Roses are Red

Mizumaru's Showers Brings Hayden's Flowers

Chapter Eleven: Mizumaru's Showers Brings Hayden's Flowers

"Hey. The one known as Edward James Bos has a severed artery; he has less than five minutes left to live . . . I'm about to go after Maboroshi, now. The assassination is almost complete." Thirty-two words played like a part of a melody, it's sound different pertaining to those who heard it. Akakana, Kakuju and Mizumaru found it to be a lovely tune with a sense of relief falling over them. To those who were somehow able to overhear the headsets, like Hayden, it began to scream in her ears. And to top it off, the poison was spread through thirty or so headsets, echoing the words over and over through Mizumaru's copies.

It was not possible . . . Ed? Dead? There was just no way that someone so lively could be breathing his last breathes-NOW. It was like hearing of Lady Mine's death again. Two very important people in her life were gone, and she had not been there to do anything about it. What was the point in her position if she had to let those she wanted to protect most of all slip through her fingers?

She had vivid memories of times with both Edward and Lady Mine, some included Maboroshi. Most of them had to do with the times at the Academy, when she was the only girl. Lady Mine had helped argue Hayden's way in when the council considered expelling her, since it caused many fights at the school. She had also been the one to cut Hayden's hair when she wanted to try fitting in more.

Edward had been surprisingly supportive of Hayden, for an older brother. Most people she knew, at that age, had older siblings who wanted nothing to do with the younger of their flesh-and-bloods, but Edward was right behind her.

There had not been a single thing he did not help her with, with the exception of tests and such unless it was to practice or study for it. He would even coach her on how guys got along socially, to help her fit in. Lessons like that would even go into the late hours of the night. He had helped her become stronger, faster, better than all of the other boys-even himself, eventually. And when she asked him to back off and let her fight her own battles against those who had a problem with her, he did.

Why? Why did he have to die?

She planted her sword into the ground, gripping it tight. From under the curtain of her bangs she glanced up, seeing Mizumaru's broad grin and glared. How dare he smile like that? Had he no shame? No remorse? The way he looked at her was more perverse than before. He was actually enjoying this!

That was the last straw.

Mizumaru laughed silently in a grim tone. The look on Hayden's face was absolutely PRICELESS. He found a sadistic joy in her sad face, but ultimately wished for more. If only she had become more tortured, emotionally torn. Maybe she would soon make the angry face. She really did have a beautiful face . . . he wanted to avoid marring such a face with cuts and bruises. That was why he had attempted drowning her twice instead of only one time.

She suddenly collapsed to her knees, bracing her palms against the ground as she hovered. Although her face was overshadowed by her hair, the body language was enough to widen Mizumaru's sneer. This was the picture he wanted to see. This was why men would always be superior to women. They were simply to weak, physically and emotionally.

He brought his hands up and together, rising a small column of water to consume only Hayden. Well . . . third time's the charm, he thought and Hayden's airless bubble was submerged. "That was almost to easy," he thought aloud when Hayden had not come up after a few moments. Little did he know that he had fallen for Hayden's trap. An angry smile had come to her face when she was enveloped in the murky water again but that had gone undetected. As the bubble traveled deeper and deeper, she began to make hand signs, waiting until she created the final seal to open her eyes.