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Edmond Dante had only been an FBI agent for a couple of years. Still, he was one of the best agents they’d ever had. Most of the higher ups took an immediate liking to him. Not only that, he also had a lovely girlfriend named Mercédѐs. He was sure to move up the ranks quickly. The only one who truly didn’t like him was Danglar.
Worried Dante would eventually take his position on the board, Danglar constantly looked for a way to get rid of him. The opportunity finally arised when Dante went on an assignment, and both failed to retrieve his package and lost his partner. With no witnesses other than Dante, Danglar was able to frame him for conspiring against the government and being a mole.
The bord, having no reason not to believe Danglar, ordered for Dante’s arrest. As they close in Dante begins to run away, yelling “That’s a lie. I’m innocent!”
Narrowly escaping, Dante goes on the run and vows to clear his name and get justice. To stay hidden from the FBI, he severs all contact with his family and friends. Breaking his phone and leaving his passport behind. Trying not to leave a trace of his continued existence. Not being able to warn her, he causes Mercédѐs to worry.
He buys a burner phone and, even though he wishes he could call Mercédѐs, he calls Morrel, his superior that originally got him into the FBI, in a last ditch effort to clear his name quickly.
“Hello?”
“Morrel, It’s me Dante. Don’t hang up just listen to me for a second.”
“Why’d you run away Dante?”
“I didn’t do it, you have to believe me. I’m being framed.”
“I do, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a wanted man. Who would want to frame you anyways?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.”
“....Look, I’ll see what I can do, but in the meantime keep your head low and don’t cause any more trouble then you already have.” Then Dante hung up. The fact that they were probably tracing that call wasn’t lost on him. He broke the phone, threw it in the trash, and boarded a train at the station he had walked to while on the call.
A week passed and they hadn’t gotten any closer to finding Dante, so they brought in a specialist. He was to track down Dante and bring him in dead or alive, alive was preferred. The specialist was the head of a special ops unit, Luigi Vampa.
The next day Dante was in his hideout planning a way to clear his name when he heard the latch to the front door open. Dante grabbed his gun and ran to the window that had fire escape stairs next to it. As he began to run up the steps he heard the footsteps of someone not too far behind him. As he ran towards the roof he heard a voice call out “Edmond Dante, you’re under arrest! Surrender peacefully and we can negotiate for your sentence.”
Dante continued to run up the stairs. As he reached the roof he heard footsteps closing in from behind him. Dante ran to one of the edges of the roof. It was a dead end, but there was another roof not too far away. Then a thought crossed his mind. He took a few steps back as his pursuer stepped onto the roof. “Stop!” yelled the man. Dante ignored him and ran forward quickly. Then he jumped off the roof and into the air.
The moment seemed to last forever, but it was actually only a few seconds. Then he felt the ground underneath him as he landed on the roof and rolled out of his landing. He stood up and took a second to catch his breath. Only then did he take a look behind him to see his pursuer. To his surprise the man was backing up. ‘ Was he giving up? No…… he was going to jump!’
Dante began to back up as the man jumped off the roof. He was about to turn around and continue to run when he saw that the man didn’t make it. Instead he was dangling off the side of the building. Holding onto the edge of the building for his life.
This was his chance to get away. He could be able to shake them forever if he left now. But he couldn’t do it. Something in him couldn’t leave this man to die. Even though he’d never met him before he couldn’t wish ill on this man. A man who had done him no wrong.
Dante went to the edge and looked down at the man. Dante grabbed the man’s hands and began to help pull him up. He fell back, pulling the man up the rest of the way and hitting the ground.
They stood up and Dante expected to be handcuffed that moment. Instead the man said “You saved me?.... Why?” He was taking deep breaths trying to calm down.
“I couldn’t let you die. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Taking a breath, Dante continued to speak. “Besides, I’m innocent. And before you arrest me, hear me out.”
“....”
“I’m being framed, and yes, I know how that sounds but it’s true. Look, I’ll go with you willingly if you just help me.”
“.....you did save me so I’ll help you, but what are you planning to do?”
“I’m gonna expose my enemy. All I need you to do is make sure Danglar is the one asking me questions.”
“Ok, I can do that. I suppose I should introduce myself, I’m Vampa.”
Then, a few hours later, Vampa walked into the headquarters with Dante handcuffed. Morrel walked up to Dante and whispered to him “I thought I told you to keep a low profile while I sorted this out?”
“Sorry”
Morrel pulled away from Dante and talked to both of them. “There will be a trial tomorrow, I suggest you prepare.” Then, Vampa brought Dante to a cell for the night.
The next morning the trial began and the charges were read out to him. “Edmond Dante, you are charged with the murder of your partner and espianage. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty.” Then Dante took the stand to plead his case.
Vampa being successful in his task, Danglar walked up and began questioning him trying to hide his smugness. “Edmond Dante, did your partner die on your most recent assignment?”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill your partner?”
“No.” Sensing an opportunity he continued. “How could I have killed him.” It wasn’t technically a literal question so much as a ‘ how could I do that to my friend’ question, but it was said in such a way that you could easily think he was actually asking how he could physically do it. Luckily for Dante, that’s exactly what happened.
“You could kill him by stabbing him in the back three times.”
“....” He’d messed up. “It wasn’t three times it was four.”
“What?”
“My partner, he was stabbed four times, not three.” This was his chance.
“Okay, sorry I messed up. But that still doesn’t change the fact that you killed your partner and escaped without a scratch on you.”
“That’s not true!” He just needed a little more to prove this.
“Oh, so do you deny that your partner was stabbed in the back ‘four’ times and then you escaped?”
“No. My partner was stabbed in the back and I did escape, but I fought against my partner's killer first.”
“Oh, and can you prove this?” It was obvious Danglar thought he had the upper hand.
“Well, since my partner was stabbed in the back he didn’t have the ability to defend himself. So I wouldn’t be hurt if I was the murderer, but….your assumption that I was unharmed is wrong.” Dante moved to clearly show a stab wound on his side that was previously covered. It was poorly stitched together and only barely beginning to heal.
And just like that the rug had been pulled out from under Danglar. He didn’t know what to do. The judge took it into his hands and dismissed the case on the basis of ‘not enough evidence’ .
Dante was set free and his name was cleared. He was able to go home to Mercédѐs and explain what happened. He hadn’t lost but he hadn’t won either. His framer hadn’t been brought to justice yet, but that was just how it was going to have to stay…..for now.