Tales of the Red Wolf

Under the Well

~~~

A Farewell Gift

"Some hearsay hath reached mine ears... Any Nikke who is struck by a particular Rapture tentacle proceeds to undergo an affliction known as corruption. They become deranged and attack all with reckless abandon, including their own allies. I surmised 'twas but a fools tale or nonsensical waggling of tongues, but..."

Red Hood smiled again, but it only came across as unsettling with the vermillion presence in her orbs. "How's it feel to know the legends are true?" she asked, rapping fingers across the metal table-face.

"It's that I cannot say." Scarlet shuffled beneath the strange gaze, and attempted to shift eyes away from the image. "Yet judging by your countenance, 'tis not an overly treacherous situation. There is but an unnerving crimson that glows from thine eyes."

Curved lips sank again to the expressionless stare, and the warrior clad in red explained. "Apparently, the symptoms vary. There are times they appear almost instantly, and other times they linger for extended periods, like myself."

Rapunzel awkwardly shifted forward, "We've actually just received some new information about that."

"From V.T.C.?" Liliweiss questioned, the positivity sapped from her face.

"Yes. This so-called 'corruption' phenomenon seems to be evolving. In the beginning, it took time for symptoms to manifest, but the latest iteration takes hold almost instantly. We've become aware that the Rapture, dubbed Code Name: 'Ultra', which caused this corruption, is from an older generation.

Red Hood sat silent as the nun explained, before finally blinking away the unsettling crimson in favour of the relaxed gold once more. "...How long does it take until it assumes full control?"

"V.T.C. is continuing to look into it. They should have an answer for us soon."

The older woman's face suddenly blossomed into a hearty grin. "How hilarious would it be if there's only a week left?" she laughed out.

And at her side, Snow White peered with an uncomfortable expression; intermixed with sorrow and hurt. "...That wouldn't be funny at all."

"I know that. Sometimes you need to pretend things are okay in order to get by."

"But you're not okay by any stretch of the imagination..." The young girl's stern tone, pushed by shaky words, pulled the sickly woman to slump back into her chair.

Red Hood let out a despairing sigh.

"Anyway, I'm retiring after this operation. I wanna spend the rest of my life kicking it back and taking it easy."

Scarlet's faded eyes of natural red settled. "...Right. I understand."

"So, what's the course of action, Boss?" Red Hood immediately propped up like nothing had happened, and was back to her usual cheerful self. "We aren't really charging ahead without any plan, are we?"

"Tomorrow morning, we will go to Elysion's third Nikke Research Lab. We'll be picking someone up, and I expect you all to be nice to her."

"Who?" Rapunzel asked with intrigue.

The Commander leaned forward, and uncharacteristic warmth on his face. "I haven't revealed this to any of you yet, but I have a daughter." Until it broke into a twitching smirk at the reactions.