Year 26

"Your school girl would go a lot faster if she was a REAL engineer and didn't have to leave every once in awhile to go attend classes. And why are we building in two different locations again?" Zalmora asks.
"Because Madeline pointed out that it might be better if we didn't build everything in one place. Said it would be easier to keep the support structurally sound as well if we didn't build too big. I think it's coming along fine so far, though the ceilings are a little low. Guess goblins aren't used to building them high though." You respond.
"Considering you're spending as much money as you are for this shit, I certainly hope she's at least a good lay." Zal remarks.
"What? I'm not fucking her." You say.
"Great. So you're just wasting money for no gain whatsoever."
"We're getting our new locations! By the fucking gods, what the hell is your problem today?"
"My problem is we could have had a real professional do this and probably be done by now. This little school bitch doesn't know what the fuck is doing and we got goblins running around being the obnoxious little green shits they always are."
"Actually I haven't had any problem with any of them."
"Ugh, they're fucking annoying."
"Zal, I'm not going to argue about this anymore. Things are going just fine, you're just finding shit to nitpick about."
"Have it your way, but here's one more for the road. If you REALLY aren't fucking big tits McRed, you better have a little chat with her because I've seen how she acts when you speak with each other. Maybe you're oblivious, but the girl has a serious crush on you."
"You're talking nonsense." You snort.
"I'm serious. You don't notice how chipper she is when she speaks to you? How she makes these girly giggles over shit you say which isn't even funny half the time? How she makes every effort to be very close or even touch your arm or hand when you're around? If the girl was anymore obvious, she'd have her legs wrapped around you."

Now that you think about it, Zal isn't wrong on her observations. Madeline's personality has been a lot more positive since the first time you met her.

Though it makes you wonder…

"Okay, so say maybe she does, what I find interesting is how you've been studying our relationship and interaction. Are you jealous?" you say with a chortle.
"Hah! Typical male ego. You wish. But I'll tell you who IS jealous, Camid." Zalmora retorts.
"Camid?"
"Yeah, the repulsive guy in charge of Yellow Devil creation and distribution and stinks of Yellow Devil fumes most of the time? There are already rumors going on about you fucking schoolgirl, I can't imagine Camid is happy about that, still being her boyfriend and all. I've seen this happen before and it never ends well. So if you don't want a knife suddenly in your back, like I said, you better straighten out this misunderstanding…or at least tell a convincing lie."
"There's nothing going on with Madeline!"
"Hey, I'm not the one you have to convince. I'll leave you to it boss man, I mean we all know you're the one who runs everything here." Zal says and leaves.

You hate it when she makes sense.

While you had better things to do today, you probably should talk to both of them and do it now just to get it out of the way.

Since you're not exactly in the mood to breath in Yellow Devil fumes right now, you decide to go see Madeline first who as far as you know is overseeing work on the other location. You might as well check on that while you're at it.

After an uneventful walk in the sewers, you get to the location. So far it doesn't look much different than your future headquarters, though the rooms are bigger.

In the biggest of these rooms, you find Madeline ordering about a few goblins in their native language. It's weird how they don't mind taking her orders. When they see you, they move even quicker.

Madeline turns and sees you as well. She smiles and immediately walks quickly over to you.

"You're here! I didn't expect to see you so soon after the last time you inspected this place. I would have doubled the work time on it!" Madeline beams. You get the impression that she nearly was going to hug you, but stopped herself.
"No, that's okay. I'd rather you take a little extra time to make sure everything is secure. So is this room going to be where we hold the fighting games?" you say.
"Yes, that was my intention. I think it might need more expansion, and of course we're going to make it look better than it currently does, but it's well on its way!"
"Well I can honestly say you are doing a fine job, and best of all, it isn't costing me a lot. I gotta talk to you about something though."
"Me too! But first I have to show you this, come with me!"
"Um, okay."

Madeline walks ahead of you first, but when you aren't moving fast enough, she actually pulls your hand in an effort to get you to follow faster.

You soon enter a small partially dug out room that has a single lantern lighting it. You don't see anything out of the ordinary here.

"Madeline, what…" you start to ask, and before you know it, she's all over you.

After about a couple of minutes of slobbering over each other, Madeline finally comes up for air.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this…" she says and then goes in to try to kiss you again before you stop her.

"Madeline! Hold on! I…can't…WE can't do this. I think you've gotten the wrong idea!" you exclaim.
"Didn't seem like it when you had your tongue in my mouth and your hand on my ass a few moments ago." Madeline says.
"You…you caught me by surprise! I'm only human damn it! Look, you're obviously a very attractive girl and maybe you're into me because I'm being supportive in your dreams or something, but we can't do this."
"Why not?"
"Well for one thing, you're Camid's girlfriend and people are already whispering untrue rumors about us. I mean if you were just some whore, it probably wouldn't be a big deal because…well whores are a whores and everyone is supposed to be fucking them. But you're not a whore and you're in a real relationship with another Crimson Talon. Stealing someone else's girlfriend is just bad for business. It creates hard feelings and much worse."
"I don't understand. You're dealing drugs, running illegal fights, and other activities but being with someone who would rather be with you is where you draw the line?"
"Well, there's gotta be a line drawn somewhere. Otherwise this all falls apart. You know, like a support beam for the tunnels you're building."
"But you're the boss, can't you just do what you want?"
"Well it's a little more complicated than that. The key to being in charge is also trying not to be hated. And what about Camid? I thought you and he were together."
"Eh, he was okay at first, but now....well I find him…limited. I'd rather be with you. I like the way I feel when you're around encouraging me. Camid doesn't understand anything that I talk about. He just stares at my tits and wants to fuck."
"How do you know that I'm not doing the same thing?"
"Obviously you aren't, because if you did, we'd be fucking right now. My point is, I feel like I can at least converse with you about a variety of things. I mean maybe you don't understand all my technical university speak, but I know you're at least on my intellectual level."
"…thanks? I think?"
"Plus…this isn't just some stupid crush like you probably think it is. You've been so nice to me. I think…I think I'm really starting to…"
"Don't finish that sentence!" you shout.
"Well I can't help my feelings towards you! Oh I don't understand why you can't just kill Camid so we can be together!" Madeline exclaims and then hugs you tightly and trying not to cry.

And that intensified quickly.

"Madeline. (Sigh) Look. You're experiencing a phase. You don't seriously want any sort of long term relationship with someone like me. I mean if you think I'm any better than Camid, you're only thinking that because I find you useful in a capacity that doesn't involve sex. I'm NOT a nice guy. Just ask anyone. Hell, talk with Zalmora. She'll be the first one to tell you all my shortcomings." You say.
"It's not a phase though…" Madeline says with a quiver in her voice.
"Well if it isn't, you're just going to have to get over it anyway. Because WE are not happening. I'm not looking for anyone long term and I don't want it. It's not who I am. Apologies."

Madeline now starts to cry quietly.

"Now if this is just too much for you, I'll completely understand if you don't want to work on this project anymore. I can find someone else." You say.
"(Sniff) No. No…I'll continue the work. I promised to see this through. I…won't say anything to Camid either (sniff) I'll just get over it, like you (sob) said…" Madeline says before crying again.

You haven't felt nearly this bad since you left Annah back in Teckleville. Still, you feel this is for the best and hopefully Madeline can indeed "get over it" like she claims.

As you leave Madeline to her sadness, you move on to your next unpleasant task and that's speaking to Camid. You're not entirely sure how you're going to tell him though.

After another uneventful walk through the sewers you get to the Yellow Devil Den. For obvious reasons you don't come here that much, because the place stinks worse than the rest of the sewers and always has junkies hanging around, acting crazy or just slowly melting. Though the melting is a little less now that Camid's made strides in cutting Yellow Devil with less lethal ingredients and still managed to maintain it's feel good effects. Still doesn't make you want to stick around though.

Several Crimson Talons see you and let you in immediately while pushing away any junkies attempting to get in. Doesn't take you long to find Camid. He's surprised to see you. Camid and you head to his own little area where the stench of Yellow Devil fumes isn't burning your nostrils to talk.

You decide to go with a half truth and explain that you've been hearing the concerning rumors about you and Madeline and you're here to dispel them, because it's not healthy to the organization to have something like that spread around when it isn't even true in the first place. You explain you have no interest in Madeline other than her work on the project. You even sort of imply you're actually trying to get back with Zalmora.

Camid seems to react positively to your explanation with no hint of any underlining hostility. He either means it, or he's subtler than you gave him credit for. Either way, it would seem the matter is closed.

You return to work and later you see Zalmora and Vaughn.

"Well? Did you take care of that business?" Zalmora asks.
"Not that it concerns you, but yes I did. Now let's move on to other things." You reply.

The next few days are a little tense and you stay on your guard. You half expect Camid or Madeline to do something crazy, try to kill you, or something that causes problems. None of that happens though.

Weeks pass and while Madeline occasionally gives you a longing glance she never initiates anything. You try to keep your contact short with her. Camid doesn't act out of the ordinary either when you see him. Neither one mentions their relationship with each other so you assume they're still together.

Then just when you think everything is settled with this situation, disaster strikes.

"He's fucking dead?" you exclaim.
"Afraid so boss. Camid was found dead with several large holes in him. Legs, back, chest, head, arms, everywhere." Vaughn remarks.
"Well what the hell happened?"
"Dunno. Some of the Talons just found him in his room in the den like that. No signs of anyone breaking in or anything."

Zalmora just looks at you.

"Do I even need to say it?" she asks.
"(Sigh) No. But I'm wondering how she did it exactly. I just don't see her as a natural killer and Camid wasn't a push over…wait a minute. Sonofabitch. She used the little green bastards! They follow everything she says. They're also small and sneaky enough to dig some little passage that only they could get in and then. You said Camid had large holes all over his body. Probably from pick axes." You say.
"I'm a little lost here, who killed Camid?" Vaughn asks.
"The love of his life, school girl killed him." Zal says.
"Wait, why?"
"Geez, Vaugh you're really behind aren't you? Our glorious leader here turned down her advances a few weeks ago. Surprised the hell out of me too, but messing with another man's girlfriend isn't one of the vices he has apparently. It appears though school girl figured out a loop hole and took matters into her own hands." Zal explains.
"Why couldn't she have just broke up with Camid?" Vaughn asks.
"Because that still would have caused conflict if the boss got with her. Camid isn't likely to be the type to just accept seeing someone else with his ex especially so soon and so close. Nope, had to kill him. Only logical play."

Zal then turns to you.

"Which now I guess means the next step is yours heartbreaker."

You dispose of Madeline

This isn't the work of someone with just a crush. This is obviously an obsession and the fact she got the goblins to do it, means she's not just crazy she's dangerous and that's a bad combination.

You're not going to be able to reason with her. She's already proven she's beyond that. Dismissing her isn't going to work either. Not to mention she killed one of your productive members. Sure he was an idiot when it came to picking women obviously, but he still did his job and excelled in that area.

She's going to have to be dealt with in a more permanent manner.

"Zal, Vaughn, come on. We're going to deal with this crazy bitch and I want you both with me in case she gets ideas to sic her goblin buddies on me." You say.
"Wait, do we need to kill her? I mean isn't she important?" Vaughn remarks.
"She might come from money, but her daddy isn't on the council. At best the militia might do an investigation, but they aren't going to find her." You say.
"You sure we're going to be enough? Should we bring some more guys? There are a lot more goblins than us." Zal asks.
"We'll grab a couple more Talons on the way out, but we're not going to be bushwacked like Camid and I know we're much better fighters. As soon as we kill a few of those green buggers they'll probably start running away. We'll be fine. Now let's get this shit done." You say.

You and your "hit squad" head over to the new headquarters dig site. You remember Madeline was doing her overseeing there today.

After entering and walking through several empty rooms and corridors, you find Madeline by herself, just sitting on the ground. She doesn't get up, she just looks down at the ground. There aren't any goblins around though, which is strange.

"Hey. I guess you figured out what happened." Madeline says.
"Damn right I did. Did you really think you were going to get away with it? Did you really think that was going to work?"
"I guess I had hope and I had to try. Stupid I guess."
"You got that one right too, school girl." Zal says.
"Where's your goblin friends?" you ask.
"I sent them away as soon as they told me you were coming. I didn't want them to get hurt. It wasn't their fault after all."
"Wasn't their fault? Some of them were the ones who killed Camid!" you exclaim and move towards Madeline, but Zal holds you back.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean you sent them away when they told you were coming? How did they even know, we haven't seen any of them." Zal asks.

Madeline looks up and stands.

"They didn't just dig a tunnel into the Yellow Devil Den. They've dug tunnels all over the sewers. Mostly under them. Made it easier for them to get around without having to walk about in the actual sewers. They may have also dug some tunnels near your old head quarters…you know, you look very peaceful when you sleep…" Madeline says looking directly at you.

You and everyone else takes a step back. You're actually a little creeped out now and a lot more concerned.

"Everyone, prepare for an ambush!" you say and you all form a circle expecting goblins to pop up out of secret compartments in the floor and walls.

"I told you I sent them away. They isn't going to be some big fight. There isn't going to be a fight at all. This is the end. I wish you could have loved me, the way I love you, but at least we'll die together, and I guess that's enough."

At this point you hear an explosion outside the new headquarter's entrance. It isn't a big one, but it's enough to cause a rumbling and the ceiling of starts to fall to pieces. Vaughn, Zal and the other two Talons instantly run back to the entrance only to find that's its collapsed and soon so will the rest of this place.

"It's interesting how with one well place bundle of explosive power can make an otherwise stable structure fall completely apart. I'll certainly miss finishing my education." Madeline says in almost a monotone way.

As the rest of your cohorts run around desperately trying to get out of this death trap, you do the only thing you want to do and that's plunge your sword into Madeline. She puts up no resistance and just touches your face before falling to the ground.

As the clods of dirt and rocks begin to bury you and yours, all you can do is curse loudly to whatever gods may be listening before you are silenced forever.