MGLN: Through a Mirror, Darkly
Chapter 5: Second Strike
Xx~~*~~xX
Subaru glanced over the crowd, waiting as the arrivals stepped off Clanagan's teleportation pad and exited through the aisle to the concourse. One by one, each newcomer met up with friends or family, or exited the ingress area with little fanfare. She double-checked the time, wondering if perhaps she was early or late, but then felt a rush of relief as a familiar face finally appear. Enthusiastically, she quickly surprised the woman with a hug, despite the latter's mild protest.
“Welcome back!”
Teana blushed, not really as put off by the act as she might have made it seem; while she had grown accustomed to her new relationship with her old friend, public displays still made her feel a bit awkward. “Thanks. I just wish it could be under better circumstances.”
Subaru pulled back, sobering immediately, and nodded “I take it you heard about the case Gin is currently handling? You weren't very clear in your message.”
Teana nodded, glancing around, and then the two fell into step as they walked away from the teleport pad. “That's partially why I'm here. I'll explain it to you later, but not here. Has Ginga or Cinque found anything else out?”
“We found two children several days ago,” Subaru replied as the pair began to descend a long escalator. “They have since been transported to the Bureau's medical ward, but neither have said anything yet. They are still in shock, apparently. Not that I blame them, seeing their own parents die in front of them...”
Unconsciously, Teana's hand clenched into a fist; was that woman who attacked her at the Orion Syndicate meeting behind this somehow? If so, there would be hell to pay; not just for her brother, but for that town and those kids. She wanted to ask if Subaru had any more information, but refrained while they were out in public.
And then they exited the starport, into the parking garage, and Teana noticed what Subaru was heading towards.
“You... drove my bike?” she questioned in disbelief. Technically, it was Vice's motorcycle that he had given to her, since she had fallen in love with it. And while Subaru could drive it, she generally tended not to, preferring a car instead.
Subaru leapt ahead and stood by it, smiling brightly. “I figured it would cheer you up. I know how you miss it when you're away.”
Teana shook her head at her partner, but couldn't help smiling as well, and easily slid onto the seat while running her fingers over the handlebars. It was an older machine, but Teana loved every inch of it. Subaru slid into the seat behind her, and wrapped her arms around the other's waist, giving a squeeze as if to say she was ready. Teana wasted no time in revving it up, and then peeled out of the parking spot and into the street. For a moment, she could forget everything, and just enjoy the wind in her hair, but the realities of the situation eventually intruded back into her thoughts.
“[Has anything else happened?]” she inquired telepathically.
Subaru shook her head, even though Teana wasn't in a position to see it. “[Not since the attack almost a week ago. We still have no idea as to the attacker or motive. No idea who would want to wipe out a small town.]”
Teana could feel that Subaru was holding herself in check as well; this had affected her deeply. And to a point, Teana understood; she had heard about brutal acts of violence on planets well outside Bureau space, and on planets engaged in civil war like Orussia. But to happen on Mid-Childa of all places...
“[You know something, don't you?]” Subaru suddenly asked, and Teana could feel the tension in those powerful arms around her waist.
She sighed. “[Not as much as you might think. But I'll tell you when we meet with Ginga and Cinque.]”
She hated keeping quiet about this, especially to Subaru, the girl who had become an important fixture in her life, and so she was partly glad Subaru couldn't see her face at the moment. But it suddenly occurred to her that if the Bureau was compromised, then anyone could be the leak. They might not even be aware that they were. Her thoughts turned toward her partner, holding on behind her, barely even able to bring up the horrible thought.
What if it was Subaru?
As she weaved in and out of traffic, pushing the old bike harder, Teana had no idea who she could trust, and suddenly felt very much alone.
x~~*~~x
“QUINN!”
“Huh?” Quinn uttered in a tired, almost bored tone, turning back to see the lone individual who had shouted her way. The street was empty except for Quinn, her two cohorts that she was rarely without, and the newcomer. But the individual standing several steps away, merely made Quinn blink in bewilderment. “What do you want, little girl?”
For some reason, that only made said little girl appear even more upset. “I'm here to tell you to leave my friend alone!”
“Who?” Quinn questioned, absently rubbing a finger in her ear to clean in, in a show of boredom.
Kaena had to lean over to whisper in her leader's other ear. “That's Rio Wesley, friend of Vivio Takamachi.”
A slow smile spread along Quinn's face. “Oh? Is that so? One of her majesty's little servants has come to confront me?” She took several slow steps to come to stand right in front of the smaller girl, making the difference in their heights all the more apparent. “Why should I?”
“I'm not her servant, but her friend,” Rio countered adamantly, defiance still present in her expression. “You could be her friend, too. I've heard about you, and how you tend to pick on underclassman. Why do you do that? Why not try to be friends?”
Quinn nearly doubled over in laughter. “Bwahaha! Be friends with weak little girls like yourself? Oh, that's rich! You haven't learned how the world works yet. The strong always rule over the weak. Even your little friend uses her power for her own benefit.”
“Vivio's not like that!” Rio shouted, fists clenching. “She's a good person, who only thinks of others!” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Anyway, just leave her and our other underclassman alone, okay?”
“And who is going to stop me if I don't?” the taller girl asked, but it was more of a statement than a question. “You? Are you going to use your power to get your way, too? If so, you'd be learning the way of the world.”
Rio's fists clenched even tighter, perhaps in realization that if she did decide to fight Quinn, she'd simply be proving the older girl's point. And yet, everything in her body was screaming to show the delinquent who was boss.
Quinn's Cheshire smile grew at the lack of vocal response, and then mockingly slapped her hands onto her cheeks. “Oh dear, looks like she lost her nerve. Maybe she only meant to scare me into subservience. Perhaps it worked, and I'm now too scared to do anything!” The older girl turned to go.
A surprised Rio watched her go, knowing she had been mocked, but unsure as to what to do next. Unfortunately, Quinn decided for her.
“Or maybe not,” the tough mini-gang leader stated, suddenly spinning back to Rio and grabbing the smaller girl's shoulders, and then slamming her knee into the other's gut.
Rio doubled over instantly in pain, her eyes watering and her insides contorting in torment as she fought for breath and balance. If she hadn't been training with Nove for the past several months, she was sure that would have been unable to move after that.
“Quinn...” Gwen cautioned, reaching a tentative hand out. “We shouldn't fight with her; she'll tell the school and we'll get expelled!”
The leader, however, ignored her underling, continuing to taunt Rio. “Well, is that all you have? We're not at school, so you don't have to hold back, little girl. If you want to play in the big woman's world, you better learn your place now. Perhaps you're not ready to join us, though. But maybe we'll make your friend join us.”
“No...” Rio stated, her voice wavering more than she would have liked, as she unsteadily brought herself to her feet. “If you're going to... pick on someone... then...”
“What was that?” Quinn asked, making a show of cupping her ear. “You want more, little girl? Very well, I'll make this the last thing you see.” She began to wind up her right fist.
“Quinn, don't!” Gwen cried urgently, but she was too late.
Quinn's fist shot forward.
“Emergency Set Up!” an electronic voice chirped at the same time.
...and smacked straight into an open palm of a much taller girl.
“What the...?!”
“I said,” the now-taller Rio repeated in adult-form. “If you're going to pick on someone, then pick on someone your own size!”
“Why you...” Quinn growled, a bit distressed at how she couldn't free her fist, so she struck forward with her left hand instead.
“Flame-Lightning Cannon!” Rio shouted as her right leg shot upwards, crackling with fire and lightning magic, faster than Quinn's fist could move.
The older girl's body was rocked of its feet, and then Rio spun and delivered a second kick that sent the teen delinquent skipping down the street and into the concrete wall that lined the avenue. Quinn appeared dazed, but not out, surprising Rio with the woman's endurance. But then again, she wasn't the leader of her own little mini-gang for nothing.
Quinn regained her feet, wiping the blood from her cracked lip. “So, you want to play rough, do you? You'll regret this. Kaena, Gwen!”
Rio assumed her combat stance, as the three women approached.
x~~*~~x
Hayate sat alone in her darkened office, slowly turning the pages of her photo album, that she normally kept in her drawer. This was one of the few quiet times she could get to herself, and she felt that this simple action of viewing her past helped keep her grounded. There were pictures of Nanoha, Fate, Arisa, Suzuka, Yuuno, and their families, but also of her own family, and of Graham and his his two familiars. The latter brought up mixed, yet fond feelings, and was probably the reason for her introspecting this evening.
Atrai's words were still foremost on her mind, and she had been hard-pressed to come up with counters to them. But more than that, it was the drive she felt from the man, the self-assurance of his path, that really made her question things. Was he right? What had shaped him into the person he was? She was aware of some of his past, that he had been taken in by the Saint Church at a young age, due to abusive parents. Sometime later, he had emerged from the Church orphanage to join the Bureau.
But what made him want to investigate the very Church that had taken care of him?
Curious, Hayate set the photo album aside and pull up a holographic screen. She knew a bit about his record from his official file, but maybe there were additional records elsewhere she could find. Maybe by understanding where he came from, she could better understand him.
So motivated, she began her search.
x~~*~~x
“...and don't think of harassing anyone else ever again!” Rio lectured, panting, to the three women laid out in the middle of the deserted street, pock marks from the recent battle marring the walls and road.
Quinn couldn't even respond, whether due to extreme fatigue, lack of breath, or her sore jaw. Instead, she just laid there as Rio turned and walked away, reverting to her smaller form. She had miscalculated, badly; Rio was much stronger than she appeared, and she didn't expect the other girl to be able to grow into an adult form. Quinn hadn't fought people bigger than her since the old gang broke up. How far she had fallen, she realized, from the old days.
[Why did you break up the gang, Buster Head?] she wondered for the millionth time. [We had everything, so why?]
Laying there, listening to the faint yet recovering breath of Kaena and Gwen, she inwardly railed at why the reasons still escaped her. And if Rio was that strong, and was willing to make good on her threat, then what remained for her? If she couldn't establish herself at school....
That's when a shadow overlaid her prone form, and spoke with a woman's voice. “You failed.”
Quinn's fist clenched, a reminder of her previous failure, and the promise that cooperation would bring. “She was stronger than-”
“Excuses,” came the cutoff response. “And that is not how you failed.”
“But you told us to threaten her!” Quinn protested, feeling a bit of strength coming back; was she finally recovering?
“You failed to give her proper motivation,” the woman explained, her voice remaining nearly flat and emotionless. She reached down and grabbed the front of Quinn's collar, hoisting the teen girl up fairly easily.
Quinn once more felt fear, as the memory of llosing to this woman with the strange eyes reasserted itself, fresh in her mind. A woman who had suddenly challenged her out of the blue, and in her defeat, Quinn had recognized the signs of possibly a new leader, to replace the one she had lost. “To become stronger” the woman had explained, and Quinn valued that thought as well. It had been her previous leader's mantra as well, and thus why Quinn had decided to follow this new woman.
“But you can yet serve one more purpose,” the woman stated simply.
Quinn's eyes went wide; despite the unnaturally neutral tone, the way the cryptic comment was phrased, carried deadly serious implication undertones. That instinctive feeling was backed up by the way the woman cocked her other fist back.
“Don't, Hei-!”
“Sky-Severing Knuckle,” the woman announced in the same flat voice.
The impact to her gut was severe, destroying all strength that Quinn had managed to recover thus far, even as she threw up blood and what little lunch she had in her stomach. The second magic-enhanced punch simply made her fold like a puppet with its strings cut. Mercifully, the third one rendered her blissfully unconscious.
“NO STOP!” Gwen cried, witnessing her leader passing out. She had just regained consciousness herself, although Kaena was still out.
The woman paused for a moment. “You wish to protect this one? Then watch. I will have need of you.”
Helpless, and with tears in her eyes, Gwen could only watched as a final punch sent Quinn careening into the concrete wall, cratering it upon impact. Her body slid off and dropped to the ground, arms and legs powerlessly like a ragdoll.
x~~*~~x
“Nanoha, I'm home!” Yuuno announced, coming in the front door. He frowned when he got no response. “Nanoha?”
The lights were on, but the house was silent, and felt empty. Vivio was with Corona in the Infinity Library, attempting to fill in and assist Els Tasmin, the young girl he had been training as an assistant. Vivio had also shown a knack for information handling, and Corona held a love of books, which was why he felt confident letting them handle the more minor information retrieval requests for a day. Nanoha knew Vivio would be helping him at the library, but she wouldn't have known he was coming home as a surprise.
So where was she?
He wandered into the kitchen, but didn't see any washed plates or bowls, or any meal ingredients out, which meant she hadn't yet eaten dinner nor prepared anything. Had she stepped out for a bite to eat? Yuuno was tempted to place a call to her, but thought better of it. He still wanted to surprise her, and if she would be coming home soon, then he didn't want to ruin the surprise.
“Hmmm...” he mumbled to himself, glancing at the refrigerator, and then at the pantry.
He wasn't the best cook, but maybe for once, he could fix a little meal for the two of them and surprise her with dinner?
x~~*~~x
Why am I here?
She shook her head, even though the unbidden thought summed up her reaction towards finding herslf in this seaside park. It had always been a favorite of Nanoha's, since it reminded her of the one back in Uminari, where she had fought Fate over the Jewel Seeds.
“Fate-chan...” she whispered, glancing out over the seaside railing at the crashing waves. In the distance, the sun had long since began its own dip beneath the waves.
It was supposed to be just a trip for groceries, but a random urge brought her here, where her thoughts turned toward he close friend and now wife. Perhaps because she had been unable to contact Fate for the past few days, and right now...
[What am I doing?] she halfheartedly chided herself.
Mama! Papa!
She grabbed her head, recalling those tearful voices as clear as day.
Who is she?!
“Stop it...” she gasped out, stumbling back from the railing and into a park bench.
I'm sure you'd like to be rid of that thing within you.
The sheer revulsion at the unwanted thought made her vision swim temporarily, but she fought it down and applied breathing techniques to regain her composure. She set her grocery bag down, letting her thoughts drift to not only the dinner she was going to make, but the lunch she planned to bring to Yuuno tomorrow. If he was unable to come home, she'd just have to visit him.
“I can't let them see me like this,” she told herself, rubbing her eyes with her palms. “They'll just attempt to baby me again.”
She'd always dealt with her problems and issues by herself, through long practice and habit; she wasn't about to give in now. Much like her adopted daughter, she had vowed to be strong, and she didn't want Fate and Yuuno to worry anymore about her; they were doing that enough with her pregnancy, and it had taken considerable effort to get them to stop waiting on her hand and foot once they found out.
A yawn escaped her lips as she found her attempt at meditation waning, and her eyes flickered open in an attempt to combat the oncoming drowsiness.
“Are you okay?” a female voice inquired.
I just want to sleep.
Nanoha tiredly glanced up, blinking for a moment as the setting sun seemed to create a halo around the head of a woman standing in front of her. It also made the woman's facial features a bit hazy, and for some reason, Nanoha didn't feel much like fighting the overwhelming lethargy that was overcoming her in order to get a better look at the stranger. She did get the vague impression that the woman was reaching out to her, however.
“Just for a few minutes,” Nanoha mumbled as her eyelids finally succumbed to their increasing weight, letting her head relax on the back of the park bench.
The sun finally dipped fully below the horizon, signaling that night had begun.
x~~*~~x
The woman withdrew her fingers from Nanoha's forehead, and then gently stroked the sleeping woman's hair. “I am sorry for what you must go through. But you must endure; this is the only way. I only wish I could do more. I promise I will tell you everything eventually, but until then, I need your help.”
She let her mournful gaze linger a moment more, and then straightened and walked away, her form fading from existence.
x~~*~~x
“Haven't you made contact yet?!” Lt. Donald Pierce demanded as the complex shook again, and small pieces of dislodged ceiling rained on his head.
“Negative, I can't get through!” came the reply from his female partner, Lt. Raya Nomas, who was currently manning the console inside the secondary transmission room. “The barrier is preventing all communication from reaching outside the facility!”
The radio suddenly crackled to life. “The intruder has broken through the third line of defense! We need help up here NOW! Oh no, she's-”
Pierce stared at Nomas as the line went dead and the facility shook again. “There are a dozen squads stationed here. There is no way anyone could...”
He trailed off, the static on the line the only noise filling the small room. They had long ago lost contact with the main control room, as well as any higher level commanders. The attack had been so swift, and shortly after it began, they had been ordered to scramble, but had been unable to reach their posts and so had detoured to this communication room. The few messages that had gotten through to them, had stated that the unknown hostile was a single individual; but who could have such magical power?
And now, for all Pierce knew, they were the only two left. Thus, he instinctively knew it fell to them; they had to somehow get the word out, to let the Bureau know what was going on here.
He gripped his staff tightly. “You need to get away and hide. I'll lead the hostile away.”
“You can't!” she told him instantly, grabbing his hand. “Judging by what we've heard, there is no way you'd fare any better! We'll both run-”
He shook his head, looking down at her with a soft smile and placing his hand over yours. “I know how you feel, but you'll have to forgive my macho pride, no matter how much you hate it. You have to survive. Someone needs to tell the Bureau what happened here, and you're better with movement magic. I won't confront the attacker directly, but try to lead them on a chase, at least long enough for you to get outside the barrier.”
The room shook even hard this time, cracking the walls and ceiling while the lights flickered wildly, letting both know how short time was; the hostile was coming closer.
Raya stared into his eyes, wanting to argue differently, but knew there was no other choice; she was as much a professional soldier as he was. Instead, she squeezed his hand affectionately and told him, “Don't even think of fighting alone. Don't try to delay them. Just get their attention and run; you hear me?”
He nodded, and then headed towards the door, pausing a moment before exiting. “Wait two minutes, and then run.”
And then he was gone, and Raya held her own staff at the ready.
x~~*~~x
It was even worse than he thought; bodies, the ones he could see, were littered about the the burning and smoldering rubble as he flew. The complex was nearly two kilometers in size, and didn't just contain soldiers, but their dependents and support staff as well. It was almost like a mini-town, with shops and homes. Yet, now there were precious few recognizable aspects left.
However, Donald Pierce had no time to grieve, nor consider the matter further. The demon was hot on his tail, although he hadn't had a good chance to take a look at her, yet. He hadn't been outside the room for more than a moment, when a magical beam threatened to end his plan, and his life, prematurely. Only his quick instincts had saved him, but now he was desperately flying for his life, although he got the distinct impression she might have been missing on purpose. Why? Was she toying with him?
Whatever it was, he risked a glance backwards to try and get a better look at her, but then realized she was no longer there. Confused, he brought his gaze forward again, just in time to see her floating directly in front of him. In the next instant, her hand smacked hard across his face, sending him tumbling from the sky. Several magical bullets slammed into his body from various angles before he hit the ground, robbing him of most of his strength. It was only then, as he struggled to rise and she landed nearby, that he finally got a look at her.
“C-captain Takamachi?!” he sputtered in disbelief. Her face and her history, were well-known to many Bureau personnel, and he had been somewhat of a personal fan.
The barest hints of surprise or shock seemed to flit across her otherwise-neutral expression. “You know me?”
“Of course I do!” he protested, using his staff to brace himself, the numb feelings beginning to give way to long-suppressed anger. “Wait,
you're behind this? Why? My family and friends... all this destruction.. how could you? Many of us looked up to you!”
There seemed to be a flash of anger in those nearly-dead eyes. “So, I earned the trust and respect of most of the Bureau?” A smile slowly formed on her lips, but it wasn't one that originated from feelings of earnest joy or happiness, and it sent chills down Donald's spine. “Oh, this is rich. You have my thanks. As a reward, I will make this quick.”
Dumbfounded, Donald could only stare as she pointed her spear at him. He considered whether he had strength enough to dodge or shield, but concluded that neither was a possible option in his state. Unconsciously, his lips turned upward at the thought that Raya must have gotten away by now.
“Oh, if you thought you bought enough time for your companion to to escape...”
His eyes went wide as some rubble exploded outward nearby, and he realized she was using telekinesis to pull a bloodied body from the wreckage and toss it at his feet. His breath caught in his throat, as he beheld the non-moving form of his partner.
“Destroying that room was something I did immediately after you took off,” she explained unemotionally.
His staff clattered to the ground, forgotten, and tears welled up in his eyes as he bent down to gently touch the still-warm body, and then desperately grab and cradle it in his arms. A sob escaped his lips, and then his angry eyes came up to meet Nanoha's, disregarding the glow of the gathering pink magic.
“How could you?!” he nearly screamed at her.
“I do what I must,” she told him cryptically as the spell neared completion. “What's one more sin?”
He only had a brief moment to ponder that cryptic statement, before she fired.
x~~*~~x
He awoke to the sound of the front door closing, cursing himself for falling asleep; he had only intended to rest a little while. After finishing dinner, Yuuno had cleaned up and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally he decided to close his eyes and rest awhile. But now, a cold shiver ran down his spine as his eyes drifted across the illuminated 1:13am on the clock. Had he really been asleep that long?
That thought quickly vacated his mind when his gaze finally came to rest upon the person pulling herself into the living room. “Nanoha! I've been worried! Where have... Are you okay?”
Her hair was unkempt, almost wild, and her clothes are a bit dirty and heavily ruffled, as if she had been playing a rough contact sport. Her eyes, almost vacant, settled on him, and then began to waver. In the next instant, she was hugging him tightly.
“Nanoha?” he questioned, hugging her back.
“Don't ask,” she told him, her voice on the verge of breaking. “Just... be with me tonight.”
Surprise didn't even begin to describe his reaction. Neither did confusion or puzzlement. Whatever had happened, it was clear she needed some comfort and reassurance now. And so he just sank to the couch with his wife, holding her tightly, the now-cold dinner all but forgotten.
[Nanoha...] he pondered, stroking fingers through her hair. [What happened to you?]
x~~*~~x
[Stupid guards,] Galiboni thought to himself as he stealthily prowled the corridors. [I haven't survived this long in the syndicate without knowing how to evade the Bureau.]
It had been a simple matter to overpower the guards bringing him his feel. They probably felt that his girth meant he wasn't an agile fighter, and that without magic, he wasn't very dangerous. He had proved them wrong on both counts, using an inert pick hidden in his skin to undo his locks, and thus it was easy to surprise the two guards. They were out before they hit the floor. From then on, he only needed it to access a control panel and temporarily short out the electrical systems in this section of the ship, thus blinding all the cameras.
Now he just needed to get to the escape pods and he'd be home-free!
“You were attempting to damage the ship, putting the lives of all aboard in danger,” a soft female voice stated.
He froze, turning to see a woman with long black hair standing there, an equally long and curved sword in her hand. “Agent Sephia, I presume.” He threw up his hands, knowing he had no chance of outmaneuvering a high-rank Bureau Enforcer. A guard, maybe; but not someone this strong. “You're good, I'll give you that. Very well, I surrender.”
She started to walk towards him, but something about the way she carried herself and and her neutral expression, sent a chill through his bones.
The sword tip began to rise. “Had I not stopped you, you might have damaged the reactor and blown up the ship.”
Galiboni took a step back. “What are you...” He trailed off, noticing her gaze when she paused, and lifted his eyes, now catching sight of the “Reactor Room” plaque just above.
The footsteps resumed. “You had an explosive device, and were threatening to detonate it. I had no time. I tried to stop you, but it was too late.”
He instinctively caught the small object that was thrown at him, recognizing it as a bomb. He immediately tried to toss it away, but it was stuck to his hands. “H-hey, you're Bureau! You're not supposed to-”
“It is unfortunate, but you should not have been caught,” she told him, sword now gripped with both hands and pointed his way.
He finally understood, somehow managing to keep his cool “You let me escape. The others don't want me to talk. But I won't, and whatever they are paying you, I can offer you-”
She dashed towards him, just as the bomb exploded.
x~~*~~x
“”Thank goodness you were able to shield most of the blast just in time,” one of the technicians was saying, surveying the damage while others began to work on it. “A little more, and we might have had a problem.”
The blast hole covered most of the door to the reactor room, but the greater portion of the corridor outside was blackened and scorched.
“And still I failed,” Sephia stated solemnly, letting the med tech finish applying bandages to her arms, before standing up. “I will inform Fate Takamachi of this development.”
He nodded, then noticed the cracks on her sword. “You should also bring your device in later and I'll look at it, to make sure the auto-regeneration program will fix everything.”
She nodded and turned, already knowing that the “damage” to her device, would account for the missing data of her exchange with Galiboni. And thus, no one would hear what he had to say.
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
I'm getting a lot of comments about this story, people wondering about Sephia, and what is going on with Nanoha. While I've given some hints as to Sephia, the latter topic will remain a mystery for now. And expect to see the new mystery woman show up in strange places...
Sometimes I wonder, though, if I'm running too many mysteries at the moment...
2012-08-19, 20:51
Author
but the Main characters won't get it. 
