Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 141: A Winter Solstice

"For us to become friends? Don't make me laugh why would anyone in their right mind be friends with you?" Ruriko's words were cold and calloused, bringing forth a frown to collapse over Jack's snowy smile.

Although from Ruriko's point of view she couldn't see this. In fact she couldn't see much these days, the consecutive beatings given to her by Marionette left her eyelids as heavy as bricks. Just wincing towards Jack's direction brought forth a lashing of pain, pain so great that it tore through her body like a great fire.

"Fuck..." Ruriko muttered tasting the blood on her lips "Why does everything have to be so hard..."

"It doesn't have to be if you'll let me help you." Even after Ruriko's stone cold words a river of regret poured from Jack's melting face. Physically he looked as bad as her, his face was bruised badly and his skin was as dark as the sea. His hair had been stained white as if someone had dumped milk on him.

"Help me...?" Ruriko shortly laughed "Do you plan on helping me escape as well?" Ruriko tipped her head drunkenly hardly possessing the strength to keep her head straight. Just moving her neck slightly in any direction summoned a river of pain to strike her back. "If so be quick with it I'm not getting any younger."

"As well?"Jack's voice softened out of curiosity, was someone else visiting her aside from him? Was someone else visiting her outside of those tasked to torture her. "Did someone promise you they'd free you from here?" Jack innocently asked. His voice wasn't threatening in the slightest, but with Ruriko's experience being down here she couldn't help but be weary.

Silence was Jack's answer, only a cold and brittle silence.

"I see..." Jack recalled Natsumi mentioning something about a traitor. Someone from within the ranks that was providing information to Michael. Although similar to Natsumi Jack had assumed it to be Yushirou due to his absence after all this time. "Did someone else come down here recently?" Jack asked trying to gather as much information as possible. Because if there was a traitor rolling around in this base then Jack needed to let Zhu Li know as soon as possible.

Currently Zhu Li was the highest ranked member in the western base, holding the rank of captain which was only shared by Natsumi and Hippolyta. Although Natsumi did technically out rank her since Alexander named Natsumi his "Vice Captain." Even though Hippolyta seemed to take the job far more seriously than Natsumi ever did.

An uneasy frown crossed Jack's face as he patiently waited. Soon coming to the conclusion that like before only silence would be his answer.

"Cyclone." Jack called addressing Ruriko by her hero name "Who's been down here with you? If you tell me I'll make sure Marionette and The Queen won't hurt you anymore." It was an empty promise, but one Jack hoped would sway Ruriko's torn heart. Jack knew he could convince Natsumi to stop, in fact if it weren't for Jacen he would've had no idea that this cruelty was going on beneath the Lupus floors.

But Hippolyta that was a whole other story. Among the Captains in Lupus most people feared Hippolyta, she was loud, brash and listened to no one. Viewing herself as superior to everyone else including her father Alexander The Great. Of course she had good reason to think that, being raised as a Queen an all. As well as her distinct lineage tracing back to Queen Otrera and Alexander being some of the most powerful people who ever walked this Earth.

It was without question she was the most powerful of the Captains, but in strength and position. Jack could only imagine what would happen if he suggested for Hippolyta to cease her torture. He could imagine her shouting at him "Ah? So you sympathize with the enemy do you boy? Come here and I'll show you what it means to stand beside an enemy." Jack's body shivered as he envisioned his head being crushed by her massive hand.