"…We're pretty far away from the city now."
"What'd you expect, rainbows? MEGAN, are we… near Prophet?"
[Nearer than before.]
"Are we sure this creepy shit isn't lying to us!?"
Riley, Bella, and Daniel decided to use MEGAN as some sort of compass to find Prophet… or at the very least, his corpse. They started at a small cafe right in the center of New York and now they were parked in some sort of hillside– without any road for their van to proceed. Bella wanted to lift the van into the air but decided not to as it might attract unwanted attention from anyone in the vicinity.
"Is… Prophet ahead this forest?"
[That is a possibility.]
Of course, Daniel's words of worries were not unfounded. After all, right in front of them was a forest filled with nothing but trees. The only sound that could be found was the sound of their vehicle's engine, but even that withered away as soon as Bella switched it off.
"We're really going into the creepy forest!?" Daniel loudly whispered, trying his best not to scream, "How do we know this is not some attempt by Riley to try and kill the both of us!?"
"…Bro, you loose in the head. Has anyone ever told you that?" Bella could only roll his eyes at Daniel, who was riding shotgun beside her,
"You can stay here if you want to," she then said as the sound of her door opened, "Let's go, white hair."
"…" Riley, who was quietly sitting at the back, only looked at Daniel for a few seconds before getting off the van.
"S… shit," Daniel muttered and gulped, "He… he really is going to kill us."
"…"
"…"
"…"
And a few seconds as he watched Riley and Bella's silhouette disappear into the sea of tall trees, the only thing that he could do was welp and get off the car; his limbs stretching as he chased the two.
"W… wait for me!"
***
"…"
"…"
[Prophet is dead.]
In the meeting hall of the Hope Guild, the almost endless number of screens reflected on Empress's dark skin; the golden rings around her arms, slightly whispering with a ring as she stared at the phone sitting at the table in front of her.
Her eyes, reflecting MEGAN who seemed to also be looking at her. She received a smartphone from one of the Academy's staff when Bulwark took her there after being… beaten by Darkday. It was given to her as some sort of token for protecting their students. It was all random and sudden; she was about to leave when one of the people standing by on the gates gave it to her.
She didn't really think much of it… but who knew that something like this would happen not even a full week after. The last time she saw Prophet was when he suddenly visited the guild a few weeks ago– telling her that Riley Ross might be Darkday.
And now this AI thing was telling her that Prophet is dead? It was too much of a coincidence. Did… he discover something he shouldn't have?
"…"
Empress then shook her head and sighed. Why was she even believing this little program in front of her in the first place?
"…"
"…"
"Hope."
[Yes, Empress?]
Empress then stood up from her seat as she turned to look at the screens plastered on the wall. And as she did so, the screens started to flicker,
"Show me Prophet's last known location."
[Very well. Searching for Steve Bridges's last activity.]
"…"
"…"
The images on the screens once again started to flicker as they panned through different cameras all around the world. But finally, after a few more seconds, it stopped; the screens all showing a single footage– Prophet just entering the Academy.
"This was… just after he visited me?" Empress muttered. Does that mean that throughout that time, Prophet never left the Academy? Considering the Academy had everything, from hospitals to groceries, then staying inside there for weeks without going out was possible.
But he was the Headmaster… he should have regular meetings outside the Academy.
"Hope, is there anything else after this?"
[This is the last known entry including Prophet.]
"…That's impossible," Empress said as she sat back down to her seat; her eyes, once again staring at the hologram of a miniature Megawoman in front of her. Was it possible that this AI… was telling the truth?
Maybe Prophet got too close to the dark that it ended up swallowing him. Since he has not left the Academy… did Riley Ross kill him?
Empress had already read the info about Scarlet Mage since Prophet mentioned her relationship with Riley Ross, but she wasn't really able to find anything useful as most of their time together was spent inside the Academy.
She only had one family– her mother. And based on her profile, she was just an ordinary old woman. Empress did not really scour much about her as she was just an ordinary citizen.
And so, her investigation was over before it even started. She could have brought up Riley's file, but it would have surely caught the attention of Whiteking– she knew enough that he had eyes and ears everywhere.
Bernard is also acting like normal, so maybe all of this is really just a false report.
"…"
"Hope."
[Is there anything else you need, Empress?]
"Can you bring out Bernard Ross's file?"
[I am afraid you do not have the clearance level required to access that information.]
"…Figures," Empress shook her head with a sigh, "I'm the leader of the Hope Guild and I don't have clearance."
"…"
"…"
"Can you bring out Riley Ross's file?"
[I am afraid you do not have the clearance level required to access that information.]
"Fuck you, Bernard. Just what are you–"
[Aha, aha. So many secrets.]
And before Empress could express her frustration, a tiny voice squeaked in the air. She looked in the direction where the voice suddenly came from, only to see MEGAN's hologram dancing in the air.
"…This thing is still on?" Empress let out a small but deep sigh. She was about to fold the phone closed, but before she could do so, MEGAN's eyes suddenly turned red.
[Uploading data files to the system… Complete.]
"!!!"
And as soon as Empress heard that, she quickly slammed her hand through the phone; instantly shattering it along with the table.
"F… fuck!" Empress was about to call Whiteking, but before she could do so, the screens in front of her started to flicker.
[Wow, so many restricted files.]
"W… what?" The voice that resounded inside the meeting hall was still the Hope Guild's AI's voice– but the tone and manner of speaking were already completely different. Empress was about to once again press Bernard's speed dial, but the screens once again shifted.
[Did you know that Katherine Reeds' mother booked a flight from Northwest Airlines with flight number…]
"Hm?" Empress then blinked a couple of times as she looked at the screen, "Flight– !!!"
But after looking at the images now plastered on the screen, the sound of her chair dropping on the floor quickly snapped in the air.
"This… this is one of the planes… is it just a coincidence?"
[Ugh, stupid…
…Riley Ross is Darkday.]
***
"I… I told you they took us here to die!"
"Can you stop screaming for once in your life!?"
Hours had already passed, and the only light they had was the little bits of rays of the moon that seeped from the leaves above as well as the flashlights on their phone.
"S… spit it out, you fucking autist! You took us here to kill us, didn't you!?"
"I am just following Bella, Daniel," Riley responded without even looking at Daniel, "And I do not need to take you here to kill you– I doubt anyone would even care if you die inside the Academy."
"Wha–"
"I was wrong. I apologize for that, Daniel."
"G… good thing you–"
"Your mother is now inside the Academy, so there is at least one person that would care."
"Pft," Bella's phone almost fell to the ground; trying to clutch in her stomach to stop herself from bursting out in laughter, "G… good one, Riley."
"W… why did I have to be grouped with the two of you!?"
"Milk, coffee, and somewhere in between," Bella breathed out, "I think we're a good combination."
"W… what do you mean somewhere in between, shouldn't I be a latte!?"
"If we are talking about melanin and skin color, then Bella Jackson is not necessarily black– her skin is brown," Riley muttered, "Like a chocolate shake."
"Yeah, see? He got it?" Bella nodded her head and smiled.
"I like chocolate shakes."
"I… I already told you I don't swing that way!" Bella then almost choked in her own breath as she heard Riley's words, "B… But maybe we can try to experiment if–"
"What was that!?"
And before Bella could finish her words, the bushes near them started to rustle.
"Who is there!?"
Bella and Daniel then quickly got into a stance, quickly standing beside Riley as they concentrated their eyes towards the moving leaves. And judging by the noise the foliage was making… there wasn't only one person.
"W… we're Supers from the Academy, we are warning you now!"
"You stupid! Why would you reveal that!?"
"W– you are confirming my revealing by revealing it!"
"…What?"
"There's no need to be alarmed, my dear students."
"B… Bulwark!?"
"No, it is me… Spectacular Mustache Ma–"
"Oh, lame. It's just you."
"What…
… what do you mean it's just me!?"