Chapter 20

"Kate..." Frank said quietly. Kate turned and looked at him.

"Look... I know it's none of my business... and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But... What just happened?" Frank asked quietly.

Kate thought for a little bit before answering. "It's... kind of personal... between me and Tellka, Frank."

Frank nodded, then turned his attention to the doorway that had appeared after he had flipped the switch. He folded his arms and began to think.

"I know... he's hiding in there... We've got to go in... but can we do this without Tellka's help? Where did she go anyway?" Kate then broke him out of his musings.

"A zenny for your thoughts, Frank." She asked carefully. Frank turned and looked at her strangely.

"Don't you mean, 'a penny' Kate?" Now Kate was looking at him funny.

"No... Zenny is the currency here. Is... a penny a type of currency back in Lunarvale?" Kate asked curiously.

"Just a type. We use different types of coins, and paper money as well. Here." Frank then pulled a leather wallet from his back pocket and fished out a one dollar bill. He gave it to Kate, who looked at it curiously.

"You can keep it Kate." Frank said. Kate smiled, before asking him the original question again.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him once again.

"About... What we're going to do, Kate. I wish Tellka didn't disappear... We could use her help." Frank said carefully. Kate looked at him curiously.

"We'd better get this over with. Ready Kate?" Frank asked her.

"I... I guess so..." She said in a scared voice. Both of them were about to exit through the passage when a voice stopped them.

"Wait up..." Frank and Kate turned and saw Tellka running toward them.

"Tellka?" Kate asked her. Tellka looked at her for a bit, then turned her attention to Frank.

"I guess you're unsure of your abilities, huh?" Tellka said with a smirk.

Kate looked at Tellka curiously then looked at Frank to see what he would do. After all, he and Tellka did not part on the best of terms.

"To be honest with you, Tellka... yes." That earned him a confused look from Tellka.

"You see Tellka... I may have done all this... Fought demons back home... been shot at by Guido's thugs... and now the colliseum... I may look like I can do it all... But deep down, I know I can't. That's why I'm unsure of myself. But you know what... With you and Kate with me, and with the help of my Persona..." Frank decided to rub Katt's pendant at that moment. "I believe that we can stop this guy once and for all."

Tellka looked at him for a moment, as did Kate. Kate heard a thump behind her, and slowly turned around. She then started to scream.

"What are you waiting on? Go check on her!!!" Katt screamed in his mind. Frank and Tellka rushed over to her quickly. They saw her pacing back.

"What's wrong? Did something attack you?" Tellka asked her cautiously.

Kate backed up until she bumped into Frank. She started screaming again, but calmed down a little after seeing Frank and Tellka.

Frank walked up to her and held her hands. "It's OK... we're here Kate... You'll be all right." Frank said in a soothing tone. Kate nodded and calmed down a bit after looking into Frank's eyes.

"What happened?" Tellka asked her carefully.

"That... that... Oh my..." Kate stammered out as she pointed in the direction of the corridor.

Frank looked at Tellka, then down the hallway. "I'll go check it out." He said to both of them.

"Oh no you don't, Frank. Not without us." She said to him. Frank smiled, and then started to walk down the hall with Kate and Tellka behind him. He then saw what Kate was so scared of.

"Oh my God..." Frank said as he rushed forward...

"What is it, Frank?" Tellka asked him quietly.

"I found Redwing's servant... Or... his remains..." Frank said as he examined the badly burnt body.

Tellka's eyes went wide as did Kate's. Frank took a good look at the body and saw the gun that he had used earlier to try and knock Kate out. It was now just a piece of burnt and melted metal, but it still retained it's shape.

"Stay here for a second." Frank then rushed back into Redwing's room and searched for about a minute. He found a blanket of sorts, and rushed back to the passageway. He covered the body, and said a silent prayer.

"May your soul find peace... wherever it may have traveled..." Frank said quietly before making a sign of the cross. Kate looked at him with a smile, before Tellka snapped at him.

"Why did you do that?! After what he did to Kate..." She said furiously. Frank quieted her down.

"He wasn't responsible for his actions... Redwing made him do it. And when he failed... I guess this was his punishment." Frank said quietly.

Tellka stood there, absorbing what he said. Kate then spoke up.

"I hear something... music?" Kate said as she looked down the hall.

Frank looked at her and noticed that her ears were twitching. Kate's tall was also waving around nervously. "I... hear it too... violin music?" Frank said quietly.

Tellka said nothing, but motioned down the hall. Frank and Kate nodded, and Tellka let Frank take point again.

As they got closer to the door at the end of the hall, the music got louder. Frank looked at Kate and Tellka.

"You both ready? We know he's in there... Frank said carefully as he unsheathed his rapier.

Kate managed a slight nod, as did Tellka. Frank opened the door slowly, and the three of them entered.

Inside the room was a fire place, a chair, and Redwing, sitting with his back to them. Redwing was also playing a violin, which was the source of the ghostly music. On the walls of the rooms were various skins... Some looked like they were from tigers, but the three of them knew what they were really from.

"This guy makes me sick..." Katt said in Frank's mind. Frank looked around in horror, then looked at Kate and Tellka.

Kate's eyes were wide, and she was pale. Tellka too, was pale, which surprised Frank.

Just then, Redwing began to chuckle...


Chapter 21
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