#/l'arj mahnnnh

[the-red-mafia]

The Plea

After L'arj Mahnnnh landed on the Red Mafia's planet, the group is forced to make a choice: risk their lives to help him or let hundreds of people perish because of it. What will happen? Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 3947

L’arj Mahnnnh sat on a couch in the living room, slowly sipping a cup of tea, courtesy of Mad. He set his black cowboy hat next to him before continuing to drink. Velvet stood in front of the archway that led to the rest of the mansion while holding Kil-layye Mo’ore in her right hand. Solana also blocked the way to the kitchen with her spear. The rest of the mafia sat on the other couch, eyes locked on the man in front of them. L’arj Mahnnnh let out a sigh and set the cup on the side table. 

“Now, onto business,” he said, placing his hat back on, “I should catch you up on what I’ve been doing since our last meeting.”

“Or your whole life, considering the only thing we know about you is that you’ve tried to kill us on multiple occasions,” Velvet mumbled. 

“If you insist, Velvet Bolton, daughter of Unor Bolton.”

“Oh dear gods.” L’arj Mahnnnh cleared his throat.

“It all started when I was born…”

“I wasn’t always the pride of my family. I had seven siblings, so I had to make a name for myself quickly. By the time I was 10 years of age, I had already begun climbing the ranks of my clan, the Mahnnnh Klahnnnh.”

“What a name.”

“Wait for it. L’arj Mahnnnh, how do you spell Man Klan?”

“M-A-H-N-N-N-H K-L-A-H-N-N-N-H.”

“Of course.”

“Guys, let the man tell his story.”

“Don’t you mean the-”

“Thorn.”

“I soon made it up the ranks until I reached Ti-Tahnnick Mahnnnh, our previous patriarch. It was a gruesome battle that lasted for days on end. After all, I am very strong. As predicted, I came out on top and was soon named the patriarch of my clan. I was ceremoniously granted Kil-layye Mo’ore, the ancestral sword that has been passed down through the patriarchs for generations.”

“...why is everyone looking at me? It was Maroon who stole the sword.”

“We all know they did that to get on your good side.” “That is not- Maroon, that’s not what happened.”

“Uh- right. Yeah.”

“See, told you.”

“You are literally holding a weapon, of course they’re going to agree with you.”

“L’arj Mahnnnh, please just continue.”

“Of course, robot. I soon became a successful bounty hunter, bringing fame and fortune to my family. After I married my wife, we had fourteen children. I was known and feared by those involved in illegal schemes. I even did a few jobs for your father, Velvet Bolton-”

“Don’t even start.”

“That’s what I was doing when I first met Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee. A buyer was offering a large amount of money for the Custodio power gem. Little did I know that the mission would be my last. After being defeated by Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee, I returned to my home in shame and defeat. After being saved by modern medicine and my faith, my wife divorced me. I was shunned from my clan. I was forced to beg for food and shelter every night and eventually turned to crime to make money. After weeks of living on the streets, I swore vengeance on the child who ruined my career.”

“L’arj Mahnnnh, I’m really sorry that happened-”

“Hush, Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee. I don’t need your pity. I have been shamed enough.”

“I wasn’t-”

“I soon encountered you again, on my home planet, Pu Llannette, no less. I thought that I finally had the upper hand on you, but your robot assisted you in defeating me. Then you stole my family’s sacred sword, the last remnant I had of them. As you flew away, I awoke and swore that you would be my nemesis until the day I bested you.”

“Oh, I remember that mission.”

“Do you, Solana? I’d fucking hope so, considering you were the reason we were being attacked in the first place.” 

“You were also being paranoid.”

“I’m not paranoid, I’m insightful.”

“Exactly what a paranoid person would say.”

“I was soon banished from Pu Llannette and forced to wander the universe. Eventually, I found a small start-up town on a newly discovered planet rich in natural mining resources. When I arrived, they were under attack from a horde of wild beasts. I slayed them all and was soon welcomed into the town. They made me their sheriff, and here I stand before you today.”

“So that’s why you’re wearing the cowboy hat.”

“Thorn, quiet.”

“Last week, the mining company of Veris arrived on our planet and has been tearing it open for its resources. We’ve lost twenty-seven people to accidents they’ve caused. Our mayor has tried to diplomatically solve the issue, but asked me to handle it from now on. I refuse to lose another home, so I ask you to assist me in expelling the Veris pests from my soil.” 

The Mahogany Mansion’s living room was quiet as L’arj Mahnnnh took another sip of his tea. Both Maroon and Mad glanced towards Velvet, Mad’s screen blank. The teen narrowed her eyes at them. 

“You two want to help him.” Maroon nodded.

“People are dying, Velvet,” Mad began, standing up, “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

“I mean, we can,” Solana chimed in, “But I agree, there’s really no risk for us. It’s not like the Veris Mining Company has great security.”

“And I can call…you know. I’m sure he’d love to help us mess with Veris,” Mad added. Velvet rolled their eyes. 

“Don’t do that. L’arj Mahnnnh, where’s this planet?” 

“Not too far, Velvet Bolton, daughter of-” 

“You know, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t say that every time you refer to me.” 

“It’s respectful.”

“It’s annoying.” 

“Mad, are you not concerned about Maroon going after…all of that?” Thorn asked. The droid turned to it.

“I am, partially. I want to do a full medical exam before we leave, but whatever magic L’arj Mahnnnh used seems to be working well.” 

“Well, you must get started. We must leave as soon as possible,” L’arj Mahnnnh said, standing, “I will take my cup and wash it while you do so.”

“Oh, I can get it-”

“Nonsense, robot. Go do your medical check on Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee.” L’arj Mahnnnh quickly disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the Red Mafia alone in the living room. Velvet looked at each of their teammates before sighing.

“You all really want to do this?” Maroon stood, but looked towards the floor.

“I have to make it up to him, Velvet,” they began quietly, “I’ve ruined his whole life. This is the least I can do.” The assassin narrowed their eyes at them.

“...okay, fine.”

Maroon stared at L’arj Mahnnnh’s ship as it landed next to the Umbrella. White rocks flew in various directions when the landing gear slammed into the ground. Once his door was lowering, Mad began opening theirs. Velvet attached Kil-layye Mo’ore to their mission belt on their uniform before leading the way out of the ship. A town sat in the distance, its brown walls surrounded by mining equipment. The humming from the machines echoed faintly in the youngest mafia member’s ears. 

“There it is,” L’arj Mahnnnh stated, stopping next to Maroon, “My town, Vil-Idgh.” Velvet groaned.

“I swear to gods.” 

“So what’s the plan, L’arj Mahnnnh?” Mad asked. He started forward, motioning for the Red Mafia to follow him. 

“Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee, you follow me. We will sabotage the mining equipment. The rest of you, split up and evacuate the citizens to the outskirts of the city. No more casualties.” 

“Do you have a map?” Velvet asked. L’arj Mahnnnh nodded before reaching into a bag attached to his hip. He pulled out a small, rolled-up scroll and handed it to the teen. She quickly unrolled it and began scanning the page.

“Wow,” they mumbled, “This place is small.” 

“We are a new city.”

“City is a generous descriptor.”

“Velvet, chill,” Solana mumbled. The assassin rolled her eyes but remained quiet. 

“I’m going with L’arj Mahnnnh and Maroon,” Thorn stated. L’arj Mahnnnh looked down at him.

“No, Thorn Alviar, child of Eilon Hollis. This is a mission for the two of us alone.” Velvet looked up from the map and narrowed their eyes at him. Maroon looked towards Thorn, a look of confusion on their face. 

“I thought your dad-” Thorn looked away, cutting them off. Solana rested an arm on the prince’s shoulder.

“It’s all good, Thorn. The two of us can go destroy some shit too.” The teen looked up at her and smirked.

“Hell yeah.”

“I guess that leaves me and Velvet as the other duo,” Mad said, glancing at the young assassin. Velvet nodded slightly, once again returning her eyes to the map. 

“Alright, we’ll evacuate the citizens here,” they began, gesturing to a point on the map, “There’s no equipment over there. We’ll have to wait until they start destroying things to justify the evacuation-” They stepped onto the stone pathway of the city, where L’arj Mahnnnh immediately took a left.

“I will give you all deputy badges so they will trust you.” 

“I can’t believe we’re becoming law enforcement. We were arrested less than 6 months ago,” Thorn joked, “Solana and Velvet are literally wanted criminals.”

“Shut the fuck up, Thorn,” Velvet said coldly. Solana, however, let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, it is pretty ironic.” L’arj Mahnnnh stopped suddenly, opening a door in front of him. 

“Wait here.” The Red Mafia watched him enter the building before Velvet quickly turned to Maroon.

“Maroon, listen to me,” she started, “If L’arj Mahnnnh tries anything, let us know on your comms. I don’t trust him right now.”

“When do you ever trust people?” Solana muttered.

“Shut it. Do you understand, Maroon?” The teen nodded.

“I don’t think he’s going to, Velvet.”

“I have returned!” The door swung open again, nearly hitting Velvet in the face. The assassin jumped back, glaring at L’arj Mahnnnh. He gently handed a badge to each of the mafia members before turning to Maroon again. 

“Are you ready, Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee?” Maroon looked up at him. He had a smile on his face and a determined look in his eyes as he rested a hand on his gun. 

“Yes.”

The machine exploded in front of them as a mushroom split it in half. L’arj Mahnnnh let out a laugh as various people ran out of the fire. 

“There were people in there?” Maroon breathed. L’arj Mahnnnh shook his head.

“They are just robots, Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee. Do not worry.” Maroon looked away from him and crossed their arms.

“...L’arj Mahnnnh, you know…that’s…not my name.” The man turned to look down at them.

“Sure it is. That is what your soul says.” 

“What?” 

“That is how I know your name. I read your soul.” 

“But it’s not my name.” L’arj Mahnnnh frowned.

“I do not understand.” Maroon sighed and turned back to him.

“Margaret was the name I was given when I was born, but it’s not the one I use now. My name is Maroon.” The sheriff stared down at them for several seconds.

“I see. Alright, Maroon Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee.” Maroon smiled up at him.

“Yeah, that works.” 

“Put your hands up!” A voice shouted behind them. Maroon quickly turned around to see about a dozen or so Veris guards pointing their rifles straight at them.

“I should’ve known you’d cause trouble, L’arj Mahnnnh!” one of them shouted. L’arj Mahnnnh pulled out his gun.

“I refuse to stand by while you hurt the people of Vil-Idgh!” 

“So you dragged a child into helping you?” Another guard shouted. Maroon raised their hands, causing L’arj Mahnnnh to let out another laugh.

“I suggest you back off, Veris!” 

“We’re not scared of a teenager, L’arj-” Mushrooms quickly surrounded them, locking the guards in a cage. A large smile was plastered across L’arj Mahnnnh’s face as he turned towards Maroon. The guards shouted from the cage but L’arj Mahnnnh set a hand on Maroon’s shoulder.

“It won’t be long now, Maroon Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee. Soon we will have them exactly where we want them.” A chill went down their spine as they looked up at him, but they remained quiet.

Rhyme plopped down on her sofa, a bowl of oranges in her arms. He picked up the remote and navigated through various channels before a bright red “Breaking News” alert popped up in the upper left corner. The thief raised an eyebrow and clicked on it. 

“We’ve recently received word of an attack on mining equipment belonging to the Veris Mining Company around a small town called Vil-Idgh…am I reading that right?” A spokesperson began before glancing away from the camera. Rhyme began peeling the top orange in her bowl.

“Yeah, you’ve got it, Jude.”

“There’s no way that’s the name. That’s not a town name.”

“You’re being politically incorrect, Jude.”

“I- moving on,” Rhyme let out a chuckle before popping the first slice in her mouth, “It appears the sheriff of Vil-Idgh, a man named…fucking hell…L’arj Mahnnnh, is leading the assault, with his deputies evacuating the citizens. We go to live drone footage now.”

“You’re gonna get fired, Jude.” 

“Shut up, Derek.” The screen cut away to an explosion on the outskirts of a city, debris flying off into the distance. It then cut to the road, where dozens of people were screaming and running. Someone stood in the middle of the road directing them…Mad?

“Oh you’ve got to be joking,” Rhyme breathed, quickly pulling out his phone. The phone rang a few times before the droid picked up.

“Hey Rhyme, this…isn’t a good time right now-” Mad’s robotic voice began, but the thief cut them off.

“‘Cause you’re fucking messing with Veris without me!” Mad was quiet for a moment.

“In my defence, I wanted to get you to come help. Velvet just-”

“Mad, what the actual fuck are you doing?” The voice of Velvet caused the teen to jump slightly but he quickly sighed.

“Rhyme called and-”

“Oh my gods, really? Give me the phone.” There was some movement on the other side of the line and it was quiet for a second.

“Rhyme, fuck off. We’re busy.” The thief’s eyes widened before she frowned.

“How does she know my name?” Mad sighed.

“Turns out they followed us to the roller rink.”

“Bolton, you fucking dick.”

“Are you that surprised?” 

“Nah, but I kinda hoped you were better than that.”

“Sure Reuter, sure.” Rhyme frowned again.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Don’t call me Bolton.”

“No.”

“Then deal with it.”

“If you guys are done,” Mad interrupted, “Velvet’s right, we are kinda busy-”

“Destroying shit without me,” Rhyme countered, “Should’ve just invited me.” Velvet groaned. An explosion went off in the distance, causing the Red Mafia members to go silent.

“Why are you blowing shit up anyway?” the thief questioned, setting the phone down on her couch’s armrest. 

“Helping out a…friend.”

“Friend is generous. We’re helping out someone who said Maroon was their fucking nemesis,” Velvet added. Rhyme suppressed a laugh.

“Now how did that happen?”

“Mad cares too much.” Rhyme raised an eyebrow.

“Do I want to know what that means?”

“We’re helping out a town who’s under the control of Veris,” Mad began, “Which Velvet thinks is ‘caring too much’.”

“No, it is.” Rhyme paused for a moment before smirking.

“Eh, I think Mad caring about people is kinda cute, actually.” It was quiet on the other end for a few seconds.

“Uh, you guys still there?”

“Yeah,” Mad stated. Velvet groaned. 

“I’m on my way, Maroon. Tell L’arj Mahnnnh I said not to do anything stupid until I get there,” she muttered. 

“What’s she talking about?” Rhyme questioned. 

“Maroon just radioed saying they needed Velvet for their friend’s plan. She’s gone now, so.” Rhyme chuckled.

“Peace and quiet.” Mad also let out a robotic laugh.

“Yeah, I guess,” Mad paused, “So, what was that about me being cute?” Rhyme’s face went a light pink.

“Uh- just something I said to piss off Velvet. Yeah, annoying Velvet. Definitely.” Rhyme turned back to the TV. It was back to where the machinery was on fire, with Maroon and another man off to the side. A spaceship entered the planet’s atmosphere, catching their attention. Rhyme’s eyes widened.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” 

“Eliza’s there.”

“What? Where?”

“Looks like she’s landing by Maroon.” 

“So that’s why he needs Velvet…” Mad’s voice trailed off, “I’ve gotta go help Velvet. If something else happens on the news, let me know?” 

“I gotcha. Tell Velvet to not kill Eliza.” Mad was quiet for a moment.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Bye, Rhyme.” The call ended and Rhyme looked up at the TV. Eliza Gracy stepped out of her ship, a face of annoyance on display.

That’s my job.

The ship’s door slowly lowered and slammed into the grey dirt. A woman stepped out, dressed in a tight light blue dress decorated with clouds. Velvet gripped her sword tightly behind a group of bushes, Mad behind her. A tall man helped Eliza off her ship as she glared daggers at L’arj Mahnnnh and Maroon. 

“Don’t kill her,” Mad mumbled. Velvet rolled their eyes.

“Whatever.”

“Now what is going on here?” Eliza’s high-pitch voice echoed against the fallen machinery. L’arj Mahnnnh cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“Eliza Gracy, daughter of Adnan Gracy and CEO of the Veris Mining Company, I order you to dismiss your troops from my land and never return!” Eliza blinked a few times before laughing. Velvet groaned.

“Gods, her fucking laugh,” the teen hissed. Mad nodded their TV.

“Wait, how come her guards have guns? I thought it was illegal for civilians to-” “Aw, Mad thinks the law applies to rich people.” 

“Listen very closely to me,” Eliza began, cracking her knuckles, “This land is uninhabited, therefore it-”

“Clearly it’s not,” Maroon interrupted. 

“Fuck, shut up,” Velvet breathed, their hand shooting up to their comms, “Stop talking, Maroon.” Eliza stared at them.

“Now…where have I seen you before?” She wondered aloud, drawing a pistol from inside a silver handbag hanging on her shoulder. Velvet took a deep breath as Maroon froze. 

“Mad, get ready.”

“For what?” The assassin didn’t answer.

“Oh well,” Eliza muttered, raising the weapon. Velvet jumped out of the bushes and threw Kil-layye Mo’ore towards her. The blade knocked the firearm to the ground before zooming back to the teen’s hand. Mad hastily followed, nearly tripping over a branch but joining L’arj Mahnnnh and Maroon. Eliza looked down at her fallen gun before locking eyes with the robot. 

“That’s where I recognise you from,” she called out, “Mad, was it?” Mad’s screen went blank as Maroon looked up at it.

“Mad, you know her?”

“Know is a. Strong word.” 

“Fuck off, Eliza!” Velvet shouted, raising her sword, “This land is taken.” The woman frowned, finally looking at the teen a metre or two in front of her. 

“Velvet, Velvet, Velvet. You are so much better than this. What did you do to your poor hair? It was so-” She was cut off by Kil-layye Mo’ore slicing the side of her own hair. Eliza let out a shriek. 

“There, now we match,” Velvet growled. L’arj Mahnnnh let out a loud laugh.

“You are no match, Veris! Surrender and leave now!” Eliza glared at him.

“Do you think two teenagers and a robot scare us? We have nearly half a thousand personnel arriving here shortly. I’ll offer you the same deal: surrender and leave now or face the authorities. And I’m not sure little miss Velvet here would survive that…interaction.”

“You won’t fucking-” Velvet threw the sword again, but Eliza bent over and picked up the gun. She fired a shot at the assassin that grazed their left arm. A mushroom quickly shot up in between them as Velvet stumbled back a metre or so. 

“Velvet!” They shouted. Velvet bit the inside of her cheek as the pain throbbed.

“Fine!” the older teen summoned their sword back, “Take care of the soldiers!” Kil-layye Mo’ore flew towards the woman again as a bullet barely missed Velvet’s head. Mushrooms sprouted up around the whole field as Mad’s voice came through comms, asking for Solana and Thorn to join them. Velvet paused for a moment until pain erupted from her lower left leg. She quickly fell to the ground before bringing their sword up to block two more bullets. 

“Velvet!” Mad called out. Maroon turned to her and their eyes widened. Another mushroom erupted as the two mafia members ran to their side, L’arj Mahnnnh not too far behind. 

“I’m fine, it’s not too deep-” Velvet breathed, inhaling sharply as the pain spiked. Maroon looked them up and down before locking eyes with her. Their eyes seemed to glow a dark red, sending a chill down her spine. The younger teen turned away and raised a hand. Mushrooms sprouted on Eliza’s left leg, causing the woman to shriek and fall to the ground. The other soldiers laid on the ground useless as Maroon stepped forward.

“Maroon, wait!” Mad grabbed onto their right arm, stopping them in their tracks. 

“Mad, careful, something’s wrong,” Velvet said, shooting up. L’arj Mahnnnh offered them a hand, which they took. 

“Maroon, look at me.” Maroon shook their head, but Mad just repeated itself. 

“Finish her, Maroon Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysee!” L’arj Mahnnnh called out. The mushrooms on Eliza’s leg slowly crept up, reaching her upper body. She continued to scream out for help, but none of her personnel could do anything but watch. 

“Maroon, listen to me. Don’t kill her.”

“And why not, droid?” L’arj Mahnnnh shouted, “Let her pay for my twenty-seven fallen citizens.”

“Murder is not the answer!” Mad countered.

“It will avenge them!”

“But it won’t bring them back, L’arj Mahnnnh.” The mushroom growth slowed slightly, causing a small smile to appear on Mad’s screen. 

“Maroon, everyone is okay. Just turn around and look at me.” Maroon shivered before slowly turning to look at their friend. Their eyes glowed a dark red as they shook. Mad quickly pulled them into a hug.

“What’s happening?” Solana’s voice shouted from behind. Velvet turned to see Thorn and her sprinting at them. Velvet stepped away from L’arj Mahnnnh and used Kil-layye Mo’ore to steady herself.

“There’s still time, Velvet Bolton, daughter of Unor Bolton. Throw Kil-layye Mo’ore and finish her off.” 

“Velvet…” Mad began. Velvet sighed, turning to Mad.

“Nah, I’m good.” Maroon’s eyes were shut tight as they gripped the droid. Thorn ran straight past Velvet and L’arj Mahnnnh and grabbed Maroon from Mad. Solana stopped by Velvet and quickly steadied the teenager. 

“Literally, I’m going to start making you wear body armour,” the elf muttered. Mad turned to them.

“You don’t already wear body armour?” it demanded. Velvet shrugged.

“Don’t gotta wear armour if you don’t plan on getting hit.” Solana stared at them for several seconds.

“We are just... not even going to start unpacking that right now.” Velvet shrugged before jumping onto Solana’s back.

“Come on, we’re leaving.”

“Wait-” Velvet sent a glare towards L’arj Mahnnnh.

“Most of Veris’s troops are incapacitated right now. Feel free to do what you want with them, but we’re done here.” 

“Maroon passed out,” Thorn breathed, turning to Mad. The droid carefully picked them up before turning to Velvet.

“What…happened there?” The teen took a deep breath and sheathed her sword.

“I don’t know. Let’s focus on getting the metal, you know, out of my fucking leg. Then we’ll worry about whatever the fuck happened with Maroon. Deal?” Mad sighed.

“Right, yeah. Let’s go.” 

[the-red-mafia]

The Failed Heist

The Red Mafia has infiltrated a high-end gala in order to steal a powerful stone, the Custodio power gem. What will happen when a strange man decides that the Red Mafia is their perfect target? Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia Note: We will be updating the story every two weeks here and on our Wattpad! Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 2252 Edited 3/13/2024 TW: Body Gore

2 weeks after the "The Outage"

“Velvet Bolton?” 

The assassin quickly turned around, her hand falling near the hilt of the dagger hidden underneath their black skirt. There stood a boy, his brown eyes as wide as saucers. Velvet looked him up and down, narrowing her eyes on the small name tag with ‘Jonathan Furgleson’ scrawled on it in dark marker. He seemed about her age, but the name didn’t ring any bells inside her head.

“Who are you?” 

The boy frowned before motioning to the tag. “It’s me, Jonathan. Our parents work together.”

“Your…parents.”

“Mhm, Rebecca and Liam Furgleson. We run the Star Hospital on Pilax. Do you really not remember?” 

Now that name caused Velvet to groan internally.

“I’m sorry-”

“Oh, it’s okay! After…Caran, I didn’t think you would ever return to your dad’s place. But it’s great seeing you! I’m just surprised the media hasn’t reported it at all.” 

“Velvet, is…is everything alright?” Maroon’s quiet voice came through the small earpiece in her ear. Their British accent, which sounded genuine yet annoying at the same time, caused her to groan internally. Velvet glanced to where they were across the hall, dressed in a white, long-sleeve button-up and black slacks. They gave her a worried look but she just shook her head before turning back to Jonathan.

“No, I’m sorry. My name’s not Velvet, sir.” 

Jonathan’s eyes widened again as he looked at them.

“Oh- no I’m sorry! I should’ve let you speak! I’m sorry for bothering you, ma’am,” he quickly stuttered. Velvet plastered on a smile and held out the tray of muffins they were carrying to him.

“Chocolate chip muffin?” 

The boy met her eyes again and smiled.

“I’d love one, thanks.” 

Velvet handed one of the small plates to him and watched him scurry away before letting their smile fade. They set the tray down on a table, drawing the attention of several small children who pounced on them as soon as they were in reach. The assassin took a few steps back, stepping lightly to avoid noise coming from the black heels on their feet, and slipped into a small closet behind them.

“Who’s Caran?” Mad asked. Velvet groaned as they adjusted their hair to sit in front of their face.

“None of your fucking business, cōnfectus.”

“Alright…why’d you lie about the muffins?” 

The assassin let out a small chuckle.

“Keeping my cover. Jonathan is deathly allergic to blueberries. One bite should take care of him.” The other side of the line was silent for a few seconds, causing Velvet to roll their eyes.

“Really, Mad? You need to get over this whole thing.” The robot didn’t respond. Instead, the sound of it muting its mic echoed through the communications channel. 

“Meus deōs, this is stupid. Maroon, any sign of the gem?” 

Nothing. A chill went down her spine. They quickly peeked their head out of the door and scanned the hall. Maroon had completely vanished from the party, their tray of appetisers now in the hands of another waiter. 

“Shit,” they mumbled, “Mad, stop sulking and get into the security system.” A loud beep played in the teen’s ear.

“I’m not sulking.”

“You are. Find Maroon.” Velvet slipped back out of the closet. The swarm of kids had dispersed and they quickly picked up the gold tray again. They made their way toward the stairs at the end of the hall, dodging a few running children and patrons. 

“It looks like their beacon is in the…west corridor?” 

Velvet frowned.

But that’s on the opposite end of the venue from the gala, they thought, stepping up the first step, “...can you access the cameras there?”

“Already done. It…that’s not good.” 

“What’s not good?” 

“Take a look at your phone.” 

Velvet reached the top of the steps and quickly took a left. She held the tray in one hand and quickly pulled out the small device from their skirt’s pocket. A video played on the screen, displaying an unconscious Maroon being thrown over the shoulder of a man and dragged out of the area. 

“Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered. Tossing the phone back in their pocket, they took off sprinting down the hall.

“I’m relying on you to guide me, Mad.”

“Okay, take a left here soon. But there are two guards down the hall, so be careful. I’m not sure I’d be able to shut off an alarm with my current access.” 

“No alarm, got it.” Velvet slowed, glancing around the corner. Sure enough, two guards stood in the middle of the walkway, chatting. Velvet paused for a moment and drew their dagger. They tossed the tray onto the ground in front of them, forcing the guards to turn toward the noise. 

Velvet threw the blade forward, watching as it embedded its point in the throat of the first guard. The other guard watched their friend fall to the ground, shock on their face. The assassin picked up the tray again and hurled it at the second guard’s head. It collided, causing them to stagger to the side. Velvet jumped forward but the guard quickly recovered and swung a punch at them. It hit Velvet’s arm and they stumbled away from the first guard’s now-unconscious body. 

The guard glared at her, reaching their arms out to pin their arms to their sides. Velvet barely stepped out of the way, forced to roll backwards. The assassin scanned the room before letting out a groan. The guard steadied themself again, but Velvet was already on their feet again. They jumped to the left and ripped one of the heels off of their foot, swinging the point straight into the guard’s temple. They crumbled to the ground, blood slowly seeping out of the puncture wound. Velvet ripped the heel out of their skull, sliding it onto their foot as they grabbed their blade as well. 

“What the hell?” Mad exclaimed through their earpiece. Velvet rubbed the now-bruised area of their right arm. 

“What is it now?”

“You didn’t have to kill them!” 

Velvet slid their dagger back into its sheath on their left leg. 

“What is with you and this anti-murder bullshit?” 

“Anti-murder-” Mad mumbled angrily, “What is with you and murder?” 

“Really? That’s what you choose to ask?” 

“Yes!”

“Gods, you’re annoying,” the teen breathed, “Where are they now?” 

“I’m…not seeing them on the cameras anymore. There must be a blind spot or something.”

“What about Maroon’s beacon?” 

Keyboard clicks echoed through the microphone as Velvet started down the hallway once again. 

“It’s turned off.”

“It’s what?” 

“It’s-” 

A fist slammed into Velvet’s right temple, knocking the earpiece out of their ear and forcing them to the ground. The world spun but Velvet attempted to stand up again. She made it to her feet before nearly falling down again. Someone quickly grabbed them and pressed a hand to their mouth. The teen attempted to thrash out of their grip but their vision slowly faded to black.

Velvet groaned as she opened her eyes to a pitch-black room. They blinked awake to the large man staring into their eyes from point-blank range. Velvet jumped a little. 

“Velvet Bolton. Daughter of Unor Bolton. Heir to the Bol-” The large man was cut off when Velvet attempted to kick his legs. The man backed away out of Velvet’s reach.

“I am Large Man.”

“...what?” Velvet questioned, looking him up and down. The man remained still, eyes locked on Velvet. 

“I am Large Man.”

“Well, I can see that, but what’s your name?”

“Large Man.”

“No, like your actual name.”

“Large Man.”

“...How do you spell it?”

“L-apostrophe-A-R-J-space-M-A-H-N-N-N-H.”

“...your parents must hate you.”

“My father’s name was L’Arjre Mahnnnh. It's Guh’Okkian.”

“I- of course. How silly of me.” 

The man nodded. “Correct.”

“Alright, get on with it. What do you want?” 

L’arj Mahnnnh cleared his throat and crossed his arms. 

“You are Velvet Bolton. Daughter of Unor Bolton. Heir-”

“Yeah yeah, I got it. You don't have to go through the whole spiel.”

“Understood.”

“So, uh,” the teen muttered, “What’s with the restraints?”

“You’re a hostage.” 

Velvet glared at him. “No, really? I never would’ve guessed.”

“That’s why I told you.” 

“Oh my gods,” Velvet breathed, rolling her eyes, “Alright L’arj Mahnnnh, why are you holding me hostage?”

“At first I had just come for the Custodio power gem but after realising you were here as well, I changed my plan to capture you along with the gem. The reward for your return is quite plentiful, you know.”

“There’s a reward now?”

“Yes.”

“Of course- whatever. So where’s your boss?” Velvet looked around the dark room but could see no one else. L’arj Mahnnnh frowned.

“I have no boss. Why do you assume L’arj Mahnnnh has a boss? Is it unreasonable for a strong man to be the boss? You are perpetuating the stereotypes that have plagued my people for years.” 

Velvet blinked a few times. “...Sorry?”

“You should be. Now stay here while I get Margaret Pembrooke, Daughter of Maximillian Buysse from the broom closet I hid them in.” 

Velvet watched him walk out of the dark room before quickly turning their attention to the ropes tied around their wrists and legs. They were attached to a few hooks that seemed to be glued to the brick wall. 

Margaret? They thought, Who- oh. I get it now. With one tug, the hooks were ripped off and sitting uselessly on the floor. Velvet unwrapped her wrists before sliding the rope off of her ankles. They quickly jumped to their feet. 

The room was nearly empty, except for metal racks lining the walls and two large machines. L’arj Mahnnnh had shut the door behind him, presumably locking it as the knob refused to budge. Velvet glared at the metal handle before turning around again. Nothing was on the wall where they had been tied up and their dagger was nowhere to be found. 

If I’m right, he should be bringing Maroon right to me. Makes my job easier, Velvet thought, sitting back down near the fallen ropes. They slowly wrapped them around themself again, looser this time, before placing their hands behind their back. The door slammed open, causing the assassin to jump slightly. L’arj Mahnnnh shoved someone forward and they fell to the ground a few centimetres in front of Velvet. A certain red-and-black-haired teenager looked up at her, tears running down their face. Maroon’s eyes widened when they locked eyes with Velvet but L’arj Mahnnnh quickly pushed them against the wall next to her. 

“Quit your crying Margaret Pembrooke, Daughter of Maximillian Buysse.” L’Arj Mahnnnh commanded. Maroon took a deep breath before looking up at him.

“That is not my name.” 

L’arj Mahnnnh kneeled down and grabbed the rope wrapped around Maroon’s legs and stomach. Maroon choked back a sob as he raised them so their eyes were level with each other. Velvet quickly ripped their arms out of the ropes again.

“Put them do-” They were cut off by a sudden scream of pain erupting from L’arj Mahnnnh. Velvet sat frozen as thousands of small mushrooms burst out of his skin and covered the floor of the room. Blood splattered and pooled beneath him, painting the black room red. He tried to scream but his airways were soon clogged by the fungi that Maroon had summoned. He clawed at his throat as he began to lose consciousness from lack of air. 

Maroon had been flung to the ground in L’arj Mahnnnh’s panic, banging their head on the cold concrete and quickly losing consciousness. L’arj Mahnnnh collapsed and squirmed near the door before his body grew limp. Velvet sat there for nearly half a minute before quickly shaking their head.

I…am starting to understand Zaeor’s logic now, she thought, slowly standing, Maybe that crazy son of a bitch is on to something. They slowly hoisted their teammate onto their back before stepping over L’arj Mahnnnh. His eyes were open still and he twitched a bit, but Velvet just chuckled.

“Painful. Have fun, L’arj Mahnnnh.”

Mad paced anxiously around the cockpit of their ship, the Umbrella. With nearly half an hour of radio silence from their teammates, the assistance droid had begun to assume the worst. That was until a loud banging came from the door.

“Mad, open the fucking door!” Velvet called out. It jumped up and quickly slammed the button to open the door. It swung open, revealing a bruised Velvet with an unconscious Maroon draped across their back. 

“Holy-” they mumbled, quickly grabbing the younger teen in their arms, “What happened?” Velvet cracked their neck before shutting the door behind them. 

“L’arj Mahnnnh attacked us. Apparently, he was also after the gem and got the jump on us.”

“Don’t you mean ‘a’ large man?”

“If I did, I would’ve said it,” they muttered, “He’s some kind of bounty hunter. I’m going back in to get the gem, watch-”

“No, you’re not.” 

Velvet glared at the robot in front of them.

“What?”

“You’re in no state to go back in there. We’ll go back to the mansion and regroup.” 

The assassin let out a strained laugh before putting a hand in front of the door’s sensor. 

“And you’re in no state to stop me.” Velvet waved her hand but nothing happened. After trying it a few more times, she looked up at Mad and their T.V. displayed a green smirking emoticon. 

“You fucking-”

“Let’s go, I’ll grab some ice for your arm and you can tell me about this…large man.”

Latin Translations: cōnfectus - worn out, exhausted meus deōs - my gods

[the-red-mafia]

The Storm

The Red Mafia is on their way to a foreign planet when they're intercepted by a giant storm. With one of their members out of order and their destination no where in sight, their mission chances are looking worse and worse by the second. Will they be able to pull through, or will this mission end in another failure?

Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia

Author's Note: We will be uploading another story next Wednesday (6/1/2022) to get back on our upload schedule after missing a week.

Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 4176

2 Weeks after “The Failure”

“Looks like there’s a storm ahead of us,” Mad said to the cockpit full of the Red Mafia members, “Might get a little bumpy, you guys should strap in.” The group nodded and began buckling into their seats. 

“What’s our ETA, Mad?” Velvet asked, the click of her seatbelt echoing around the room.

“About half an hour,” the robot responded, pulling up the GPS on their control panel. 

“Great,” Velvet responded, grabbing their book from the seat next to them, “Let me know when we’re there.”

“What are you reading, Velvet?” Maroon asked, leaning over from their seat next to them.

“None of your business,” The assassin said coldly, “Plus it’s in Latin so it wouldn’t matter.” 

Maroon let out a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing.” The cabin was silent for a while. Eventually, the Red Mafia could feel small turbulence on the Umbrella. Solana gazed out of the window at the front of the cockpit at the bright colours of the storm they were travelling through. It looked almost like a kaleidoscope a small child would own, with the colours of the rainbow strewn around like fingerpaint. As time passed, the turbulence got worse and worse. Maroon looked like they were going to be sick, and Solana felt similarly. The bounces of the spacecraft seemed to have little effect on Velvet, surprisingly. 

What kind of storm is this? Solana thought, taking a deep breath, I haven’t felt anything this bad since the war.

“Uh..” Maroon began weakly, “Are we almost out of the storm?” Mad shook their T.V. head. 

“There’s no end in sight, we might be in this storm for the rest of the journey.”

“Did you get lost?” Velvet asked nonchalantly, turning a page in her book. 

“Highly unlikely, I’ve been following the GPS. There’s no way I could’ve taken a wrong turn,” The android replied, “Iska will probably just be on the other side of the storm.”

“Is there a possibility the storm’s messing with your GPS?” Solana asked, “I know that used to be a problem on older spacecraft models.” 

“Are you calling my ship old?”

“Yes.” 

Mad placed a glaring face on its T.V. screen. 

“I mean, compared to modern ships Mad, the Umbrella is ancient,” Velvet stated. 

“It’s still not old,” Mad responded. 

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Solana said. Velvet set her book down once more. Solana caught a glimpse of the title but it just looked like gibberish. Velvet locked eyes with Maroon and frowned.

“Maroon, are you ok?” they asked, Maroon shook their head. 

Mad turned to look at them. “What’s wrong Maroon, feeling spacesick?” 

Maroon nodded. Velvet turned to the cabinet next to her and pulled out a bottle of pills. 

“Here, take this,” Velvet said, tossing it to Maroon, “Calculate your dosage on the back.”

“What is this?” Maroon asked, turning the bottle over.

“It’s a pill that helps reduce the sickness people get from the apparent weightlessness in space as well as the high speeds. It’s one of the only products my parents make that I still use.” 

Maroon looked up at Velvet. “Wait, I thought your parents owned an ammunition distribution company?”

“That’s only their main company,” Solana stated, “They own hundreds of smaller companies, including a pharmaceutical company.” 

“Bingo,” Velvet said. 

“How did you know that?” Mad asked, turning to look at Solana. 

“Unlike you two time-hoppers, I was actually born in this era,” The elf responded, shrugging, “Mind if I have some of the Spacen’t pills, Velvet?”

“Sure, knock yourself out,” Velvet said, “Well, not actually.” 

“Wait,” Mad said, puzzled, “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“About?” Solana asked. 

“The name of the pills. What is it?”

“Spacen’t?” 

Mad broke out laughing. 

“That is the stupidest name I’ve ever heard,” the robot said. Maroon looked down at the bottle and then at Solana.

“Uh- I can’t read this.” 

Isn’t it in English? he thought, frowning, “Here, hand it to me.” Maroon obliged. Solana popped the cap and poured their dose, three pills, into their hand. She glanced up at Maroon.

Yeah, one pill will probably be enough. 

He grabbed another from the bottle and tossed it to them. They attempted to catch the small circle but it slipped through their fingers. Velvet caught it and handed it to them.

“You do know what a pill is, right?” they joked. Maroon’s face turned a shade of pink. 

“O-of course I do.” They raised the pill and stared at it. Velvet raised an eyebrow.

“You put it in your mouth, Maroon,” Mad clarified, “Don’t chew it.” 

“Oh.” 

Solana laughed and popped all three of hers into her mouth. It took a few seconds but their stomach began to settle. Maroon followed suit and seemed to instantly relax.

“It’s already helping,” Maroon said. 

“Yeah, this shit’s magical. Should’ve assumed Velvet Bolton would have some,” Solana said with a chuckle. Velvet rolled their eyes. 

“That brings up a question of mine,” Mad began, “Why don’t your parents come looking for you?” Velvet tensed up. Solana’s eyes widened and they turned to the droid.

Mad, don’t.

“What?” Velvet asked, staring at the robot. 

“Well I mean,” Mad continued, “We all know you hate your parents but you’d think people with that much power and influence would want to find their missing kid. Unless they hate you just as much as you hate them, which would explain a lot.” 

“It’s not fucking important,” Velvet said coldly, “And more importantly, it’s none of your fucking business.”

“Sorry Velvet, you’re right. That’s not my place,” it apologised. Solana let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Velvet stared silently out the front window until a siren began echoing around the cabin. All of the members of the Red Mafia jumped in response.

“What’s that?” Solana asked. Her hand quickly fell on her spear, which was propped up against the wall next to her. 

“Some kind of warning. I don’t know what it is, give me a sec,” Mad said, their robotic fingers quickly clicking on the control panel’s keyboard. Velvet unbuckled the straps keeping them in their seat. 

“Is that a good idea Velvet-” Solana started, staring at them. 

“If it’s an attack at least one of us should be ready to fight to buy the others time to get prepared,” she stated nonchalantly, “Might as well be me.” 

“Something’s wrong with the power,” Mad stated, “It looks almost damaged, although nothing’s happened!”

“Sabotage?” Solana asked. Mad shook their head.

“The security alarms would’ve gone off,” Mad said. The automated voice almost seemed to shake. Solana frowned. 

“Are you ok, Mad?” Maroon asked the bot. 

“I-I don’t know. Something feels off but I can’t locate the problem,” they replied, their voice even shakier now. 

“With yourself or the Umbrella?” Velvet asked. They never got a response though, as Mad seemingly lost consciousness and began falling towards the floor of the cabin. Luckily, Velvet managed to catch it before their T.V. screen could shatter. 

“Mad!” the two other members of the Red Mafia shouted in unison. Velvet slowly set Mad down on the floor with some very colourful Latin language.

“What’s wrong with them?” Maroon asked.

“Well if I knew that I would’ve already told you, wouldn’t I?” Velvet replied sarcastically. Maroon quickly unbuckled themself and ran over to kneel next to the robot. 

“M-maybe they just lost power? Yeah, that’s got to be it!” Maroon tried. Velvet looked at the kid, frowning. Before she could comment on it, however, Solana had unbuckled and joined the two of them next to the unconscious robotic body of their teammate. 

“Yeah,” Solana mumbled, “Maybe they forgot to charge last night. Why wouldn’t they tell us that though…”

“Maybe not to worry us! Mad’s thoughtful like that.”

“Whatever the case,” Velvet interjected, standing up, “We need to focus on landing this ship. None of us are qualified pilots.” She moved in front of the control panel. Letters from an alien language and numbers far too big for them to process in the moment whizzed around the screen. 

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Solana asked. 

“I literally just said that none of us are qualified pilots,” Velvet said sarcastically, “Of course I don’t. But there’s only one way to find out.” The assassin slammed their hand on a blue button near the edge of the touchscreen part of the keyboard. The three slowly lifted off the ground, remaining in the air like ghosts. Maroon gripped Mad’s robotic arm to keep it from floating around the cabin. 

“Oops,” Velvet said, “That might’ve been the artificial gravity.”

“Oh no fucking shit,” Solana said sarcastically, “Turn it back on.” 

Velvet turned back to the control panel. “It’s gone.”

“What’s gone?” “The button I pressed.” 

Solana facepalmed. 

“You fucking dumbass,” The elf said, propelling themself towards the control panel by using swimming strokes, “Out of the way, let me see.” After a few minutes of examination, Solana threw their hands up in the air in frustration. 

“This ship is so old I don’t know what any of these buttons do!” they yelled.

“Whatever, we don’t need gravity,” Velvet mumbled, “Can you try to set the autopilot to land us on the nearest planet?”

“Two problems with that: 1. I still don’t know what the buttons do and 2. There aren’t any planets in sight.”

“Could you two stop fighting?” Maroon asked, “It’s not helping with anything!” 

“Shut the fuck up, Maroon!” Velvet shouted, “We don’t need your peacemaker bullshit right now.” Solana stared at Velvet. Maroon’s eyes widened before they shut them tight. Velvet quickly noticed tears forming in the younger teen’s eyes. 

“Ugh, I’m sorry Maroon,” Velvet mumbled, “Whatever, I’m going to try to turn on manual steering.” 

Solana looked at the assassin in shock. “Are you crazy? You can’t pilot a spacecraft!” 

“Maybe not, but who knows where the autopilot is taking us,” Velvet stated, clicking some buttons on the keyboard, “We need to get out of this storm so that we can locate a planet to land on.” Velvet’s rapid clicking on the keyboard echoed around the cabin as the teen attempted to turn off the autopilot.

“At least let me drive-” 

The Umbrella lurched forward before coming to a stop abruptly. 

“Got it!” Velvet shouted victoriously, “Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” She grabbed the piloting controls and began to drift the spacecraft to the left. 

“Hey, this isn’t too hard,” they said as they turned the ship, “I don’t know what you were talking about, Sola-” Suddenly, the ship began spinning out of control in the opposite direction. Screams echoed around the cabin as Velvet attempted to regain control over the ship. Solana bounced into one of the windows, wincing in pain. Maroon, with Mad in tow, ran into the door that led to the rest of the ship. Velvet gripped the controls, pushing them in the other way than the ship was spinning. It slowed to a stop.

“You were saying?” Solana shouted, hand on their head. 

“I think I’m gonna be sick again-” Maroon said, covering their mouth with one of their hands. 

“Please don’t puke, that’ll only make this worse,” Solana told the young teen, “Puking in zero gravity, not fun.”

“This is why I hate space travel,” Velvet groaned.

“You gotta be more careful with it, Velvet,” Solana said, “You were jerking it around which is why it started to spin.”

“I thought you said it was too old for you to fly,” Velvet mumbled. 

“The features are outdated but flying mechanics have remained the same for hundreds of years,” Solana replied, smirking, “Have you never taken a flying class, Velvet?” 

“I only went to school through middle school, and even that education is iffy. So no, I didn't,” Velvet responded with a glare. 

Solana let out a chuckle. “That explains a lot.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Velvet demanded. Solana laughed. 

“There….there are flying classes?” Maroon questioned. 

“We should be out of this storm any second now,” the elf said, looking back at the rest of the group.  

“Why are we going so slow?” Velvet demanded. 

“Because unlike you I’d rather go slow and not crash than jump to Mach 3 and crash us into the nearest planet,” Solana responded. Velvet rolled her eyes. The Umbrella was silent for the next few minutes until it broke through the black and rainbow-coloured clumps of the storm. The clear black sky dotted with white stars surrounded the ship as Velvet began to scan the area for a planet they could land on. 

“Over there,” She said, pointing out a small blue dot in the distance, “That’s a planet. Not sure which one though.”

“Ok, headed over there.”

The landing gear softly collided with the dirt of the planet as Solana guided the ship to the ground. The Red Mafia took in the scenery of the terrain, observing clear blue water features and blue plants surrounding it. The dirt was blue as well, blending in with the sky.

“That’s a lot of blue,” Velvet commented, crossing her arms.

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Velvet,” Solana scoffed. Velvet rolled their eyes. After some trial and error, Solana found the button to open the doors to the spacecraft and the team tumbled to the ground. Maroon attempted to break Mad’s fall by placing them above a beanbag and allowing them to fall down onto it. 

Almost as soon as she had fallen, Velvet was up on her feet with her dagger unsheathed, looking out the door. The assassin scanned the cyan landscape as the other members of the Red Mafia regained their balance. Velvet’s eyes locked on a deep royal blue castle in the distance. Towers winded around the main building of the palace and the teen could make out the figures of guards patrolling around the perimeter. 

“There’s a castle about 35 kilometres east,” Velvet commented, “I’m going to hike over there, the brush doesn’t look too deep.”

“I’m going with you,” Solana responded, “Maroon, can you keep the Umbrella safe while we’re gone?”

“Um-”

“Good luck Maroon! See you soon!” 

Before Maroon could react their teammates were already out of earshot, running towards the far-off building. Maroon let out a sigh and looked over at Mad. The assistance droid was still off. Maroon took a seat next to the bean bag and faced the door. 

“Well, Mad,” Maroon mumbled, “Now we wait.”

Solana and Velvet huddled behind a large cyan bush outside the guarded perimeter of the palace grounds. Velvet mumbled under her breath, barely audible to Solana’s trained ears. 

“What was that?” Solana whispered. 

“I’m counting the guards, shut the fuck up,” Velvet hissed. 

“Why? Let’s just go in there and ask if we can borrow some tools to fix up our ship and then we’ll be on our way.” 

Velvet glared at the elf. “Are you fucking insane?”

“I like to think I’m not.” 

“Let’s think about this from their perspective for a second. Two random humanoids suddenly show up in front of your home, completely unprompted. They come in with some sob story about their ship crashing and their pilot being unconscious. At first, you feel inclined to help them. After all, one looks barely in high school and the other seems to only be 20 or so. However, upon closer inspection, the younger one shares an unsettling similarity to the missing child of a wealthy company that may or may not have hurt your family and people in the past. These people could hurt you again, their ruse is probably just a trap! So logically you send your army to effectively dispose of the intruders. Then boom, we’re dead.”

Solana blinked a few times. “That was…surprisingly in-depth.”

“Foresight is one of my many talents,” Velvet said with a smile.

“Let me finish,” Solana interrupted, “I think you’re over-exaggerating this. Not everyone in the universe has crippling trust issues like you, Velvet.”

“Hey!”

“Let’s just walk up and say hello. We’ll explain our situation and if it goes south, I’m good at fighting.”

“But-”

“Come on Velvet, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“I literally just-” 

Solana covered Velvet’s mouth with their hand. 

“Hush, you’re gonna scare them and then we’ll never get anywhere.” Solana smiled and stood up from behind the bush. 

“Hello!” They began, drawing the attention of all 32 guards near them, “My name is-”

The guards aimed their weapons straight at Solana. 

This is so boring, Maroon thought as they gazed upon the cyan landscape of the planet. Only 10 minutes had passed since Solana and Velvet headed off to the castle in the distance and so far there had been no attacks on the Umbrella. Maroon shook their head. 

I should be grateful, they thought to themself, If I’m bored, I’m not fighting for my life. In the tranquil silence, Maroon heard footsteps outside of the ship. Their heart skipped a beat.

Spoke too soon, they mentally scolded themself. They carefully stood grabbing a metal pole that was stored behind the seats in the cockpit. The teen held the pole up defensively as they exited the Umbrella. The sound of their heart beating filled their ears. Maroon did their best to silence their footsteps as they walked around the outside of the ship by growing moss in their path before their feet could collide with the baby blue soil. 

They slowly rounded the edge of the spaceship when an object collided with their stomach. Maroon tumbled to the ground, the wind having been knocked out of them. They desperately gasped for air, attempting to refill their lungs. Before they could make decent progress something gripped their red and black hair and lifted them off the ground. Some of their hair ripped out of their scalp and fell to the ground. Maroon’s eyes locked with the face of…what?

“Well well well,” the human said, a menacing smirk on their face, “Margaret Pembrooke, daughter of Maximillian Buysse. It is a surprise to see you here on my home planet, Pu Llannette.”

“Y-you!-” Maroon gasped out. 

“Yes, it is I! L’Arj Mahnnnh!” he called out triumphantly.

“But..but..-” Maroon struggled to create words with the little air they had. 

“But you killed me? Yes, I thought that too! But modern technology and medicine saved me from your poisonous prison of fungi and here I stand today!” Maroon took a deep breath, the air finally remaining in their lungs, before looking at L'arj Mahnnnh. He had once looked like a stereotypical-looking mafia leader but now had become a cybernetically enhanced bounty hunter. L’Arj Mahnnnh had a prosthetic robot arm and a welder’s mask with a red visor, contrasting the chartreuse highlights on his dark armour.

“There’s no way-” Maroon called out, having finally regained their breath, “I watched you die.” 

L’Arj Mahnnnh scoffed. “Of course you would believe that when you lost consciousness. Your friend, Velvet Bolton, daughter of Unor Bolton, should’ve known I lived!”

“W-what?” Maroon mumbled. Velvet’s words echoed in their mind: Let’s just say I don’t think we’ll be hearing from L’arj Mahnnnh anytime soon. Their eyes widened.

Did she know? Why wouldn’t they tell me-

“Of course she didn’t tell you! Criminals are very untrustworthy, you know. It would be in your best interest to separate yourself from that girl, Margaret Pembrooke. Boltons only bring trouble.” 

Before Maroon could respond, alarms blared from all over the forest. L’Arj Mahnnnh dropped Maroon in surprise, frantically looking around to find the source of the noise. The teen seized their chance, quickly standing up after they hit the ground. Maroon grabbed the metal pole and whacked L’Arj Mahnnnh in the chest. He grunted in surprise, bending over in pain. Maroon shoved him to the ground with a loud thump. 

Maroon looked at the man on the ground. An empty scabbard sat on his hip, decorated with golden swirls and gemstones forming several shapes. 

Where’s his weapon? 

In one swift motion, L’Arj Mahnnnh threw Maroon over his shoulder and the teen collided hard with the blue soil. Maroon’s vision began to go dark as they desperately tried to fill their lungs once again. L’Arj Mahnnnh loomed over them. He held out his hand, as if to grab something. Maroon gasped for air.

“Uh…w-what are you doing?” they breathed.

“You will see.” The pair heard a quick whooshing noise as a great double-edged blade flew through the air and into L’Arj Mahnnnh’s hand.

“Oh what the-” Maroon breathed. L’Arj Mahnnnh raised the blade but a blast of light collided with his back, knocking him to the ground about 6 metres behind where Maroon was on the ground. Maroon struggled to remain conscious and their vision began to widen. They looked up and saw Mad standing at the entrance to the Umbrella holding some kind of machine. 

“Mad!” Maroon called out, “You’re ok!” Mad displayed a smiley emoticon on their screen as they ran over to them.

“Of course I am, you didn’t think a little storm could take me out, did you?” The droid responded. 

“Well I mean-”

“Don’t answer that.” Mad held out a hand to help Maroon up. Once Maroon was steadily on their feet, the pair turned their attention to the now-unconscious L’Arj Mahnnnh. 

“Who even is that?” Mad asked, gesturing to the unconscious human. 

“L’Arj Mahnnnh.” 

“Wait, isn’t that the dude you and Velvet fought on that mission to get the Custodio power gem?”

“That’s the one.” 

Mad sighed and powered off the laser gun. “Well, what are we going to do with him?” 

“Just leave him here, I guess. What is that thing?” Maroon gestured at the gun.

“Laser gun. Elanor built it for me to help with repairs. It’s not really lethal per se, but it’s sure to be quite the shock to whoever gets hit by it.” Maroon walked over to L’Arj Mahnnnh’s unconscious body and kneeled down. They took the sword out of L’arj Mahnnnh’s hand. It was shaped like a hexagon, with six sides coming together to form a sharp point. Words lined the edges of the blade but Maroon couldn’t make them out.

A magical sword, Maroon thought, This is the first magical item I’ve seen here. They must be rarer here than in Gaelicia. Maybe they are made differently?

“So uh, a few questions. One, where are we? Two, where are Solana and Velvet? And three, what happened to the Umbrella?” Mad asked. 

“We’re on- well, L’arj Mahnnnh called it Pu Llannette. Solana and Velvet went to a castle they spotted a little bit away, I assume they’re the reason for the alarms going off right now. And about the Umbrella, after you went unconscious Solana and Velvet tried to land it and uh, didn’t go too well,” Maroon replied, turning around, “Take a look at this sword.”

“Those little-” Mad mumbled, “Sure, let me see it.” Maroon held the sword up to Mad to look at. 

“Oh cool, it's an ancestral sword. Didn’t know they still had those.” 

Maroon frowned. “Ancestral sword?”

“Yeah, centuries ago it was common for families to have a sword that got passed down from generation to generation. Every new wielder of the sword engraves their name into the blade, you can see all the names on the sword.” Mad pointed at the words. 

It’s like a magical heirloom. I want to study it but…there’s a whole family’s history here. Can I just take it like that?

“He did this thing where he held his hand out and the blade came to him,” Maroon lowered the sword so the point was touching the ground. 

A question mark appeared on Mad’s screen. “So it’s magic? There were always rumours that ancestral metal had magical properties but everyone just dismissed it. Is that the only thing it could do?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t do anything else with it.”

It could be dangerous if in the wrong hands. Velvet would…she’d want me to take it. Keep magic in our hands, right?

“Huh. Velvet would probably know more about it than I would.”

Maroon glanced at the blue castle, now lit up with red lights.

Maybe it’ll get Velvet to trust me more. 

“I’m taking it,” Maroon stated. 

“Wait what?-” Mad exclaimed, “You’re stealing it?” 

Maroon took a deep breath and turned back to Mad. Its screen was pitch-black now.

“Everyone has their own weapon. This’ll be mine.”

“You have your powers, Maroon. Is there any way I can talk you out of this?”

Maroon shook their head, earning a sigh from Mad. The droid turned around and started walking towards the Umbrella.

“Fine, okay. Hurry up, though. I’m sure Solana and Velvet will be back soon with a lovely army they’re running from, so I want to be ready to take off as soon as they get back.” Maroon nodded, grabbing the sword’s scabbard and attempting to attach it to their waist. It was too loose so they opted to wear it cross-body instead. Mad was checking the ship’s diagnostics when Maroon finally returned to the cockpit. 

“How the heck did they manage to not only turn off the artificial gravity but completely throw off the ship's equilibrium?” Mad mumbled angrily. It paused when Maroon joined them at the console and sighed.

“Luckily,” it began, “The ship doesn’t seem to have any damage beyond that and I’ve already recalibrated both of those. We’re good to go as soon as they get back.” A loud thump echoed around the cabin. Mad and Maroon spun around to see Solana lying on the ground, their legs pushed up against the wall. 

“Hi guys,” Solana said, “How’s it hanging?” 

Mad sighed and crossed its arms. “Where’s Velvet?” 

“Right here!” Velvet called out as they jumped on the ship, “Mad get us out of here.”

“Wow, not even a hello. How rude,” Mad said sarcastically, closing the door. Velvet rolled her eyes. 

“You can get a hello when we’re not in danger of getting ambushed by an entire army of soldiers,” she shot back. Mad chuckled and powered up the engines. The team strapped in as the Umbrella lifted into the air and zoomed out of the atmosphere of the planet. Velvet wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead while Solana looked at Maroon.

“What’s that?” Solana asked, gesturing to the sheath attached to them. 

“A sword I found,” Maroon replied, unsheathing the blade, “I got it from an old uh…acquaintance.” 

Velvet’s eyes narrowed as they looked at the blade. 

“An acquaintance? I find that hard to believe considering you’re from the 1800s.” 

Maroon laughed. 

“I have a story for you. Remember L’arj Mahnnnh?”

Velvet’s groan was so loud that Maroon was sure the guards on Pu Llannette could hear it.

Latin Translations: N/A