From Quake, To Earth

"Quake? I don't understand. What is that?" Ruby asked me. I met her in her office and she sat at her desk behind some sort of weird box with paper underneath it.

"A group. A dangerous one. Illya told me that Cole might be from it." I explained to Ruby.

"Hm... I don't have any particular reason to trust Illya, so why don't we ask Cole? If he's from an enemy organization for Sky, we can just tell him we have Sky and see if his intentions are true." Ruby said.

For a moment, my eye twitched.

"I think I should ask you just to clarify your true intentions. Are you telling me that I should go over to Cole, tell him we have Sky and see if what Illya said was right? If Cole knew that, why wouldn't he attempt to break out of the prison in order to kill Sky? You're saying that you know this, and don't care?" I asked Ruby one more time.

"You're forgetting that I don't care about the life of Sky Asterio. He's a plague to this world and my city, and I'm housing him out of the pure kindness of my heart, regardless of what he has done to my people, my family, and our livelihood." Ruby said, still looking down at the paper in front of her desk.

I slammed my hand on the desk, threw her papers everywhere, grabbed onto her collar, and shoved her face right up to mine.

"I don't think you understand how fucked you are if you honestly believe that. The people you've taken under your wing, those being my friends, are the most violent people you will ever meet. I have no problem shedding blood in Sky's name, not because it's what he told me to, but because I despise you with every ounce of my body. Don't you dare, not even for a second, believe that you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart. The only reason there hasn't been a knife plunged into your back yet is that you've been keeping Sky safe. The second, and I mean the very second you jeopardize that, you will face hell from every single one of us. Are your doubts cleared, Ruby?" I asked her.

"You'll understand it, one day, Dani. The safety of the people you take under your wing is mutually assured things. When one part of that safety is under pressure, all safety is under pressure. I do not have the time, capacity, or resources to care about the livelihood of Sky, so of course, I would recommend a strategy that challenges his safety in my city. After all, Cole has only exhibited hatred toward one patron of the city and will keep everybody else safe. I see nothing wrong with my proposal." Ruby told me.

"Are you safe? With me in this room right now? If you want to take your own screwed-up logic and use it like that, fine, but I'll ask you, are your people all mutually safe, so long as you and I have unsettled conflict? We are both dangerously close to shedding blood in this room." I told her.

"Unfortunately, you don't scare me, Dani. I'm stronger, faster, and smarter than you in every regard. A fight with me will be a death sentence." Ruby threatened me.

"I highly doubt that. Don't doubt what I've done." I returned to Ruby.

"Do you want your friends to have guaranteed safety here in this city? You said you were done fighting. The second I'm dead, I've already told my second-in-command to throw you out of this city and label you as international criminals. You won't be safe if I'm dead. That's why I'm smarter than you. I've already taken precautions with guards around this room. That's why I'm faster than you. And the guards are here with cleaning supplies, ready to take care of your body when I'm done. That's why I'm stronger than you." She told me.

"You seem to think that we haven't already fought the world for survival. I'll let you win this round, Ruby. But I won't be asking Cole anything of the sort. In fact, I'll be telling him that you are hiding Sky for your own gain. I wonder how he'll react to that." I told Ruby, turning around and reaching for the doorknob.

She was right. I wasn't as smart as her, but she was nowhere near as strong and fast as me. Her body language reeks of lies.

Walking out of Ruby's office, I turned the corner down the side of the building with the metal staircase and returned to Cole's cell in the barracks. He greeted me, but I kept my mouth shut and stood in front of him.

I have a plan.

"My Eye of Providence. Do you know what it is?" I asked him.

His eyes lit up.

"I've heard legends of it... I'm surprised you have such a powerful tool at your disposal. What is it like?" He asked me.

"Doesn't matter. It can see the true intentions of people as well... and within you, I see a group named Quake." I told him.

He froze. He's buying into my lies.

"Fico... and you. What do those names mean to you?" I asked him.

"I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about... Fico? What kind of name is that...?" He slowly asked me more questions, but I wasn't buying into it.

"Sky... Asterio? What an odd name. Why are you hunting for him?" I asked Cole.

"Why... am I hunting Sky Asterio...? How do you know all of this, girl?" He asked me. I had been waiting for this question.

"My Eye of Providence can read intentions. You have the intention of hurting... no, killing Sky Asterio. I want to know your reasons before I tell you mine." I flatly said to him.

"So, you are on my side? I've been weary of you... are you going to kill me?" Cole asked me.

And to seal the deal, I'll begin.

"Kill you? Quite the opposite. I can set you in the right direction." I said to him.