Red Dragon

Monday, March 5, 2012.

Subject: Unknown. Level: N/A.

---

"...Do you know why you're here?"

Dim lights shone down from the ceiling, barely illuminating the room. It looked kind of seedy for a police interrogation room, if you asked me. The walls were dark and uneven, with stains from who knows what every now and then. The table I was handcuffed to was old and rickety, and it looked ready to break if I even brushed up against it. That's why I was leaning back in the chair I had been shoved into, even though it was hard as a rock. I could faintly smell the acrid odor of sweat and cheap coffee.

"Uh, duh," I snorted, giving the beer-bellied cop across from me a look of disbelief. "Though I kinda thought they'd drag me to a place nicer than this sorry joint. Is this even a police station?"

The cop's ears started to redden. "See here missy-"

"That's enough."

I looked up to see that someone had opened the creaky door and stepped inside. My eyes widened in shock at the sight of the person"someone who I hadn't seen in, what, four years? I abruptly jerked forward, ignoring the pain from the chaffing handcuffs. What was she doing here?!

"Mizuki?" I asked incredulously. "Why are you here?"

She had changed little the past three years. She was tall for her side of the family - we were second cousins - towering above me by several inches. Mizuki Pendragon, twenty-five years old, was the heir to the Japanese division of Pendragon Corporation, our family's multimillionaire company. She was the stereotypical Asian beauty, with dark hair and fair skin. She wore her hair back in a perfect bun, and her dark eyes were brought out with eye liner and mascara. She was wearing a professional white dress, but despite it's concealing high neckline, it was still formfitting, showing off her slim figure"except for the obvious baby bump.

"Why do you think, Elysia?" she said flatly, and hearing my real first name made me flinch. "I'm here to get you out of this pitiful situation you've landed yourself in."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, but"since when are you pregnant?"

This time, Mizuki did sigh, reaching up to press a hand to her temple. "Since you disappeared off the grid. Four months ago."

...Well, damn. I leaned back in my seat, taking a moment to process this turn of events before speaking again.

"Never thought your husband had it in him."

"Elysia!" she barked chidingly, like my mother - or at least how my mother would have reacted if she actually acted like my mother.

"Ugh, will you lay off on all the 'Elysia' s**t already?" I groaned, jerking my head back to stare up at the seedy ceiling. "Haven't been called that in years. Everybody calls me Red now."

"I know that." She turned to the cop. "My apologies for the interruption, Officer. But I'm here on my cousin's behalf. All charges have been dropped and I'm here to take her with me."

"Wait, what?!" the cop exclaimed, flabbergasted. "But we've been hunting her for-"

"Years, I know," Mizuki sighed. "The charges have been dropped but she will not be getting off free. We - the Pendragons - do not take her transgressions lightly and she will be dealt with accordingly."

And as soon as I heard her say that, I jerked back to attention, accidentally yanking my arms back, which made the handcuffs dig into my wrists.

"There is no way in hell I'm going back there!" I snapped, scowling. "And there's no f*****g way you can make me. I'd rather go to jail!"

Mizuki crossed her arms over her chest. "I never said you would be returning to New York."

That was where my side of our family lived - the headquarters of the entire corporation. And that was the side of the family that I was estranged from. It was the last place I wanted to be"and they were the last people I wanted to see. Hell, they were the reason I was so fucked up. Though I guess in general our whole family was fucked. It hadn't always been that way. It had only gone to s**t twelve years ago, when my mother revealed that my younger sister was actually my uncle's daughter. My parents got divorced that year, and even though my dad got custody for me, everything just got worse and worse. I didn't remember much of those early days, but Mizuki did, and because of that she was one of the few people in our family who was understanding about my situation. Everyone else just didn't give a s**t.

And four years ago... my dad passed away. My mother regained custody of me, and I was forced to live with her, my a*****e of an uncle, and sister/cousin. It... had been complete hell.

"Well, good," I huffed, leaning back in my chair. "'Cause I sure as hell wouldn't go anyway."

She sighed. "Officer, would you please remove the handcuffs from my cousin and give us a moment?"

The cop grumbled something but complied. Once I was free of the handcuffs, I rubbed my sore wrists, watching the cop leave the interrogation room. Mizuki finally came up to the table and sat down across from me. She was sitting all prim and proper, while I was slouching back in my seat. It was weird thinking of how we came from the same rich family but were both so different.

"What happened to you, Elysia?" she sighed. "You used to be..."

"So good?" I scoffed. "Yeah, well, s**t happens."

"That wasn't quite what I was going for," she deadpanned. "You're a criminal now, Elysia. You're the high ranking member of a notorious gang. A gang that is infamous for drug trafficking and murder."

"...I never killed anyone," I stated coldly. "I've done a lot of s**t, but I'd never f*****g murder somebody."

"And I believe you, of course. But still"what possessed you to get into this mess?"

I scowled, slumping further back in my seat. "You'd never understand."

Mizuki gave me a flat look. "Try me."

That just made me scowl harder. "What was I supposed to do? Stay in that hellhole and let that a*****e do whatever he wants?"

Her face twisted into a grimace as she closed her eyes. "...I never thought of it that way."

"'Course not," I snorted. "You're just like everybody else - jumping to conclusions and condemning me on the spot. And don't deny it. That's exactly what you just did."

She sighed, reopening her eyes to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Elysia. But... I am here to give you a second chance. Please don't squander it."

"...And what exactly is this 'second chance'? What's the catch?"

Mizuki shifted in her seat, resting her hands on the table. "Have you heard of REVOLVE?"

I sat up straighter. "Uh, no. Should I have?"

She shook her head. "No, I was just wondering. REVOLVE is an independent agency secretly funded by the government to investigate suspicious organizations that may be harming the people of our country, or any other country in the world. It was... your father's brainchild - what he really wanted AVALON to become."

...When I was ten years old, my dad founded a nonprofit organization he named AVALON. It's mission was to teach people about climate change, along with helping those in need. They had been able to fully renovate a village in Africa, which changed the lives of the people that lived there, for example. But when he died, my uncle took it over. It was still 'nonprofit' but we all know that was a bunch of bullshit.

"...What's that got to do with me?" I asked.

"This is the deal we're willing to make," she stated. "Your charges will be dropped if you join REVOLVE and help us in our most crucial mission yet - a mission most personal to you."

I narrowed my eyes. "And that is...?"

"Investigating Basile Pendragon and what he has been doing with AVALON," she answered. "It's much more complicated than it sounds, and that's why we need you. I can't explain right now - not here."

I stayed quiet for a moment. So it was finally catching up to him, huh? It took long enough... But it definitely would not be easy to prove that Uncle Basile was guilty of anything. Not with all that money to hire the best f*****g lawyers - or to pay off the cops. I didn't get why they needed me, but if it got me out of going to jail, I might as well go with it.

"...All right, I'm in," I said with a sigh. "Not that I got a choice."

A slight smile seemed to tug at my cousin's lips. "Thank you for being willing. You won't regret this, Elysia. I promise you that."

---

Wednesday, March 7, 2012.

---

"Welcome to the REVOLVE HQ," Mizuki said, gesturing to the massive building before us. "This will be your home while you work for us."

This place looked really fancy shmancy for any independent agency, even if it was funded by both the government and Mizuki's side of the family. It was five stories high, and made of stone. It made me think more of a giant house than the headquarters of anything. It didn't help that the lawn was immaculate and there was a circular driveway that surrounded a silver statue of REVOLVE's symbol"an atom but with our planet as the nucleus.

"This sure beats prison," I drawled, glancing around as I shoved my hands into my pockets. "You sure there ain't any other catches?"

My cousin sighed, giving me a dry look. "Perhaps you could act like you come from an important family instead of a trash heap."

"I don't really see any difference between those two things, cuz," I deadpanned.

"...Touche." She reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, let's go inside."

I followed her up the front steps, and stepped inside after she opened the door. I found myself in a massive hallway with open doorways to other parts of the first floor, and it was bustling with activity. People, all dressed in business attire, were rushing about, and I could hear lots of talking coming from whatever was beyond the doorways. I just stood there for a moment, a bit dumbfounded. Mizuki stopped beside me.

"What's the matter?" she asked, though the faint amused smile on her face betrayed her. "Didn't expect this sophistication? Do you remember Vance Archer? He's in charge of this."

My eyes widened, and I whipped to face her. "For real?! You mean - he's actually here?! I thought he vanished off the face of the earth!"

Vance Archer had been my dad's assistant. He had been a genius college student that Dad had hired to help him with whatever. I never knew what exactly they did in the secret basement of our house - which was where my uncle now lived - but I knew that Dad was an inventor. He probably needed Archer's help to design and build prototypes and stuff. I was never good with the science stuff, so I never got any of the explanations Dad had tried to give me about his work.

"There is a good reason for that," Mizuki said quietly. "Archer asked me to bring you to see him as soon as you got here. Are you ready for that?"

I nodded with a grin. "Hell yeah! Archer was like family!"

My reaction must have cheered her up because she smiled a little. "I'm glad to hear that. You have no idea how happy he was when our agents finally were able to locate you."

"Heh, sounds like him," I laughed. "Well, c'mon, take me! At least one good thing has come out of this! Uh, other than seeing you again, I mean."

She snorted. "Nice save, Elysia. Just follow me."

Mizuki led me down the hallway to an elevator. She pressed the button, and then we waited for it to open. Once it did, we stepped inside, and Mizuki punched in some kind of code. The buttons were just numbers - zero to nine - and not floor numbers. Was that for security or something? If not that was just f*****g weird. I just hoped the codes weren't hard to remember.

The door opened, but someone was waiting on. Mizuki seemed surprised to see him.

"Oh, Christopher - I didn't know you got back."

"Mizuki," he said with a nod, before glancing over at me as we both stepped out. "I take it this is your cousin."

"Ah, yes. Elysia, this is Christopher Snow," my cousin said, gesturing to the man. "He's here on assignment from the government. He works for the FBI. Christopher, this is my cousin, Elysia Pendragon."

I raised an eyebrow. "Damn, you're a fed? Ain't you a little young for that?"

Snow scowled at my statement. Well, he did look young for an FBI agent - he couldn't be older than twenty-five, if he was even that. He was tall and broad shouldered, with neatly cut brown hair and light green eyes. Dressed in a suit and tie, everything about him screamed 'business'. He might have been intimidating to others but he didn't scare me.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he deadpanned. "It's not common that a girl as young as you gets involved with the mafia willingly."

It was my turn to glare. "I'm seventeen, eighteen next month. I'm not some little kid! Hell, I've probably had more sex in one day than you have in your life."

"Elysia!" Mizuki snapped.

"...You just got on my s**t list, smartass," Snow stated icily, giving me probably the fiercest death glare he could muster"which wasn't that scary, in my opinion. "Remember that when you get stuck working with me."

With that, he entered the elevator, and the doors shut. It took me a moment to realize what he had just said.

"...You've gotta be kidding me! I have to work with that a*****e?!"

Mizuki sighed. "Yes. Why else do you think the government would send us someone from the FBI?"

I groaned. "Well, f**k me sideways."

"Could you not be so vulgar?" She sighed again. "Come on, we're almost to Archer's office."

She didn't give me a chance to respond before heading down the hallway, her high heels clacking on the linoleum floor. I continued to cuss myself out mentally as I hurried after her. At the end of the hall was a door, and on that door was a sign that read "Director". Mizuki reached up and knocked on it. A muffled but familiar voice called out, saying we could come in. She opened the door, and gestured for me to go inside first, which I did.

And there, sitting behind a mahogany desk, was none other Vance Archer. He didn't look much older from when I last saw him four years ago. He still wore his straight brown hair on the shaggy side, and his eyes were still as blue as ever, though he had a slight tan now. He had never been one for formal wear, and that could be seen in how loosely he was wearing his suit. He had to be around thirty-four or so now, I believed.

"Archer!" I exclaimed. "Damn, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!"

He laughed, leaning back in his chair. "And it's good to see you as well, Elysia"or would you prefer if I called you Red?"

"Yeah, that's what I go by now."

"Well, Red it is," he said before gesturing to the chairs before his desk. "Please, sit down. Mizuki, would you mind giving us a moment?"

My cousin shook her head. "Not at all. I need to call my husband and tell him the extraction was a success anyways."

"Thank you," Archer said. "I'll call you when we're finished."

She nodded. "Understood."

She left then, closing the door behind her. I took that moment to sit down then. Archer sat up a little straighter as well, reaching up as if to readjust the red tie that hung loosely around his neck. It was weird seeing him dressed all sophisticated. Even when he worked for my dad, the most dressed up I'd ever seen him was in a casual button-up shirt.

"It's been such a long time," he said after a moment, as if he was collecting his thoughts. "The last time I saw you, your hair went down to your waist and you were an awkwardly proportioned young teenager. You've grown into quite the young lady, Red."

"Jeez, finally someone compliments me," I said jokingly. "Though I bet I'm not what you expected."

"I expected nothing, to be honest," he chuckled. "Xavier would be proud, no matter how you turned out. That I know for certain."

I couldn't help but grimace at that statement. Maybe appearance wise"but not personality. Four years ago, I had been a beautifully innocent young girl with big dreams. Fourteen years old with so much hope for her future. But now, if I looked in the mirror, I saw a corrupted and scarred young woman with a lost future. The girl with the long black hair and bright blue eyes was gone. She had cut her hair to her shoulders, dyed her bangs deep crimson, and that bright, hopeful blue of her eyes had darkened and become cold. She even had pierced her nose and lip, but only wore a ruby stud in her nose, which led the snake bites in her lower lip to heal.

"Hah, yeah right," I scoffed. "You know the crimes I've been charged with. Dad would sure as hell not be proud of that."

"And that is why I'm giving you this chance for redemption," Archer stated, leaning forward to claps his hands together on top of the desk. "And perhaps a little revenge on the side."

"...Revenge?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. How could he possibly know...

"Yes, revenge." He sat up completely straight. "Your father's death was not an accident, Red. Xavier was murdered."

My eyes widened. "What?! But the coroner's report-"

"Was false," he told me. "The morgue was paid off by Basile to lie about Xavier's cause of death."

"Wait... you mean..." I scowled, my hands clenching into fists. "That f*****g b*****d! He did it, didn't he?! He killed my dad!"

Archer sighed, nodding sadly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. He was poisoned in his sleep. Of course, this is impossible to prove at this point. But this is much more deeper than your uncle just murdering your father to inherit the company and AVALON."

I just scowled. "How? Tell me every f*****g thing, Archer. All this time I've thought he just had a heart attack - tell me the truth."

"I think this letter would be the best way."

Before I could express my confusion, Archer picked up a yellowed envelope that had been sitting on his desk. He held it out to me. My scowl softened into a frown as I took it from him. It was... addressed to me. Wait... was this from my dad? I quickly tore it open and pulled out the contents. It was written in Japanese, in my dad's handwriting. Probably because Basile was the only one in our family who refused to learn the language, with our blood and legal ties to the country.

To my dearest Elly,

If you are reading this now, I am most likely not alive. I am so terribly sorry that it had to end this way. I love you so much, Elly. You're the reason I got up in the morning, why I worked so hard, why I was able to get through the days. You were my life. I may no longer be with you physically right now, but I will always be with you in spirit. I am so, so proud of you.

My father... really had cared for me. It made me feel awful. If he knew what I had been up to, what I had done, I highly doubted that he would be so proud of me. For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of myself, of what I had done. I had been telling myself all these past years, that as long as I never killed anyone, nothing I was doing was truly wrong. It all had been a lie, to make myself feel better about my lifestyle.

Now, there may be several reasons why I died. I wrote different letters for each and gave them to Mamoru, instructing him to give you the letter that fit the situation. What is this letter's reason, you ask? Murder.

That was what Archer just told me. But originally the letters must have been given to Mamoru, our butler back at the mansion. I hoped he was still there, working for my uncle and mom. He must have been trying to protect me, not giving me this letter. But he hadn't been able to protect me from...

No, I wasn't going to think about that.

Our family has always been dysfunctional. Ever since we became millionaires, money has split us. I wanted to try to reunite us once I became CEO so we could be a real family again. However, I soon discovered that it would be impossible... because of my brother.

He could say that again. That b*****d was the root of all our problems. He has stolen his own brother's wife, having an affair with her while he was entrusted to take care of his brother's family while he was away. How much lower could you get? It was so obvious that Basile was the killer.

Yes, my dearest. I am very sure that Basile was the one who killed me. He has always been jealous of me. In fact, when we were children, there were multiple incidents in which he attempted to harm me, if not actually kill me. But I was blinded by my own belief that family would never betray you. Until recently, that is. Basile had slipped into my office, and I discovered him searching through very important documents that I kept locked in my safe.

Even though I already knew this, a sick feeling was knotting up my stomach. Checking this letter's date, I saw that it was written not long after Mom had left us for Basile, back in 2001. Naturally, Dad would begin to become wary of his brother after what he did to us. Damn... he had been aware that Basile was going to back stab him all the way back then.

I believe that this all has to do with the secret project that I have been working on since before you were born. It's about time I tell you about it, Elly. Many years ago, my father discovered a cavern deep within the earth filled with literally every kind of precious and semi-precious jewel in the world. But there was something different about them"they gave off energy. This energy was equal to nuclear energy, if not more powerful, and did not have the same side effects. I begged my father to let me investigate this as a new energy source, and he agreed, much to Basile's chagrin, as he had wanted it all to himself.

So his secret project... had to do with strange gems that gave off energy? If I remembered correctly, recently the Pendragon Corp.'s sales of gemstones and jewelry had increased dramatically. They were getting even cheaper so people with less money could buy them. It had been this way for a few years now. What was that b*****d up to? Was he selling those jewels?

However, I discovered that it was impossible to extract the gems' power with a machine. Instead, they always seemed to react with the human body. Thus, I dubbed them "Life Stones". It took several years, but I conceptualized that if worn by a human and if the Life Stone came in contact with blood, it would activate, transforming the human into a superhero of sorts. It took several more tests but we learned that the Life Stones came in ranks of powers"emeralds were the weakest, then sapphires, rubies, and lastly diamonds at the most powerful. Each Life Stone seems to have a mind of its own, and a human must be "chosen" by it in order to utilize its power.

Holy s**t! That was amazing! It reminded me of those magical girl animes my younger cousins in Japan had made me watch with them whenever we visited. I would never admit it, but I had really liked those shows. This discovery... would definitely change the world as we knew it. If these Life Stones got in the wrong hands... who knew what hellish horror could be unleashed.

I then realized that the Life Stones could be used as weapons. Using their power, we could create the ultimate soldier. They posed a threat to the peace of the world, something I was striving for. If they fell into the wrong hands, they could cause World War III, the end of the world. That thought terrified me, Elly. But before I could call the project to a halt, we found something in the deepest, darkest part of the cavern.

Great minds thought alike. And I could completely understand why my dad had felt that way. He had always been a peaceful man. He despised conflict, and had just wanted to make the world a better place. That's why he founded AVALON - his attempt to help make the wrong better. And I had to agree with him on this one. But what the hell had they found?

It was a gargantuan Life Stone that looked like a diamond at first, but actually was iridescent. It was the most beautiful gemstone I had ever seen before in my life. Words cannot describe its loveliness. It radiated power, the strongest energy we had ever felt. We could barely could stand in its presence. And you know what, Elly? The first thing I thought of when I saw it was you. It was as heavenly as your first name"Elysia. It is derived from the Greek word "Elysium", which is a place in the Underworld where the truly good people go to spend the rest of eternity.

I... didn't know what to think. Why would that Life Stone remind him of me? Because it was heavenly? I was a goody-two-shoes back then, after all.

I dubbed it the "God Stone". When I walked up to touch it, it shrank into a smaller size, coming right out of the wall. That had never happened before. So I decided to keep it for myself, even though I was shutting down the project. I tested it in my secret lab beneath the mansion. Words cannot describe the power of the God Stone. It could destroy the planet in one blow, if not more. I also believe it is the original Life Stone"the source of all of them.

I stared at the paper in my hands. This was just getting worse and worse. Did Basile kill my dad because of this?

So I locked the God Stone away so no one could ever get their hands on it. But somehow, Basile found out. He wanted to see it, but I refused. This happened about two years ago, in 1999.

That was probably when Basile started planning to murder my father and do whatever else he was planning. I had only been four years old at the time, and that was the year that Clarisse, my sister and cousin, had been born under the guise of being Dad's child.

Now, listen to me, Elly. I have no idea what my brother is planning, but I fear that the world is in grave danger. Under normal circumstances, I would never do this, but I have no other choice. I want you to take up the God Stone. I want you to use its powers to stop my brother. When you turn eighteen, you inherit the Pendragon Corporation, which means that Basile will want you dead. You must take action, if only to save yourself.

I sat there, in Archer's office, staring at the letter again. My father wanted me to do this? How could I, when I was such a mess?! So many awful things had been done to me, and in turn I had done bad things! I was a criminal! The only reason I hadn't been locked up was because of my family's power! How the hell could I be a hero, when I was such a bad person?!

...And f**k, my eighteenth birthday was next month. I would be on Basile's hit list. I had completely forgotten that I was the true heir of Pendragon Corporation. I had been so wrapped up in my new life, it had slipped my mind.

Don't doubt yourself, Elly. Remember who you truly are - Elysia Ruby Pendragon. My heir, the future 100th CEO, a beautiful, talented young lady with passion and drive, and most importantly, my daughter. I will always love you, Elly. No matter who you have become or what you have done. You are perfect just the way you are. Don't change for anyone. Never, ever forget that.

And never forget - I am always with you.

Love,

Dad

I couldn't move. Tears were filling my eyes, threatening to fall. There was a dull ache in my heart. Oh, I missed him so much. He had always been there for me. Every night, he would tuck me into bed, even if he was busy. He would even read me a bedtime story if I wanted. My dad always listened to what I had to say. I never had bothered him. And he...

He was gone. He would never come back.

Every part of me wanted to crack, wanted to break down sobbing right then and there, in front of my dad's most trusted friend. But I couldn't. Not because crying made me weak. Because it would solve nothing. Because I had finally found a reason to live. Because there was no reason to throw myself into dangerous situations anymore. I now had a purpose.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I reopened them and met Archer's steady gaze.

"...I'm in," I stated firmly. "I'm gonna make that b*****d sorry he ever messed with me and Dad."

Archer smiled, pleased. "I knew that would turn you around. You'll be needing this, then."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a tiny gold key. With that key, he reached down to unlock a drawer in his desk. He slowly and carefully took something out before shutting the drawer.

It was a silver necklace, or maybe pendent was a better word. And infused in the belly of what that resembled our family crest - a European dragon rearing up, its jaws gaping wide - was an iridescent gem that radiated pure power. It almost seemed to glow on its own.

"The God Stone?" I asked in shock. "I get... the God Stone?"

"You may not remember this as you were sleeping, but one time Xavier took the God Stone to see if it would accept you," Archer informed me. "And as soon as it made contact with your skin, it began to gleam more than even now. You, Red, are the only one capable of using the God Stone. And we will need it to stop Basile from whatever he's planning."

I could... barely believe this. But I slowly reached out to take the necklace from him. I carefully slipped it over my head and around my beck. The silver dragon rested perfectly on my chest. But I couldn't help but touch the stone"and much to my surprise, the gem's color transformed into a brilliant crimson.

"It also did that," he chuckled, amused by my reaction. "Just another sign that it accepts you, Red. Your new nickname really is fitting."

I couldn't help but smile. "Heh, I guess so. But I got a question. I'm not gonna be doing this on my own, am I?"

Archer shook his head. "No. Truth be told, Xavier came up with an emergency plan just in case your uncle became a threat. However, I do know that Basile somehow discovered this plan and transformed it into something else. We have Intel that tells us that he calls it Project Eden - as the name expects, we fear he will try to use the Life Stones to create a world in his image. AVALON has recently announced Project Eden in the pretense of creating a better place for everyone. But our Project Eden - the true manifestation - will equip chosen youth with Life Stones to help you in your cause. We already have two other members chosen for you."

Ugh... That b*****d would twist everything my dad ever did for his own use and gain. It made me despise him even more.

"Got it," I said with a nod. "When will I get to meet them?"

"Later today, hopefully," Archer chuckled. "Mizuki had been hoping to join you, as she has been chosen by a Life Stone, but as you've seen her current state, she will be unable to."

I wasn't surprised. Mizuki might act all cool and collected all the time, but I knew she was secretly a badass. She was trained in some kind of martial art and knew how to use a sword thanks to fencing lessons. You really did not want to mess with her. Her kid was going to have an amazing mom.

"Eh, it's cool," I said with a shrug. "I'm happy for her. I knew she wanted a family."

Archer nodded, before pursing his lips seriously. "There is one more thing we must discuss, Red. Your inheritance of Pendragon Corp.."

I winced. "Yeah, about that... do you want me to claim it or what?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy," he sighed. "Not with how the whole world knows of your unsavory actions. We must put you on the path of redemption from the public. Mizuki will be handling it, as your 'official' guardian until you turn eighteen. But you will have to attend high school and do other community service type things to make yourself look like you're cleaning up your act."

"Ugh, seriously?! I haven't been to school in ages!" I groaned, before flopping back in my chair. "What about dating, though? What if I meet someone hot and am like 'yo I totally got to tap that'"er, I mean 'date that'."

Archer actually rolled his eyes at me. "I'm not sure if that will be a good idea, Red."

"You're killing me here, Archer!" I groaned dramatically. "And come on, it's not like I'm gonna start making out with somebody in public."

"Let's wait and see if you actually become interested in someone first, Red," he said dryly. "And our definition of dating is not just having sex. We've sadly all heard of your notoriety in that department."

"Damn, word gets around fast - wait, that's not fair!"

"Elysia."

"Okay, okay, fine, whatever. You're starting to sound like my mother, if she actually acted like my mother. And for the record, I've met people worse than me."

"...I sadly have to agree with that. The first part, I mean."

"But seriously, I met this one guy-"

"I don't even want to know."