MGLN: Future Tense
Chapter 27: Return
Xx~~*~~xX
Nanoha's eyes flew open and darted around the room while she panted. Just to make sure, she reached up and felt her neck, but there were no hands there. Still, the voice was echoed in her mind, now clearer thanks to the video that Sein had brought aboard.
"You are mine now, child."
"Come with me if you want to live. I require you."
There was no question, as her dream had just verified: they were identical.
She hugged her body, shivering as a breeze gently fondled the sweat on her body. The face was still indistinct, but the voice was familiar. [Is it someone I know? Where does this memory, if that's what it is, even come from? And whoever it is, apparently they had some plan in motion all the way back to the day of the cradle attack. Jail didn't mention Due, so whoever took her is obviously not working for him.]
Of course, she didn't totally discount the idea that Jail had simply hidden that aspect from her, and that this whole thing was part of his plot in some way. But she felt like she had a good read on Uno at least, who hadn't mentioned Due at all, and the woman definitely didn't seem like she was deceiving Nanoha in any way. Unless Jail had deceived her, too.
[I'm thinking in circles, I need to take a walk,] she decided, shaking her head and climbing down out of the upper bunk bed.
The disc had contained many other files, mostly copious amounts of notes Verossa had accrued from his long undercover mission, some of which seemed on the verge of conspiracy nut ramblings. But others made a bit more sense, and it was those that made her skin crawl the most; the most striking one was his discovery that the life-extension machines extended life... by taking it from others. It was apparently a well-kept secret, as not many really knew how they worked, just that they did. Nanoha wondered if Fate or Hayate knew. It could have been just another paranoid rambling, but she had encountered something similar before.
[The Book of Darkness,] Nanoha remembered, thinking of how it drained the life of Hayate and absorbed the linker cores of mages.
She shivered, rubbing her arms and trying to clear her mind for the moment as she looked for her pants. Duo had urged their guests to get some rest, as the trip would take a couple of days, but right now, sleep was the last thing on the brunette's mind; she really needed a walk.
"Nanoha?" came Sein's faint voice from the lower bunk bed.
The other woman sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just couldn't sleep, that's all."
The #6 cyborg sat up and studied her travel mate. "The dream again? And you still don't know what it means?" In response to Nanoha shaking her head, Sein bit her lip, just barely visible in the darkness. "I actually have a theory about that. It may be the memory of the first Nanoha's death, currently hidden in your subconscious. People normally don't have those kinds of memories, so it would be pretty traumatic to the brain, which is why it's mostly suppressed, but comes out in your dreams. It could be the key to figuring out who is behind things, but I'm also worried about you, because there is no idea what effect it would have on your psyche if you were to actually remember everything. I'm still not sure you should try."
A sad smile formed on Nanoha's face. "We may not have a choice; we need any advantage we can get. I really feel like this is important somehow."
Sein sighed. "I suppose that's true. Whoever that was, they took Due. If they did that to save her life, then we have bigger problems. From what I know of my sister, she can easily pretend to be almost anyone, and is a skilled manipulator; she convinced a priest that she loved him, and made him willingly steal the shroud of the Saint, something that all Church members find incredibly holy. No one, no matter how much they might believe, is immune to subtle manipulation, especially when they don't realize it's happening. It certainly does put a slightly different perspective on history, if she has been out and about."
Nanoha thought that, and it did make a certain amount of sense. It might very well explain why people died at certain times, or why they made the decisions they did. A nudge here, a bomb there, and it was scary what could happen. After all, according to Fate, the Bureau still honestly believed they were doing the right thing to protect people; at least those at the top. She shivered again when she thought of what she might do to protect Vivio.
[But why?] the thought came. Was her goal to turn the Bureau into this? If so, what purpose would that serve?
However, her thoughts were broken as Duo's voice sounded over the intercom and the lights came on. "I think you two should get ready and come up to the cockpit." There was a note of urgency in her tone. "We'll be approaching Mid-Childa much sooner than anticipated."
The two women spared a quick glance at each other, then swiftly got dressed and headed for the bridge.
x~~*~~x
It was a bar like most others one could find on Mid-Childa, made of stone and concrete with a wooden bar and tables, but to Teana, this one held something important. The patrons within barely glanced up as the trio entered, but she took her time scanning the room's occupants for one in particular, not needing Givo to point out the target since her own eyes found what she was looking for.
Almost casually, she strode up to one particular cloaked patron at the bar, then pulled her gun and placed the barrel up against the person's head. "Hello, Rio, long time no see."
"Hey, you promised-" Givo started to say, but was forestalled by Teana giving him the hand.
"Of all the people in all the bars, you had to walk into this one," Rio opined with a sigh as the hood fell off, revealing purple locks. She casually took another swig of her drink. "What's the reason for the visit? Social call? Grapevine says you're on the outs with the Bureau, but you know how rumors go."
Teana's lips pulled upwards slightly as she armed her weapon. "You could say that. And I hear you've been busy, putting your little group back together. But aren't you missing one-"
That was as far as she got.
Rio suddenly dropped as if the bar stool had been taken out from underneath her, and then kicked outwards with lightning speed, catching Teana in the gut and knocking her towards the door. The gun mage fired as she flew, but Rio was already on the move, zigzagging to follow up on her initial assault and thus it was part of the bar that exploded into a shower of splinters. She sprung into the air and came down with an axe kick, however Teana rolled out of the way and came up on her feet, pointing her gun at Rio's head, who batted the ex-Enforcer's hand away just before it went off and a glass on the counter paid the price instead.
For the next few moments, neither one could gain an advantage as they traded hand-to-hand point-blank attacks. Teana kept trying to shoot Rio at close range, while the other woman ducked and deflected the hands holding the guns, with several shots barely missing the skill Strike Arts practioner.
"Never through I'd see you traveling with her," came a familiar voice from behind.
Givo and Layla turned, startled, as a woman behind them removed her hood. "Corona! It's, um, kinda complicated." He winced as another stray shot claimed a table; by this time, most of the bar's previous patrons had quickly found an exit. "Although she said she was going to talk, not fight."
"Well, to be fair, they are talking, too," Corona mused.
"Facist dictator!" Rio growled, grabbing one of Teana's pig-tails and yanking.
"Small-chested anarchist!" Teana snarled right back, elbowing the other woman in the gut.
"They aren't that small!" Rio countered, biting her adversary's arm.
"I knew you survived!" Layla enthused, grabbing one of Corona's hands as a wall exploded. "They told us that you died when your transport ship went down, but I knew it couldn't be true."
Corona ducked as an empty beer pitcher flew over her head. "Well, it was kinda true, but complicated. I'll explain later." She sighed. "Once these two are done, anyway."
"Rebel malcontent!" Teana accused, slapping Rio's cheek.
"Hitler!" Rio shot back, adding a backhand to the insult.
Teana paused, looking confused. "Who?"
Rio took advantage of the pause to toss Teana against the shelves behind the bar, shattering dozens of drink bottles, but the gun mage fired several return shots that sent the rebel leader tumbling back through several tables.
"Then again..." Corona continued, changing her mind, her magic circle flaring underneath her feet as the two women clashed once more. "ENOUGH"
Rio and Teana, thumbs hooked on each others lips as if trying to pry the others mouth open, paused and looked at Corona as the mage formed giant hands out of the stone floor and tightly grabbed each combatant.
"Now..." Corona continued, letting out a breath. "Could we continue this like civilized people?"
x~~*~~x
"I thought you said it would take almost two days before we'd arrive, in order to throw them off our trail?" Sein inquired as she and Nanoha arrived in the cockpit and strapped in. "It hasn't quite been a day."
"That was the plan, but our reactor must have taken a hit when we burst out of Supools like a bat out of hell," Duo replied, flipping switches. "We have an energy leak in our reactor that's been draining power that Choonie couldn't fully repair, so we don't have anymore time to waste. We lost the cruisers a few hours ago, so I've charted a shorter and sharper parabolic turn towards Mid-Childa."
"In other words, we're trying to get back ASAP before we lose power totally," Choonie, another woman who was Duo's co-pilot and engineer, explained to the blank looks on Nanoha and Sein's faces.
"Oooh, will we be alright?" Nanoha asked. She'd had a course or two in dimensional navigation, but it was one of the few categories where it was mostly over her head.
"We should... provided there aren't cruisers waiting for us right where we exit hyperspace," Choonie answered, tapping away at her console. "In which case, they could probably vaporize us the instant we emerge."
"But they won't, trust me!" Duo soothed with another boast.
"And of course, if there are more than four ships in system, the possibility of safely landing on the planet is approximately 3,720 to 1," Choonie added.
"Never tell me the odds!" Duo grunted in annoyance. "They probably already detected our approach by now, so I'm bringing us in closer to the planet than what you're probably used to. Alright, hold on, dropping us out of hyperspace... now!"
True to her word, the little ship emerged back into normal space and rocketed towards the planet. Mid-Childa filled the cockpit's window, a sight Nanoha had seen many times, but never quite under these dangerous circumstances. And she never saw a Bureau ship open fire on her, either, as the
Centennial Sparrow rocked from the weapons fire glancing off it's shields.
"Hold on, we'll be past them and into the upper atmosphere in a few moments!" Duo called, sending the ship into a series of impressive evasive maneuvers. "Choonie, angle the deflector shields; that should buy us some time!"
"Already on it, but they are close to failing already!" the co-pilot called back, worry in her voice. "There's a storm front on the southern continent; if you can get us into it, it should help hide us from their sensors."
Duo grit her teeth. "Oh boy, gonna be rough ride, hold on!"
Lightning flashed across the window, accompanied by fierce water droplets as the ship dove into the stormy clouds. Nanoha did her best to grip the armrests when the ship rocked violently again, followed by an electrical surge and various alarms sounding. Whatever had just happened, it couldn't have been good.
Choonie's next words confirmed it. "We've lost the main engine! They got a hit past our shields. The good news is they don't seem to want to destroy us, just cripple us. The bad news is, we might just end up splattered all over the planet anyway. We can't slow down enough on just the maneuvering thrusters!"
"Would you drop the Miss doom-and-gloom persona?" Duo groused. "I've gotten us out of worse situations than this. Although..." She glanced back. "Miss Sein, you may want to take our VIP guest into the back and escape, just in case."
The cyborg nun was quick to respond, unfastening her seat, and then grabbing Nanoha's hand the instant she undid her own restraints. "Got it."
Nanoha glanced between the other two women, concerned as Sein took her hand and began pulling her out. "But what about you two-"
She was cut off as the ship tilted to the side, and only Sein's cyborg arms kept her on her feet as she was led along, before pausing alongside a hallway section. Before Nanoha could realize what was going on, the cyborg nun was giving her a small smile and tucking a certain disc in Nanoha's breast pocket.
"The whole point of this was to get you to Mid-Childa, and that's what we're gonna do," Sein said, then hit a button on the wall. "And you're the only one of us that can fly, so I can't come with you, sorry."
In the next instant, the wall behind Nanoha opened up and she was sucked out of the ship and into the rain, watching helplessly as Sein remained in the doorway, smiling the entire time while the hatch shut. Nanoha immediately started took off after the runaway ship that was quickly losing altitude and trailing smoke, but it was quite obvious she was never going to catch it. Powerless, all she could do was pray that it would rise just a bit more to clear the looming mountain ahead of it, but it was not to be.
She could only watch in abject horror as as the ship slammed into it, exploding into a giant fireball a split second later.
Rain soaking her hair and clothes, Nanoha sped ahead to the crash site, some hope still alive in her heart with the idea that perhaps Sein and the other two women had managed to bail out before the hit, but growing more and more anxious by the moment when she didn't see them.
"Sein!" she called out desperately, flying just above the trees. "Duo! Choonie!"
And then she was nearly right below the smoking and burning fireball lodged into the cliff face above, and she sank to her knees. Water ran down her face, that she told herself was from the rain, ignoring the unspoken thought that she had lost yet another companion. [I could have carried her! Perhaps all three, so why?]
Thunder echoed in the distance, giving her no answer.
She shook her head. [I have to keep going,] Nanoha told herself, dragging her soaked-to-the-bone body to its feet. [Too many people are counting on me. But still, I...]
"Something wrong?" came a voice from behind her, causing Nanoha to inhale sharply.
"I've been from one end of the galaxy to the other, and I ain't never seen anything like that," Duo commented, looking somewhat shaken.
Slowly at first, Nanoha turned around to see Sein standing there, holding onto the two starship women, and instantly realized what had happened, although Sein's next words confirmed it.
"What, did you think I was gonna die in that?" Sein teased with a smile. "I can only carry two people with me when I dive, so I had to get you out first. I grabbed each of them right before the ship hit, and used the forward momentum to fly into the cliff right before it exploded. Wasn't quite sure it was going to work, but hey, I'm still here!"
In the next moment, Nanoha found herself running towards the woman, hugging her. "When you didn't come, I thought for sure you'd... and you said you couldn't come with me, I thought..."
"Um, yeah, sorry about that," Sein replied, a bit flustered as she scratched the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "Guess when you look at it that way, what I said could have been taken differently."
"Hate to break up the reunion, but I suggest we get moving," Duo suggested tactfully. "It won't take the Bureau long to reach this area. I aimed for some place relatively remote for that reason."
Nanoha let the cyborg go and turned to the other two women, berating herself for almost forgetting about them. "You're right, but I'm sorry about your ship."
Duo chuckled while Choonie explained, "We go through ships like that a lot, since the boss pays us to smuggle things. In return, they build these fast ships for us to pilot. And there's nobody crazy or stupid enough to pilot them except lunkhead here."
"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Duo countered, then chuckled. "But Choonie is right. All we need to do is hook up with the criminal underground here, and they'll furnish us with another ship, or at least a way back to Supools. We've made deliveries to Mid-Childa before, although we normally just eject, but your crazy friend here grabbed us before we could."
Nanoha glanced at her companions. "Then you're right, we should get moving!"
"And find someplace warm to wait out the rain," Sein added as they began walking, shivering for effect. "I could use a warm bath."
Nanoha agreed, even as her thoughts turned to the nearly-insurmountable task ahead of her. She almost found it to be a bit strange to be back on Mid-Childa again, as it had seemed like ages since she was here, but in reality it been a month-and-a-half or so. She wondered how everyone was doing, both back on Supools and here. And in particular, she wondered what Fate was up to, and how she'd react the next time they saw each other.
x~~*~~x
The quintet had finally made it out of town, albeit with two of them needing to be bound and dragged out.
"Now, can we handle this like adults?" Corona suggested tactfully, having her stone golem set the two antagonistic women down on a boulder.
"She started it!" Rio accused.
"What!?" Teana nearly shrieked. "You kicked me first!"
"Only because you put a gun to my head!" Rio shot back.
Corona rubbed her temples. "I don't need this. Don't make me silence both of you. Thanks to Layla, I understand how you got out of Clanagan and why they are here, but why did you seek us out, Director?"
"Ex-director," Rio corrected, smug.
Teana shot the woman a dark look, but managed to hold back and instead addressed Corona. "Quattro, along with Due, has instigated a bit of a coup, framing me and my sisters. I was unable to warn Hayate before she left. I... need some help rescuing my sisters and letting Hayate know what's really going on. And finding out what Quattro and Due are really up to."
"Wait, Due died nearly 50 years ago!" Rio protested. "Deed told me all about the JS incident."
"I don't know how, but either she survived, or somehow Quattro cloned her," the former Enforcer concluded. "My gut says the former. You'd have to ask Givo since he was the one who saw her, but it does make all the puzzle pieces fit, such as how she framed Wendi for treason."
Layla shook her head. "Even so, our mission is still different than yours. We want to overthrow the Bureau, not save it. To us, it doesn't matter who is in charge."
"I didn't come without bargaining power," the ex-director stated evenly. "I can pardon the lot of you, and perhaps even ease up on the restrictions in the occupation zone."
"That's still not enough-" Layla started to say.
"We might have to help her after all," Corona interrupted, gaining the attention of the small group. "If what she says is true, we have a problem. Rio, Otto told me of the JS incident as well, and we all know about Quattro's machinations during the war. Hayate is bad, but Quattro is worse, and Due was supposed to have been Quattro's mentor. I don't entirely buy Teana's deal, but we'll have to work out something. So, for the moment, can we try... Givo, what's wrong?"
The young teen turned to look at her, honest surprise written all over his face. "It's Seikou... I'm getting a read on her again. She's back on Mid-Childa."
x~~*~~x
Captain Rai entered and knelt before the Supreme Commander, his mind going back to the handwritten letter that he had just discovered not too long ago.
Rai,
I apologize for informing you this way, and for taking this impromptu vacation so suddenly, but there are things I need to figure out. I'm leaving a similar letter to Hayate, to temporarily promote you to handle affairs for me while I am away. This hardly needs to be said, because I know you'll do a fantastic job, but keep them safe. I've seen how hard you've worked over the years to earn your position, and I am proud of you. You've come a long way from the street urchin I met on Earth so long ago.
Take care,
Fate S. Harlaown
[I won't let you down,] Rai answered silently.
"I assume you already know this, but Commander Harlaown has taken some leave," Hayate stated, the slightest hint of displeasure in her tone. "In her stead, as per her wishes, I am promoting you to Enforcer Commander; you'll temporarily assume her duties until she returns. You recently achieved the necessary S rank for command, and your record is spotless. Any questions?"
"Only if you have determined what my first assignment will be," Rai answered carefully.
"You are to see to the city's defenses for now, and delegate investigations to your subordinates," she informed him. "I've also relayed a specific training program to your device in regards to the combat style and magic of Seikou. Practice thoroughly, as we may need your assistance as part of a group effort in apprehending her. That is all."
Temporary Enforcer Commander Rai stood and saluted, then spun on his heel and headed for the door, his resolve firm. [I promise you'll have a place to come back to, Fate.]
x~~*~~x
"What a time for Fate to just up and disappear on you," Quattro lamented from the side after Rai had left.
"I know," Hayate replied absently, now back in her command chamber, swiveling her chair to gaze at her monitors. "What was she thinking? She could have come and talked to me before she decided to pull this stunt!"
"And Teana has fled, too, once her plot to free the rebel prisoners was discovered," Quattro added in a sympathetic voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't prevent her from doing so."
"I know!" Hayate barked, irritation growing partly because it was Quattro telling her something she already knew. "I heard your recording, and my analysts say that it's genuine as well. But it almost seems incomplete, as if you might be hiding something from me."
Quattro shrugged. "If I were, Teana wouldn't have run away like that. But it's not like we need either of them anyway, since she both of them failed to bring Nanoha in. It really seems like none of your subordinates are up to the task. Even Signum almost died and-"
She didn't get to finish, for in the next instant, she found her body telekinetically picked up and slammed into the wall hard enough to make a sizable indent. Hayate hadn't even turned from her chair, merely lifted her left hand and displayed her palm to initiate the magical attack. Quattro coughed once, feeling the pain on her throat as Hayate's hand slowly closed.
"My... apologies..." Quattro croaked, gasping for air. "I didn't mean...."
"You serve at our pleasure, never forget your place," Hayate intoned in a dangerous voice. "You'd be advised to watch your tongue around us, or you'll find it removed." She finally released the #4 cyborg, letting the body topple to the ground.
Quattro landed on all fours, coughing several times as the oxygen flow returned, but she was smiling. "I'm just... concerned. It really seems like you're losing most of your support, your majesty." She gingerly returned to her feet, using the wall to steady herself. "I can at least assure my new toys are 100% loyal and would be most effective in bringing Nanoha in; perhaps her highness might consider using them? After all, we just received word that a ship has crashed on Mid-Childa, the design of which matches the one that escaped from Supools. I think we both know what that means: Nanoha has returned, and she's coming here."
"That's why Rai was assigned to see to the defense of the city," Hayate replied evenly, studying her viewscreens. "And if she is coming here, then that saves me the trip of looking for her. I just wish the assault on Supools hadn't been mostly a waste. You can prepare your latest... "toys" but you only deploy them on my order, is that clear?"
"Crystal," Quattro replied in a pleased voice, bowing as she excused herself from the chamber.
Hayate waited until she was gone, before leaning back and sighing. "I don't hold much faith in your inventions, Quattro, if you could call them that. But if Nanoha really is coming here, I have another countermeasure in store that won't fail."
"[Hayate, you can't mean...]" Rein sent from inside, her tone tingued with concern. "[Would you really use them? Even Nanoha wouldn't be a match for them, and she might not even survive...]"
The feeling she got from her mistress answered that question. "[I'm keeping all options open at this point. I no longer want Nanoha dead, so I'll try to all means to take her alive and make her see our side, but the continued well-being of the Bureau takes precedence above all else; too many worlds depends on us.]"
Rein understood, taking a deep breath in unison with her mistress. "[Even it means using the Bureau's most dangerous prisoners.]"
x~~*~~x
She walked, and asked herself the question once more, that had come up multiple times in the past couple of days.
What am I doing?
In one respect, she knew where she was headed, since her device was providing a map. But she didn't know know
where she was heading... or why. There was one particular answer, but that in itself was mystifying.
"Have you been out there yourself, and really seen what things are like?"
[Is that what I'm doing?] Fate mused inwardly. [To prove Nanoha wrong? Or do I...] She trailed off, unwilling to give voice to the thought that had percolated above the line that divided the conscious and subconscious aspects of her mind, as if doing so would rob her of something important. But a part of her also realized that, just being out here and not with Hayate, meant she had already crossed that line.
The trail through the woods finished curving, giving birth to a crossroads and an old wooden sign. Two roads diverged ahead of her, and checking the holographic map, she knew where they both led. The left led to the southern coast, which featured a semi-popular resort town that Fate had visited often enough; it was a rather relaxing place, and perhaps some relaxation was just what she needed. On the other hand, the right path wove it's way through more difficult terrain, and arrived at the small village of Togasara in the foothills of a mountain range.
Oddly, Fate couldn't ever remember visiting that town, even though she had been all over Mid-Childa. "What do you think, Bardiche?"
"Get set," it responded, in it's own cryptic way; even though Mariel had said it wasn't entirely back to normal, it was times like this that Fate knew the old Bardiche was still in there.
However, long experience meant that she could easily decipher her device's sometimes mystifying behavior. "That's right, I've already decided, haven't I?" She closed her fingers over the golden triangle, the lead scientist's words coming back to her.
"We've done as much as we could for Bardiche, but there were a few unresolvable errors that necessitated wiping of data and installation of new code and parts. It won't be quite the same..."
Somehow, the tiny device seemed extra fragile, that if it were damaged again, what was left could be gone forever. She couldn't take that, which is probably why she took the other device as well, just in case. She looked at it in her left hand, and at Bardiche in her right, then pocket them both and pulled her cloak around her body, taking the right path.
Nearly six hours later, as the sun started to set behind her, she began to see houses in the distance. Pausing for a moment to glance into a clear puddle on the dirt road that was left over from an earlier rain, she checked her disguise. It wasn't much; she slightly changed the angles on her face with transformation magic to be a bit rounder, making her appear younger, as well as turning her now light-blue hair into twin pony-tails like she had in her younger days. She normally wasn't one to flaunt sex appeal, but she did recognize the effect it had on people, and a young, beautiful woman would be more disarming to people she met. Then she put her hood back up for the moment to hide her face, and entered the town.
Togasara itself was rather spread out, with various buildings scattered among the hillside, but enough well-worn dirt roads connecting them all. Farms littered the landscape for miles around, and the village functioned as a marketplace for the farmers to sell their goods. The villagers themselves milled about on their errands, and even though they didn't seem to be looking at her, Fate could sense that many of them were giving the stranger dark looks, but it wasn't until she found what looked to be the inn, that the feeling came into sharper focus.
"We have no room," the innkeeper, a portly woman in her 40's insisted.
"Are you sure?" Fate asked again. "I have plenty of money, and anything will do, just for the night."
The woman's annoyed expression only grew. "I said we don't, and that means we don't!"
It could be true, but at this time of year, Fate doubted it was the case. It was still mid-season for the main harvest, which was still months away. During that time, there would be a lot of extra help staying over to bring in the crops, as well as merchants coming through to buy the stock for selling elsewhere. But at the moment, there shouldn't be that many travelers.
"Is there anyplace around here I could possibly find some type of shelter?" Fate inquired, wondering why someone would refuse money. "I'll pay extra."
The woman looked to be winding up for a rant, when a male voice called from a table behind her. "Lighten up and give the woman a room, Elda."
"You know how we feel about strangers here during off-season, Jari, and why," Elda replied gruffly, hands on hips. "You should understand that, better than anyone. Your wife-"
Jari slapped the table and jumped up. "It's precisely because of her! You remember what she was like; you were friends with her. How do you think she'd feel if she saw us now? Cowering and shutting innocent people out?"
Elda's cheeks puffed out, but then she very visibly relaxed, getting a hold on her growing temper. "I know that. But it's still my inn, and my decision."
Jari shook his head, then finally turned in Fate's direction. "I apologize for that, but not many around here are too friendly to strangers. You're welcome to stay at my place if you like, but we won't accept money. Don't have much use for it. But if you're not afraid of a little work, you can earn your bed and breakfast."
The man's attitude was refreshing, especially in relation to the innkeepers, and Fate found herself growing a fond smile. "I'd love to."
He gestured towards the door with his head, and Fate followed him out. "I was about to head back, anyway. Again, I apologize for Elda, and for the townsfolk in general if you bump into more of them. They are a bit jumpy, since they automatically assume a new stranger is a Bureau spy."
"Why's that?" Fate questioned as the pair walked, honestly confused; she knew the Bureau only employed agents to find law breakers, and she couldn't imagine why a town such as this would fear something like that. "And what makes you think I'm not one?"
He surprised her with his sudden bout of mild laughter. "You don't look mean or sneaky enough to be one. By the way, I'm Jari Welnoz. What's your name?"
For a moment, Fate almost gave her real name, but figured that wouldn't be such a good idea. And surprisingly, she found she hadn't really thought of an alternate name to use, so quickly wracked her brain for one, before one came to mind, hoping he wouldn't mind her borrowing it.
She smiled. "I'm... Rai."
x~~*~~x
"So she finally let you start putting them into action?" Due inquired, already knowing the answer as Quattro joined them, but amused nonetheless.
The #4 cyborg nodded, falling into line behind the doctor but beside her sister. "I knew she would, in time. With the drones alone, we don't have enough power to seize total control. But these new units have already proven themselves in combat, and a legion of them is greater than any Bureau army."
"Although that is precisely why she hasn't allowed construction of a mass-production facility," Due noted. "She's extended the length of your leash, but she's still holding firmly onto the other end. The crude device that partially duplicates your power is all that allows you to even sneak down here."
A delicious grin appeared on Quattro's face. "That's all I need. Anyway, what's on the agenda for today? None of this means anything, if you don't get what you're after. If it's even possible."
Jail chuckled, stopping in front of a door "Oh, it's possible. But I believe we are running out of time; both of them have been far too calm about this, so I believe they are simply stalling for time, ironically enough." He reached out and tapped a pad and the door swished open, revealing a cell within containing two people. "Which is why they are going to tell us today, what we need to know. This little game needs to come to an end."
"We've been through this before, doctor," Yuuno told him defiantly, standing up, his wife just behind and beside him. "Why would you even care about time travel, when you've been manipulating the Bureau from behind the scenes? You have everything you could want!"
He shrugged. "I'll admit, I learned from my predecessor's defeat and adopted this new strategy from the brain council about ruling from the shadows. But I am still a bit limited in what I can do here, and there are so many possibilities for time travel. I could return to the birth of the Bureau and take control from there. Or go even farther back to the age of the Belkan wars, or to the age of Al Hazard, or even the beginning of time itself! Think of it! Surely, as a man of knowledge such as yourself -an archeologist even! - you must hold some curiosity for what the past was really like."
Said archeologist shook his head. "I do, but only to learn from history, not to pervert it. You're wasting your time; I'm not going to tell you anything."
"I believe you," Jail said simply with a shrug and a smile. "And I do loathe resorting to these crude methods, but... Due."
A sharp retort echoed in the small room, and Yuuno stumbled back and grabbed his stomach, shock written all over his face.
"YUUNO!" Shari called desperately as she barely managed to catch his falling body, growing distressed at the spreading red stain along her husband's lower abdomen.
"As I said, I believe you won't tell me anything," Jail repeated, while Due tucked the handgun back into her pocket holster. "Your wife, however, will tell us what we need to know. Or she will watch you die."
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
No notes this time, other than I'm making progress on future chapters, and trying to keep to my New Year's resolution of finishing this in January. I might have to speed up releases a bit, though.