The Queen and the Assassin (Red Cloak) (Unknown)

== The Society - [07/08/2022] | International Airspace ==
The plane's interior was still, only ever jostled by slight turbulence as it sailed through the sky. A black market chem synthesizer sat on one of the cargo hold's workbenches, with a television beside it and couch across from it. Cloak sat on the floor, keeping an eye on the drug dealer he had saved and making sure she didn't end up dying on him. As another round of turbulence shook the plane, he turned his attention back to the TV. It was on a news channel out of Yepren, some agency based in the capital of Ikazumi.
"This is Yoshie Hashimoto coming to you live from the Oshos Newswire. We have breaking news out of Hiiyoda today, with a shooting taking place at the Squid's Ink nightclub. Authorities have identified the bodies of multiple civilians, several armed guards, as well as infamous drug dealer Mizuki Kinoshita. Investigations are still in progress, but it's speculated that this incident is related to the killing of CEO Maximus Avington, found dead in his penthouse just 24 hours prior to the incident."
The grim report was accompanied by a procession of body bags being removed from the building, as well as a few individuals whose suits Cloak knew all too well. He stared at the TV for a while, fixated on the agents before he realized the Queen was sitting up, looking at the TV in disbelief.
"They... they really followed through with it..." she said, her words hollow with disbelief.
"They don't care who you are, what you've done for them. I'm just glad I could get to you in time this time."
"Who the hell are you? And... this time?"
"The news calls me Red Cloak, at least from what I saw on TV. It's a long story."
She sighs before fishing a flask out of her jacket pocket and downing it's contents. "Fuck... Well I guess the news blew my name out there already, you can call me Kinoshita or Mizuki or whatever the hell... What do you even want with me anyways?"
"You mass-produced Compound X-M19 for them, and we're going to find out where they took it."
"Wow, being nosy pays off for me finally, we'll need to head to my safehouse then. Any docs I had on the deals would be on an unregistered terminal I kept."
== The Acquaintance - [07/09/2022] | Piedra Roja Beach, Sarangis ==
Cloak glanced out of the cargo hold window as Albion passed beneath him, relaxing in one of the hold's fold-out chairs. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his head, causing him to grip the nearest surface he could as he had another "episode." The passing scenery outside the hold's window came to a halt, the birds froze in the air mid-flight, and even the Queen was paused in time working on her pills. 
"Not again..." Red groaned, his brain bombarded by visions of each previous loop. The pain was so horribly bad that it nearly disabled him, at least until the episode came to an end. Queen noticed that he was on the floor as time resumed, jumping out of her chair and rushing to him. "What the fuck happened?" she asked, "You were just in your seat earlier." 
"What happened is that I don't have much time left... maybe a few more loops." 
"And what the fuck does that mean?" 
"It's... it's like I said. It's gonna be a long story," Red said, just as the plane touched down on the runway. The Queen gave him a concerned look, but let him off the hook for the time being. He sheathed his knife and loaded his pistol, chambering a round while Mizuki pocketed some colored vials. Whatever the Society had ready for them, they felt they were ready. 
They disembarked the plane, with Red explaining the essentials to the pilot before following the Queen out the door. The sun was shining bright over the beach as the sand beneath glimmered in its warm light. They walked from the airfield to the nearby street, trying to keep as low a profile as possible. "We're waiting right here Red," Mizuki said, pulling her flask out and taking another swig of what was inside. 
A blue muscle car approached them, it had tinted windows and gilded rims as well as a satisfying purr under its hood to boot. As it pulled up beside them, the passenger window rolled down to reveal a man with sunglasses and black slicked back hair. "Marco, good to see you're alright," Mizuki said to the man, gesturing for Red to get in the back seat. "You too señorita, I'm assuming you saw the news?" 
Mizuki stayed silent for a moment, getting in the back seat beside Red before replying, "I have... that's why I need to get to the safehouse." Red held his tongue for the time being, staring at Marco as he started the car down the road. "And your name is, señor?" 
Cloak kept staring, seeing a suspicious glint in Marco's eyes as he gave him a passing glance before returning his eyes to the road. "My name is Red," he replied, relaxing his masked scrutiny of the driver. "Ahh, the killer from the news?" Marco responded, staring idly out the window. 
Red unholstered his gun, pointing it at Marco's head as the driver's eyes widened. "What the fuck Red?!" Mizuki shouted. 
"There's two capture teams tailing us, right Marco? The second you step off that gas I'll blow your brains out, keep driving," Red spat. Marco tried to keep his cool, continuing to drive as Mizuki whipped her gaze backwards to see Straille Anomalous Containment Authority SUVs with blacked out windows following them. 
"You ratted me the fuck out?!" Mizuki hissed, "After all the shit we've been through!?" 
Marco gave a frightened look to her in the rear-view mirror. "You'd prefer I get tortured and killed in some shack in the countryside? The way I'm seeing it right now is it's us or him, Miz." 
Mizuki looked conflicted for a moment, with Red casting a look over to her. He may have been a rat, but she cared for him. He wasn't getting out by just killing a target like he always did. "Find me later, I'll handle them if he's so worried about getting black bagged," Cloak said to Mizuki under his breath, kicking the car door open with inhuman strength and bailing. He tumbled onto the sidewalk, scratching his cloak and armor in the process as Mizuki and Marco sped off. As expected, the capture teams were only after him, pulling up towards him and abandoning their chase after Mizuki. 
== A Bloody Good Time - [07/09/2022] | Piedra Roja Beach, Sarangis ==
Red dusted himself off, facing towards the SUVs as they took their places barricading the street. The sidewalks were barren, possibly evacuated by the Society's politicians before they even touched down. Men dressed in SACA kits poured out of the two cars, all pointing assault rifles and submachine guns at him as he kept his hands up. "Suspect sighted! I repeat, suspect sighted!" one of them shouted, unsheathing a techy looking pair of handcuffs and tossing it to one of the better-armored officers. There were two moving in on him, and as soon as they got closer than five feet he sprang into motion. 
As expected, they drew their rifles. A burst of gunfire came from each officer, and before a single bullet could graze him a burst of blue light emanated from Red. He slipped out of the timeline for a split second, reappearing in front of the first to shoot. Before he could draw a sidearm the cloaked figure punched him in the jaw, clearing his holster and putting less-than-lethal holes in the seven squad members taking their cover behind the SUV's. They'd live, but they wouldn't be putting a bullet in his back today. That left the two that were approaching him just seconds before, still in whiplash from his sudden change in position. 
"Stay back!" the braver of the two shouted, just before registering a 'crack' from his friend's nose. 
Category:Red Cloak Arc Parables
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