Chapter 8: Full circle
Ra was walking down the hallway by himself. He had a long, solemn face. He knew he screwed up.
V: You had one goddamn job. One goddamn job...
Ra Helios: Look V, I'm...I'm sorry. I....I..
V: It doesn't matter. Everything we've done has been all for nothing. The mission is lost.
Ra Helios: Aw crap. What's going to happen now?
V:.....I don't know.
Ra Helios:....
V: I'll call you back if anything comes up..............but I'm pretty sure everything's fucked.
*beep*
Ra Helios: V-V wait!
V hung up. Ra could hear the devastation in V's voice. It seemed he had messed up royally. He was overwhelmed with regret.
Ra Helios:....<damn it....>
Ra had his head down and sulked as he slowly walked towards the entrance. In the long, narrow hallway he was about to pass a door labeled 'storage closet'. As soon as he was near it, it opened and gave him a little spook.
Ra Helios:!
A person emerged from the closet. It was a janitor. He was wheeling a mop out. He had an access I.D. tag on his uniform. He noticed Ra.
???: Sorry, didn't mean to spook ya.
Ra was staring at the man. Not because he hadn't seen a janitor before...but because he recognized him.
Ra Helios: M-Murk?!?!
Murk:....wh-*squinting* Ra? What the fuck? What are you doing here?
Ra Helios: I-I I don't know, what are YOU doing here?
Murk: I work here.
Ra Helios: You work for Google?
Murk: I'm interning here. I'm a sophomore. I do this in my down time. How'd you manage to even get in the building, it's invite only? You gotta have business here.
Ra Helios: Ooh! Oooh! Never mind all that; Murk, I need your help!
Murk: Huh?
Ra Helios: Lives are at stake! I need your I.D. card access! It's important!
Murk: Absolutely not.
Ra Helios: Please, I... I can't explain why, but it's incredibly important. Lives are at stake. This is bigger than you and me. This is your chance to be a hero and do something right for mankind! It's within our grasp, but I need your help. So I need you to trust me. And I know you will come through.
Murk:....
Ra Helios:...
Murk:...
Ra Helios:.....so?
Murk: No.
Ra Helios: What?
Murk: Why would I magically change my mind because you just said some nonsensical Mickey Mouse bullshit? I'm not getting in trouble over your fuck boy shit, Ra. Now piss off, I've got work to do.
Ra Helios: But...but...
Murk:.....*continues mopping*
Ra Helios: Fine! You know what? Screw you!
Murk:.....
Ra Helios: I thought I could depend on you, but I guess I was wrong!
Murk:....
Ra Helios: Don't ever come to ME anymore for anything next time!
Murk:....
Ra Helios: Yeah, you're a real jerk!
Murk:....
Ra Helios: And your Nightwing was trash!
Murk:*drops mop*
Ra Helios:!
Within a millisecond of Ra Helios' last statement, Murk dropped the mop and IMMEDIATELY started to charge at him.
Ra Helios: Murk wait, I didn't-
Oh my God...
Murk broke into a full sprint, chasing after Ra with blood and rage in his eyes. Ra Helios ran for his life.
Ra Helios: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!
Ra turned the corner and sprinted as fast as he could. He ran down a hallway and turned behind a wall to hide.
Ra Helios: *pant pant pant*
In front of him was a door. It was labeled 'server room'.
Ra Helios:!
Ra had an idea.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM*
The angry footsteps of the approaching Murk echoed throughout the corridor. He was getting closer.
Ra Helios:*loudly* HA! Murk will never find me in the server room!
Murk turned the corner that Ra darted past. He made his way to the server room door and took out his I.D. tag. He swiped the card at the door to gain access and before he could walk in, Ra jumped out from behind the wall he was hiding by and pushed past Murk and into the server room.
Murk: ?!
Ra quickly located the computer V spoke about and entered the lines of code he was instructed into a command prompt.
>Execute<
Ra Helios:AH ! I did it! I DID IT! YES! The mission ISN'T a total loss!
Murk:....
It took Murk a second to process what happened. He realized he had actually given Ra the access he needed after all.
Murk:.....uh oh...
Ra Helios: YES! YES! I DID IT! HAHAHAHAHAH! Thanks Murk! You don't know what you did, but you may have just saved the world!
Murk:....
Ra exited the server room and immediately called V.
...
....
V: Hello?
Ra Helios: V! V! You'll never guess what just happened!
V:....
Ra Helios: Well....all you need to know is.....mission accomplished!
...
...
...
One.
Two....
Three months later.
Three months had passed since Ra last spoke to V. And just like that, all the craziness that seemed to befall him during 'mission' time had ceased. He was walking by himself outside, taking in the night breeze. It was about an hour past sunset. Ra was in a state of deep thought. He couldn't help but find himself thinking about some of the words V said. The whole idea of V in general was something of a mystery. Who exactly was he? How did he know so much? With how he was able to constantly monitor and guide Ra, it would seem he worked for the government or some kind of secret organization to justify the resources necessary. Ra started to wonder if he was General Henry at all...which of course he wasn't.
???: Ra! Oh hi Ra!
A familiar voice called out to him.
Ra Helios: ? Oh it's you Susan. What's up?
It was one of Ra's neighbors again. She had some bags in her arms.
Susan: Oh not much. Just got done doing some shopping. Grabbed a few things. Oh! Goodie! I can ask
you! Here, I'd like to get your opinion on something.
Ra Helios: Sure.
Susan pulled an item from one of the shopping bags.
Susan: I bought this cute little picture frame for my dad and was wondering if the color was too bright-whoa!
*Smack*
Ra Helios: Hiissssssssssss! Hisssssssssssss!
Ra Helios had smacked the picture frame from Susan's hands.
Susan: Wha-what's the matter?
Ra Helios: I don't believe in frames! Get that away from me! Hissss! Hissss!
Susan: Oh...I...I didn't know....okay, okay. I'll get rid of it.
Susan picked up the picture frame and tossed it in a nearby trash bin.
Susan: Sorry to upset you. I didn't know...
Ra Helios: It's fine. OH! Susan! I've got something to ask you.
Susan: Sure!
Ra Helios: I've been wondering. I need some advice on something I've been thinking about. You see, I've got this friend...
Susan: Oh, a 'friend', huh? *wink wink* And is this friend YOU by any chance? Hee hee, you don't have to be embarrassed, just ask me whatever!
Ra Helios: What? No no, it actually is about a friend. It's not about me.
Susan: Oh. Okay.
Ra Helios: This friend...he's kind of like a voice in my head.
Susan: Oh don't worry about that, Ra! Those voices die down sooner or later. Take it from me, I knew a guy who-
Ra Helios: No, No! This...this isn't a voice in my head! It's just that he's mainly been a voice in my headset. A guiding voice to me. When we talk on the phone.
Susan: Okay so it's not a voice in your head per se...
Ra Helios: Yeah. It's a real person.
Susan: You've met him before?
Ra Helios: Not...exactly.
Susan: What's his name?
Ra Helios: V.
Susan: V? V.....for 'voice?'
Ra Helios: N.....he's a real person, alright?
Susan: Have you met someone who's met him?
Ra Helios:....no...
Susan: And he knew you from.....?
Ra Helios: Well he....kinda sorta just knew my number.
Susan: Oh? Well, what question do you have about this 'friend'?
Ra Helios: He....he says he's not psychic...but he tends to know things that...I dunno....a person shouldn't be able to know.
Susan: What?
Ra Helios: Like...he knows outcomes of certain things...and....it's....kind of strange, I can't think of an explanation for how he knows how much he knows....
Susan: When did you start talking to this...V character?
Ra Helios: About nine months ago. And I haven't heard from him in three.
Susan:....
Ra Helios: He's a real person, Susan. I know it sounds weird.
Susan: Well, I'm not so sure...you said it yourself...how can a real person know things no real person should? You haven't seen him. You haven't met him in person. He just...sorta...knew you? Knew about you? And...knew stuff he shouldn't have?....
Ra Helios:....
Susan:....
Ra Helios:....
Susan: You know, my uncle once thought he heard his wife calling out to him at night every night for two years. His wife had died in a crash a few years back while he was serving overseas...he had experienced some heavy mental trauma. It wasn't until after therapy that he realized he wasn't actually hearing anything. It was all in his head.
Ra Helios:....I....I know, but V isn't all in my head. He's a real person.
Susan:.....Ra...
Ra Helios: Don't look at me like that! I'm not crazy!
Susan: I didn't say you were it's just......don't you see the coincidence? This 'friend' somehow knows things that you can't explain.
Ra Helios: V is real! I'll...I'll prove it to you!
Susan: Okay. Oh! Shoot! Sorry Ra, I didn't notice the time. I gotta head home. This place isn't safe at night. Maybe we can continue this conversation some other time?
Ra Helios:....alright.
Susan left. Ra's conversation with her got him thinking. What if she was right? Had Ra
imagined V all this time? Would that explain his seeming clairvoyance?
Ra Helios:...
...
...
...
...
BRUCE!
Something had occurred to him.
Ra Helios: <Bruce was there when Erik's bodyguards got me! He picked up my phone! He spoke to V! Yes, that happened! I knew I wasn't crazy!>
Ra decided to head out and look for Bruce. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. He walked around his block and the neighboring areas. He went to areas where Bruce typically frequented. Fewer and fewer people roamed the streets as the night went on. Forty five minutes later....he managed to finally bump into his neighbor.
Ra Helios:.....<Someone's coming....>
Bruce: ? Oh hey Ra. You're out late.
Ra Helios: Bruce! I've been looking all over for you!
Bruce: Whatchu need?
Ra Helios: Remember a few months back when those goons grabbed me? You were there.
Bruce: Yeah. Heh. Still dunno how you got yourself mixed up in that...
Ra Helios: Yeah yeah, whatever- look: you picked up my phone remember? You spoke to someone on the other end, didn't you? You did, didn't you? I'm not crazy?
Bruce:....
Ra Helios:.....
Bruce: You ARE crazy.
Ra Helios:!!!
Bruce: But yeah, there was a dude on the line. Went by V, right? What about him?
Ra Helios let off a sigh of relief.
Ra Helios: *phew* I...I knew it. That's...that's all I wanted to ask. Wow, I thought I was losing my mind for a minute there...
Bruce: Eh?
Ra Helios: Just wanted to confirm something. Thanks Bruce!
Ra Helios, smiling, turned and hopped on home.
Bruce:...?
<Ra Helios' apartment>
Ra quietly walked back home. It wasn't long before he stepped into the entrance of his apartment's first floor. Directly across from him, down the long narrow hallway, was the elevator. Ra typically took the stairs, but he stared at the elevator's open doors at the far side of the lobby.
Ra Helios:......
Ra stared at it for a few seconds.
Ra Helios: <I should take the stairs like I always do. It's good exercise anyway.>
....
....
Ignoring his better judgement, Ra Helios decided that he was Catwoman, and as such, was able to make it into the elevator before the doors would close.
Ra Helios: *breaking into a full sprint*
*CLIPCLOPCLIPCLIPCLOPCLIPCLOPCLIPCLOP*
Ra ran as fast as he could, staring directly at the slowly closing elevator doors. The distance from the elevator was far, and so it was unlikely that he would make it through in time. It would have been wise to simply take his time and press the button to open the doors again...
Ra Helios:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
...but being wise wasn't Ra's forte.
*thud*
Ra's body hit the ground with a sickening thud. His head collided violently with the elevator doors at they closed and knocked him unconscious. Why he thought he was fast enough to make it through after performing his real life full screen meter burn cat-dash was a mystery. Ra was knocked out cold.
...
...
...
<One hour later...>
Ra Helios:...ugh.....ooooh, my head...where...where am...
Ra stood up. He was right where he was when he fainted. He scratched his head and checked if he was bleeding. He was fine, though he probably should have got a concussion. He decided to take the stairs up to his floor.
Ra Helios:.........
As he approached his room number...he was hit with a very uneasy feeling...the door...was slightly ajar.
Ra Helios: <? What? I left it open? Could have sworn I locked the door before I left...I.....I ALWAYS do...>
It could have easily been a mistake on Ra's part...but he had a bad feeling. He walked slowly towards the door and turned the door knob. It hadn't been locked. Ra slowly opened the door and felt his heart sink.
Ra Helios: *gasp!*
Someone had been in his apartment.
Ra Helios:....What....the hell....
His entire apartment had been turned upside down. Drawers were open. Tables were upturned. A few items were broken. It didn't seem like anything was actually taken, but someone had definitely been in there looking for something...or rather Ra himself.
Ra Helios:.....
Ra couldn't move. He was processing the situation. Should he call the cops? Almost to answer his thought, something at the corner of his eye grabbed his attention.
Ra Helios:?
A note. It was left by the TV. Ra walked towards it and read it:
"Thought this was over, huh? It isn't. 4316 Carter street. Be there. Take too long, and we kill him. Call the cops and we kill her. Don't show up and we kill them both."
The note sent chills down Ra's spine. He figured it was related to the Swedes, but he didn't know the 'him' or 'her' in question. He didn't know what to do. There was no V to guide him. He couldn't call the cops. He couldn't risk someone dying on his account. Ra left his house and ran downstairs. He had to tell Bruce. Maybe he could help.
<Later...>
Ra ran all the way back to where he last saw Bruce. He made out his figure sitting on the ground by a wall.
Ra Helios: Bruce, Bruce! I need your help! They broke into my-.......
.oh no....
As Ra got closer he got a better look at why Bruce was sitting on the ground.
Bruce: Ugh......
There were bruises on his face. He clutched his elbow, which seemed to have been damaged. It was apparent: Bruce had been beaten.
Ra Helios: Oh God, Bruce! What happened?!
Bruce: R-Ra? Ugh....it....it was the Swedes...
Ra Helios: Dammit!
Bruce:They...they tried to get me to tell th-them where you were....I...
Ra Helios: And you didn't talk and got beaten up because of that?
Bruce: Ha hah*cough* heh, fuck no. I told them where you lived. That's how they found your place. I just happened to kinda insult one of them. They said they'd be back for me if you didn't show up.
Ra Helios: Oh damn...I'm...I'm so sorry Bruce...I didn't mean to get you involved.
Bruce: It's....all good. Just...head over there and figure out what they want.
Ra Helios: Yeah, I was afraid I'd have to do that. If I don't they'll kill someone, but...I don't know who...
Bruce: You
do know who...I overheard them. They've been watching you, that's how they knew I knew you.
Ra Helios:....
Bruce: And who's the last person you've been seen talking to besides me?
Ra Helios:...I....I don't-*gasp!*
Susan.
Ra Helios: Oh no...oh no oh no oh no...
Susan, Ra's neighbor, was definitely not a person who would deserve to be harmed on Ra's expense. The kind, young lady wouldn't hurt a fly. But the mafia would do a lot worse to her if Ra didn't show up to the location or called the cops.
Bruce:......ugh....good luck.
Ra Helios: This...this is bad...what...what am I going to do?!
Bruce: You can't run now. You gotta bite the bullet and head on over to 'em. Just uh......just don't go alone.
Ra Helios: What?
Bruce: You got any muscle that can back you up?
Ra Helios:....................
..
..
..
...
*clip clop clip clop*
Several minutes later, the only sound that could be heard through the streets was the rhythmic pitter-patter of footsteps. Ra's footsteps. Ra was walking towards the alley he had hidden in multiple times before.
Ra Helios:...
He arrived and waited. And waited. He knew he would find someone there. Someone who could help.
Ra Helios:.....
Some minutes went by, as nothing but silence ensued. Soon, however, there was another person's footsteps breaking the quiet.
???: *clip clop clip clop*
Ra Helios:!
???: Oh hey Ra. It's you again. Wow, long time. What are you doing out here? It's pretty late.
Ra Helios: I could ask the same of you, King.
Forever King: I like to meditate in alleyways. It's what I do, you know? How've you been? Everything good?
Ra Helios:....No. No not at all. King....I...I need your help.
Forever King: Yeah bro, sure thing. What's up?
Ra Helios: I'M BEING PURSUED BY THE SWEDISH MAFIA! THEY'RE GONNA KILL MY NEIGHBORS IF I DON'T SHOW UP TO A LOCATION IMMEDIATELY! THEY-THEY ALREADY BROKE INTO MY HOUSE AND AND...AND I THINK AS SOON AS I GO TO WHERE THEY WANT ME TO THEY'LL...THEY'LL KILL ME! I CAN'T GO TO THE COPS I...I NEED HELP, I DON'T WANT TO GO ALONE! PLEASE, KING! WILL YOU HELP ME?
Forever King:....Hm....that...that sounds.....very bad. I'm sorry I can't help you. Good luck!
Ra Helios: What?!
Forever King inexplicably did a 180 and turned the other way. He ran full speed out of the alley.
Ra Helios:......
Seconds later, Forever King returned in disguise.
Batman: Citizen. What are you doing here? Evil-doers lurk about.
Ra Helios:...........
Forever King, who was obviously wearing a black bed sheet for a cape and clearly had a bandanna with eye holes over his face, spoke to Ra with an exaggerated raspy voice.
Ra Helios:.....Uh...King-
Batman: I'm not Forever King. I'm Batman.
Ra Helios: Um...I didn't actually say 'Forever'...
Batman: WHAT AILS YOU!?
Ra Helios: Wh-what?!
Batman: WHERE IS HE!?!?
Ra Helios: Who!??
Batman: The one who is after you?
Ra Helios: *playing along* Wh-whoa! How did you know someone was after me, Batman?
Batman: This is my city. I am the night. I'm the world's greatest detective. Gotham is my city.
Ra Helios: We're in Maryland-
Batman:
WHERE'S SCARECROW?!!
Ra Helios: What?!!
Batman: Let's go.
Ra Helios:......................................................
<Later that night...>
Ra made his way to the address that was written on the note. He was staring worriedly at his phone. He started to walk slowly and looked around to see if anyone was near. The location was another abandoned storefront. The surrounding area was quiet and seemed uninhabited. Sure enough, two figures emerged from the darkness.
Ra Helios: !
It was the two bodyguards that kidnapped him all those months back.
Lucas: Good. You came.
Oskar: *Smiles and waves* Hello!
Ra Helios: Hey! How's it going, Oskar?
Oskar: Good, good.
Lucas:
FOOL! This isn't a courtesy meeting!
Oskar:....
Lucas: *pointing to a door behind him* You.
Ra Helios:?
Lucas: The boss is right behind that door. He wants to see you, but you already know that. However...he said if you resisted...we'd be given the green light to rough you up.
Ra Helios: But I'm not resisting!
Lucas: He doesn't need to know that. This is payback for last time, you little shit. Thought you were slick bringing a friend back then, eh? Catching us off guard? Hold him down, Oskar.
Oskar: Yes.
Oskar approached Ra menacingly.
Ra Helios: N-no! Don't do this! AAAAAAAAAAAH!
*KWAT-IIISH*
Oskar: AAAAAUGH! OW!
A batarang hit the bodyguard's hand. The culprit was up above, on the roof of one of the nearby store buildings.
Forever King: Not on my watch!
Lucas: What the fuck?!
Oskar: Is Batmen! Is Batmen!
Lucas: Batman-Wha? No! It's just an asshole dressed like him. It seems he brought a friend yet again. Don't worry. We can take him. It's two of us against one of him.
Ra Helios moved close to the spot where Forever King was and crossed his arms.
Ra Helios: Make that
two of him!
Lucas:....I see.
Oskar moved close to the spot where Forever King was and crossed his amrs.
Oskar: Make that
three of him!
Lucas: Oskar, you fucking idiot, they're the enemy! This isn't a fucking game! Grab the little shit, and I'll deal with the caped-asshat.
At that moment, Forever King leaped off the short roof. He landed, not at all gracefully,
on Lucas.
*CRAAAASH!*
Lucas: AAAAAH! MY LEG! *criiick* AAAAAAH! I THINK THAT WAS MY SPINE! AUGH! GOD IT HURTS! JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?
Forever King: Ugh...think I hurt my back....
Forever King got up to his feet, but Lucas was seriously injured. An adult man using his body as a projectile tends to have that effect sometimes.
Oskar: Not worry, Lucas! I will avenging!
Oskar charged towards Forever King.
Forever King" *fwisshh*
Forever King held out his blanket-cape in front of him in an attempt to parry Oskar's running charge.......but as this was real life and not a fucking video game, Oskar simply knocked into Forever King and hurled him towards the brick wall behind him.
Forever King: OOOF!
Forever King looked to his left. He saw an electrical meter box connected to a line that must have fed into a building nearby. He stabbed his batarang into it, causing a small spark, then eventually a fire that singed Oskar's hand as he was closest to it.
Oskar: AAAAH! My hand!
The meter-burned-batarang severely injured Oskar. He couldn't continue. He hurried to help Lucas us, and the two of them limped away, fleeing the scene.
Ra Helios: Wow! That was...that was AWESOME! You took them both out single-handedly!
Forever King: I am the night.
Ra Helios: So are we gonna head in through that door now, or what?
Forever King: You must go alone.
Ra Helios: What?
Forever King: I lost my shoe in the scuffle. Need to find it. Might still be on the roof.
Ra Helios:....um...
*fwisshhh*
Forever King drew his cape dramatically and ran off.
Ra Helios:........<okay.....guess it's just me.....>
Ra Helios' momentary excitement had faded now that he was going to face what was most likely Erik by himself. He took a deep breath...and entered the door that Lucas pointed to before.
Ra Helios:....
He walked inside. It was a small, unlit room with only one other person in it. The dark obscured most of his face, but Ra knew right away it was the boss of the nightclub. The head honcho of the Swedish mafia. Elsa's brother himself:
Erik:......Hello.
Ra Helios:.....
Erik: I must say, I'm glad you came.
Ra Helios:...just.....just thought I'd clear this all up....
Erik: Oh? IS there something to clear up here?
Ra Helios: Yes, I...I can explain everything..wh-what ever you're planning...what ever you're thinking...it's all the result of a misunderstanding-
Erik:
Silence.
Ra Helios:.....
Erik:.....Yes. I pondered that possibility. When my men looked into you, they came up with nothing. That either means you're good at doing what you do and keeping off the grid...or that you're a pawn, being used by somebody. Or maybe you're just a fool who got mixed up in matters he didn't understand.
Ra Helios: Yes yes, that's me! I'm a fool! I'm not a member of the mob! Any mob! Like I told Elsa, I don't actually know the Russians-
Erik: I find that hard to believe when you consider the fact that she never sought to go after them until she met you.
Ra Helios: I swear she came up with that idea all on her own! Please, you have to believe me!
Erik: Elsa is not easily swayed. Which is why I haven't been able to convince her to stop this foolish obsession. This has caused me problems. And I trust it shall continue to do so. And since you are the root of this problem...I'm sure you can imagine..
.I am not pleased with you.
The man's voice was deep, yet calm. His words were clear, yet the subtle, threatening nature to his speech wasn't lost on Ra Helios. He couldn't stop himself from trembling.
Ra Helios: Look....I'm...I'm *looking at his phone*.....I'm a psychic.
Erik:...
Ra Helios:....*looking at Erik* I'm a psychic. A medium, if you will. I own a store on Metsson street. I read fortunes and all kinds of things. I met Elsa in the nightclub and I told her this. She *looks at phone*.....*looks at Erik* she thought it would be cool to ask me who the winner of that night's Fight Club would be and I told her. She then told me to tell her her fortune. I told her a few vague things and she took that and interpreted it however she wanted. I didn't tell her to do ANYTHING. I didn't advise her, I didn't convince her, I didn't do anything to influence her other that what she asked. If I were to guess, I'd say she would have eventually resolved to go after the Russians eventually anyway.
Ra Helios was using the dark of the room to mask his glances at his phone. It appeared he was using the phone for light, but in reality he was reading from his text message screen. Prior to V's last radio contact three months ago, he told Ra Helios to memorize something. Something he could then use if this very situation came up. While Ra hadn't memorized what V told him to, he was making the best of the situation and using V's fail-safe effectively. Ra was simply reading what V told him to say in the event Erik ever found him. And it seemed to be working.
Erik: I don't believe in such things. And neither does Elsa. My sister isn't foolish.
Ra Helios: Of course she isn't. She wouldn't believe me if I hadn't shown her proof.
Erik took a long pause. And...incredibly, he seemed compliant...
Erik:......well I suppose you're right. This is most likely a misunderstanding. I'm leaning towards letting you go. Perhaps I'm a little too paranoi-
Ra Helios:....*looking at his phone*
Until Ra's lack of discretion mucked it up....
Erik: Why do you keep looking at your phone?
Ra Helios: !!!
Erik: Are you recording this conversation? Are you wearing a wire?!
Ra Helios: NO NO-I-
Erik: Give me the phone.
Ra Helios:..S-sure.....
Ra quickly exited out of the screen he was on and handed the phone to Erik.
Erik:....
Erik didn't discover the notes V left for Ra to say...but he did, unfortunately, notice Ra's text log:
{Message received. 7:55pm}
Hey Bradly. Are we still on for Wednesday?
-Elsa
{Message sent. 7:56pm}
Yes we are Elsa. And if by 'still on' you mean are we're going to still bang, then yes.
-Ra Helios
{Message sent. 7:56PM}
And by 'bang' I mean sexual intercourse.
-Ra Helios
{Message sent. 7:57PM}
And by 'intercourse' I mean male-female genital penetration.
-Ra Helios
{Message received. 8:00pm}
Yes. You didn't have to go into that much detail. Meet me at my place on that day. Not the nightclub, out of respect for Erik.
-Elsa
{Message sent. 8:01pm}
lol fuck Erik lmao. He shoulda been called 'Erika' cause he's such a bitch lolol lmao
-Ra Helios
Erik:.....
Ra Helios:.....
Erik:....
Ra Helios:...S-so you see....no wire! Heh heh heh...are we....are we good?
Erik: *hands phone back to Ra Helios* I've changed my mind about the whole letting you go thing. *reaches for his pocket* So convince me, 'medium'. Why should I believe that you are some sort of fortune teller that knows the future, when it makes much more sense that you are working for the Russians either directly or indirectly to sabotage us?
Ra Helios:.....
Erik:....
Ra Helios: *discreetly looks at phone*
Erik:....
Ra Helios:...
Erik:....
Ra Helios:
Because I know about Andreas.
Erik:!
While dark, Ra could definitely make out the sudden twitch in Erik's body.
Erik: Wh-what?
HOW DARE YOU MENTION HIS NAME!?!
Erik reached for his pocket. He was going to pull out a gun.
Ra Helios: I know that in twenty years' time...he will have become everything you wanted him to.
Erik: You've spoken your last breath for mentioning my son-
Ra Helios: *looking at his phone* And in those twenty years...he will not know how much pain he could have caused you. How much pain these last few years have been. He will forget. And you will forget.
Erik:........
Erik was clearly enraged, but something was stopping him from simply drawing his weapon. He was curious. Ra had struck a nerve.
Ra Helios: *looking at his phone* In the next few days you will receive a call from the hospital. You will be told that the tumor has been completely removed from his body. You will see him attend and finish college over the years, and you will see him live a full life.
Erik:...L....lies! ...Y...you dare me...mention...my-..family....
Ra Helios: And your nightmares will finally end. You will no longer picture living in a world where he died so young. You will no longer be torturing yourself with worry, wondering if the 20% chance the doctor told you, was too low a chance of success. I tell you now, it isn't.
Andreas is going to make it.
Erik was shaking.
Erik:...H...how......how do you....how do you know this....how......can I...believe you...
Ra Helios:......
V wasn't around...but it would seem that didn't stop him from helping Ra. Ra realized this when he heard the sudden change in Erik's voice. His voice was breaking. The dark obscured Erik's face, but the shimmering along his cheeks signified the inception of tears.
Ra Helios: I know that in two years, he will come to you and ask you for advice as to what path to take in his life. And you will steer him away from the life that you've lived. I know that he will succeed, and you will be proud of him. I know that you will eventually tire of living the life that you do and will eventually leave the business. You think you won't be able to leave...but you will. And you will be happy.
Erik:.....*sniff*....you............d.......
......do....
do you swear?
Ra Helios:....I do.
Erik:.........
That was it. Ra had correctly read aloud the things V texted him in advance. It didn't seem like he had anything else to say- Erik was convinced.
Erik:...I.......I don't know how you know any of this.....
He had composed himself.
Erik: But if what you say is true....then....then you have given me the best news I have ever heard.
Ra Helios:.....
Erik: Few people know about my son. His name. Let alone his condition. You must be as you say you are. A medium. I see why Elsa was influenced by your words.
Ra Helios:....
Erik:.....How....how can I repay a deliverer of such news with harm? You may leave. I won't harm your friends. Our paths shall never cross again. I acknowledge this was a misunderstanding.
Ra Helios: <WOOOHOOO! THANKS V!> Thank you.
Erik motioned for Ra to leave. He didn't have to tell him twice.
Ra Helios:.....<wow....I can't believe I got out of that...>
It was late. Ra finally headed home for the last time. The cold air felt colder still as it touched the waterfall of sweat along his forehead. Ra's trembling had stopped. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulder It seemed everything was going to be alright.
Ra Helios:.............
Halfway to his destination, he received a text. It was from someone he hadn't heard from in months.
Ra Helios:?.....!
{Message receive}
Ra. Hope you see this. It's me. Get home when ever you're able. Remember I said I'd explain everything to you? It's time I tell you everything. I think it's time for us to finally meet in person.
-V
Ra Helios:............
-End of Chapter 8
