Sanctuary Agency-Chapter 29: Rebuild, Reconnect

〘Date: 2/12 - Tuesday〙

〘Time: 6:20 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Royal Creek〙

After chasing Momo across the city and losing the police that were hot on our tracks, I finally caught up to her, parking my car beside her motorcycle in front of a small building with a Red Panda logo placed at the front. I got out of my car, hearing upbeat music playing from the speakers outside.

I looked around my surroundings, making my way toward the front door and pushing the doors, stepping inside to see a paradise made for... Red Pandas. As I walked around the bamboo safe haven, I carefully walked around a group of cuddly russet fur critters, looking around for Momo.

〔Phroa: Master! These are actual Red Pandas! How have they come here to New America from United Asia? That travel should be impossible!〕

"Your guess is as good as mine. They are endangered species after all...my question is why is Momo here?" I replied thoughtfully, continuing to search around for Momo.

I searched every corner of the main area, even taking a break to play with some of the pandas that approached me. During my search for Momo, I couldn't hear the sounds of glass being shattered in the near distance, turning my attention toward the main source.

With a sense of urgency, I began bolting toward the sound of the smashing, bursting through the back exit and noticing Momo smashing an old car in the distance with her bat. Momo grunted loudly with each swing, slamming her bat against the car with extreme force, her body physically recoiling from the impact.

Momo growled loudly, stomping her foot against the front bumper of the car, trying to break it apart even more. "It's...all her fault! Why?! Why!? Why did you have to betray us!" Momo screamed, throwing her bat at the car with so much force, the bat bulleted straight through as if it were a brick.

"Momo! Momo!" I called out to her, hurrying toward her and watching as she decimated what was left of the car.

Momo heard my voice, stopping her destruction and panted softly, strands of her hair falling over her face. She fixed her glasses on her face, catching her breath and turned away from me. "Why are you here..?"

I glanced between her and the car, noticing it was destroyed beyond repair. On the busted hood of the car, rested an uncrumbled picture of herself, Karin, and Leona, each of them smiling brightly in the photo together. I removed the shattered glass from the photo, getting a clearer image of the photo with the date at the bottom.

'Four years ago...?' I thought to myself, looking up and noticed Momo was now sitting in the totaled car, streaks of tears rolling down her face.

I couldn't bare to see Momo like this, the once never extinguishing flame now turned into the smoke of what was once there. I walked toward the passenger side, getting inside as well and glanced around the car, knowing only pure rage was used to beat up the car.

"Why are you breaking the car..?" I asked softly, turning my gaze toward Momo with a hint of sorrow in my eyes.

Momo glanced at me then leaned over toward the glove compartment, opening it and taking out an old piece of paper with a headline on it, sitting back in her seat. "Four years ago...I used to be apart of a member of The Swords, a faction that was only me, Karin, and Leona. The three of us fought to defend my grandmother's legacy against the Riches..."

"We were so close to preventing Fredrick's rise...I was right there...we had him cornered and one swing would've been enough. But...that dream died when Karin betrayed us. She put an iron pole to my back to prevent Spade District's fall," Momo continued, her voice breaking as she began to speak about the moment that broke her.

Momo's voice trailed off as she began to sob, covering her eyes with pain and regret. I couldn't bare to see Momo like this, my own eyes beginning to water as I watched a neverending flame teeter out for the first time.

Gently taking the article from her hands, I began to read the headline for myself to get the full story. The title read, "Queen of Spades: Karin North, betrays the Swords to save Spade University! The Big One manages to put out The Wild Flame!" The story went in detail about the betrayal, painting Karin as a hero and Momo as the disruptor.

As I continued reading the next articles, it became increasingly clear on why there was so much unresolved tension between the three. Desperation. It was either fall with the ship or find a new captain, and Karin chose Fredrick over Momo and Leona.

"It's not fair... It's just not fair!" Momo lashed out, smashing her fists against the steering wheel. "She ruined it all! She threw it all away! Grandma's hard work just gone!"

I listened to Momo's outward rage and sorrow, glancing at her and watched as she broke down in front of me. I set down the newspaper upon the dashboard, reaching over and placed a hand on her back.

"And yet...I still thought I could fix everything. I thought...maybe if I brute force it this time, just like grandma did. Maybe I could turn it all around...and I still failed. I destroyed Spade University to save one life...just to lose the other who walked with me during my destruction," Momo cried softly, her voice squeaking as she continued breaking.

"I let myself get tunnel vision...I focused everything on getting Karin back and completely ignored the other who was hurting just as I was. She really thinks...I never cared about her. It's not true! It isn't!" Momo yelled, gripping the steering wheel tighter, gritting her teeth as she continued to sob.

I continued to rub her back gently, staying silent so she could vent without interruption, listening to the woman who was Diana and not Momo. The hardest part about listening to her cry was after hearing her laugh and smile for so long, seeing her smile through all the pain, finally seeing her break...I didn't know what to do.

"Was I wrong..? Was I just dreaming too high..?" Momo asked softly, needing to hear me speak and know my point of view.

I glanced at Momo, not knowing if I should tell her what she needed to hear or what she wanted to hear from me. I didn't know how to answer, but with the information I currently had, I knew I had to give one. "It's not you dreamed too high...Karin never truly shared your dream if she was willing to betray you.."

Momo went quiet for a moment, processing my words and let out a soft sigh. "Yeah...I thought that as well. Sometimes, I look at Karin and I do wonder...what if I just finished her like Leona wanted..? Would things be different..? Would I even be able to live with myself knowing I took my own sistren's life..?"

"Well, I personally believe you made the right choice...You know you've changed someone's heart when they feel one particular emotion. Regret," I said, my voice barely above a soft tone, my hand continuing to trail circles along her back.

"Yeah..." Momo sighed softly, her mind slightly calming down at the sound of my voice. "I wish Leona saw it that way though...I wish she could've seen my vision as well..."

Silence followed her sentence, the two of us allowing each other to just exist around each other for a moment. Momo began to lean into my touch, closing her eyes and leaning her head on my shoulder. I moved my hand to hold hers, our arms resting along the armrest between us.

"Diana...I want to help you and Granny Hunt take back your city. However long that may take, it doesn't matter to me. But, I also want to help you find closure with your sisters. Four years without it, it's time you get one, starting with Karin," I said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and looked down at her.

Momo closed her eyes, letting out a deep, slow sigh with slight reluctance. "I don't know...we vowed to never mention it to each other again, that day...it broke parts of us we don't think we can get back."

"Yet...Karin is still here for you. That's telling isn't it..? That she still cares and maybe...just maybe wants to feel that spark again..?" I asked, hoping to shift Momo's prospective into a more positive outlook.

"Maybe..." Momo echoed softly, falling into an exhausted silence, her head still resting in my shoulder.

We sat in silence once again, the air filled with the evening calls of the cicadas and the upbeat theme playing from the speakers in the background. Neither of us spoke a word, letting our physical closeness and body language do most of the talking for us.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, finally breaking the silence between us.

"Yeah... anything," Momo replied softly, turning her head to look up at me.

"Two years ago...when I met you and we had started getting close through Matt, I was always the one asking you out," I began, hearing Momo suck her teeth and let out a soft chuckle. "I was just curious...was it because I was too young at the time?"

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"Very much so..~ You were 17...a baby, and I was 23 then. Now two years later, you're still a baby to me," Momo teased gently, reaching to pinch my cheek in a playful manner, starting to feel slightly better.

Seeing her smiling again, I decided to fully take her mind off her struggles, to give her a sense of peace and normalcy even if it was just for one night. "I'm still a baby? Please, I'm way more mature than any of th guys you used to date."

"Pshhh!~ Please, honey, the guys I used to have were Superstars..~ Even though they could never handle the flames...they never really learned how to play with fire," Momo hummed softly, her gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer.

"Yeah, they played with fire and got themselves seared. Not me, I've dove into the flames before. I know you...but if I'm still too young then grow me up. Show me what a man is," I challenged in a soft, charming tone, my lips curling into a soft grin.

Momo couldn't stop herself from giggling, closing her eyes with a light exhale. "Well, since you literally threw your life away to chase after me...I suppose I could give you the chance you've been begging so badly for."

"Please, I was not begging for your heart. Don't get it twisted now..." I chuckled softly, playfully nudging her head back.

Momo giggled once again, swiping my hand away from her forehead and rested her head on my shoulder again. "Alright, so you weren't begging...you were always asking me out a week after I break up with my exes. You were annoyingly tenacious..~"

"Well, of course if you're gonna point fingers, point then at your own brother who was trying to play matchmaker and set us up. He was the mastermind behind us meeting," I retorted, my tone carrying a hint of my usual sass.

Momo chuckled lightly, knowing I had her cornered with the truth. She looked over at me, gently squeezing my hand with soft clarity. "I know he was trying to get us together, but... I just wanted to wait until you were older to give you even the light of day.."

"And I've grown... matured, I think I'm ready for a woman who's having a mid life crisis in her mid twenties..~" I gently teased, meeting her lingering gaze with a look of affection and sincerity.

"Oh, fuck you! I'm not having a mid life crisis," Momo softly laughed, gently smacking my arm from my tease.

I shared a soft laugh with her, protecting myself from her playful featherweight strikes upon my arm. As we began to settle down again, we locked eyes with one another again, our soft breaths falling in sync.

Slowly, I began to lean into her, pausing ever so slightly the closer I got to her face, feeling her soft breaths hitting upon my lips. With a slow nod of invitation from Momo, I began closing the gap between us, capturing her lips for a searing kiss.

Momo began to gradually kiss back, her body quivering from the floating sensation she felt in her stomach. Quickly, our kissing began to deepen, Momo becoming increasingly hungry, slightly possessive for my affection.

Our kiss wasn't out of pure love...the way she kissed me was more of a woman needing someone at her side instead of the confession of love. Our kiss wasn't for love or confession, our kiss felt needed. Momo kissed me as if she never wanted to let me go again, as if she never wanted me to leave her side.

Momo finally broke the kiss, gripping my shirt coat with desperate need, her forehead pressed gently against mine. Her pants were soft, her breath gently brushing against my face with each soft huff. "Don't leave me again... I don't want to lose you too..."

"I won't leave you..." I promised intimately, my voice barely above a soft whisper, my hand slowly running through her hair.

Momo nodded at my sweet promise, pulling me in for another deep, deprived kiss. I kissed back with equal intensity, meeting her every needs in this moment with one action. As we began to drown in our own desperate intimacy, the melodic sound of my ring tone began filling the car.

I broke the kiss for a moment, taking my phone out my pocket and checking the screen, chuckling softly as Momo continued planting kisses upon my cheek and neck. "C'mon, Diana... Granny Hunt is calling."

"Mmm, answer it...I don't really care," Momo purred softly in between her soft kisses along my neck, humming quietly with every kiss.

I tilted my head a bit, giving her more access to my neck with deep pleasure from her experienced kisses. I closed my eyes, answering the phone and putting Amelia on speaker. "Hello..?"

"Where are you right now, Pretty Boy? You've been gone for damn there an hour! Is everything alright?" Amelia asked, her tone a mix of concern and slight inconvenience.

"We're fine, you withering tulip...Can't Ryder hang around the city?" Momo spoke up, gently rubbing my chest in slow, circular motions.

"Not in my car, ah hell no! And have my Kia look like it's been shot up in a quick draw match the middle of buttfuck Timbuktu! If it were Lion Rock City, then yeah, go crazy," Amelia stressed, the sound of her setting down her wine glass aggressively peaking the speaker of my phone.

"Alright, we'll be heading back. Momo just wanted to show me her zoo for a moment, it's a pretty cute sight," I replied with a soft chuckle, leaning my head against the tattered headrest as Momo began kissing my neck again.

"Alright, get back here safely! I would hate to lose you to some delusional, tube babies known as the Rich Authority. I'll see you when you get here," Amelia said, hanging up the call first.

I hummed softly, setting my phone on my lap and closed my eyes, my body shuddering with pleasure as Momo began kissing upon a sensitive area of Mt neck. "Momo... let's...get going. Before Granny Hunt blows a fuse.."

Momo giggled softly and pulled away from my neck, leaving behind a heart shaped hickey on my skin. "Alright..~ It's about time I head home for dinner anyway.."

I nodded and began making my way out the wrecked car with Momo, waiting for her to walk around the vehicle. I held my hand out for her to hold, her smile widening as she held my hand gratefully.

The two of us began to make our way to the front parking lot through her Red Panda zoo, having to make a quick pit stop so she could get all of the pandas ready for their bed time. Once she finished closing up, we began to head outside and mentally preparing ourselves for another showdown with the authorities.

〔Charisma/Talent/Romance/Empathy EXP +600〕

〔Momo's Affection for you increased to 30%〕

〔Bond with Momo increased!〕

〘Date: 2/12 - Tuesday〙

〘Time: 6:45 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Royal Creek - Hearts University〙

Leona bursted into the student council room of the Hearts University, grumbling to herself and sat down at her desk, tossing her keys upon the surface with deep frustration. She sighed deeply, slouching down in her chair and rubbing her temples in slow circles.

"...you seem to have some good left in you..."

My words lingered in her head, replaying over and over like a broken record with a faulty disk. Her blood began to boil over, her anger bubbling to the surface and causing her body to heat up. She slammed her fist against her desk, letting out a frustrated growl.

"What the hell does that bastard know?! How dare he show up in this city and make a fool of me..." Leona growled lowly, the image of my face burning into each corner of her brain.

"Heh, sounds like someone had a hard time... Your plan didn't go as expected huh?" A male voice chimed in, his soft chuckle filling the room.

Leona sighed heavily, leaning forward against her desk, running her hands through her hair. "Not now, Fredrick. I don't need your shit today, I'm already stressed enough."

"Now, now..~ Can't a Mayor visit his lovely Queen of Hearts? Come, tell me who has you all out of shape," Fredrick pried with a smug grin, pulling up a chair and sitting down on it backwards.

"...my goodness," Leona muttered in a annoyed tone, leaning back in her seat in a exasperated manner.

"C'mon~ I know you wanna tell me. Who was it? Was it that run down Queen of Spade who managed to magically beat you? Or maybe it was that burned out flame who abandoned you for a traitor?" Fredrick asked, leaning closer with mock interest.

Fredrick chuckled softly at Leona's silence, leaning back a bit and hummed softly. "Or maybe it was my little brother's annoying pest..? What's his name? Ryder Dawn? A Visionary like Momo, yet her dream died under my influence.."

"Tch..." Leona shot up from her seat, reaching over the desk and gripped Fredrick's tie and forced him out of his seat. "You and your family were always and will ALWAYS the pests of this world. It's because of you Granny Amelia's legacy was ruined! It was because of you that we are in this mess right now!"

"Are you done with your tantrum? We can dwell on the past all we want, but let it be known...I never pulled the trigger to end your little faction known as The Swords. Your sistren did. She pulled the trigger and she ruined Spade University...she ruined Amelia's worthless history," Fredrick shot back coldly, pushing Leona down onto her seat.

"Dare to put your hands on me again without permission, I'll be sure to have my fiance break it off and turn it into a new toy for my daughter," Fredrick threatened, staring down at Leona with cold authority.

Leona growled lowly at Fredrick, her eyes beginning to glow with pure hatred. "I swear....I'll kill you..." She strained quietly through her teeth, her left eye twitching with pure wrath.

As the tensions rose in the student council room, a soft knock was heard at the door, a beautiful woman with long dark brown hair and unnatural lavender eyes stepping into the room holding a sleeping baby in her hands.

"I'm sorry...am I interrupting something..?" She asked quietly, innocently scanning the room as she felt the tension within.

Fredrick glanced back at his fiance, chuckling softly and looked at Leona one more time. "Nah...we were just discussing plans for the next Royal Creek Olympics that's coming up. We just entered a heated debate. Nothing to worry about, Valerie."

Leona averted her gaze, grunting softly at Fredrick's blatant lie. "Yeah...don't worry. It was just usual...business."

"Oh, okay... I'm gonna go wait in the car. Don't take too long, I still have to go to Town Hall tomorrow," Valerie said, turning on her heels and began to make her exit.

Fredrick hummed in response, turning around as well and began to follow Valerie. He stopped at the door, placing his hand on the doorframe. "Oh, and one more thing. If you ever run into Ryder before I do, make sure to give him a message. Tell him that he came to the wrong city. I'm going to make his life here a living hell."

Leona shuddered at his threatening words, memories of her, Momo, and Karin facing off against Fredrick's allies and the authorities flashing in her mind. She knew Fredrick was serious and nothing like Tony, who hides in the shadows.

Leona watched as Fredrick left the room, letting out a soft sigh of relief. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it and pressing her contacts. She began scrolling down the list, stopping once she reached Momo's number.

Questions played in her mind, debating whether or not to warn Momo about Fredrick's threat. After a few moments of debating, she closed her eyes and turned off her screen, placing her phone on her desk with a light exhale.

"It's not worth the try again...for now, I don't care what that bastard does. As long as I get what I want, my mission is done. No longer are the days of the Queen of Spade..." Leona whispered softly to herself, opening her eyes to look at the ceiling.