Chapter 404 - The Imitation Crimson Rose

"Are you, are you part of Talisha's gang?" Ariana asked breathlessly. "Someone like you isn't worthy of speaking her name! No one from your precious school is!" Rogue hissed. "W-wait! I'm her friend!" Ariana managed to say with great difficulty. "Lies!" Rogue grolwed as she applied more pressure. Ariana wrapped her hands around the petite girl's ankle and twisted her off with easy. The girl was sent flying sideways and Ariana found her chance to catch her breath.

"I'm her room mate and friend, Ariana." Ariana said as she slowly got off of the ground. She made sure to give Rogue a cold glare. "Anyone that wears that uniform knows that information." Rogue replied bitterly. "Ya but all you have to do is look at my eye colour, I'm pretty sure she would have told you what I looked like at least... I mean she did talk about her gang and where you all came from and how Eugene helped you at the auction house." Ariana said.

"So what?" Rogue snarled. "So you do know about me." Ariana said in a low, threatening voice. "So what." Rogue said as she slowly got up and stared down Ariana. "Fine. Talisha is fine. The Academy is on lock down." Ariana said. "You're a liar! If the Academy is on lock down then how did you get out?" Rogue asked as she narrowed her gaze at Ariana.

"There's a portal." Ariana responded. "A portal?" Rogue asked with surprise. "Yes. It lets you go in and out of the Academy without detection." Ariana replied. Rogue started to grin. Suddenly a dark flame started to encircle Rogue's feet and rose up to her face in bursts. "Thank you for the, the," Rogue said then her body changed into a man in a robe. "For the valuable piece of information." The man said. 

Ariana's eyes widened, the robed man raised his hand and hung it over the entrance of the shelter. "No!" Ariana shouted as she lunged forward. "Pouli Lasair." The man said. Ariana made it in time to stop the man's spell, she knocked him backwards and they both landed on the ground. However Ariana's right arm took the blast. Black flames engulfed her entire arm and she screamed in pain. 

Ariana brought up her flaming arm and grabbed the hood. It instantly caught on fire. The man flipped Ariana onto her back and pinned her down with one arm as he ripped off the robe with his free hand. The flames on Ariana's arm moved to the floor of the shack while the robe was tossed aside and acted as fuel. To Ariana's surprise the flames stopped spreading on her body but the shack soon was covered in the flames.

"My own power will never hurt me." The man laughed calling Ariana's attention to him. Then her eyes widened, her heart stopped beating for a second and she could feel her body break out into a cold sweat. The man looked familiar, she never met him before but he looked too familiar to brush off his looks as mere coincidence. "Y-your-?!" Ariana stuttered but was immediately silenced when she heard screams.

"Rogue! Rogue are you still in there?!" Sheena called out. The man's orchid pink eyes flashed with malice as he opened his mouth. Ariana brought up her knee and collided it into the man's lower region. He instantly lost his breath and semi-collapsed onto Ariana. The moment he did his flames lot most of his power and started to die down. "Sheena they're here! Those people infiltrated the shelter! Run!" Ariana shouted.

"You b*tch!" The man hissed. Ariana placed her hands onto his chest and hissed from the pain. Her wrist and hand were still on fire but the moment her hand touched his body it turned into a mere ember. The man caught her wrist and extinguished the rest of the flame. "Do you think I will let you go when I finally have you in my hands?!" The man said as strands of his silvery-blue hair came down onto his face giving him a wild look.

"Get off of her!" Sheena shouted as she kicked the man from behind. His eyes grew wide and foam started to from in his mouth. He collapsed completely and Sheena started to roll him off of Ariana. The flames died off immediately but the damage to Ariana's arm was done. "Where's Rogue?!" Sheena asked as she helped Ariana up.

"He was imitating her but that's not important right now. Your shelter, the shelter has been compromised." Ariana said as she winced. "What?! Wait? We need to get you help! I will grab everyone and we can take the emergency exit and then treat your wounds! Look at your arm it's," Sheena started to rant with hysteria but Ariana shook head. "There might be more of them hidding among the people. Sheena, tie him up and act like nothing happened up here." Ariana instructed.

"But!" Sheena started to protest but Ariana gave her a stern look. "Where does the emergency exit take everyone?" Ariana asked. "Sheena!" Bruno called out in a panic as he rushed in. "Sheena are you alright?! Why didn't you wait for me to come back?! The other's said that there were black flames!" Bruno shouted. Sheena looked down and clutched her fist. "Bruno tie up that guy, guy? Wait! He looks just like-?!" Sheena started but Ariana raised her right hand and covered Sheena's mouth.

"There's no time. Just tie him up and gag his mouth." Ariana said in a strained voice. Her temperature was starting to rise and she could feel sweat starting to roll down from her temples. "Ariana!" Bruno shouted but Ariana shot him a hard glare. "Now, before he wakes up." She ordered. Bruno took off his white coat and started to rip it into strands. "Sheena, where does the exit go?" Ariana then asked as she turned to Sheena.

"T-the Academy..." Sheena said weakly. "Our leader placed the portal on the weeping willow... it's connected to the willow tree." Sheena admitted. "So that's how you're here... were you following me before?" Ariana asked. "I, not this time... I was here first but, umh," Sheena started but she couldn't raise her head.