Crimson Alchemy – Episode 9: The Warden’s Fall

The tension in the workshop was suffocating. Ruby and Tessa stared at the decrypted files, the evidence they had pulled from Eleanor Dane’s server flashing across the screen. Names, payments, targeted individuals—all the proof they needed to dismantle Project Cerberus. But Ruby knew exposing the Paragon Order wasn’t enough.

“We can’t just leak this,” Ruby said, pacing the room. “If we go public without shutting them down entirely, they’ll recover—and retaliate.”

Tessa folded her arms, frustration bubbling. “So, what do we do? Take down their entire network?”

Ruby stopped and turned to her. “No. We take down Halstead and Dane. But first, we deal with The Warden.”

The Warden’s Identity

The files also contained the truth Ruby had dreaded: The Warden was Dr. Elliot Voss, her former mentor and colleague from her pre-Hawthorne days. A brilliant chemist, Voss had been disgraced after exposing corruption at a major pharmaceutical company—a company that was, of course, tied to the Paragon Order.

Halstead had found Voss at his lowest, manipulating him into becoming the Order’s enforcer in exchange for wiping his ruined reputation clean.

“It makes sense now,” Ruby muttered, staring at the photo of Voss. “He knows how I think because he trained me.”

Tessa frowned. “And now he’s hunting you. How do we stop him?”

Ruby’s jaw tightened. “We draw him out. And we end this.”

The Trap

Ruby and Tessa set their plan in motion. They leaked just enough information to suggest that the Scarlet Harlot was planning to expose the Order’s most sensitive operations. The bait: a rumored meeting between Ruby and a whistleblower set to take place at Ravenport Central Station, a sprawling, public hub.

“The Warden won’t pass this up,” Ruby said as they prepared. “Halstead will send him to shut me down before I can act.”

“And what happens when he shows up?” Tessa asked.

Ruby loaded a small vial of a new compound into her utility belt. “I finish it.”

The Confrontation

Ravenport Central Station bustled with commuters as Ruby, dressed as the Scarlet Harlot, positioned herself on a shadowed balcony overlooking the main concourse. She spotted The Warden the moment he entered—a silent predator, his movements calculated and deliberate.

He made his way toward the “whistleblower,” a decoy Ruby had arranged to keep his attention. As he closed in, Ruby struck, dropping down from above with a precision that caught even him off guard.

Their fight was ferocious. The Warden was relentless, his blows heavier than ever, his movements refined by months of tracking her. But Ruby had learned too. She anticipated his strikes, countering with agility and her chemical arsenal.

“What happened to you, Voss?” Ruby demanded, dodging his baton. “You were better than this!”

Voss’s mask glinted under the station lights. “You don’t understand what they took from me,” he growled. “Halstead gave me a purpose again.”

“They enslaved you!” Ruby shot back, deploying a burst of Specter Fog to disorient him.

But Voss countered with his own device, dispersing the fog. He lunged at Ruby, pinning her against a column.

“They’ll never stop,” he hissed. “Not for you. Not for anyone.”

Ruby’s Counter

Ruby gritted her teeth and pressed a hidden button on her glove, releasing her new compound—a nerve agent designed specifically to incapacitate Voss without causing permanent harm. The gas seeped through the vents in his mask, and he staggered back, his strength waning.

“Elliot,” Ruby said, her voice softer now. “It’s over. You don’t have to be their pawn anymore.”

Voss collapsed to his knees, his breathing labored. “You don’t get it… Halstead’s always three steps ahead. He knows what you’re planning.”

“Then tell me how to stop him,” Ruby pressed.

Voss hesitated, his voice trembling. “The Black Veil isn’t just surveillance… it’s a failsafe. If the Order is exposed, Halstead will activate it—wiping out everyone who’s a threat. You, Tessa, everyone.”

The Cost of Trust

Ruby left Voss incapacitated, calling an anonymous tip to local authorities to take him into custody. But as she and Tessa regrouped at the workshop, the weight of his words sank in.

“The Black Veil is a kill switch,” Ruby said, pacing. “If we expose them without disabling it, they’ll take everyone down with them.”

Tessa clenched her fists. “Then we find the kill switch. We stop it.”

Ruby nodded, her resolve hardening. “Halstead’s headquarters. It’s the only place it could be.”

Cliffhanger

At Halstead Tower, Victor Halstead watched live footage of The Warden’s defeat on a massive monitor. His expression was calm, calculating.

Dane entered the room, her face tight with anger. “She’s getting too close.”

Halstead nodded. “Then we finish it. Activate the Black Veil.”

Dane hesitated. “Are you sure? Once it’s active—”

Halstead cut her off. “Do it. And make sure she watches the world burn.”

To Be Continued…