Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Joker's Innoncence and Emelia's Resolve ( Chapter 17 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does.

 

Blue, Rouge, and Roufas heaved the heavy manhole cover off of the hole, revealing a large entrance into the Koorong sewers. Though the passage didn't lead down more than about 30 feet, they couldn't see the bottom, and the sheer darkness emitted an uncomfortable feeling. Blue looked to Roufas nervously.

 

“Before we jump, are you absolutely sure this is the right way to Joker?” he asked sternly. Rouge simply watched, as Red and Fuse had taken to keeping a look out, even though no one else was supposedly in Koorong at the moment. It was never bad to be safe. Roufas peered at Blue through his sunglasses.

 

“Any entrance is the right way,” he replied simply, “Eventually, every tunnel dumps into a main, circular line with a large peninsula in the center. Joker was last seen there. Hopefully, he hasn't moved.” Before Blue could respond, Roufas had already jumped down the hole, with Red and Fuse following quickly. Rouge looked at Blue, who had grown pale with dread. He knew Blue wanted nothing to do with the sewers again; their last experience with a Gigan Toad was more than enough for him.

 

“Hey, maybe it won't be as bad,” Rouge said cheerfully, clapping his twin on the back and then falling down the hole. Blue looked down for just another minute. He really didn't want to go down there, but it was his duty. Sighing, Blue plugged his nose and jumped as though he were in a swimming pool, landing in a shallow puddle of what he prayed was water. He tried to look around, but could see nothing through the darkness.

 

“Damn it! How are we going to get through here?” Red asked, waving his arms angrily. Roufas tried to strain his sight, but could see nothing.

 

“Looks like the power's been shut off around the neighborhood down here, too,” Roufas replied. Fuse took out a flashlight and turned it on, and although it pierced the darkness, it wasn't strong enough to reach the walls. He tried to turn it up with a switch, but his flashlight didn't have one. Defeated, he turned it off until Rouge had an idea. He raised his hand and muttered something, and then lights swirled around everyone, granting them a temporary ability to see past the darkness. Blue smiled, and Fuse looked around in awe.

 

“How'd you do that, son?” he asked, raising his hand and looking at it as though it was the first time he'd seen it. Rouge smiled sheepishly.

 

“It's not a hard thing to do if you can manipulate the magical energies floating in the air,” Rouge replied quietly, “Even though Koorong isn't stationed with any specialization classes or magical schools, there are still enough magical traces for me to splice and play with.” Fuse nodded, though in actuality, he had no idea what Rouge was actually saying. Blue smirked.

 

“Looks like the masters taught you well,” Blue stated proudly, “I thought you said you can't use magic.”

 

“I can't use other magic outside of ours, but I can manipulate outside sources,” Rouge replied, “You're the bookworm, but I'm the technician.” Blue nodded in agreement, and turned to Roufas.

 

“All right. Roufas, will you take the lead?” he asked kindly. Roufas nodded, and silently walked down a narrow tunnel. Fuse took the time to look around their surroundings, as the path was straight for quite a ways away. The sewers were surprisingly clean, though a lot of the floor was replaced with wiring cables and they were suspended over the aqueducts that took water out of the city. The water was too dark to see the bottom of the sewers, and Fuse hoped they didn't fall in or that the cables didn't give out. For a while, they walked in silence as Roufas picked out where they needed to go; the only sound being made was water dripping off of the ceiling. When they reached a larger tunnel was when Rouge broke the silence.

 

“Whoa!” Rouge yelled, shielding his eyes, “That's bright!” Blue looked up cautiously to find that a large neon sign belonging to a club called “Nightingales” was hanging above a narrower tunnel, illuminating most of the large tunnel. Now that Fuse could see, he saw that the water was actually a murky green. He made a disgusted face.

 

“And sickening. Boys, don't look down below,” Fuse warned, but being the curious person he was, Red looked anyway. And jumped, shaking the cables as he did so.

 

“That's nasty!” Red shrieked, as Rouge tripped on one of the shaking wires, “No wonder it smells like crap in here!”

 

“So you mean this being a sewer didn't tip you off?” Blue asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes, “Roufas, what is `Nightingales?' Does it mean anything?” Roufas looked at the sign thoughtfully.

 

“It used to be an old nightclub down on Lower Main Street,” Roufas explained, “It closed down around ten years ago, though, because of poor sanitation codes. I guess someone brought the sign down here for some lights, though all it really does is blind everyone.” Rouge agreed silently as Roufas continued, “There are a lot of signs down here from places that don't exist that are used simply to help guide people through the sewers. Right now, I'm guessing we're near the center of Lower Main.”

 

“But are we any closer to Joker?” Blue asked, crossing his arms. Roufas nodded.

 

“Yeah. Just keep following me,” he replied, and again, they walked down the tunnel underneath the “Nightingales” sign. It began to get slippery, and Roufas warned them to stay close, but when they reached a tunnel with nothing but cables holding it up, Rouge slipped, grasping the wiring for life as he dangled over the muck.

 

“Rouge!” Blue called, reaching down, “Hold on! Grab my hand!”

 

“I'm too far away!” Rouge screamed, as his hand began slipping, “Help!” Roufas and Fuse ran over, but as they came closer, the wires began snapping one by one. Rouge screamed even more, as he was now grasping onto one single wire.

 

“Calm down, boy! We're trying our best here!” Fuse called down frantically. However, the wire snapped, and Rouge started falling.

 

“HELP ME!” Rouge screamed, as something golden and shiny dashed past Blue and over the newly formed cliff. He watched in shock, until he realized that Alkaiser was saving Rouge. Rouge stopped screaming as Alkaiser caught him and brought him back up to safety.

 

“Are you all right?” Alkaiser asked, as he put Rouge down, “I was getting worried I might not have been able to catch you there.” Rouge looked at Alkaiser in pure shock, though he was truly thankful.

 

“T-thank you,” he managed to say, breathless over what happened. Alkaiser smiled.

 

“Actually, thank Red. He's the one who threw us off the cliff. He knew that'd trigger our switch,” Alkaiser admitted, “I can't come out unless he's in danger.” Seeing as how Rouge was shivering from horror, Blue helped him stand up as he looked at Alkaiser graciously.

 

“Either way, we thank you. You saved my brother,” he said. Alkaiser smiled, and then reverted back to Red, who gave the thumbs up. But when the tunnels started rumbling, Red nearly fell into the water this time. Rouge hugged Blue tightly, terrified of plunging back in. Fuse simply clung to a wall.

 

“What the hell is that!?” Fuse yelled, as the rumbling slowly stopped. Roufas simply adjusted his sunglasses, unfazed.

 

“That'd be the tunnels collapsing. The sewer system is really old. It won't last forever,” Roufas said simply, as the rumbling died down completely. He went to say more, but a loud cough and a croaky voice stopped him. Everyone looked down the tunnel, each one of them scared in a different way.

 

“Who's there?” came the voice, and its footprints echoed across the hall as it made its way closer. When no one answered, it called again, “Who's there!?” Everyone looked at Fuse, who gulped, but grabbed his blaster and clicked it into place.

 

“This is the IRPO police force,” Fuse said, though the nervousness he felt was very evident as he spoke, “Step into the light or I'll fire.” Whoever was coming obeyed, and Roufas gasped when he saw the figure. It was definitely Joker, but he looked terrible. His skin was pale, with green patches on his cheeks, and his hair was greasy and mostly unwashed. But his clothes were what made everyone gasp. Joker was known for dressing elaborately, and yet now he was wearing a dirty pair of jeans and an equally dirty button-down. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

 

“I should've known as soon as I left prison, you'd be on my ass,” Joker croaked, coughing when he finished, “'Scuse the mess. Haven't had the energy to clean.” Fuse blinked, and slowly lowered the blaster. Blue looked at Joker quizzically, and Rouge looked past him toward a small room with a mattress.

 

“Do you live down here?” Rouge asked, eyeing the mattress with mild concern. Joker looked at him as though that were an obvious question and nodded.

 

“Yeah. It ain't like they're letting me live up top, so I make my living down in here,” Joker replied, though he didn't sound bitter about it, “It ain't too bad, but it smells sometimes. Sometimes I stop in at Can-Afford to get a sandwich or some medicine. I got a bad cold.” Fuse didn't look sympathetic as he held out the receipts from the store.

 

“We know. We've seen your receipts. We've been watching you,” Fuse told him seriously. Joker looked at the receipts tiredly, and then looked at Fuse.

 

“Why? What'd I do?” he asked, coughing a bit more, “Look, if living down here's a crime, I'll leave. I just thought no one cared about the…”

 

“It's not about housing,” Blue informed him calmly, “Joker, someone was assaulted and she claims it was you. We had no choice but to look for you.” Now Joker looked mildly confused. Blue noted that, as did Fuse.

 

“What? But…” Joker coughed before continuing, “But I've been down here. I only go up to shop, I swear it. I haven't seen a girl since I was jailed for attacking Em… Emil… Emily?”

 

“Emelia,” Rouge corrected, “Do you have witnesses that can prove this?” It was a redundant thing to ask, because no one would help Joker even if he was telling the truth. Joker shook his head, leaning against the wall.

 

“No one lives down here, not with the tunnels collapsing,” Joker said, wiping his forehead, “I thought it'd be a safe place to hide while I find a new place to go and start a new life. But, someone was assaulted?” Fuse nodded.

 

“Actually, she was murdered. The line went dead and we haven't heard from her since,” Fuse told him. Joker squinted his eyes in pain. He must've had a headache as well. He sighed.

 

“I didn't hurt anyone, but if it'll make it easier, you can take me in,” Joker said, “Maybe I'll get over this cold.” In all honesty, Blue felt bad for the guy. He seemed to be sincere, and he truly looked like he was on his last legs. Fuse nodded, though he was unsure of what he should actually do now.

 

“We'll need to. We need a DNA test,” Fuse said, “I'm sorry, if it isn't you, we'll find you a place to live. But…”

 

“It's okay. I understand,” Joker said, “I've been through the system. Look, I know what I did to Emelia was terrible, but I didn't hurt anyone else. If it's not me, I wanna help you catch this guy. He needs to be told that what he's doing ain't right either.” Fuse seemed hesitant, not just because what Joker said didn't exactly make sense, but because he was an ex-criminal, according to himself. For now, though, they had to trust him.

 

“All right. I'll use the beam to get us back,” Fuse said, holding onto Joker, as he was about to fall down. Red looked at Fuse.

 

“The beam?” he asked. Fuse grinned and show them a small button on a remote.

 

“It's a device we use for instant transportation to IRPO. Because Joker was deemed so dangerous, Doll told me to use it when I find him,” Fuse explained, “I'm using it not because he's a threat, but because he needs medical attention and if he's not the one, we need to find the one as soon as possible.” Red nodded, and nothing more was said as Fuse pushed the button, and instantly, everyone was warped into the IRPO lobby, with or without a terrible sensation of getting sick. Joker fell over, coughing terribly.

 

“Ah, damn it!” Fuse yelled, as he threw up all over the floor, “You'd better not get my shoes or you're dead!”

 

“Is he all right!?” Emelia said, rushing over, but as soon as she saw who it was, she glared, “” Fuse yelled, as he threw up all over the floor, “You'd better not get my shoes or you're dead!”

 

“Is he all right!?” Emelia said, rushing over, but as soon as she saw who it was, she glared, “You!” Joker looked at her, and her expression softened slightly.

 

“Emelia…?” he asked, “What're you… doing… here…?” Emelia blinked and looked at Blue.

 

“What's wrong with him?” she asked. Blue frowned.

 

“He's sick. He came out of prison, but he's getting really sick,” Blue explained, “We brought him in for questioning about a crime I don't think he committed, but he's really…”

 

“I can speak to her,” Joker said slowly, struggling to stand, “You're looking at...” He looked at her, unable to find the right thing to say, and then sighed, “You're looking at a killer and someone who ruined your life. You've no need to… ugh… you've no need to know why I'm here.” He looked ready to throw up, but he controlled it. Emelia looked down, and Blue thought he saw a tear roll down her eye.

 

“Well, I AM here, and I do want to know,” she said slowly, “I want to know why you're here, and why you did what you did.” Joker closed his eyes, trying to remember that day, but it was so blurry in his mind. He recalled yelling at Ren. He recalled trying to kill Emelia when Roufas stopped him. And he recalled… a phone call. Now he could remember.

 

“I got a phone call that day from someone,” he started, sitting down, “They were offering a bounty on Ren, something about taking some model of theirs away. She was really famous, too. Looked good in anything, they said. I wasn't sure, but they said it'd be worth the while. So I accepted. I went in, fully loaded and partly drunk, yelling about the stolen model. Ren had no idea what I was talking about. Accidentally, I unloaded a sheet of clips, knocking down the monitor on the wall. It crushed him.” Emelia stared at him, unable to believe what she heard.

 

“Then why attack me!?” she asked, “And why didn't you help him if you didn't mean to kill him!?”

 

“I was under complete panic,” Joker admitted, “The crash snapped me out of my drunken rage, but when I saw Ren bleeding, and the glass shard sticking out of his back, I lost it. I put the monitor back and ran for it. I saw you coming in, and when I saw you again later, I was sure you were gonna sic the cops on me. They wouldn't believe it was an accident. I already had a record for shoplifting. Trust me, too, attacking you was the last mistake I plan on making… er, well, jailwise, anyway.” Emelia looked away, narrowing her eyes. She remembered the wounds, the cracked monitor, the gun shots… She looked at Joker.

 

“Are you telling me that the murder wasn't a murder at all?” she asked. Joker nodded.

 

“I didn't know what to do to make it fair, though that's not an excuse for what happened,” Joker said seriously, “I mean, I tried to help Ren out. I tried to take the shard out, but I realized if I did that, he'd bleed to death. Lot of good that did, anyway, because obviously he died after I left.” Emelia's eyes still narrowed, but she was speechless. The police were sure it was a murder, and now to hear that it wasn't… she glared at Fuse.

 

“You told me it was a homicide!” she growled angrily, “How could you not know it wasn't?” Fuse raised a perplexed brow, not understanding why she was questioning him, but he might as well answer her anyway, in his mind.

 

“All the evidence pointed to a murder,” Fuse replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “At the time, I told you the report I was given. The new evidence wasn't received until much later. And by that time, Joker here was already in the slammer for your assault.” Emelia's eyes softened, and she looked from Joker to Fuse, then back again.

 

“I… want to see this report,” she whispered, “I never knew… what it was that killed him… I thought it was Joker, but…” Joker looked up at Fuse, and he sighed, reaching into a large file cabinet. After a minute of leafing through papers, he pulled out a rather thick file and gave it to Emelia.

 

“I'd have thought someone else would've given you the report despite my absence,” Fuse said sternly, “I'm sorry.” Emelia nodded with understanding, but her hands were shaking. Now she would finally find closure with what happened. Now, just maybe now, she could forgive Joker. And maybe now she could start living her life without fear of what happened. She opened the file and read it carefully. She looked at the photos of the damage. The monitor was busted as badly as Joker had said, the clips in the exact spot he said. And there was Ren, dead, with the shard in his back. She noticed that the monitor was moved. It was crooked, as though it'd fallen, and with the light showing the screen perfectly, she saw the blood on it.

 

“Ren Cavanaugh, age 28… died of a snapped spinal cord… and severe blood loss… resulting in stab trauma from a glass object, no lighter than two hundred pounds,” she read, her voice shaking, “The gun shots appear to be random, in no way… targeting the victim… though that was the cause… of the object slamming the victim… there was no break-in… the knobs had no DNA of anyone besides the victim…” Tears had begun to fall as she read the report aloud, and Joker looked away as she continued, “Was thought to be a homicide… but when found to be an accident, release of the suspects, Emelia Rose and Steven “Joker” Lensev were asked for release, unless continuous suits were accumulated.” Joker's eyes widened. For a minute, the two looked at each other. Emelia was both relieved and upset to find that Joker wasn't the one who killed Ren. Joker was shocked that he was asked to be released.

 

“I was… found innocent?” Joker asked, “But… but I almost killed Emelia.”

 

“Which was why you weren't released,” Fuse explained, as Emelia put the file down, “We could've argued that with extreme emotional distress, but we had to be careful because you were already on watch with other pettier crimes. We were almost as shocked as you are.” Joker blinked, unable to understand. He'd been through hell over something he was innocent of. No, not just him. Emelia as well. He looked at her, still shocked.

 

“I… I'm sorry,” he said quietly, “I'm sorry for what happened. I… I should have explained it a long time ago. Back when I saw you walking into that house…” Emelia looked hesitant, but nodded slowly.

 

“It's all right. I forgive you,” she replied, “I'm just glad… that I finally know what happened.” Joker nodded, standing up. Blue noticed that he had an almost renewed strength in him.

 

“I'm sure Ren would feel better knowing you were doing all right,” Joker said calmly, “Did you ever get to go to his funeral?” Emelia blinked, thinking it was an odd question, but she nodded. Perhaps Joker was trying to test her, or maybe he was genuinely wondering.

 

“Yeah. They held a nice one for him in the precinct burial site,” Emelia replied, “It was shortly after my escape from jail.” Joker looked at her, and would've laughed, except that he was trying to be polite.

 

“You had to escape?” he asked, putting emphasis on the word, “Wow, someone really did screw up. I'm really sorry. I didn't even think you were jailed, to be honest.” Emelia nodded, smiling.

 

“They pinned it on me,” she replied, “I was just lucky to get out, though.” Joker was about to say something else about the police force when Fuse intervened.

 

“As much as I enjoy that you two aren't about to kill each other, Joker, you are wanted for questioning,” he reminded them, and Joker grinned.

 

“Oh yeah. I almost forgot about it,” he said, coughing again, “Well, what are you going to use? The same lie detector tests as last time, or did you come out with newer equipment?” Everyone watched as Fuse led Joker away, explaining the new procedures. Emelia looked down again, and Blue glanced at her. He could still hear Fuse talking, but right now, that wasn't important.

 

“Will you really be okay?” he asked, as Roufas and Rouge sat down in some chairs. Emelia sniffled, and then nodded.

 

“Yeah. It's just… I've hated him for so long. The thought that he might just be a bumbling nutjob is a little hard to accept,” she replied, wiping her nose, “I thought about him in my mind, idealized him to be this horrible monster, this cold-blooded murderer. To see him here, calmly talking to us about what happened, and to see it all check out… the illusion I made to protect myself was shattered. It's awkward.” Blue nodded comfortingly and patted her back. He understood how that went. When he was sent to kill Rouge, he thought it was because Rouge had become a magical monster. He thought absorbing Rouge's magic would've saved him. It was terrifying to find it was only an experiment.

 

“Well, at least you know he won't kill you,” Rouge said, trying to find the silver lining in what had transpired, “And you can finally sleep at night again. Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't try to explain beforehand.” Roufas, who'd been sitting in a chair, lazily reading a magazine, took off his shades, waving his arm airily.

 

“It's not like the police would've believed him, anyway. And what's stopping Emelia from believing him?” he asked, raising a skeptical brow. Emelia smirked as she pointed to the file she put on the desk.

 

“How about the truth?” she retorted sarcastically, “I just need some time to think.” Blue nodded again, and for a long time, everyone remained silent.

 

Fuse and Joker returned about an hour later, both looking equally as dumbfounded as they walked into the lobby. Blue stood up, giving Fuse a questioning look. He told everyone to sit down, even though only Blue was actually standing. Joker crossed his arms, a grim look on his face.

 

“All right, everyone, we got some bad news here,” Fuse growled, sitting on the desk, “Joker's not the one we're looking for.” Rouge raised an amused eyebrow.

 

“Then what's the good news?” he asked, chuckling. But the look on Joker's face silenced him.

 

“That is the good news,” Joker said grimly, “The bad news is, although my DNA doesn't match what was found on the crime scene, it resembles whoever DID assault the girl.” Red's eyes widened, and he tilted his head. Blue looked mildly concerned, and both Rouge and Roufas looked at Joker quizzically. He nodded as though answering an unspoken question.

 

“Steven here has an older brother,” Fuse explained calmly, “He's the real culprit.” Emelia looked horrified.

 

“What!? You have an older brother that attacks innocent women!?” she gasped, growing pale. Joker nodded slowly, though he couldn't believe it either.

 

“My family's into some pretty dark business, but after I botched on the bounty I was given, our reputation was pretty much shattered. Mom and dad gave up on the business. I guess they saw it was too risky, but my brother… I thought he was all the way in Shingrow,” Joker replied, “When Fuse saw my DNA was rejected, he tried searching the database, and my brother's name came up.” Rouge looked at the floor, glaring angrily.

 

“This sounds like a set up,” he said furiously, “Think he wanted revenge?”

 

“Definitely. I seriously screwed up that day,” Joker replied, nodding and then sitting down, “I'm what made mom and dad quit. I don't even know if they're still alive. But… man, if he's in Koorong, we're in a lot of trouble.”

 

“Why's that?” Blue asked, tilting his head. Joker bit his lip, and then decided to answer.

 

“He used to work for this really bad group. I think it was called Black X,” Joker started, and Red's eyes widened again. Black X was incredibly familiar to him.

 

“I know them! Did he work for a guy named Shuzer?” Red asked, and Joker blinked, surprised that Red would know, and nodded.

 

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, he did,” Joker answered, smiling slightly, “Anyway, there was a base in Koorong belonging to Black X, and if he's gotten into it… there are a lot of weapons and explosives in there, I think. Unless the base was cleared out, he's got his hands on some pretty flashy shit in there.” Red looked away, and he could see Alkaiser was looking guilty as well.

 

“It… it wasn't cleared out,” Red said slowly, “When I defeated Shuzer… I didn't think anyone would ever go in there again.” Fuse's eyes bugged angrily, and Red shrunk down a bit, terrified. He knew he made a terrible mistake.

 

“You WHAT!?” Fuse asked angrily, “You didn't even TRY to close it off!? What were you thinking!?” Blue could see that Red was shaking violently. Alkaiser's eyes narrowed protectively, yet he knew he couldn't be released.

 

“I… I thought that maybe no one would bother going into the sewers,” Red whispered, afraid he'd be shot now, “I'm sorry.” Fuse's eyes narrowed furiously, but he didn't attack. Instead, he sighed.

 

“Well, looks like we're heading back to Koorong,” Fuse said, standing up, “Blue, go get in the plane. You and I are going. Rouge, you stay here with Red and Roufas, see what you can dig up on Steven's brother.” Rouge nodded, and together with Red and Roufas, headed off to an elevator to get to his office. Blue was already on his way to the quad. Emelia glanced at Joker, and he stepped forward.

 

“I'm coming with you. I know how to find my brother, and I know where the base in question is,” Joker stated, and when Fuse looked at him daringly, he added, “I've seen it in the tunnels.” Fuse looked critically at Joker, and then nodded reluctantly. He beckoned the boy to follow him.

 

“All right. I don't like the thought, but if you say you know where he is, then I'll let you help,” Fuse replied, and they both ran towards the quad, leaving Emelia to follow Rouge, “But no funny business. If I find that you're lying, I'm arresting you.” Joker nodded, and they ran inside the quad. Fuse jumped into the plane he indicated, completely ignoring the ladder as Joker climbed inside as well. Without a word, Fuse rushed into the control room and started the ignition. At least now, they had a lead to follow.

 

“Koorong, here we come.”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

Well, with Joker's innocence all checked out, will this new lead solve the murder? Or is it just another dead end for our favorite police force? Is Emelia taking the reality of Joker's character well, or has it driven her slightly insane? And how will Rouge fare at being separated from Blue for the first time since they joined IRPO? And is Joker a trustworthy partner? Find all of the answers out next chapter, so click that Review button!