Shakedown Epilogue

As I grow older, it seems that the memory of my parents gets messier by the day. However, one of the few memories I did hold clear as day was ironically one of the times I got punished. Back when I wasn't even hitting the double digits, Mom and Dad told me not to get some of the new chocolate cookies they were planning on giving to a charity event.

Course, I didn't care; I just saw cookies that I got told I couldn't have. Cookies that I promptly stole in my trademark stubbornness. Even with being Krimo's most powerful heroes, I thought for sure that I would've been able to avoid them where multiple hardened criminals had failed.

But instead, I joined right alongside them as, despite all of my meltdowns, bargaining, and most of all lying, I wasn't even remotely successful. And as I received the harshest punishment I've received so far (a quick day-long grounding), my mom told me a lesson I've never forgotten.

"Always tell me the truth Victoria, no matter how bad it is. It's still better than a lie."

Looking back on the quote now, though, I don't know if that is ironically true anymore. Because honesty is hurting far worse than any lie, I can muster right now. While seemingly rivers of black bile escaped my throat, my head pounded, and my body broke down. I don't know whether it was due to Rev's kickback or the sheer revolution or both Blakk's and I's actions.

Apparently, from the very beginning, Blakk was chosen by Krimo's top 1 percent, serving them as some weird emissary so they could obtain more power. Just like Grider said, he was in on the whole Rev operation, using his daughter as glorified bait and advertisement for the power of Rev while aiding its distribution in any way possible to prepare for the Expo.

Said Expo will pretty much be held on January 31st, a little more than five days from now. So along with the location of said Expo, I finally was able to find a name but no faces. And it was pretty much my absolute worst fears realized. Because out of the thousands of opponents I've faced over the years, there was at least one group that I could never defeat, even when I faced them off at my prime.

And that was Hell's Hand, the five undisputed kings and queens of Krimo's criminal underworld. Over generations, some members may have come and gone, but their strength and influence over Krimo have not faded in the least bit. On the contrary, it only seems to have gotten stronger as now they've decided to adopt a new member into their ranks, an emissary that would help deal with inter-level dilemmas, while they remained on the top.

This is why ironically enough, this emissary has been proving himself for the past couple of months under the moniker of Mammon: the so-called Greedy Devil of Krimo. With all the info I've ever really needed, I then let Blakk go, free to scurry away and hide both injuries and secrets. If I survive this raid, then I'll be more than happy to deal with him after.

But before I started making any real preparations, before I made peace with what I've done, I decided to unleash one last debrief.

"And yeah, despite all that mess, I guess you can say that I'm all right. I know that I haven't been here much and I'm sorry for that. Or maybe I shouldn't consider you would probably shoo me away if I did hang around for too long," I said to a still comatose Julia.

"Nevertheless, Julia, I am fine really; I'm taking breaks as you said, and I'm getting more results than I ever did in the old days. And I'm more selfish like you wanted, so all you have to do is worry about yourself, understand? Can you just do that for me, please?" I said with trembling emotion.

At that point, my hands started to shake violently, with tears welling up in my eyes from pure terror. Not only from what's coming next but from what I'm more than willing to do now.

"I just need to know that you're okay. Because honestly, I'm fucking scared Julia, I don't know what I'm going to do when I get there, or even what I'm going to do after. It's just all so much," I said as I let emotion overtake me.

However, before I could expound any further before reaching out, I caught my hand and wiped away my tears before picking myself up.

"But I'm going to be fine, Julia, you'll see. I'll show you a better Krimo, I promise you," I said as I started to walk off.

However, I heard two words that chilled my spine before I did.

"Don't. Go," Julia said groggily as I was about to walk off.

Out of pure excitement, I turned back, wondering and hoping that a miracle had happened. But no, instead, I saw her in the same state she's been in for months. The same state that I put her in indirectly or not is a sacrifice that I refuse to make in vain. So with my head, at least a little more precise, I made my way to my subsequent extensive trial. Shaken down, yes, but still very much adamant about sharing that same sentiment with all of Krimo.