Bureau of Collections || ONC2021

Corrective Action

"Who are you?" 404 demanded, rising to stand between this strange ethereal woman and 221. She would let no one else hurt him, regardless of how familiar she seemed to him, she trusted no one anymore.

The woman smiled warmly, "You're quite the passionate one. I can see why Red likes you."

"Are you one of the Supreme's conspirators?" 404 accused, fear growing as the longer this woman lingered, the more the atmosphere grew heavy.

"404, it's okay." 221 grunted as she spun back to him, confused, "Mind, fixing this up before it kills me?" he asked the woman as if he were requesting her to hold the elevator.

"Well, I can't very well lose two horsemen in one year can I?" she sighed as she made a small flourish with her hand, the black spike a few feet from 221 vanishing into a pile of ash, he himself letting out a relieved sigh as the darkness receded, their point of origin destroyed.

"Thank you." he breathed, pushing himself upright and rising slowly.

404 backed away, overwhelmed. Did she just? Was she another auditor? She just healed him, like it was nothing? She needed answers. Now.

"Hey, kid? Are you okay?" 221 asked as if he had not just been dying on the floor.

She took a few extra steps back, clutching at her pocket where Colin was safe. "No. No, I'm not okay. I don't understand. Who is she? How did she do that? What did you do to the Supreme? We don't bleed like that! What did you do to him? What did he do to you?! And why did she call you Red! Who are you and tell me the truth this time."

"404, calm down. It's okay.

"No, this is a disaster and still, the one job, the one single job that we legitimately do for this wretched place, we have yet to complete because of some stupid game of cat and mouse with the Supreme that you dragged me into!"

The woman let out a gentle titter of laughter, "Oh Red, you know it's rude to not inform people of who you are."

221 glanced at the woman, "May I have a moment with her, my Lady?"

She inclined her head and took a step back, while he took 404 by the arm and pulled her aside to speak a little more discreetly.

"Don't touch me." she snapped, pulling away her arm. "You tell me the truth. Now."

"You do realise who that is right?" he asked her.

"No. Why would I know who that is? I assume one of your auditor friends, if that is even true. All you upper management take on weird forms. After seeing it for millenia nothing is new."

221 let out a sigh, scratching at his beard, what he needed to say was clearly difficult for him to express.

"Spit it out 221."

"You have to promise me you won't flip out."

"I'm already flipping out you big idiot! I don't think there is anything else you could possibly tell me that could make me flip out more."

"She's Death." he interrupted her.

404 faltered, more lies. She started to laugh, the spasms erupting from her throat without her even realising it was happening. Manically it tumbled out until she was almost gasping for breath only to suddenly stop, her face falling into neutral as she turned and started walking away.

221 went to chase after her, "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere you can't lie to me anymore." she scowled over her shoulder. She didn't want to play anymore. She just wanted to go back to her desk, touch the familiar keys of her keyboard and return to when life was peaceful, before all this madness. She would figure out how to pass Colin over on her own if she had to.