Retaliation

13

CAUTION: LONGEST CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY!

***

Aurelia didn't expect that her friend would've done that to her. She thought that she knew Arsenic inside out. But little did she know she had much more to know.

"Come on, Lya Berger! Stop this shitty sentiment, please!" Arsenic said sarcastically.

"This was not the friend I knew."

"I can't do anything for that, Lya," said Arsenic.

"Why did you do that?" Aurelia asked.

"Why did I do what?" Arsenic asked back.

"Why did you kill Oxygen?"

"Ummm... Should I tell you the truth or the lie?" Arsenic asked.

"Callie, this shouldn't be your reply. Just spill the beans and surrender!" Aurelia shouted.

"Fine! But before that, why did you kill my boy?" Arsenic (alias) Callie Agnes asked.

A baffled Aurelia asked back, "Your boy? What rubbish are you talking about?"

"I mean, why did you kill Max Richards?" Callie asked back. "With your one reflex action, I'd lost my only trusted person. He was the one who worked for me and understood my motive. He was the one who stood up for me and has been my best guy. And now—"

"So... Are you...?" Aurelia tried to ask something, but soon Callie gave her the answer.

"Yes! I am Adrienne. And I'm the person you guys have been searching for five and a half years."

Aurelia felt that the whole moment was a dream. She thought that if the person who is the head of an operation to nab a criminal is a terrorist, then that must be some fantasy. But unfortunately, that turned out to be the reality. And the reality was never a dream for anyone.

"Callie," Aurelia called. "Now, that's unexpected! What sin did we do for you? We took care of you, right? We've been with you through thick and thin, haven't we? Is this how you show your loyalty and gratitude? Was this what we expected from you? Forget everyone, what did Oxygen do to you? What sin did he do except kill a criminal like Max? We work for global peace but there are you who ruin that as a wolf in sheep's clothing! Is this why we kept you alongside? To backstab us? And what sin did we do to receive your—?"

"ENOUGH!" Callie yelled and interrupted her. "What you said now... Lya, you were wrong. Don't talk as if you're smarty pants. I've seen many like you. And... What did you just say now? I backstabbed you guys. Right? If what I did was betrayal, then what would you say for the betrayal you all did?"

"We? I don't know this thing. Why do you guys always blame us? Even though we do our job and shut the fuck up, it always affects shitty people like you. And it does. After all, one man's meat is another man's poison," Aurelia said, proceeding to the confrontation.

"Not always, Aurelia. You always reap what you sow. That's how everything is happening. And, you don't know what has happened. They made me realize that Man is the cruellest animal. And I'm thanking them with blood and iron."

***

SEVEN YEARS AGO...

It was a secret meeting at Brussels, held by the Chief Agent Iodine. Everyone was at the Head Office of Inspygency, which is nothing but the bunker of an old house. As everything is all set, Iodine started the crucial meeting of that time.

"Now, I guess everyone knows why we are here. We all are aware of the recent genocide at a park in Geneva, and we know who is behind that," Iodine said, glaring at Callie. He continued, "And now, the greatest threat to our motto, is this genocide. He also threatened that..." He paused, banging the table, which jerked other agents there. After a while, he continued, "This atrocity will continue. And, we have got a new mission, which is to nab Vlad and his team. Shall we do this and get rid of the disease called disharmony?" He asked, expecting the cluster to the chorus. And they did with a zealous tone of 'yes'.