Scarlet

I guess that explains why I recognized the last name Knight. Because Blue’s real name – if I remember correctly from my history lessons – is Alexander Knight. And he is a psychopath through and through who won’t hesitate to break the law or kill a random person if he feels it’s necessary.

Which would certainly explain why Aria has issues with her father, since I really can’t see that psycho raising a child. And it would also explain why the director and the others in here reacted the way they did to her. Because even if there’s only the slightest chance that Blue may take offense to this – which I highly doubt, and Aria even said so herself that he wouldn’t – they would try to curry favor with her to stop it.

Cipher looks at Aria again and sighs before focusing on the others and says while Sylver enters the room, “Clear out. This building is closed until the police discover the cause of the malfunction in the emergency power.”

Everyone immediately clears out without a single complaint. Although I do notice the director sending some rather obvious pleading looks my way.

Sorry dude, but your imaginary problem has nothing to do with me.

Plus, you made me sit through an interview.

Tar snorts. In my mind, of course.

Oh, right. I need to grill Allen.

I raise my head to narrow my eyes on him, which seems to make him stiffen up slightly, as if he knows what’s about to happen when he really doesn’t. Then I open my mouth to speak, just for Sylver to start talking instead, “The rest of the building is clearing out as we speak. It should only be another ten minutes before the building is cleared.”

“Leave that to the police,” Allen says, taking his eyes off of me and the girl to focus on Sylver. “We still have several more Class II Fractures to deal with tonight.”

Sylver nods his head before glancing at Aria and me and raising a brow, just like Allen did.

“Got a nice little mini-you there, don’t you Scarlet?” he says, sounding slightly amused. But then he immediately turns around and begins leaving the room when he sees me glaring at him.

I turn my glare back to Allen again as I ask, “What’s this about a contract, and who is the woman with white hair?”

His eyes go wider than I’ve ever seen before, and his jaw literally drops open from shock.

Which is rather amusing.

“H-how’d-” he begins, but I cut him off as I answer, “My memory was unsealed. I remember running into you and her talking years ago at the orphanage.”

He opens his mouth to say something, only to close it again. Then repeat the process twice more before eventually saying, “Oh.”

I raise a brow, showing that ‘Oh’ is not an acceptable answer.

Cipher lets out a sigh while covering his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes slightly before eventually moving over to the seat across from me and putting his face in both his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.

Several seconds pass as I just glare at him, neither of us saying a word.

Eventually he finally lets out another sigh and raises his head to say, “That was White.”

This time it’s my turn to freeze.

“I really should’ve told you this before,” he says after another short pause, not giving me time to recover as he looks me directly in the eyes and says, “I didn’t find you on the street. You were given to me by her.”

A ripping sound comes from the sofa as my fingers dig inside of it without my claws even activated.

I take a deep breath after that though before looking at Aria to find her still asleep. Then I raise my head to find Allen with a single tear running down his cheek.

“She appeared one day and offered me the ability to make my own Association in exchange for creating an orphanage in a Tier 3 city at a certain spot and raising you as an orphan there without any special treatment,” he continues, making me stiffen up even further. Then, more tears begin to flow as if the dam holding back his emotions broke and he looks down. “Over time though I began to think of you as my own daughter. And when White learned that I had plans to adopt you, and that I was being forced to close down the orphanage that was being paid for by the company, she bluntly told me – as you heard – that I’m not allowed to adopt you.”

Silence stretches the room for a little bit.

Then he raises his head again with a tearful smile and says, “But I don’t care about that anymore. Screw what she says. Screw her.” My eyes widen in shock even more so than before, and I feel a light pinching in my chest, followed by a slight wetness on my own cheeks. “Cynthia and I want to adopt you. You’re like a daughter to us, and a sister to Belle already, so all this would be doing is making it official.”

I reach up to feel actual tears falling down my face, surprising me again before I look at Allen to find him standing up from his chair and actually going up to me, kneeling on the ground as he asks, “Would you-”

Aria’s eyes open as she yawns, only for the girl to be startled by how close Allen is, seemingly shrinking closer to me in the process. This completely shatters the mood that had been building up, making both me and Allen stare at the girl for who knows how long. And she doesn’t exactly seem to be very comfortable with being the center of attention as she begins fidgeting and playing with my hair of all things.

Then, to make matters worse, Allen’s terminal buzzes, following which Sage’s face appears as she says, “Allen, you’re needed in the Class III Fracture located at the Arena.” Her face then vanishes again, leaving us in silence for a few seconds.

Allen takes a deep breath and wipes away the tears that were just flowing, showing a stern face again as he says, “We can continue this talk later, okay?”

I nod.

He nods back.

We stare at each other for a few seconds until the brief stare down is shattered again by Aria asking, “Do you know where mister Roger is?”

Allen looks at the girl, squinting his eyes ever so slightly while answering, “I believe he is waiting for you at the entrance to the building.” He then looks at me and nods once more before turning around and heading out.

I watch him go for a few seconds, only to focus on Aria and mutter, “You have scary timing.”

She just tilts her head in confusion.