20/XX-C. Written In Red (Remastered)

As the testimonies from the abused girls have resurfaced in the investigation, Edward soon found out the reason why they were rescued earlier than they had planned.

“This is travesty, Edward, why did you have to get involved this early in the stage of the operation! I HAVE EVERYTHING HANGING ON YOU! IF THEY SUSPECT YOU, I CAN’T PROTECT YOU HERE!” The commissioner of the operation violently trashed his office revealing his frustrations in the solving of the case.

Edward knew as well that prematurely revealing that case to the public will cause the mafia to stand guard more, with smaller chances to get more people in to infiltrate.

“I’m sorry, sir. I became enraged as I looked at the girls’ wounds and abuse.” He only needed to lie to get Arthur out of the reports.

Sophia knew what she got herself involved in and she doesn’t want Arthur to be involved as well.

“FIX THIS! BEFORE THIS BECOMES LARGER THAN IT IS!” The commissioner stomped his way out of the room leaving Edward to pick up the files scattered around.

My card was used in the purchase, but I never entered the establishment.

The camera inside the establishment that we put, and the camera of the establishment both had records, but there was a thirty to forty minute black out on the records. I need to find out everything. And everything started with that girl – Sophia, our main witness.

Edward quickly sought out Sophia and her parents as he stepped out of the commissioner’s office. “Would it be alright if I come over tonight? Please.” He quietly mumbled as he ended the call.

A six hour drive from the main city of London, several theories occupied his mind as he drove out in the afternoon to the night.

He already has a strong inclination that Arthur got involved somehow, but he can’t possibly think of that without some confirmation from the main witness herself.

SFX: *Tok, tok, tok

As he got out of his car, he quietly knocked on one of the mansions and got greeted by the family butler.

He noticed the several security guards standing near the gate of the mansion, right in front of the door and beyond opening the door.

“I hope you are not feeling overwhelmed with the security, Master Smith.” The butler bowed himself, as he slid his hands towards inside the mansion inviting Edward in.

“No, it’s understandable. His daughter is our main witness for the crimes of the Icy Queen.” Edward stood observing everything and everyone before stepping inside.

“Mister Edward!” Sophia’s father, Oscar Evans welcomed the agent, with a wine of his left hand, and with his wife on the other hand.

“Oscar.” His plain reply stiffed the jolly spirit and the conversation to a halt. He just came for a business chat, drove for six hours, who could blame him.

“Please sit.” He reached out his hand, as if making a toast, with the wine.

“Thank you.” Edward uncomfortably laid his buttocks on the cotton soft sofa.

He excruciatingly observed each crook and cranny in the home, from what he saw, he can only describe as “extravagant”. The family works in the business of imports, it’s understandable, he thought.

“Does the brightness blind you?” The master of the house nonchalantly asked the guest.

“No, I just find everything…”

“Shining? Glorious?” His eyes glimmered in curiousness.

“Uhm… extravagant, excessive.” Edward’s poor choice of words kind of put off Oscar a bit, but… Oscar had another thing in mind.

“Hmmmm… we have quite different tastes, but it’s fine, for someone who’s going to be my in-law.” Oscar raised his brow and sat with his wife at another sofa facing Edward.

In-law? Is this guy out of his mind? “What?” Edward’s sudden reaction threw Oscar off.

“What?” A puzzling answer to a puzzling question, Oscar replied asking as well.

“Wait, wait, wait… what are you talking about?” Edward squinted his eyes in disbelief, whatever this man was saying was not making much sense.

“I thought you were here to talk about Sophia and Arthur getting married?” Oscar put down his glass of wine in the table, and signalled his butler to get the young mistress.

“What?” Irritated by that statement, Edward wanted to walk out of the mansion, but he drove six hours that day just to get to this place, he ain’t driving back without anything. “Where did you get that name?”

“Sophia was babbling about your son all day, all week, when we came to get her, Arthur was there to say goodbye.” His straight face, his eyes, his confidence, and his tone of voice, Oscar’s not lying, at least, he believes that that statement must be the case.

Edward sighed and crossed his arms, the master of house felt his statement was unwelcomed and met with disappointment.

“Dad!” Sophia came running out as soon as the butler fetched for her and told her that a visitor came for her that knows Arthur.

“My dear Sophia!” He sprang up to his feet and hugged his daughter.

“Good evening.” She pulled away from the awkward hug and courteously bowed down greeting the guest.

“Since you were so interested in Arthur, I pulled out everything on him and I found out that this man, Mister Smith, is his father, isn’t that great. He came here for you!” Oscar thought that Sophia would be delighted with this news.

“I’m sorry for my father’s actions, and, uhm… assumptions, I hope he didn’t make this meeting awkward.” She’s quite a clever girl, too bad her father’s too stupid.

“It’s fine. Can I talk to you directly?” Edward went straight to his point. He did not want to waste any more time. He needed confirmation.

“Dad?” She gazed at his father for approval.

“It’s fine, even if your dad’s here.” Edward glanced at Oscar, annoyed, but open for discussion.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” He resigned already as the father’s looking like he will not leave even if asked nicely.

-------------------- // --------------------

“That’s what happened. I’m only telling this to you, because my father mentioned that you’re Arthur’s…” Sophia retold everything that happened in the amusement park.

“Yes, thank you for telling me. I needed to confirm this from you.” I was right, Arthur was indeed involved.

“Did you get what you needed?” Sophia wanted to help Arthur in any way, but she didn’t imagine that his father would be in the position to help her as well as those kidnapped girls.

It was already past midnight as they finished their discussion.

“So, you’re really not here for marriage?” His father’s remarks at the end of their conversation made the atmosphere a little bit lighter.

“Pfff---t hahahhahaha…” Sophia chuckled lightly. “Dad, I told you, marriage must spring out from love, not the other way around.”

“You like my son, but you’re not in love with him.” Edward wanted to chime in.

“I like him, but I’m not in love with him.” She confirmed again.

“Is there something wrong with my son?” Edward’s eyes reflected curiosity, and Sophia looked away to avoid answering but calculating Edward’s words, he wanted to push an answer out of her.

“He’s warm, but… there’s something about him that I can’t explain. Something felt…” She can’t put it into words, but her intuition tells her he’s already in love with someone else.

“Dark? There is. He’s unique, peculiar, righteous, just, and merciful. He’s like an angel in disguise.” Edward corroborated with Sophia’s statements, but her words were not exactly the ones that she felt, but somehow, the girl felt that he was telling the truth.

“It’s already past midnight, Sir Smith, would you like to stay and sleep tonight?” Oscar offered a night to sleep in the mansion. He had so many rooms, and this hospitality is only sufficient as Edward was one of the people that saved his previous daughter.

“Thank you for your generous offer, but, I need to go.” Edward’s fiery eyes silenced Oscar as he waved goodbye out the mansion’s door and gate.

-------------------- // --------------------

Edward carefully but eerily drove out in the night. His expression cannot be painted with words as the father and daughter duo saw him off their front gate.

He deduced this earlier but having to confirm it just means that Arthur has been in deep with his work, with his access, and all of the information that he has right now.

He only has one computer hidden from sight inside their home, and that’s the machine from his study made to look like a book.

A book! Of course! He thought he was much more stupid than Sophia’s father.

Of course, Arthur would locate that computer, his love for books knows no bounds, even if it is his father’s study room.

The commissioner thrust into the spotlight as the case came close, and as a precaution, Edward reinforced all of his machines with another authenticating lock – his iris access.

As he was driving from Oscar’s mansion, his phone beeped and his suspicions soon came into existence.

“An attempt to log in to your machine has been identified. Access to the cloud will be locked, get admin’s permission to get access again.”

He opened the video recording from the machine as soon as he got the notification and soon enough, he saw Arthur’s face.

“Hello, father.” He knows I’m watching.

“I just wanted to see how the case was going. I won’t apologize for something like this, but…” Arthur sighed on the other end of the camera. “I guess it was my mistake to be caught off guard.” He smirked and scoffed, and closed the machine.

Truthfully, Edward didn’t expect these developments.

All of those recordings were immediately sent to the MI-7 headquarters and the Interpol Central Intelligence, and he’s prepared for the consequences, he just doesn’t want his son to be involved any further.

SFX: Vroooooooooooooooooooooooooom!

-------------------- // --------------------

Michael, Noah, and his family, found themselves stuck in an unprecedented place.

“Please… please… let us in.” People from outside began to knock on the Ark’s wooden frame.

The water started to rise as the rain continuously poured non-stop.

“Let us in.”

The banging in the Ark’s door continued for days on onwards. Noah, and his family can only shut themselves in. The door won’t budge to open as God was the one who closed it shut.

“Michael, what about those people?” Noah’s eyes showed grief and pity for the people who tried to kill them just months earlier.

“I don’t have the power to go against Father.” Michael repeated this statement as if he was completely powerless as well.

True- he was powerless, in front of the Creator, he’s much more insignificant than the humans.

The wailing of the animals inside the Ark soon overpowered the cries of the humans outside the Ark as the rain poured for many several days after.

That means only one thing – the people already had gone to another place, or shelter, or drowned right outside of the Ark.

The people’s cries tormented Noah more as the days passed.

Before the flood happened, he rattled and didn’t sleep for many days due to the Oracle from God, but now, that he’s experiencing it first-hand, his mind seemed to slip from here and there, from time to time.

“Noah, Noah, Noah, wake up! Wake up!” There were days that Noah would sleep drunk from alcohol, just to get a grip of a little bit of rest from the agony of hearing the people wailing and crying.

“Wake up!” Michael’s deep voice startled him awake. “Huh! Ughhhh…” His eyes red with tears, his exhaustion were visible with the bags in his eyes, and the smell of alcohol overwhelmed the smell of the animals inside the Ark that his family altogether avoided him when he drinks.

The headache hit him god-speed as he opened his eyes and the angel’s glory reached his irises. “So bright, Michael.”

“You have to stop drinking at some point.” Michael offered his hand to help Noah up.

“I’ll try. Why did you wake me up?” Noah squinted his eyes, from amongst the room, the light enveloped everything, but it’s not coming from Michael, but from another source, what is it?

“The sun is shining, the rain has stopped. Father is calling.” The storm that ravaged outside the Ark was no more, and as Noah sprang up to his feet, wobbling from the alcohol, he felt peace, for the first time.

He slowly walked towards the window of the Ark, and ran his hand on the gopher wood that he constructed.

The animals were calm as well, unspeaking, and solemn, waiting for the words of their Creator.

Noah carefully opened the window of the Ark, and outside his eyes glimpsed of a vast water world. His chest constricted, he gulped the liquid building up in his mouth in his amazement of the power of God.

All water, from the north, to the south, from east to west, there’s nothing around. This was the first day that the rain stopped pouring. The clouds cleared and the sun shining brightly up high.

As his eyes lifted up to the sun, the relief he waited for so long rushed into him. His chest pumped so much air, and his eyes filled with tears, part of it was due to looking at the sun directly, and part of it was joy, happiness that God hath ended the world’s torture.

From afar, he glanced over to the north, and a colourful band embraced the skies. It was the first time he has seen it along with his family and Michael.

A voice called out to Noah and his family.

“BE FRUITFUL, AND MULTIPLY AND REPLENISH THE EARTH. THIS IS THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT WHICH I MAKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND EVERY LIVING CREATURE THAT IS WITH YOU FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS. I DO SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD AND THE WATERS SHALL NO MORE BECOME A FLOOD TO DESTROY ALL FLESH.”

Noah and his family knelt in reverence upon hearing the voice. Michael seemed to be nowhere when God gave his promise.

As the Almighty covered the Ark with protection, he also protected everyone and everything inside the Ark.

Michael made himself scarce as God approached the humans. He quickly flew away down to hell and checked the souls of the Nephilims, and the evil humans who joined the demise of the possessors.

“Brother!” Michael spotted Samael from afar, waving excited as he see the flood of souls along with him in hell.

“Samael…” Michael approached with indignation. A lot has happened from Adam, but Samael did not stop in his prison, he tried to possess everything with a physical form on Earth, and ended up creating a new breed of creatures – the Nephilims.

“Why have you come? Isn’t Hell getting exciting? So many people, their cries, their woes, their wailing, it’s music to my ears.” True, ever since becoming the Devil, he has been more aggressive, violent, and sadistic.

“Anger conquered me, but pity took over.” He wanted to grab Samael by the neck, but seeing the humans wail in pain of the unimaginable heat and fire of Hell, and the angels will soon join them in the judgment day.

“Do not pity me, brother, I told you, I am free here.” It’s already been more than a thousand year, but he’s still lying, isn’t he?

Michael sighed as he tucked away his wings.

“Where are the Nephilims?” His threatening aura leaked everywhere.

“Over there.” He pointed at the monsters circling the ring of fire.

“You’re quick to point them, what’s wrong?”

“You wouldn’t obliterate them, unlike Azrael.” Michael walked with Samael towards the ring of fire.

“They’re an existence that shouldn’t have been.” He squinted his eyes trying to understand what’s going on in Samael’s mind.

“Hmph, evil shouldn’t have been, but hey, I’m here.” In a mocking tone, Samael tried to defend the existence of the Nephilims.

“I know you’re not a fan of Father, and definitely not a fan of rules, but with regards the Nephilims, I will take care of them.” As soon as Michael stepped into the ring of fire, Eon came out with an intense-killing aura, all of the other demons and the Nephilim knelt under pressure.

Samael felt it in his heart – the fear that loomed thousand years ago, from the Great Rebellion.

“Listen, monsters. If you want to exist, you have to avoid going up there. If not, we’re going to have problems.” Eon shone brightest as everything bowed down from pressure, from fear, and from death itself.

Samael remained standing, with his pride, he couldn’t admit fear, but he felt it, chilling and shaking in his bones.

“Amusing.” Eon turned from the Nephilims back to Samael.

“You only survived because you are Michael’s half. Nothing more. I won’t take this disrespect again in the future.” Eon teleported from Hell back on the surface and immense relief rushed out from the demons as the pressure was released.

-------------------- // --------------------

SFX: Bang, bang!

The door of the mansion banged violently early in the morning as Edward arrived.

He trashed the gate, left the car running open, and forced open the doors of the mansion. He marched towards the twin’s bedroom, and shoved it open.

Johnny, got up, groggy, with a cow-licked hair, and squinted his eyes as it adjusted to the sunlight coming from the living room.

“Dad?!” His eyes followed Edward as his father marched from the door to Arthur who was sitting at the floor reading his favouite book.

“We need to talk.” He strained Arthur’s hands, and forcefully pulled him upwards and dragged him to the study room.

“Dad, wait!” Johnny followed them but Edward shut the door at Johnny’s face.

Johnny and Arthur planted a listening device in the study room and so, Johnny ran back to their bedroom and plugged out his phone from the charger and opened the listening app.

“Since when?”

“Since when, what?” In Edward’s eyes, Arthur tried to feign innocence in hacking into his machine, and access that was connected to the Interpol and MI-7 database.

“The access.” Arthur appeared unfazed, he answered his father on the machine, why the need to interrogate further?

“Since you mentioned you’re undercover.” He answered nonchalantly, with a blank expression in Arthur’s face.

Edward sighed and gritted his teeth in anger, quickly approaching Arthur in his wrath, and-

SFX: PAK!

He couldn’t control himself as he slapped Arthur’s face in anger. The bruise appeared quickly in his cheeks.

Arthur stayed unmoving, unfazed, even by the slap, and looking away from his father.

Johnny gasped as he heard everything in the other room. He dashed again towards the study room door and banged on it as his palm began to bleed.

“Dad, please, don’t hurt Arthur. Dad!” Johnny’s pleas became unnoticed, it’s as if Edward and Arthur were in a different dimension.

“Until when will you DEFY ME?” Edward had to get a straight answer, it’s now or never. He had to put a stop to this foolishness of his son.

But he didn’t expect Arthur’s answer.

He slowly faced him, his eyes filled with the brim of determination, and desire, the words leaving his mouth, “Until you stop, or…” He paused, and looked down, and looked straight in his father’s eyes. “Until the day that I die.”

Edward was taken aback. Arthur determined to himself that he will stop Edward from participating in these evil schemes.

“The end never justifies the means.” His eyes filled with pity towards his own father. Those puppy eyes infuriated Edward so much that-

He clenched his fists, and banged it on the table, destroying his study table in the process. “GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!” Like a spoiled child acting up, he drove Arthur away from the study room.

Arthur quickly and quietly opened the door as Johnny was waiting at the other side of the door.

“Art! Are you-“ Before he could even let out another word, Arthur closed the door and dragged him to their bedroom.

“Art… your face…” Johnny tripped as he panicked in checking their drawers for any first aid kit.

“I’m fine, Johnny.” His eyes and cheeks were swollen from that slap.

“You’re not.” He grabbed the ointment, and as he opened it and tried to pour it in his hands-

“Stop. Just.” Arthur sighed. “Please.” Johnny closed the bottle and Arthur grabbed his book in the bedroom and walked out of the front door.

-------------------- // --------------------

On one of the meetings of the triad, Edward was called out for further investigation. It was a secret room with three screens, the Pride, the Ice Queen, and the Rat.

“You’ve been a naughty boy, Pride, I know that I’m overlapping territory here, but we’ve had an agreement.” The one in the middle screen babbled in front of Edward, as he sat in despair.

He can’t afford to lose everything after one mistake. He can’t die, nor can he let these monsters lose without someone getting them checked.

“Of course, my Queen, I do apologize about what happened, but rest assured, I will protect your men, ain’t that right, Edward?” Pride turned to Edward as he tried to collect his thoughts.

“Yes, of course. I will do my best to protect your men, Ice Queen.”

“I have heard that you have used your son to redirect the police. Hmmm, very efficient, and I heard from my men, that you have the same taste in women. I like to meet this boy one day and maybe my daughter can meet him as well.” He took a gulp before answering.

NO, no, no, no, NO, NO! Not my son.

“I… I don’t want my son to be involved in the business.” His fear emanates with his words.

“I have the same sentiment, but when we die, who’s gonna take care of everything, right?”

“I…”

“Arrange this meeting, I want to see the face of the scoundrel who tried to get my men.”

“My Queen, please, please forgive my son.”

“Pride?”

“I’ll allow the visit.”

“Leader!” The screen went black altogether as he pleaded for his son.

-------------------- // --------------------

A few days has passed, the children went home again on the weekends. Edward appeared to have not slept for a long time.

He hasn’t. Ever since the Queen mentioned she wanted to see the boy who destroyed one of her branches here in London.

SFX: Tok, tok, tok

Edward flinched as soon as he heard the sounds of the knocking at the door. “I’ll get that, Sir.” Matthew stood up from the dining table and dashed to the door.

A twelve year old lady stood high and mighty with two bodyguards, “Is this the Smith Residence?” She flicked her hair and entered in the mansion without anyone inviting her in.

Her thick Russian accent told Edward who she is. She’s the daughter of the Ice Queen.

She slowly approached the living room, as if scrutinizing everything she saw with judging eyes, and looked beyond the dining table.

Two of the children with which she saw from the picture of her mother, and the one reading a book while eating.

She smiled in confidence as she cat-walked towards the dining room towards Arthur.

“You must be Arthur.” Arthur lifted his head from reading the book towards the lady and wandered speechless. “I’m Irene, your fiancée.”

Arthur dropped his book as all of the men’s jaws in the room did.

“What?”