Episode 080 Previous Episode	Next Episode
“Just as the crimson rose has thorns…that which was taken from a lake of effervescent blue forbids the touch of man. As long as beauty remains, it spins deadly poison into its surroundings. True beauty is destined to be hidden forever, hence my mask.” Vega, Super Street Fighter II: Cammy Everett pulled himself up, his shoulders barely clearing the ledge of the building. He glanced down at the two-story drop below. Before him, the Crimson Rose watched in horror as he hung onto the side of the building. He breathed consciously and glanced over the side of the building at the drop beneath his sneakers. He smiled nervously. He got his legs swinging and kicked the wall, using the impact to fuel his momentum as he pulled himself up onto the ledge of the building. Landing his feet on the very edge of the building, he stood up, the breeze at that height causing his black trench coat to wave off his side. The Rose drew his rapier, readying the nightstick in his other hand. “I’m unarmed,” Everett said fearlessly from the ledge. “If you don’t put those weapons away and surrender, I will take them from you and use them on you.” He could see the effect his words had on the Rose. The vigilante began to back up. “We will catch you,” he said, stopping the Rose in mid-step. “You’re already exhausted,” he said. He smiled and began to imitate the Rose’s artificial breathing from his gas mask. “Do you think you can hold out much longer?” The Rose slid the nightstick back behind his cape and reached across his body for a pouch on his right side. He withdrew his closed hand, something white within his grasp. Everett took a deep breath, steadying himself. The two were still, the Rose’s cape fluttering in the same direction as Everett’s trench coat. Neither moved. Their eyes stayed locked on one another. In a flash, the Rose threw a handful of tiny bags of white paper at Everett. He ducked to his right, letting them fall over the side of the building as the Rose dashed into the other direction. Everett dropped off the side of the building and started to pursue. The Rose reached the far side of the building, only to find Ledger climbing up the fire escape. Without slowing, the Rose leapt off the side next to the fire escape. As he cleared the lip of the building, he fired his grappling hook onto the fire escape. The line came taught just a few feet from the ground, letting the Rose slam feet-first into the side of the building. Everett looked at the grappling hook, he and Ledger taking a second to appraise the shoddy device. “They sell these in those weird survivalist magazines,” Ledger exclaimed as the Rose dropped to the alley floor. He stared at the Rose for a moment and looked down at the cement below. He sighed with frustrated determination and threw himself off the fire escape, falling two stories. He crumbled expertly into a roll and came up running. As the Rose made it to the end of the alley, he threw down another handful of caltrops back at Ledger, but the knight simply vaulted over them, closing on the Rose. The two spilled out onto the street, only to have a police squad car come swerving in front of them. “This is the…” the men inside the car got far enough to say before the Rose sprinted over the top of the car. Ledger rushed around the side, ignoring the cops as they got out. The two ran into another alley, the Rose leaping up onto trash bin and using that to vault onto a rooftop. Catching the side of the roof, the Rose kicked off the wall to throw himself onto the other, slightly lower roof. Ledger closed quickly from behind, jumping onto the trash bin as well and jumped at the other building. Not quite reaching the ledge, he fell into the alley as the cops approached. “Freeze!” they both yelled, aiming their guns. Ledger looked up the building as the Rose climbed over. He dropped his shotgun, the tether line keeping it against his legs, and held up his hands. The police moved for Ledger, both placing their hands on his shoulders. In a flash, Ledger whirled around, catching both cops’ arms and trapping them against his body. He jammed his thumb into the first officer’s neck and slapped his lower chest. The officer fell over, unconscious before he hit the pavement. The second officer tore his hand away and Ledger chopped the ridges of both his hands into either side of the man’s neck, knocking him out in a flash. He grabbed up his shotgun and leapt back up onto the trash bin. Making the same leap a second time, Ledger grabbed the edge of the building and pulled himself up. The Rose ran for all he was worth. Running across the building tops, he vaulted over any obstruction rather than slowing down. The rooftop gravel was sent scattering as he ran. He quickly jumped over the dividers between the buildings, rushing for the far side of the block. As he neared, Everett climbed up the fire escape. The Rose skidded to a halt, turning as Ledger slowed his approach from behind, the two knights sandwiching the vigilante. The Rose turned back and forth between them, drawing his rapier. Ledger cocked his shotgun, letting the sound echo off the Rose’s sword. The Rose turned to Everett who drew off his black trench coat, his dark blue shirt beneath melting into the urban nighttime. “Surrender,” Everett called as he wrapped his trench coat around his forearm. The Rose looked from Ledger to Everett and back. He turned towards Ledger, only to jump backwards at Everett, turning in mid-leap. He stabbed at Everett, but he deflected the attack with his padded arm. He connected with a hard blow to the Rose’s midsection, doubling the vigilante over. He stepped back, shaking his hand. “That is body armor,” he confirmed angrily, opening and closing his fingers. Bent over, the Rose dropped his sword, holding his stomach. Gasping desperately, he fought to stay standing. Ledger and Everett came to stand over the Rose. “This is no knight,” Ledger declared with disgust. “Who are you?” Everett demanded. The Rose continued to breath harshly, saying nothing. “Who are you?” Everett barked again. The Rose’s breathing began to grow steady. Everett reached down, grabbing the Rose by the collar of his jacket. Yanking him to his feet, Everett drug the Rose to the edge of the building. Stepping up onto the ledge, he pulled the Rose over the side, letting the vigilante dangle solely by the strength of his grip. The Rose, vividly aware of his position, grabbed Everett’s arms frantically. “Who are you?” Everett yelled. Distant squad cars could be heard approaching down the city streets as Ledger stepped up onto the lip of the building with Everett. With his shotgun ready, he grabbed the Rose’s mask, yanking it off. Underneath it was Marilyn.
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