Chapter 46 - Name

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 As soon as they passed the restaurant's door, Dove and Sphinx had been greeted by a waiter, and led to a table in the back of the main room, where Blaze and Phase were waiting, a glass of red wine in the hand. When they noticed the two others, they raised their chin to them, and their chat went from a nervous tone to a joyful one.

– Hi there, greeted Dove, smiling.

– M'hey, added Sphinx, holding her hand.

– Hello you two, cheerfully said Blaze. I can't believe you just made me lose a bet! Take a seat!

– How come? Giggled the blonde, sitting in front of them, next to her boyfriend.

– Well, started Phase, she bet that Venom and Dusk would get there before you... But I never doubted you.

– Hey, talking of them...

With a hand gesture, the redhead designated the two Lieutenants, who just entered, and were being escorted to their table. However, the lack of chairs forced them to stay up.

– Hey guys, said Dusk, waving at them.

– Seriously Phase, complained Venom, don't tell me you had no bigger table than that?

– Did you really believe I'd let you occupy a large one while you're not paying?

Phase's sigh made them roll their eyes, but Venom did not hear it that way. He seized a chair at another table, under the bothered glares of the other clients, and put it down in front of theirs, motioning at the blue-haired man to sit.

– Down, he ordered.

– Don't make me bark in public, complained Dusk, taking place.

– Not paying and disturbing my clientele?

– M'aw c'm'on Phase, it's not like you need any more money.

– I always need more money... Anyways, we are not here to speak of official business, today, so rather than moving all of my chairs, just follow me.

The pink-haired man woke up and led them all to the private room they were used to go to. He kept the door open when they entered. Sphinx and Dove sat on the first sofa, while Dusk and Venom went on the one in front. But Phase and Blaze stood up, a grievous look on their face.

– We made you come here because-... started Phase.

– Because you are family, cut Blaze. And I need your help.

Dove couldn't hide that their serious expression worried her, and she tightened her grip around Sphinx's hand to give herself more reassurance.

– We're listening, she told her. How can we help you?

– You heard what happened to Rune, my...

The woman's hesitation didn't go unseen, but nobody dared to say a word about that. She took a deep breath; they didn't even have the time to decide what they were for each other. In a sigh, she chased away the tears coming into her eyes, but couldn't control her broken voice.

– My friend, and the previous leader of the Night Shift.

– Yes I did, acquiesced Dove, and I am truly sorry, Blaze.

– Don't be. You helped me avenge her, and I'm thankful, Dove. But contrarily to what everyone thinks... Rune isn't dead.

– What? exclaimed Sphinx. Everyone in the district says she is, and so does Night Shift.

– She's in a case of cerebral death... But she's not dead yet. I still have one last chance to save her.

She ended up leaning against a wall; the mere action of speaking about this was making her as sad as agitated. Yet, on the other side, she was aware that will put everybody present in this room in danger... But she made her choice. She had to save Rune. She had to save the woman she loved.

– First of all, I have to be honest... This is going to be highly risky. We'll put our careers and even more, our entire lives in the line for this, and if Atlas learns about it... We'll be up for a shitton of pain. This is a secret he's doing his best to conceal, but... This is also what can save Rune.

She sharply inhaled to find more bravery to explain it all to them; she needed it. Her heart was throbbing into her chest, and a chill was gliding along her spine as she lowered her voice.

– Atlas is holding captive a woman since years, now, and... And that's from her he's getting his power. He's pumping her life flow, and without that, he would be nothing more than a mid-rank pureblood.

– Wh-what are you talking about? shouted Dusk. You told me for that woman, but Atlas draining her life flow... Damn, I'm his right-hand man, I would know!

– Nobody does. Not even the Old Crew.

Dove hesitated at this term, and her boyfriend noticed it. He bent in to whisper into her ear:

– Amnesia's oldest Lieutenants.

She nodded and gave him a smile as a thanks, while Blaze continued.

– I stumbled across this information accidentally. My father is Amnesia Pharmaceuticals' co-director, and one day, he forced me to tag along... I lost myself in that hellish building of 'em, and ended up in this woman's room. She... She had the purest life flow I've ever seen, even while being asleep. I stood there for a few minutes, until I realized something was wrong... Every single products that were injected in her perfusion were heavy anesthetics. When I asked a nurse about that, she told me this woman was in a coma since a long time, and that it was the boss himself who desired to keep her there, apparently to take care of her. But something was off, and when I managed to get out of the building and rejoin my father and Atlas, I noticed that his life flow... Felt partially like hers.

The four others that didn't know about it all yet stared at her with widened eyes; they knew well that draining people's life flow to increase one's power was heavily discriminated, and none could believe their leader would have crossed such a name. Venom pressed a finger onto his forehead; if this was true, then it meant Atlas was a thousand times more crazy than he initially believed.

– Alright, he muttered, let's suppose this mess is true... Do you even know that woman's identity?

– Not entirely. All I know is that the nurses were ordered to call her by a special name... Taro.

Hearing this, Dove and Sphinx each other an astonished look. As she glanced back at Blaze, the blonde girl's hands were shaking; this name was the last thing her mother pronounced.

–...Did you just say Taro?

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