ROI Chapter 3 The Woman Who Blazed

The silver watch on his arm vibrated, the nerve cells transmitting to his brain, causing a response in the form of his gaze falling upon it. He had recovered enough to stand, plant life surrounding both he and his secretary, Ana. The previous clean attire was now dirty, plant juices, mud and all manner of broken leaves covered it.

His silver eyes were glowing, elementium sight activated as he gazed at the green elementium particles saturated in this atmosphere...plant elementium or sometimes called wood elementium. It was abundant in Illusia, after all, there were those rose flowered weeds growing everywhere.

'supposedly, in the known universe, there are very very few planets capable of supporting plant life, thereby attracting this dense wood elementium.' This thought originated from the archives in that Starship's database.

"Is it Chiro?" He mumbled, raising his left hand and tapping the device.

A hologram appeared, and with it, all the warmth vanishing from the air. Everything became cold and chilly, eliciting a shiver from Ana.

Someone, unexpected had appeared onscreen. Even though he had exhausted the elementium particles stored within his gem, his murderous intent, coupled with Ana's, created a new kind of coldness, a deep penetrating coldness capable of stopping someone's heart.

"Well...it appears this was unexpected, even to you, prodigy Ryan." The one on the screen started with a chuckle. The room she was in was dark, with the only light falling onto a throne, her throne. It was blue, like the waters of the ocean, but curved from a large blue stone. Short light blue hair with white highlights at the tips which stopped shy of reaching her ears. A blue diamond shaped gem embedded in the middle of the forehead. Those hateful blue eyes that looked at the world with condescension and disdain. Who else would it be, other than his worst nightmare, the figure he had always wanted to kill. She was petit, just like he remembered, the throne almost hugging her small form. A white blouse with short blue skirt which left little to the imagination covered her small lithe form. Her left leg was crossed over her right, the white thighs giving a tantalising tease to what the skirt was hiding. Pristine blue painted nails were visible on her uncovered pretty feet.

"Grace Bluerose..." Like a hiss of an otherworldly serpent, the name rolled off the tip of both their tongues, venom thick within. 

Ryan's expression of rage and hatred cooled, replaced by a mask of indifference. He hadn't calmed, instead he was seething beneath the surface, a volcano waiting to erupt, a predator waiting to strike.

"What do you want?" Ana hissed, now standing beside him. He caught the tremble in her voice, not of fear, but of the struggle to contain the rage. She was glaring, the light elementium particles surrounding her form, vibrating intensely.

"Ana, you still haven't grown up? I told you countless times, emotion must be used as a tool, not blatantly shown here like this." The woman facepalmed, her voice sweet, like she was giving advice to a child.

"Bluerose, your little GIFT was appreciated." Ryan interrupted.

"Hmmm? Well, it seems like it all happened as I had predicted...that you would survive. You had the toughest of wills among all of my followers, a pity..." She seemed genuinely caring.

"So, are you here to gloat or something idiotic like that?" He asked, a glimmer in his eyes.

"Hahahaha...you underestimate me, Ryan. Why would I waste my time on such a useless thing? Hmmm? Apparently, that gift has caused a delay in the summit and these others have asked me to cooperate. I would have refused of I didn't hate the coldness of the north." She played with her fingernails as she spoke.

"And...how are you going to solve it?" He asked. Ana was barely holding on, her rage and hatred was equal if not greater than his own.

"Solve it! Ha! That isn't up to me my dear Ryan, but you. You just have to show your face in front of a screen, say a few words, and...(clap)...everything will magically go away." She even clapped her hands, amusement in her voice.

"Those commoners think that you are their hope...the delusional idiots." She scoffed.

"Heh! Do you really think this is like five years ago? Can you really say with that filthy mouth of yours that you can handle them if they choose to rebel? They are elementium users now...those forbidden weapons of yours wouldn't protect you forever, now would they?" Ana found a flaw and proceeded to stab into the wound viciously. Ryan could see it in the shift of Grace's expression. It had become a stoic mask.

"Maybe I shouldn't have delivered such a small gift after all. Ryan, this summit must go on. The things that are going to be discussed are of utmost importance and urgency, you wouldn't want to ruin such things with a small, 'she tried to kill me' tantrum, now would you?" After speaking, she unilaterally terminated the communication.

A moment of silence enveloped the area after that. Ryan and Ana, each lost in their own mind, unconsciously kept silent.

"I really Really hate that bitch." Ana said after a few minutes. A pent up breath escaping her thin beautiful lips.

"...are you still enraged." He asked, his face a cold and calm mask.

"Yes!" She answered without skipping a beat.

"We will get back at her. Everything she took from us will be repaid...for now, I just have to recover some elementium particles. A change of location is needed. The plant elementium is too thick here." He said. Ryan acted in that thought, starting to move. This farming floor alone was probably acre or more in size. Navigating through this maze was going to prove time consuming.

"We need to first locate a caretaker." Ana suggested before following a step behind. "Ana, release a statement that I am okay...the summit will be held tomorrow morning. Also, I need a new attire, a hotel room, a meal and a bath. The bath takes priority." He spoke, she took notes and contacted the relevant parties. This was the duo's dynamic that had worked for the two for the past five years.

-----

Adrianne walked along the streets of Wisteria with fear in her heart. The hotel room had been abandoned before her father's goons had arrived. She knew it, the gruesome punishment that awaited her if she allowed herself to be taken away. An unexpected sound caused her heart to race, hurriedly directing her gaze to the side, only to see a few kids hurling manifested snowballs at each other. This had been the tempo ever since she had appeared in street. Every little sound was enough to startle her, sending her heart aflutter with fear. A feeling of being watched was always on her mind, except that this time she knew that it was just her imagination. If she was truly being watched, she would have known. She pulled on her hood, covering the loose strands of her flaming red curly hair that had slipped out with its movement. Right now it was best that she kept a low profile, covering up every defining feature of hers. She had even left behind her glamorous attires for a very dull green blouse and black pants. Why not a dress or skirt, try fighting in them!...yes, there was no way she was sure to not have slipped up, besides, her bracelet was probably being tracked. She had contemplated on abandoning the device, but then she'd have no way of contacting those she wanted.

'I hope I have enough time! Where is that Man? Ever since the bombing he has vanished!' She ground her teeth. How fate toys with people, she had walked out on him and now, he was the only one she could take refuge under. Her cheeks burned as she imagined what he would say when she appeared infront of him.

'Walking on my two feet is slow.' She tapped her bracelet with mixed feelings and activated a sort of digital beacon. It was invisible to the naked eye, but visible within a cab driver's windshield. Barely two minutes later, a hovering vehicle stopped at her side and she stepped in.

"Where to?" The man asked. 

"...drive around the city." She said after a bit of thought, raising the glass of the windows and activating a setting for tinting. 'I hope this buys me some time.' 

Her eyes darted out into the street, searching for any sign of her father's minions. She scrutinized everyone with red hair very closely...her father's subordinates were all of the fire element, no exceptions. It didn't just end there, as he had even forced the entire family to take on the  same elementium type. Only he, was the exception, taking on the magma elementium variant.

She snorted loudly upon that decision. It made them eye catching, a trait many of the Redroses complained about daily.

(Breaking news! Mr. Ryan Whiterose is still alive according the Star corporation, his company group. In a statement released over social media, he is very grateful to the people's support and apologises for any problems caused. He has also given the okay for the summit to resume, not today, but tomorrow.) 

She listened intently, her heart settling as if an unknown burden had been weighing upon it. 'He's alive, now where would he be?' She listened to gain more information but that was a failure as there was none.

'Where should I find him?' She wondered.

"Its good the guy is still alive, don't you agree?" The driver's voice cane from the front.

"I would have joined the protesters if he wasn't... I mean, look at all the good that he had done." The man continued before she could even speak.

"I remember five years ago, when I couldn't even take a step out of my home without wearing a body suit! Ever since I was born, I had never taken a step outside without the thing...you know, elementium pollution and all. But now, am out and about, elementium burns no more than things of the past."

"Yeah, its surprising how far we've come in these five years." She agreed. Elementium pollution had existed since 500 years ago according to history books. Now it was also a thing of the past. Her children would probably study it as a period of ancient history while basking in the Illusian sun in the future.

"Then, he led the advancement of technology. Who knew that one day hover cars could exist and that I would drive one...hahahahahaha..." The man burst into laughter at that, a smile also tugged at the corners of her lips helping her relax.

"That alien ship might have been the key, but he opened the door. We Illusians are always grateful to him. I wonder which idiot attacked him. I hope he or she, is brought to justice." He said with righteous indignation.

"I am sure he, or she will." She answered despite knowing that that would be hard. That woman wasn't someone who could be touched lightly.

"So, lady have you managed to figure out where you wanna go?" A few minutes later, the man asked. Adrianne was jolted from her thoughts and wariness by the question. 'Where can I go? I don't even know where the man is at the moment and I don't have his contact details.' She took in a deep breath to calm her panic.

"Do you know where the branch of Star group is located within this city?" She asked. Searching on the GPS would just be a waste of time when here was someone who could answer.

"Yeah, somewhere in the central parts of the city. Do you want to go there?" He asked.

"...yes, yes! Take me there." She mumbled out before gaining a burst of confidence. 'Even if he isn't there, my father's goons wouldn't dare cause a commotion there.' The more she pondered on this, the more she felt that it would work.

The car was moving about ten meters above ground, the streets below filled with throngs of people, most, non-natives who had only come for the summit. This was one of those times that the Illusian people appeared to hold good feelings. Adrianne felt that it was good progress compared to 5 years ago, when life had been dull for the poorer population.

'This is also something he has brought about.' She sighed in praise. A seed of shame sprouted in her chest at the realisation that her family had been in charge of one of the cities, yet, they hadn't done anything to improve the lives of the people. The six city lords had even vehemently rejected the notion of allowing the common citizen to become an elementium user. If that man hadn't outmaneuvered them by gaining public support, this scene, down there wouldn't have appeared. Vapor from her breath misted over the glass as she peered out into the crowd below, now that the die had been cast, she had to find a path for herself. Seeking refuge with the man she had just slept with and chugged the entire passionate night into a one night stand wasn't going to cut it. She had to find something to do, something that will hopefully advance Illusia. She knew herself best, manipulation of fire elementium was her only talent. She had a knack for it, you could even say prodigious. That's why she had been given the most intense training by her father, the man she was currently trying to run away from. 

"..."

Another sigh out of her lips as she tried to banish the memory of the man.

A few minutes later, something abruptly pined for her attention, the hairs on the nape of her neck...danger! They signaled. Her harsh training a few years ago kicked in as she tracked the danger to a building off to the right. Through that thick glass, a crimson red gaze stared back at her, inducing chills. 'Her father's death sworn.' She was sure of that! This spine tingling feeling had appeared one time when she had locked eyes with one at the secret training facility.

'He wouldn't dare!' Terror gripped her at a chilling realisation, he was here for her life! Had her father stooped to that? No...that didn't matter, she needed to act, her life was in peril!

A myriad of red light spots came out of the blazing crystal embedded in her forehead, her eyes lighting up with the same glow as the man in the building across, a sign of elementium sight being activated. The deluge of elementium bypassed the glass window appearing right outside the car, manifesting into a solid looking red shield, to protect that side. All this in a matter of seconds.

This was her best...the flame shield wasn't a true solid, but liquid plasma. Solidifying the flames into a true solid was currently beyond her, unless she advanced to become a level one lifeform.

Ripples appeared in the shield as something made an impact, the driver accelerating the vehicle in a panic.

Adrianne saw her reflection in the mirror showing the strain on her face as the car zoomed past the building, the attack she was defending being continuous, following the vehicle's motion. 'Just a few seconds...let it hold for just a few more seconds.' She prayed as the sweat droplet threatening to fall into her right eye got increasingly closer.

As the hover car sped past, her defense, which was moving along with the vehicle faltered for a moment, a plasmic beam melting the glass, she, redirecting it with her control over elementium, causing the entire back end to be torn off, including the back rests of the back seats. A chill assaulted her as the cold Wisteria air hit her body.

A shout escaped her mouth at the perilous situation, the car finally having left the path of the beam. She didn't even wait for the driver to settle down and slow the vehicle, leaping out and forming multiple floating plasma footholds, carrying herself to the ground safely.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins, the cacophony of sounds, from the exclamations to the hover car engines caused her brain to be in a soppy mess. 'I need a quieter place.' 

She acted on that thought, darting towards the nearest alley, leaving behind quite the shocked crowd.

"I can't believe it! He actually ordered my death! All these years, he has never cared? Is that it? No no no...a mistake somewhere? That was truly a death sentence! A deathsworn? I..." She mumbled out her thoughts, her feet faltering, but not truly giving out under her, carrying her along mindlessly as she struggled with the reality of the situation.

A flight of stairs in her path caused her to stumble, finally falling onto the ground close to a wall. Tears slid down her face as she silently cried, her mumbles dead within her throat and mind. It had finally sank in. He wanted her dead, probably to erase the tarnish that she would bring to his reputation among the others...not to mention the engagement to that crazy woman's son.

'Adrianne...now its just you. You have to reach him. He's your only hope.' She grit her teeth and stood up, stumbling a little before ambling away, her gaze roaming this dark alley. This was the problem with cities, too little light, caused by the jungle of skyscapers...now, her advantage. She was sure some of her father's goons had been around, having seen her darting into this alley. A change of location had to be initiated, fast!

'If my calculations aren't off, with the hover car's speed, I must have been just under five minutes from arriving at the Star group headquarters.' She wiped the tear trails with the back of her sleeve. 

'...I only have a bit under half left.' She sighed. Due to the previous attack, now even the elementium particles within her crystal had to be spent in a trickle. She had to make sure she didn't waste any as another fight was sure to ensue in the near future. They knew her destination now, surely a blockade of some sort was in order. Turning back was an option, choosing another direction was also an option...but, meeting him would be the only salvation, so battle it was. She trudged along, fear not in her eyes, only, blazing determination!