenly exploded outwards, throwing Masahiro against the wall as the whole room was consumed with a blinding light.

An ear splitting crash resounded throughout the room, filling it with flames as it burned and crackled, a white hot dizziness overwhelming him. He coughed and choked, collapsing on his knees as the smoke crept into his lungs, threatening to suffocate him as he reached out with trembling arms, trying to find any traces of her left.

But she had disappeared without a trace,

Leaving nothing behind but a blood red dress.

other note: My English teacher made us write a short story and i didn't know what to write so i wrote this even though I finished writing this story 2 years ago. You can definitely see how my writing has changed but it's kinda nice ngl

I got to revive my child for a bit but if I ever randomly decide to write more about Ren I'll post it 

Bye children