Red Meteor Quest Season 2 Episode 6

You stand befeore the apartment building feeling a sense of familiarity to it. That's right. This place...you lived here once before. You begin to walk up the stairs, but just as you reach the door you feel overwhelming dread rise up within your chest.

"Having second thoughts?" Xumir asks from behind you

You can't bring yourself to answer him

"It's not too late to turn back you know."

"No...no, I want to see this through." You reply gripping the doorknob tightly

"Very well..."

Xumir disappears, as you open the door, and once you step through, you're instantly in another room. There you see a cute woman with purple hair lazing on the couch


"Welcome home honey~!" She exclaims getting up and running towards you. You're dumbstruck for a moment but instinctively hold your arms, only for her to pass right through you and run into someone else

"Haha, nice to see you too dear, but you act like I was gone on some long trip." The voice is familiar too you, and you step back to get a proper look at the man...seeing someone you...sort of recognize.

"Who...is that?" You mutter

"That's you...or  rather, what you *used* to look like." Xumir replies appearing out of nowhere again.

>Not possible
>Why do I look so different?
>Who is she then...?
>Other/Write-in

>Why do I look so different?
>Who is she then...?
>Not possible

"Who do you think that is? It's you. Xumir states "Or rather that was you.

"That's not possible, Then why do I...why do I look like how I am now...?"

"I'll explain in a bit, but for now, anymore questions?"

"Who is this woman then?"

"That's Ellen...your wife."

"I have a wife?!"

"You had a wife."

That particular jab stings a bit more than you were expecting, but all you could do was sit and watch as the woman...no, you knew her name...Ellen. It was Ellen, you stood there as Ellen began showering you (or the old you rather) with kisses and affection that you didn't think possible.

"How was work Danny~?" She cooed finally stopping her kisses and heading over to the kitchen to make something

"Danny...?"

"Your real name. Or rather it used to be." Xumir replied "You didn't think Red was your real name did you?"

"Well it sounded cool enough."

"...right, well, your actual name is Danny."

The two of you go back to watching the couple as 'Danny' gives his wife a hug from behind, causing Ellen to giggle. "I hope you're feeling okay dear, no pains or anything today?"

"I told you I'll be fine, really the only thing I've felt is the occasional morning sickness."

"Morning sickness...?" You repeat looking at Xumir

"She's got a bun in the oven, and you're the baker." he replies casually

As you hear this...you can't help but clutch your chest in pain. It feels like your heart is being ripped in two.

"Shall we move on?" Xumir asks

>Y-yeah...
>I want to watch a bit more
>What happened to Ellen...?
>Other/Write-in

>What happened to Ellen...?

"What happened to Ellen...?" You ask

"..."

"What happend...?"

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER!?" you scream, panic suddenly taking over your voice

"Very well...but remember you asked for this."

The landscape changes again,but this time you're placed right outside the door to the apartment you and Ellen shared. You reach out to it, but you can feel some force telling you 'no', that you don't want to see what's behing that door. Your hand visibly shakes as you struggle to grab it. You take a deep breath, calming yourself before grasping it and opening the door.

The sight before you is one you can't believe. The room is in shambles, the couch is ripped and torn up, the tv broken, there's cooking supplies splayed all over the floor, but the real kicker is the body you see laying in the middle of everything, spread eagle with the woman's eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, the life in her eyes clearly gone.

"ELLEN!!!" you turn around to see Danny running into the room, panic on his face as he grasps his dead wife's hand. He furiously shakes her body, having some futile hope

"Ellen, wake up. WAKE UP!!!" Danny screams "I'M HERE NOW. I'M HERE!!!"

The yelling like that is constant, until at some point Danny stops. You see a woman walk by...she screams but quickly pulls out her phone and begins making a call for the police.

>..............
>NO MORE
>It hurts
>Please stop
>I wasn't here
>Other/Write-in

>..............

What can you say? What can you do? There's nothing to say, the memories are flooding back now. All of your previous life up until this moment is heading you like a freight train right now. You remember it all, meeting Helen in middle school, enjoying the time spent with one another, promising that you'd get married. Going to highschool together and then dating soon after that. You even stayed together through college.

You remember getting that job at a cleaning company and soon you were going to be promoted to a pretty prominent position...and then this. Your life came crashing down. Everything just stopped...

"I'm sorry Red." Xumir said solemnly "Really I am..."

"......"

"Still, we're in too deep now...we need to keep going."

"........"

The landscape changes again, though you know it's been six months, you're in the apartment alone. You know that the police stopped looking for Ellen's killer. They claimed there wasn't enough evidence to track them down. 'Danny' or rather you looked haggered, broken. You'd already lost your job, the grief of the loss really ruined your drive to work. As you sat there you felt the feelings well up within you.

Sadness
Rage
Melancholy
hatred

You felt it all well within your chest, and you saw 'Danny' rise from his chair, you knew what was coming next.

"Let's...keep going." Xumir muttered

3 months later...
you were clutching your side as you bled out in an alleyway. A revolver in your hand. You remember this, you had spent what money you had left trying to track down Ellen's killer. Unfortunately for you, he'd been flanked by several other men, and while you got some of them, they'd gotten far more hits off on you. They tossed you out into, deciding to let you suffer, you weren't getting back up from  the bullets you'd taken.

"This one brings me back..." Xumir muttered

As you look at 'Danny' dying in front of you.A flash of light appears, to show Xumir standing over him

"This isn't fair..." Xumir stated sadly "You were denied justice. Your life brought to shambles, and when you went to find some justice of your own...you were met with this fate."

You hear Danny sputter something, the pain from his wounds being too much to allow him to speak.

"Don't waste your breath, save your strength. I will bring them to justice, however...I ask that you help me in return. The people of this world are like you, no longer beleiving in justice, in the rightousness of man. As the God of Justice, I cannot allow that. Become my subordinate...become a figure that the people can revere as a being of justice, and I will help you."

Though he was dying, Danny managed out a small nod. You remember...you were desperate, willing to do anything so that the killer and those who worked with him paid the price.

It goes dark after that...

"And that's all...well all that is important. You...were quite the sad man Red, when I brought you to my domain, so angry and hurty were you, you asked for me to...change you. You no longer wanted to be 'Danny'. I'm sorry about your misfortune, truly I am. But for now we must part ways.
You don't get a chance to say anything before waking up to a voice calling your name.

"Red...Red, wake up! Jeez, going asleep on the couch? I know that fight was tough,but at least try to make it to bed. I've got the day off, you want to go grab something to eat?"

It was Sadie...

>......
>No
>Break down
>I need some air
>Other/Write-in

>I need some air
>Break down outside.
>Find somewhere quiet and out the way where you can blow shit up

"No thanks...I need some air." You reply shakily

"Red...is something wrong?" Sadie asked

"No...um...I just need to get a work out in. Justice never sleeps!" You reply with a fake smile

"You dork. Just don't be all day, and remember to try not to transform, we don't need another fight like that last one."

You give her a nod and quickly exit her home, the door closing shut behind you. The second you do, you fall to your knees, bawling your eyes out. You can barely stand up as all the misery piles up on top of you. The pain of losing your wife and child feels as if it is strangling you.

You don't how or when, but you began wandering around. Where were you going? You don't know. You just had to walk...somewhere, anywhere. As you continued on, you felt as if you'd betrayed your deceased lover. Here you were in a (extremely weird) relationship with four other ladies and for some reason you'd felt as if you'd tossed Ellen aside. You felt so weak as 'Danny' that you believed it better to get rid of such memories.

You don't even know how, but you were at a junkyard now. How did you get here? You don't know. You were now just tossing fireballs at the trash, the occasional loud boom as you hit what was probably a used up aerosol can or two,some of which create small areas of burning trash. You  don't know if anyone is here or not. You don't care really, you just keep firing away...

>....
>Cry harder
>Continue firing
>Other/Write-in

>Cry harder

You can't help it. At some point you stop tossing the fireballs. Your aim is off...and all you feel are the tears running down your face. You can't even bring yourself to set the trash on fire anymore before you stumble out of the place crying all the while.

Your trek around the city is a blur. You can't really focus on anything, but you at least manage to avoid traffic well enough. As you go through this you can't help but wonder if you're really a hero any more.

Would a hero do this?

Is your life a lie?

What would the others think?

What would Ellen think?

What would Tim think?

In the end, you weren't a great person. You were just a cowered who ran away from his past.

"Red...?" You're broken out of your train of thought when you see Jane standing in front of you

"Oh...hey Jane."

"Are you okay big guy...? You seem kinda down..."

You don't really know what to say to her, on some level, you feel too ashamed to even look her in the eyes right now.

>I'm...fine
>...
>I don't want to talk right now
>I'm just tired
>Other/Write-in

>give hug
>Sorry, let me be a bit selfish, okay

You don't even say anything, but you quickly grab her and wrap your hands around her in a tight hug, which causes Jane to let out a little 'eep'  even with several people watching.

"Red...what's wrong?"

"Sorry, just...let me be a bit selfish, okay?"

"...Sure thing Red. As much as you want."

You're both like that for a few moments, just enjoying the hug before finally releasing each other.

"Thanks." You say with a heavy sigh

"Come on." Jane replies taking your hand

"Where are we going?"

"Just to grab a bite...you look terrible."

You can't bring yourself to go against her and so you're taken to a small cafe where Jane orders you some toast and eggs (while she got herself a full plate of pancakes)before looking at you again."

"So?" she asks plainly

"So what...?" You reply

"What's up with you Red? You look like someone died..."

You know she's just using a saying, but still...that stings quite a bit

>Explain
>......
>I...I'm a coward
>Other/Write-in

>Explain

You explain everything to Jane. Everything you saw...everything you did, the most important bits such as Ellen and your child, and how you went on the hunt for the person who killed her. By the time the entire explanation is over, Jane is holding your hand with concern.

"That's...that's pretty rough Red...er..Danny?"

You shrug, you aren't even sure what you want to be called anymore.

"Well, I'm glad you told me and I know it hurts...but chin up, you've got me and the others watching your back! I...I know it'll take some time, but just...try to feel better okay?"

"Sure, I guess I could try that."

"Good. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else. Not even Saya."

"Thank you."

She squeezes your hand again, and you admit that you can feel the pain subside, if only a little.

"Wanna come to my place? Snuggle for a bit?" she asks, the look on her face shows that there's no other motive here, and it's just Jane being a caring girl...still...

"There won't be any groping will there?"

"N-no, I'm being serious!" she lightly punches your shoulder "No jokes this time around!"

>Sure, that'd be nice
>No thanks, I just feel...tired
>Other/Write-in

>Just... hold me. I'm tired.
>sure

"Sure...just hold me. I'm tired."

"Anything for you big guy."

The two of you head out from the cafe after finishing your food and make your way over to Jane's home. Her dad isn't home thankfully (And you're more than thankful for that right now) and it doesn't seem like her mother is either. Without a moments delay, she whisks you up to her room, which is terribly messy...again.

"Didn't I clean this place up?"

"N-never mind that. Now come on, on the bed."

You casually take a seat with Jane hurriedly cuddling up next to you. The feeling is relaxing and calms your nerves a bit. Even though you were asleep not too long ago, your little trip down memory lane has left you completely exhausted in every sense of the word. You don't know when, or for how long, but you fall asleep and remain uninterrupted.

"WHAT?!"

Or so you thought

You get to your feet with a start, surprised by Jane screaming as loud as she did.

"Seriously?"

"Okay, Red is here with me! We'll be right over, just DON'T do anything to set her off!"

"What's wrong Jane?" you ask frantically

"So you know that girl...Hands off?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"We found her..."

"Where is she then...?"

"Helena's house..."

>To Be Continued