Chapter 93: The Thorny Rose
Julio’s index finger pointed straight ahead. His nail was just a centimeter away from touching the red power switch of the ventilator beside the bed. He narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a thin, triumphant smile. Suddenly, the sound of laughter echoed through the room. The sound did not come from Julio. It came from the woman lying weak beneath him. Agatha laughed out loud. Her shoulders shook violently, causing the IV tube in her hand to vibrate. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, dampening the white pillow under her head. Julio flinched. His hand froze in midair. He lowered his gaze, staring at Agatha with a furrowed brow, confused. Agatha gradually stifled her laughter, leaving behind a cynical smile Julio had never seen before. She lifted her cold left hand, wiping the remaining tear from her cheek with her thumb. She stared Julio straight in the eye, her gaze cold and piercing.
"Do you think I am this weak, Julio?" Agatha asked, her voice raspy but clear in the silent room.
"What?" Julio asked back, his voice sounding bewildered.
"You are forgetting something very important. You are forgetting who I really am," Agatha continued.
"I know who you are, Agatha. You are the most beautiful work of art I have ever captured with my lens," Julio said, his voice softening again, full of obsession.
Agatha smiled mockingly. She shook her head slowly. "That is not what I mean, Julio. You have forgotten my true identity in the underworld. You have forgotten my code name."
Julio fell silent. He stared at Agatha, trying to process her words. "The Rose," Julio whispered softly, his voice trembling slightly.
"Correct. I am The Rose. An assassin trained to survive in even the most difficult situations," Agatha said, her voice now ringing with emphasis.
Agatha slowly moved her legs. She pushed her body upward using her right hand, even though it felt incredibly stiff. Julio only stood frozen beside the bed, watching her every movement with wide eyes. Agatha finally managed to sit upright on the bed. She then slowly stood up on the soft mattress. Her posture was erect, no longer looking weak as before. Julio was forced to look up to meet Agatha’s eyes. Their positions were now reversed. Agatha stood above, while Julio stood below.
Agatha began to act. She removed the oxygen mask from her face with a slow but steady motion. She threw the mask to the floor with a soft thud. Next, she turned to the heart sensors on her chest. One by one, she pulled the colorful wires from her skin. The heart monitor emitted a beep that grew faster as the sensors were detached, until finally the monitor showed a flat line and let out a long, high-pitched whine. Finally, Agatha turned her gaze to the IV tube attached to her left hand. She gripped the base of the needle firmly, then pulled it out with a single, quick jerk. A drop of fresh red blood emerged from the injection site, flowing slowly down the back of her pale hand. Agatha ignored it. She stared at Julio with a murderous look.
Julio was just about to step back, trying to digest the situation that had just unfolded. Suddenly, a glinting object appeared in Agatha’s right hand. It was a small dagger that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Before Julio could react, Agatha leaped down from the bed. She attacked Julio with incredible speed. Julio flinched. His reflexes immediately kicked in. He quickly moved his right hand toward the pocket of the cargo pants he was wearing, where he usually kept his favorite dagger. However, his hand only met empty air. His pants pocket was torn, and his dagger was already gone. Julio’s eyes widened, realizing that Agatha had taken it without him noticing.
Brak.
Julio managed to dodge just in time, rolling to the side to avoid Agatha’s dagger thrust that aimed for his chest. The dagger plunged into the pillow Agatha had previously used as a headrest. Agatha did not give up. She pulled the dagger out quickly, then turned and attacked Julio again. This time, her attack aimed for Julio’s neck. Julio parried the attack using his left hand, trying to grab Agatha’s wrist. Agatha’s strength was much greater than Julio had imagined. Julio had to exert all his strength just to hold back the attack.
Ugh.
Julio groaned as Agatha kicked his stomach hard, sending him stumbling backward and crashing into the medical cabinet in the corner of the room. Several medicine bottles fell from the top of the cabinet, shattering on the floor with a sharp clinking sound of glass. Julio panted, trying to recover his breath. He stared at Agatha with a look of disbelief. The woman he thought was dying now stood before him as a formidable warrior.
Their fight continued. They exchanged attacks, parried, and dodged within the narrow room. The sounds of their bodies hitting the medical furniture, the sound of shoes scuffing on the concrete floor, and the sound of labored breathing echoed one after another. Agatha attacked wildly, full of rage. Meanwhile, Julio tried to defend himself, even though he began to feel overwhelmed by Agatha’s strength and speed. He had not expected that the real Rose was far more terrifying than the stories he had ever heard.
Akh.
Agatha managed to wound Julio’s left arm. The dagger’s scratch left a fairly deep gash. Red blood flowed, soaking Julio’s jacket sleeve. Julio winced in pain, but he did not give up. In the midst of the fierce battle, Julio decided to speak. He wanted to understand why Agatha rejected him, even though he had given everything.
"Why, Agatha? Why do you reject me?" Julio asked, his voice sounding desperate.
Agatha did not answer. She only attacked Julio again more aggressively. She tried to stab Julio’s chest, but Julio managed to dodge and grab Agatha’s hand. They were now pushing against each other in the middle of the room.
"I can give you everything you want, Agatha. I can free you from Xavier Valois. I can take you away from here, give you the life you want," Julio continued, his tone pleading.
Agatha pushed Julio hard, sending him back several steps. "I don't need a life from you, Julio," Agatha said, her voice sounding cold.
Julio looked at Agatha with a hurt expression. "But I love you, Agatha. I already killed Luigi for you. I killed him with my own hands, Agatha. I shot him in the head and finished off the elite soldiers who were on my level," Julio said, his voice trembling.
Agatha flinched hearing Julio’s confession. She had not expected that Julio would dare to kill his own boss. She stopped her attack for a moment, staring at Julio with a furrowed brow.
"And the remaining elite soldiers? I have finished them all. Only I am left now, Agatha. Only I am worthy to be your protector," Julio continued, his tone sounding proud yet insane.
Agatha stared at Julio with a look of disgust. "You are crazy, Julio," Agatha said quietly.
Julio smiled horribly. He stepped closer toward Agatha, his eyes glinting with obsession. "I am crazy because of you, Agatha. I have given everything for you. Now, what will you give to me?"
Agatha stared Julio straight in the eye. She lowered her dagger, then walked closer toward Julio until they stood very near. She looked at Julio with an expression that was difficult to decipher.
"You say you love me, Julio?" Agatha asked, her voice softening slightly.
"That's right, Agatha. I love you more than anyone in this world," Julio replied enthusiastically.
Agatha smiled cynically. She then pointed toward the tightly closed bedroom door using her left hand. "If you truly love me, Julio, then prove it."
"What should I do, Agatha?" Julio asked, his voice full of hope.
Agatha stared at Julio with a murderous gaze. She moved her face close to Julio’s, then whispered in an incredibly cold tone.
"Kill Marco D'Angelo right now in front of me."