My Sister, The Chosen One

Twenty

ScHoolboy Q- Man of The Year

Ace:

There hasn't been a single night when silence hasn't felt suffocating until last night. I lay in her spare room. The walls here are paper thin. The sound of her clicking away at her keyboard surprisingly didn't bother me in the slightest. She even tried to keep her voice down and for the most part, she succeeded. I had to fight every bone in my body to keep myself from going into her room to see what she was playing. Sleep came easily after she turned the computer off. In the morning, I woke up to the smell of breakfast. She was on the phone when I approached the kitchen. She smiled at me and pointed at a plate and then at one of my duffle bags on the floor.

"I asked Knuckles to bring you a change of clothes," she whispered covering the mic on her phone. I nodded and sat down to have breakfast with her. I took a couple of drinks from my coffee before she hung up. This is my first time trying it and I already know it's not going to sit well with me, so I set it aside. "What is it with wind fairies and coffee?"

"You're a wind fairy," I smiled when she took a seat across from me.

"Yeah, but I was raised blossom," she smirked.

"It disrupts our bowels and growth. Wind fairies are fast and we need the extra energy we take in from our food,"

"Coffee gives you energy," she shrugged.

"Coffee does not. It makes your pulse go faster. It's synthetic. Keeps you awake but after it makes you feel like trash once it wears off. It's more of a drug,"

"Wow," she set her mug down. "Did you sleep well? I wasn't being loud, was I?"

"Loud? I think your cat made more noise than you," I picked up the fork she placed on the plate. "She slept on the left side of the bed I slept in,"

"Yeah, she goes in there. I thought it was because she wanted to be alone but I guess it doesn't matter who she's in there so as long as it's not me," she sighed, clearly bothered by that observation. That's adorable.

After we were done she took my plate. I offered to wash them, she glared at me as if I had deeply insulted her. I got the bag she had Knuckles bring and walked back into the room. I took a quick shower. He even included my daily care products. She must have instructed him to because Knuckles never pays attention to details. He does exactly as he's told. She was sitting outside talking to Knuckles and a couple of the other guys having a cigarette when I was done.

She's wearing a black flowy skirt that goes past her knees and a black button-up tucked into the skirt. There are ripples in the front of it with a black scarf tied into a bow at her collar. Her hair is pulled back into a braid that goes around her head like a crown. Her bangs hide her eyes. They're not red right now, they're a soft pink shade. I looked down at her boots and laughed. Out of all the things Knuckles bought for her to choose from, I didn't expect this. There might be a sense of style in there after all.

"Is it to your liking?" she scoffed dropping the cigarette butt on the ground before stepping on it with her new boots. Overall, it was money well spent.

"Better," I nodded. "Needs work,"

"You keep working on it," she smirked. "I love presents,"

"Sir, the portal in Airston is waiting," Knuckles handed me two pucks. We all got into the cars waiting for us. I examined her fake passport and handed it to her. She went through it with a smile on her face.

"I can keep this when it's over, right?" she asked looking over at me.

"I don't see why not,"

"Do I have to pay you for it?"

"No,"

"Sweet. It'll be functional after?"

"It should be,"

"You're not lying to me, are you? Like if I try to get off Realm I'm not going to be arrested or thrown out the army for this am I?"

"No, no one even knows you have a fake passport. Stop worrying about it,"

"Doesn't our government monitor these?"

"To an extent. You have to be wanted for them to look you up in the system. Which is why I get a new one every time I make the jump,"

"You'll be able to use your actual name once this is over," she whispered. I laughed. Knuckles and Diamond Eight looked back at me. "Why are you laughing?"

"You don't honestly believe that do you?"

"Yeah," she reached under her skirt to reveal a pouch strapped to her thigh. She pulled out a USB. "This is your pardon signed by every Elder of the Realm and the Royal Select. For you and the others. I've read your file and I'm honestly really impressed with everything you've accomplished. You're an amazing investor. You're good with numbers and marketing. Some of the most important skills required to make it big in Aldrich. Sure, some consider your methods of persuasion to be a little unethical but if you're not the one slapping people around in Aldrich you're probably the one being slapped around,"

"What if I don't want to give up slapping people around? What if it's the only thing that keeps me going?" I turned away. How does she get it? Who the hell is she? I can't get an exact read on this chick.

"Then find something better. This isn't just about you. You have people you need to take care of. Join the airforce. Whatever it takes to keep them off your ass and the families of the men who follow you into that dark place because they know you're the only one who can bring them back,"

"I can't just quit. There's a reason why I have to stay where I am. If I'm not the Ace someone else will take my place. This isn't about my men or my business. It's about the people around us. The crime rate in the Aldea is down because I make sure it is. I control the distribution of all narcotics and pharmaceuticals. I make sure that the little girl on your street doesn't accidentally swallow something she wasn't supposed to. I make sure she isn't taken off the street and sold to some ass hole with a baby fetish. No one is stupid enough to come into any of my territories to disrupt the peace we've created. And when they do, they're taken care of,"

"That's not your responsibility,"

"No, it isn't but you don't see anyone else working on it. You know that better than anyone. I leave and these animals will tear each other apart trying to claim what I already own. Even if I went to prison, things would stay the same. I'm what Sage calls the necessary evil. I was pardoned, not because they wanted to give me a fresh start. I was pardoned so that the King has access to me and my men when needed in exchange for them to look the other way when I'm not on their payroll. We all work for the Spade now,"

"What does that mean?" she asked. "The Spade,"

"There are four aces in a deck. The Ace of Diamond. The Ace of Spade. The Ace of Hearts. The Ace of Clovers. I am the Diamond and Sage is the Spade whether she likes it or not. I suppose it's the same as the Royal Select. Four Kings to one realm. The spade supplies the armory. The Heart manages the money. The Clover oversees the shipments. The diamond does all those things. It's my job to make sure they're all doing what they're supposed to be doing and fix any errors. Sage and I never really kept a low profile. What we had to do to get where we are was something a lot of people couldn't ignore. A lot like she does with Rey now,"

"Is it true you killed your dad?" she asked suddenly.

"Is it true you put your dad in prison?" I smiled. She laughed.

"Yep. f**k him," she nodded proudly. The others laughed.

"Yeah, f**k them both," I agreed.

I've never had anything in common with anyone. Sage and I worked because she was attracted to the violence. Something inside of her died a long time ago and she wanted to show everyone exactly how she felt and it worked in both our favor. However, I never really understood her. Her reasoning never made sense to me. Her anger was something empty. It was like she was robbed of all the kindness she pretends to offer. Then she found joy in hurting and humiliating others. Yet, there's more to that. There's an undeniable stupidity in her that is going to get her killed one day and she welcomes it. It feels a lot like she's testing death itself to see how far it's willing to let her go before it stops her. It often felt like I was the only thing standing between her and her destruction.

Airston is new money territory. This is where the younger successful generation that was able to claw their way out of middle-class live. This is where the old money fallen from grace end up. It's nice but it'll never be the Aldea. The portal to Realm jump here is new. They haven't put military tracking magic in it. The Gatekeeper is a nineteen-year-old beast. His dad works for The Ace of Hearts and she has them all eating out of the palm of her hand. She's going to love hearing that Sage is playing with us again.

"Was it smart to show me this?" Captain Airstrike asked when Knuckles handed her a backpack. She knelt down and inspected it. She pulled out the handguns and smiled when she looked inside to see what else he had given her. "Sage supplied these? I love her. It's Chestmere all over again,"

"What did she get you for Chestmere?" I asked.

"What? I didn't know her. I mean this is what this feels like," she waved me off as she slipped the backpack on. "Alright, everyone going in gather around," her happy features changed. She's completely serious now. She pulled out a puck from under her skirt and activated it. "This is the compound. Lord of the Realm had his men scout the area for us and one of his favorites sent over our target's morning schedule,"

"Damn," Knuckles nodded.

"When we arrive, he will barely be waking up. His room is on this top floor overlooking the garden. He goes down to the first floor to get his morning pump before breakfast. We're going to wait for that," she checked her watch. "He's a family man everyone in the house will be at that table. Anyone that matters.

"Now, for those of you who are still very skeptical about my presence here, I know we've had our little ups and downs. I arrest you. You threaten to kill me and my family. We go around and around this fun little circle we live in. But, I assure you this is not what I am here for. This mother fucker almost cost us our Royal Select. I can care less about the Lord of the Realm he's a f*****g prick but he was able to get to our king and our guardian. I want nothing more than to show everyone why that's a big no-no. Everyone in the compound dies,"

"Yes," Knuckles cheered.

"With that said. Have fun guys. I'm not sure how you guys work as a team but let's get this done. Let me know if you have a problem with killing someone. I don't. You don't get to where I am and feel stupid s**t like remorse. These are the blood relatives in the compound that have the same access to magic that can produce spells as strong as a Loop. Eliminate them,"

"That's a fifteen-year-old," someone pointed at one of the files.

"That one is mine. Any other concerns?" she asked.

"The little girl?"

"They're going to be seated together at the edge of the breakfast table. I will walk in first and take care of the children. Fair?" she asked looking around. They all nodded. "Are we good?"

"Yeah," I nodded. She handed me the puck. "Knuckles, take Lance and his team north. Surround the area. We're taking the south entrance. Airstrike is going to walk in first. Requested by our Spade. I know she hasn't been here a while but she's clearly making up for the lost time. These are our new toys. She says she hopes you like them as much as she does. I want a clean sweep, Knuckles. None of that FRA bullshit. We have to be in and out,"

"This is an illegal placement puck. I'm going to put it in the portal transference. It's going to give us a fifteen-minute window. Go in, clear the grounds, eliminate all sub-targets, grab what you can, and get back to the portal before it closes. If it closes and you're still on the other side, I'm sorry but you're on your own. With that being said," she reached into her pocket and held out her hand. There are hundreds of little SD cards. "Put this in your puck and it'll bring up all exits and stashes we have in that area. Change, take the money, and get to the nearest portal. Show the gatekeeper the SD card and they will send you back here if you make it. Also courtesy of Sage. Any questions?"

"Fifteen minutes?" Knuckles asked.

"Yes. In and out," she nodded.

"Have you done fifteen-minute missions like this?"

"I actually had it extended. I know you guys are good but you're all still fairly amateurs. A mission like this takes us eight minutes. The Royal Select can do it in four,"

"Shut the f**k up. Sasha can get to this man and everyone in the compound with just two others and get out of there in four minutes?"

"Yes. In fact, she can go in and take the target without anyone noticing as well. The only reason we're not doing that is because Elder Redwood is in love with her and he's taking it personally,"

"Does she love him?" Knuckles asked without taking his eyes off of me. She glanced at me before she let out a low laugh.

"It looks like she's interested. Redwood is kind of a piece of s**t and that seems to be her type. She actually listens to him. He had her in a meeting and she didn't speak out of term until the threat on her sister came up. Whatever she wants from him, she's paying tribute to get it,"

"I thought she was coming back," someone stated. "Is Spade open for grabs?"

"She's not dead yet," I answered. "You all know how that works,"

They all stood up when Airstrike went over to the gatekeeper. She whispered something into his ear and he agreed. He took something from her and walked away leaving us and the portal alone. Gatekeepers are some of the strongest fairies in all Realms. The only fairies stronger than them are Sage. Sages all have genius-level access to the magic of the Elder Trees. It's almost as if the trees themselves pick Sages to protect them. Almost always, Sages are born into wind elements. The fastest fairies in the fae world.

"You're staying with me," she informed me. "We're headed to the Elder Tower with our target so you can get your reward,"

"I thought you had it in that little USB,"

"I do. It has to be unlocked by Elder Redwood," she sighed.

"He's thorough," I scoffed. She smirked.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"No," I answered honestly.

"Then why are you so low about her?"

"I always figured that once she got what she wanted, she'd come back and I'd finally get to show her there's more to me than the boy she saved in that alley. I wanted more than all of this for her but she's in love with the danger. She doesn't give a f**k about anyone. If Redwood is in love with her, she's going to get bored eventually. Void fairies don't see anything in their darkness. It's just them and what's standing in front of them at that moment. It's obvious I've faded into nothing already,"

"That's not true," she sighed. "She would have killed you on that rooftop if it were. She's had plenty of opportunities to do so since then. I would have. Without hesitation. I've seen her do that with a smile on her face. You're right. She is in love with the danger, but when she loves someone. She doesn't smile. It hurts her. You shouldn't think about why she walked away, think of all the benefits that have come with her leaving. The peace behind it. Let it go. Move on. Overthinking is toxic. If there is a deeper meaning in the why who f*****g cares. You have no control over it. Fire and move on. You still have a full clip in your gun,"

The portal opened. Knuckles and the others walked through first. We followed with our own team. As soon as we stepped down on the platform, she began to take out guards. I motioned the others to spread out. She removed her backpack and pulled out the SMG and loaded it expertly. I did the same with my own.

"In position," she called out. The others answered her when they reached their location as she kept her eyes on her watch. "On my say, you follow,"

"Aye," Knuckles agreed. She looked back at me.

The two of us stepped out from behind the pillar and began to make our way to the front of the house. She killed the two guards inside. Everything is happening so fast. I've had places raided like this but it's never been this smooth before. This is happening without a second thought. It's finally registering for me. Sage doesn't stop to think about what she's doing in the moment. She doesn't have time to sit and think about what she's about to do because she's already done it. It's behind her already.

"Take out the two older women. I'll take out the kids and the man on the right and get to the target. Ready?"

"Ready," I nodded. She held her hand up counting down from three on her hand.

As soon as her hand became a fist, the two of us stepped into the dining room. The man at the end of the table stood up. She killed the two kids and the man sitting close to the window and I took care of the two women closest to me. She pulled out her puck showing him who she is. The man didn't have time to process what just happened. None of us did. It's a fleeting occasion. Something we're not going to have to think about because it feels like it never really happened.

"Sweep the perimeter," she ordered. It was quiet for an instant as she began to bind the man. She placed a set of black goggles on his face and began to walk him over to the door.

"Do you want anything from here?" I asked her. She smiled looking back at me.

"No. Unless you find something you think I might like. I'm good," she shrugged giving the target a hard shove.

Captain Airstrike waited for all my men to step through the portal. When I arrived she shut the portal and opened it again. She motioned me to go through first. I glanced back to make sure everyone had gotten through. When I didn't see anyone I walked through. I've never actually been to the Elder Towers. There are five of them. One for every social class in Aldrich. The one we're walking to is for the Elite.

Everyone here is clean cut. They're all staring at me like they know I don't belong. Five guards walked out of the entrance with their guns aimed at us. The one upfront went over to the target immediately and took him inside. Before any of us could say anything the portal we had just walked through opened up and Knuckles walked through with Haley in his arms. I went over to them. She was shot. I placed my hand over the wound and froze it to buy her some time.

"That's him," someone pointed at Knuckles.

"Stand down," Airstrike ordered. She stepped back positioning herself behind me as I tried to stop the bleeding. "Luaire, back the f**k up,"

"That's Knuckles," the guard pressed.

"Stand down," she repeated. "We have clearance to-"

"Shut up, b***h,"

A shot was fired. The shot hit Knuckles in the shoulder taking him down. I reached for my handgun but didn't have to. Captain Airstrike shot down two guards. The two other ones all stepped back with their hands up.

"I told you mother fuckers to back the f**k up," she shouted.

"Captain Airstrike," they all tensed up at the sound of his voice. Elder Redwood walked out from his tower dressed the way Sage was the other night. All black. He looks messy. Like he had been fighting.

"Sir," she put her gun down and bowed her head. He let out a long sigh.

"Drop your guns. Slide them out," he ordered.

"I'm not going to do that," I stood up. "They fired first. Who's to stop the others from doing the same?"

"Captain," he motioned her over to him. She put the gun down and slid it over to him. She handed him the USB she had shown me. He took it placing it in a puck before he took it out and handed it back. "Send them off. Your presence is required inside in five. I'll have this cleaned up,"

"Sir," she bowed. He walked back inside. She instantly turned around to face me. "You have to get the hell out of here, right now," she helped Knuckles up. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, he hit my shoulder," he nodded.

"Take Third Street down that way. Head all the way down. There's a clinic to the left at the end of the culdesac. Tell the receptionist Sage sent you. Put this into your pucks and it'll settle your pardon. They won't hesitate to treat you. I'm sorry,"

"You have nothing to apologize for. Here," I handed her my backpack. She took it and unzipped it. "You like cats right?"

"Oh, my sweet fireflies. It's a kitty," her eyes watered. "It's for me?"

"Yeah," I nodded. She took it out rubbing her face against it. The kitten loved the attention.

"I can't take her inside with me. I'll pick her up later. I promise. Just go. I'll find you," she handed it back to me. "Go,"