Angel's Authority

Part Three, Chapter Forty-Eight: Viola DeWynter

Based on the Volition Inc.™ game: Saints Row: The Third™ 

THE BOSS 

After a short, prickly while of him tattooing my chest and a longer, more painful while of him circling the dates around my ankle, I was ready and paid up the $120. It was right on cue when I thanked the artist for his service and the more than pleasing result – I even tipped him another $10 – that my phone rang. A locked number.

"Hello? Number One of the Saints/Ultor Media Group speaking, with whom do I have the pleasure?"

I have had to say this for so long that it had become my go-to phone phrase. Sometimes even with people I knew and friends. But only in moments when my mind was busy in other ways. We just walked out the door that I thought about hanging up after prolonged silence but then, someone finally spoke.

"We need to meet. The park in front of the penthouse, in thirty minutes by the water fountain. I have no time, please confirm that you'll be there."

The woman on the other end sounded in a hurry and also very much afraid. Although she tried to hide it behind business neutrality, it was no success.

"Who am I speaking to?"

"Viola DeWynter."

She whispered and I remembered the thousand names I wished to throw at her, to curse her with. Yet instead...

"I'll be there."

"Thank you."

And she hung up. Our assumptions about something having happened with the Syndicate may be true after all. Or it was just a ruse to get to us. Well, I would find out in thirty minutes.

"Who was that?"

Kinzie asked curiously, ready to jump back into the car but I stood in her way. She would not come with me on this one; not yet.

"Viola DeWynter. I will meet her in thirty minutes at the park in front of our penthouse. I need you to phone Oleg to meet me there too and to hand you the address so you can take the bus to the penthouse."

The short moment of joy was erased from her face again and I was left with the now familiar stern expression.

"Why? Why can't I come with you?"

"Because firstly, I just got you and you are too valuable for a field mission that early and secondly, because I need the big and intimidating man for this should the Syndicate have planned anything. And you're just... small... and intimidating."

I hoped to be able to cheer up her mood a little with the addition of latter but it seemed to have made things only worse. But right now, I gladly gave up my friend-role in exchange for authoritative and wise gang leader. When it comes to saving lives, one has to sometimes choose the more emotionally difficult path.

"I hope you can understand."

She rolled her eyes and picked her phone out of her back pocket, dialing Oleg's number. I had sent her all the contacts she needed during our wait for Samu, earlier today.

"Fine... But only if you tell me what is going on with your age. It doesn't really add up to 390 if you're born in 1631. Or did you forget your own birthdate?"

I had to think for a second, equally amused and bewildered by her neutral reaction. In her stead, I would think me mad.

"No I'm not. I come from a distant magical land where we had been fighting against the ancient beings called the Seven Deadly Sins..."

I began and felt more and more ridiculous with each word I spoke. The long time around here has really made me lose my connection to the magical world and it just seemed like something that I was making up now.

"...The only way for us to defeat them was my friend banishing them into a pocket realm where they would be trapped. Yet I was caught in the vortex of the realm creation..."

I looked at Kinzie between sentences and was more baffled to see the lack of judgment and reaction on her face than if I would have seen disbelief and such.

"...This forced my friend to craft a realm that was only marked by the Sins instead. For my own safety, your world was created and I was stranded here. That does not mean that you are any less real though..."

I tried to reassure her when her eyes finally began growing and offering me some kind of reaction.

"...It just means that you are a world within worlds. Imagine it like my world being the egg-white and yours being the yolk. We exist in the same shell of the universe but Your world is laid within mine."

I finished and I could see the gears rattling behind Kinzie's bright green eyes glistening behind her glasses. Even though surprised, there was not even a hint of judgment in her voice when she replied to this otherwise absurd story.

"Well... That's actually quite scientific. We have tried to prove the existence of worlds within worlds for a long time. Among physicists and similar scientists, this is known as the quantum realm. Well not really but something like that. It blows my mind that it is actually true..."

Her face was beaming while she pulled out her phone and I heard the dialing tone as she put the speaker to her ear and I got into the driver's side, starting the engine.

"I get to be on the comm!"

She demanded as well, forcing me to chuckle a little.

"Deal."

With that I drove away and straight towards the direction of the park. I had only twenty minutes left now and I really had to hurry in order to get there on time. Oleg would be much faster though, even when walking. Hopefully, he'll be able to stall her.