MGLN: Future Tense
Chapter 18: Price
Xx~~*~~xX
Nanoha awoke and sat up, rubbing her eyes as the last vestiges of her dream began to fade. Or rather, perhaps nightmare would have been more appropriate, but for whatever reason, it hadn't been as bad as some of the ones she had experienced when staying with Erio. She wondered if perhaps the uncertainty and doubt over her departure from Yuuno and Shari's house had affected her mental state, and now that she was finally on the path to finding Vivio, her higher spirits were translating into better sleep.
Still, she had experienced a small fraction of the previous nightmare, the white background and the blurry, unrecognizable face, but none of the desperation or anguish of imminent death. [My subconscious is probably focusing in on that face, but why am I even having this reoccurring dream in the first place?]
She shook her head and began packing up camp after a quick breakfast; trying to figure this out now was just leading her in circles, so she shelved those thoughts for later; right now, she had to focus on her journey. She had been traveling for a couple of days now, but couldn't even guess at how far she would have to go before she reached wherever it was that her daughter had hidden herself. Of course, the questions of why that was and what part in all this her daughter played were also mysteries, but at least they were ones that Nanoha would have answers to in time.
As it had become habit, Nanoha brought out Raging Heart and asked for directions once she was ready to go, a pink arrow appearing on the red jewel after a few moments. That was how the directions came; instead of telling her outright, the information gained from Asclepius merely enabled Raging Heart to work like a compass, but substituting north for her daughter's concealed location. In truth, she had realized she was traveling in a more southwesterly direction, but could only vaguely guess at how far she'd actually have to travel.
But she figure out the possible reason Lutecia had this particular method; if the Bureau gained access to it, they'd still be relegated to following like Nanoha was, and thus their approach would give Vivio ample warning to slip away if need be.
At times she could barely contain her excitement, taking short flight hops over more difficult and rolling terrain when she noticed the sky was clear of drones. Only two patrols of sentinels had come anywhere near her in the two days she had been traveling, but both times, they had moved rather quickly giving her very little time to hide, so she was always wary to make sure she wasn't discovered.
She adjusted her pack as she crested a hill, wondering how her daughter had grown over the years and what she looked like now, when she heard a cry somewhere in the distance. Nanoha knew right away it didn't belong to an animal, as she had grown used to hearing those. Curious about it sounding more human in nature, she made sure the area was clear and then leapt into the air when the scream echoed again, allowing her to quickly pinpoint the source of the distress.
There, in a small clearing several dozen meters from the base of the tall hill, a large barely-humanoid figure with large bat-like wings was chasing a woman. Nanoha recognized the creature as a gargoyle as she flew in, activating Raging Heart and her barrier jacket while dropping her backpack along the path. The limping woman, wearing the greens of a forest ranger, barely managed to dodge the fireballs the creature was spitting, but she had just backed into a large boulder, leaving her nowhere else to run, and the creature had dropped to all fours, preparing to pounce.
Nanoha didn't waste time shifting Raging Heart from its standard Axel Mode as she flew in, firing off a dozen Axel Shooter magic missiles. The creature jumped to the side, partially shielding itself with a large wing as the pink rain hammered at it, but the action failed to draw its attention from the woman. It continued with a few more jumps, than rapidly ran in an arc to avoid the follow-up shots, coming back at the woman with a frightening speed, its razor-sharp jaws dripping with saliva. Her salvo spent, Nanoha knew she'd never get off another volley, leaving her with only one option.
"Flash Move!" Raging Heart chirped.
Nanoha felt an inward sigh of relief that she made it just in time, appearing between the woman and the creature and blocking its sharp claws with a prepared Round Shield from her right hand. The gargoyle roared and spit another fireball that splashed against the barrier, but Nanoha's shield remained intact.
"Are you okay?" Nanoha asked over her shoulder without actually looking back. "Hold on a moment, and I'll deal with this."
Nanoha focused her magic through the shield, finally repulsing the creature, but as it hit the ground, it came in again on all fours, much angrier than before. Setting her feet in a firm stance and switching Raging Heart to Buster Mode, she prepared to fire while gathering her magic.
However, she never got the chance to fire.
"I'm fine," came the voice from behind, the tone lacking all the traces of the earlier fear.
Before Nanoha could question it, she felt something strike her back and voltage course through her body, sending her body into spasms as her muscles contracted of their own will. Raging Heart began to respond by regulating her magic into her auto-barrier to counteract it, but before it could do too much, the gargoyle had knocked the device from Nanoha's hand with a powerful swipe.
Then it was over, and the world tilted sideways as Nanoha's body gave up the struggle to remain upright, falling listlessly to the ground. As she stared up into the sky, the face of the woman filled it, her earlier expression of terror having been replaced by an amused grin. She was holding a small device with a short, red dagger formed of magic jutting from it, occasional sparks of electricity crackling along the blade, looking almost like some kind of taser.
"As I said, I'm fine," she repeated casually. "But you have a problem."
x~~*~~x
Hayate strode into the lab, hoping whatever news awaiting her would brighten her sour mood that had been in effect ever since learning of Yuuno and Shari's escape. It didn't make sense; they were in one of the most secure holding cells in Clanagan, and yet somehow managed to escape with nary a trace, except for the busted locks that her forensics experts had determined was due to a projectile weapon and those were tightly regulated and tracked.
So who would have one of those and still know enough about security to arrange such a stunt?
The Supreme Commander didn't know, but as Schach didn't know much and Carim's mind too far gone for even Rein to read, it meant Hayate was in a most sour mood; it almost felt like all possible avenues of information were closing off to her, leaving her in the dark about what was going on. And that was a position she keenly felt uncomfortable being in.
But as she took note of the equipment and various holograph screens scattered everywhere inside the lab, she hoped the news she had received indicated that the years of research and development had finally borne fruit. It would be just what she needed to brighten her day, and although at first glance there didn't seem to be anyone present, Hayate knew better.
"You wanted to see me?" Hayate spoke to the seemingly empty lab.
"Hayat-OW!" came a female voice to the tune of something slamming the middle examination table that caused it to shake slightly, and then Mariel Atenza slowly rose from behind it, rubbing her head.
"Are you alright?" Hayate inquired, moving to check the woman; even after all these years, the head scientist of her R&D division hadn't changed much.
Mariel chuckled nervously. "Eheh heh heh, I'm fine! I was just adjusting some of the components on the examination table, readying it for the transfer."
That got Hayate's full attention. "Were you able to completed both then?"
"Oh, yes!" the scientist replied, attitude seemingly changing as she walked over to one of the screens with a holographic keyboard and began typing. "Well, as much as possible, I think. See for yourself. Activating...."
Hayate turned as two cylindrical chambers opened to the side, displaying one clothed male and one female, their eyes closed. Hayate's heart jumped into her chest as she took a hesitant step forward, noting the faint traces of breathing that elevated them from mere inanimate figures, to real flesh-and-blood living beings; or as close as they could come, anyway.
"Shamal, Zafira..." she breathed, expecting them to come alive at any moment, but when they didn't, Hayate turned around. "I thought you said they were complete?"
"Almost," Mariel cautioned. "It wasn't an easy task, but per your instructions, I have done my best to recreate them. The physical shells were the easiest part, but it took some time to fashion artificial linker cores by taking some of yours, and then keeping that matrix intact during growth and implantation, which took a few years. But I had to create personality templates from scratch and then fill those with data, and that's what took the vast majority of time."
"So you really did it?" Hayate said in wonder, turning back to study the two reconstituted members of the Wolkenritter.
Even using files we had in storage, as well as your memories, there are still some holes, but they shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
"Close," Mariel admitted. "The personality matrices are still a bit incomplete. The Bureau had a lot of data on the Book of Darkness from before you became its mistress, and we had plenty of data on your knights from examinations afterward, but they aren't exact copies, either; we only had scattered memories on file and not even the addition of the information from your linker core nor your own memories completely fills out the blanks, so their personalities might be a bit off at first. But I've gone as far as I can in here. The next step would be to connect them with your device like Signum and Vita have been, and let them experience life. Anything they lack in personality and memories, will be made up with actual life experiences; it will just take some time for them to develop back to what they were."
Hayate brought out the Tome of the Night Sky, hesitating for only a moment before laying it down on the table; any price was worth having her family whole again. "How long will it take?"
Mariel began hooking the device up to her computer system. "A few days. I'd like to take this slowly and surely to make sure it's done right. It's a sensitive progress. I also have a few more of the upgrades and fail-safe programs you wanted installed ready, so I'd like to take this time and integrate them as well. I can provide you with another device in the meantime, if you like."
"No, that's alright," the mistress of the Wolkenritter replied, turning back to gaze at her two missing family members. "I understand. I'll check back daily to see how your progress is going, but in the meantime, I have some things to take care of."
"Oh, that reminds me!" Marial suddenly spouted as the Supreme Commander headed for the door. "You're due for your regular anti-aging treatment. I was supposed to remind you."
Hayate paused, thinking; Mariel's most famous invention made her feel a bit uncomfortable, since there was that lingering feeling in the back of her mind that people weren't supposed to live forever, but counter-balanced by her need to lead the Bureau. "I'll return later tonight for it. Don't worry, I won't delay it again like I've done before."
As Hayate turned her back and left the room, Mariel placed a hand in her white frock pocket while the corners of her lips turned upwards ever so slightly.
x~~*~~x
The mysterious woman wasted no time in snapping hand and ankle cuffs on the helpless Nanoha, the cloned mage's muscles still numb and unresponsive due to the powerful stunning magic; she couldn't even form words at the moment, to ask what was going on. She could just barely see the hunched-over gargoyle standing nearby, all traces of the earlier aggression gone, which meant it was never a threat to begin with. That led her to the conclusion that this was all a setup.
But why? For her? The woman didn't look familiar; Nanoha couldn't place the face or magical style with anyone she knew.
"Make sure she's secure, Janja," came a male voice from out of Nanoha's line of sight.. "We can't have our prize escaping on us. Not only is she worth a lot of money, but if we're right, we can nab that bigger prize."
[Bounty Hunters?] Nanoha wondered as Janja finished with the chains and steel binds.
"I know, Jarm," Janja replied while crossing tight chains across Nanoha's body to properly secure her. "Don't take this personally, but there's quite a price on you, honey. It's just business. Deactivate your barrier jacket or we'll break your legs."
"You're mages," Nanoha finally said at last, regaining some measure of control over her voice as her normal clothes returned. "If you turn me in, they'll take you, too."
"Not if we forgo the bounty in exchange for a promise to not draft us into the Bureau army," Jarm told her with a grin as the gargoyle picked Nanoha up and swung her over its shoulder, Nanoha finally seeing the man. "We've been hiding here for quite awhile, but our luck won't hold out forever. We're already wanted by the Bureau, so it's a matter of time. But if we have something suitably valuable to trade...."
Nanoha took the hint as the trio set off into the forest with her in tow, realizing from the way the gargoyle was acting and taking orders from Jarm, that it must be his summoned creature. "So what are you doing? You're not taking me to the Bureau now?"
"Not yet," the Jarm confirmed from his position just in front of her and the gargoyle. "We've spent the last couple of weeks tracking a certain prey, but every time, it's managed to evade our traps. But for some reason, it seems to be following you. We noticed a couple of days ago, and decided to use you as bait." He finally glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't try anything funny or try to escape, or Goille will break your arms and legs."
"Do you know who I am?" Nanoha questioned in a calm, calculated voice.
Janja laughed from the front of the procession as they marched along a narrow forest path. "Seikou, the Starlight Destroyer. Supposed to have taken out not one, but two Bureau Armies in one shot, but you know how those legends get. You certainly don't look so tough. But ironically, that means you got a fairly large price put on your head, and we aim to collect."
Nanoha perceived an opening. "Yes, I'm fighting against the Bureau, along with many others, and the resistance use a couple of powerful mages like you. If you joined us and helped us bring down the Bureau, you wouldn't have to live in fear, nor make these deals."
To her surprise, the pair began to laugh, the male removing his fedora and wiping his forehead with his arm. "Now that's funny! Overthrow the Bureau? Ha! They've been in power a long time, and they'll continue to be for a whole lot longer. That Supreme Commander is one shrewd individual, having fended off attempts to remove her before; no one has gotten close. Despite what myths surround you, no one has that much power, to be able to take down the Bureau. No, the best thing for you is to keep your yap shut throughout all this; you'll stay in one piece at least."
Nanoha bit her lip and fell silent then, figuring further communication was pointless; the pair were obviously not going to listen. She had encountered similar stories all over; the Bureau had been in charge a long time, and entire generations of people had grown up under their umbrella. Most people had given up hope for anything better, and just settled for living day-to-day.
With these two in particular, it was quite evident the degree to which they had worked out not only her capture, but their plans for keeping their freedom. As she had learned from Erio and Lutecia, hiding here, while dangerous, worked very well. If they could secure their freedom, however, they would be able to leave this area and travel freely; an attractive prospect for wanted mages, Nanoha had to admit, being one herself.
So that only left her wondering exactly what prey they were seeking that she was supposed to serve as bait for. They refused to answer that question, and once again told her to be quiet or else they'd gag her, so Nanoha let it dropped and lapsed into silence once more, instead focusing her thoughts on how to escape.
Ironically enough, she was given a chance not too much later.
They hadn't traveled for too long, however, when their trip suddenly got interrupted. Janja, leading the small group as the person on point, was suddenly swept up into the air. For a split second, Jarm and Nanoha stared at the woman, caught in a tight net that hanging from a tree, before the retort of a bullet split the air and brought them out of their bewilderment. Just as Nanoha wondered what the target was, she felt the chains and cuffs around her ankles and lower legs loosen considerably. A second shot rang out, but the gargoyle had already reacted, spreading it's large left wing over Jarm, and the bullet pinged off it's tough, stone-like hide.
Still, Jarm hit the ground shortly thereafter and rolled off the trail and into the underbrush. "Goille, track where the shots are coming from and get them!"
Nanoha found herself roughly dropped to the ground as well, while Goille the gargoyle took to the air, noting that Jarm didn't seem to be watching her, but scanning the vicinity instead, looking for their mysterious attacker. Nanoha didn't know who was behind this, but apparently they were trying to help her and she wasn't about to let this chance go to waste; despite her arms still being locked behind her back, she managed to drag herself to her feet and take off running..
"Dammit!" Janja cursed, as she tried cutting the net with one of her magic daggers. "Jarm, stop her! She's getting away!"
Nanoha dove off the trail to the side as she heard him chant a spell, just in time for a tree next to her to split open and explode. She rolled through the brush, branches leaving red scratches along her arms and legs, but managed to come back upright while spitting out dirt and resuming her sprint. The sound of blood pumping echoed in her ears as she ran, feeling loud enough to where she was sure it was broadcasting her position, but it was more likely they could easily hear the cracking twigs and rustling bushes that she passed through. She realized that there was probably only one real way to escape their reach, and while risky, she'd have to chance it.
Nanoha activated Flier Fin, taking to the air to the sound of a large crash in the forest. Right after passing the tree tops, she caught the sight of a slightly larger tree tipping over in the distance from the edges of her peripheral vision. Nanoha glanced over just in time to see several more follow it like dominoes, but then she shifted her face forward again and concentrated on getting away.
Her combat instincts suddenly kicked in, however, and quickly pulled back a split second before a shape flew past her. Pausing, Nanoha gazed calmly at Janja floating several meters in front of her with a glowing red dagger in each hand. Her senses also told her there was something big floating behind her, and she didn't have to glance back to realize it was the gargoyle. A few quick mental calculations brought her to the same conclusion Janja had apparently already reached; even if Nanoha could out-fly the two, she couldn't do much, if any, attacking. They'd eventually get her.
"Part of me wants you to try," Janja told her, lips curling upwards slightly. "I understand that you're some kind of hotshot mage if the Bureau wants you so badly and if the rumors are even half true. But I'd never hear the end of it from Jarm if I let pleasure override business."
Nanoha nodded, and simply floated there limply as the two advanced on her, the gargoyle grabbing her arms while Janja bound her legs with magic, then took her back to Jarm.
"It was eyepatch again," he told them as they landed. "She's most likely crushed under the trees this time, though, so we shouldn't have to worry about her again."
"That's what you said the last two times," Janja nearly growled at him. "We should get moving to really try and lose her this time."
"Eyepatch?" Nanoha wondered aloud, wondering who it could be.
"None of your concern," Jarm informed her succiently. "And that was real stupid, trying to get away. Attempt it again, and we really will break some limbs. Apparently, you're worth more alive and in one piece, than dead... but not by much."
Nanoha took the hint and held her tongue as the group resumed their trek. Still, she occasionally glanced off to the side where dust could still be seen above the treetops and wondering what had become of her would-be savior.
x~~*~~x
"Ah, welcome to my humble abode!" Quattro greeted her visitor with a delightful smile. "What can I do for you?"
Teana kept her gaze steady, glancing around at the small quarters that doubled as the #4 cyborg's lab as she entered. "You know why I'm here; I heard the story from Nove. Why did you set my sisters up?"
"My goodness, I don't know what you mean," Quattro replied with an innocent tone, placing her hands on her cheeks in mock surprise.
"Please don't embarrass yourself by playing dumb," Teana nearly growled at her, but inwardly keeping her head; she knew getting information out of the cyborg wasn't going be easy and any chance she had would be gone if she lost her temper. "You said you'd cover for Nove, and you made up that fake evidence about Wendi. Why? Oh, before you answer, let me do this."
She brought out Cross Mirage, still in card form, and placed it on a nearby table attached to the wall, then stepped back while the device intoned, "Activating Cone of Silence."
Teana locked eyes with Quattro as an opaque orange barrier encompassed the pair, taking up most of the room. There, this barrier blocks all sound and images, so you can speak freely. I have no recording devices on me, but you can check if you would like. Anything you say will remain between us."
She knew Quattro would never say anything as long as it could be recorded, but it was also a calculated risk since Teana might not be able to prove anything Quattro said. Still, the cyborg seemed to appear a bit impressed by the actions.
"Well, well, you appear to be quite serious," Quattro remarked, making a show of flourishing her tan robe while sitting down on her couch in a grand manner. "But why should that matter to me?"
Teana allowed a small smile to show. "Because you want me to know, otherwise you wouldn't have deliberately set Nove up like that. You like your games, but they aren't any fun unless you have someone playing against you; you need an opponent. You have quite the plot brewing, but it means nothing unless you can show your opponents how badly they've been played with and beaten." She shrugged. "Or maybe your plot this time is so weak that you can't even give me hints."
Quattro laughed, a delicious cat-like grin appearing on her face. "Oh my my, you are quite interesting today. But how could I have a plot brewing when my IS is under strict control and my movement is closely monitored? Anything I did would be uncovered instantly."
"Not close enough, apparently," Teana accused, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hayate took you too lightly. You must have found some way to bypass her measures."
"What makes you think I did?" Quattro inquired, spreading her arms in front of her body in an exaggerated motion. "Maybe her majesty authorized everything I did?"
Teana's eyes narrowed. "Hayate wouldn't deliberately set Nove and Wendi up. You and I both know that."
Quattro shrugged. "Well, you have a problem, then. If I couldn't do it, and her majesty wouldn't authorize it, then there's no one left."
"You have someone helping you," Teana realized, her eyes widening. "Someone who can remain undetected in the system. Who?" When Quattro merely smiled instead of responding, Teana made a gun sign with her hand, pointing her finger at the cyborg's forehead while an orange ball of magic formed at the tip. "Tell me!"
Quattro's gaze didn't waver. "You'll never find out anything if you shoot me. And Hayate won't be too happy. She still wants me alive for some reason."
Teana's lip curled upward slightly in a snarl, the orange bullet floating there innocently as the two glared at each other for several moments. The gun mage debated releasing the shot, but then her hand lowered and the ball winked out of existence, before she turned to head back towards the door and dissolved the privacy barrier.
"Whatever you're planning, and whoever you're working for, I'll find out," Teana threatened over her shoulder, reaching out to tap the door controls.
Before she could hit them, Quattro spoke. "Since you came all this way and gave me an interesting visit, I'll tell you this much: I believe all of your sisters will be just fine, as long as you don't make too much of a fuss. You might want to take some time off to cool down and think things over." She shrugged. "Just a suggestion."
Teana didn't respond, but tapped the controls, feeling Quattro's smiling gaze on her back as the door closed behind her. As she figured, she didn't get much out of the cyborg, but then again, she didn't figure it was going to be that easy. Still, she did get a few tidbits; Quattro was definitely up to something, and she wasn't working alone. But who? She had betrayed her previous allies, and now Tre and Sette were dead, and the brain of Jail was locked up somewhere; that left too many questions.
Who else could Quattro be working with? And how was she contacting them without Hayate knowing? Or was Hayate involved in this? Could she still be working with Jail? Was it some kind of plot between them that included the Nanoha clone? Possibly to overthrow Hayate? If so, why now?
She didn't know, and some of those questions conflicted, but with the trial of her sisters coming up, she did know one thing: If Quattro was plotting to overthrow Hayate and Teana found that out, it would be easy to have her sisters cleared of all charges.
She started down the hall, vowing to do what it took to find the truth, no matter what it cost.
x~~*~~x
It was late afternoon when they reached the spot, Nanoha's eyes narrowing at the cross sticking upright in the middle of the meadow. As she suspected, she was placed up there, fulfilling the role of bait that the pair of bounty hunters had intended for her, but she was still unsure of exactly what prey they were seeking.
"Would you stop fiddling with that and give me a hand here?" Janja called to her partner as she continued chaining Nanoha to the cross.
Jarm didn't look up from where he sat at the edge of the clearing, continuing to work with something in his hands. "You're doing fine. I'm just a bit busy checking out this intelligent device of hers; it's quite a piece of work. You don't see craftsmanship like this often. I'm trying to see if I can adapt it to our needs, or if we'll just have to sell it. The operating system still has me locked out, however, so I might just have to format it."
Nanoha felt a chill go down her spine; Vivio's data was in there. She remembered Shari telling her once before that numerous safeguards had been placed that wouldn't allow anyone to use the device; it wouldn't do for a Bureau mage to have their own device used against them, after all. But if he simply wiped everything....
"You don't want to do that," Nanoha told him quickly. "The programming is a large part of the value. Without that, it's just a bunch of parts. And the Bureau will want that device intact as well; it's part of the reason they are after me. You don't want to be drafted into the army, right?"
"She's probably got a point," Janja seemed to agree, snapping the last chain into place. "It might be valuable, and this deal is gonna be tricky enough as is. Maybe you should hold off on that until after the trade, to see if we can get away with keeping it."
Jarm finally looked up and shrugged, then stood. "Fine, I won't format it just yet, but I still wanna tinker with it to see if I can get it working; I could still use a device. And hurry up and finish; it's about time that he comes to check up on her." With that, he turned and walked out of the clearing and into the forest, leaving Nanoha hoping he didn't trigger the safeguards that would erase Vivio's location from Raging Heart.
"Don't try anything funny, as we'll be watching you," Janja told her, giving Nanoha a smile as she gagged the bait-type mage, then floated down and left as well.
Despite the fact that Nanoha figured the two were watching her, she tested her binds; if they were magic, she could break them easily with a bit of time, but pure hardened steel was another matter. With the gag in place, she couldn't chant any spells, although if she concentrated hard enough, she might be able to form a Divine Shooter orb. The problem is that they could hit her with something the moment she tried. However, this entire "prey" business bothered her.
Who were they after? Was Erio following her? Garyu, being sent by Lutecia to keep an eye on her? If so, could she count on them saving her? Or should she try to get free on her own, to save them from whatever trap might be planned?
The choice was eventually taken out of her hands as a large shadow drifted over the clearing, blacking out the sun. Before Nanoha could wonder what it was, a powerful wind swept through the clearing to the sound of flapping wings, and then the caster of the shadow landed in front of her.
Nanoha stared at the familiar white muzzle of the large beast that studied her, leaning forward to take a few exploratory sniffs. [Fried! So this is who they were after? Wait, he was checking up on me? Odd that I never noticed....]
She strained and tried to shout to warn the dragon away, but he didn't seem to understand, although it looked like he realized she was trapped and was debating how to help her. However, before he could, dozens of red magical binding tentacles shot out of the ground and wrapped over his body, pulling him down to the ground. The great beast roared and thrashed, but more binds kept popping up, and soon he was completely immobilized.
"Hold him, Janja, while I administer the sedative!!" Jarm shouted, appearing in the air riding his gargoyle, aiming to land on the great dragon's back. "I'd rather take him alive; a live white dragon fetches a bit more money on the black market than a dead one."
"I'm trying!" Janja retorted, stepping into the clearing, her hands outstretched, her face dictating her obvious struggle. "But it's taking most of what I got just to hold him. Hurry up!"
Fried roared, his jaws opening and beginning to form a fire attack, but another circular bind promptly clamped it shut while Nanoha struggled against her own shackles. Then she fell limp, panting, trying to think of something, anything; she couldn't let Caro's dragon be taken like this! Horrified, she watched as Jarm produced a large syringe and prepared to stab Fried with it.
Time seemed to pause the needle slowly went down... and then it exploded to the sound of a gunshot, pieces of glass and liquid spreading outward to the surprised stares of all present.
Jarm dove off the dragon's back. "Goille, eypatch is back; get her!"
Just the gargoyle took off again, a second shot rang out, and Nanoha found her left arm chains shattered as something powerful whizzed past, recognizing it as another bullet in an instant; whoever was firing those was an ace shot.
Reacting quickly, Nanoha reached over and pulled the gag out of her mouth and began to chant. "Holy light, come to my hand. Under my guidance, reverberate through the sky! Divine Shooter, shoot!"
The shot fired straight forward, ripping through several of Fried's binds, and then making a quick U-turn to streak back towards Nanoha. Neither bounty hunter had been idle during this time, with Janja tossing up more binds to hold her target while Jarm shifted his attention to the captive in an attempt to stop her.
"Ancient stone weathered by time, gather and pierce!" came Jarm's voice, getting her attention. "Granite Spike!"
Nanoha grit her teeth as the rock stake flew towards her seemingly in slow motion, but Nanoha's spell was faster. She brought up her free arm to shield her eyes as her orb struck the spike at a 45 degree angle, pelting her body with debris from the enemy projectile, and then shot straight up Nanoha's front, splitting the chains as it brushed her body. She promptly dropped to the ground as Jarm prepared another spell, but she merely held up her hand and met his eyes, the pink ball now floating there between them.
My spell is faster than yours.
He got the message and took off running; Nanoha let him go, turning to face Janja instead, who had already realized what was going on. She dropped her attempts at maintaining the binds, and instead flew straight at Nanoha, skimming along the ground with both daggers out. Nanoha sent her orb at the other woman, but Janja simply sliced through it and continued on, giving her opponent no time to dodge.
But Nanoha didn't put a shield, either, surprising her adversary by grabbing Janja's wrists and allowing the woman's momentum to carry them both into the air, daggers inches from her neck. The pair struggled in mid-air as they flew, kicking, pushing and pulling, until Nanoha managed to get her left foot between them and shoved it into Janja's stomach, shoving her away. For a moment, the two women floated in mid-air, studying each other.
"I'm stronger than my brother," Janja declared, her lips turning into a hungry grin, almost appearing v. "And I have a device, while yours is still absent."
Nanoha realized there was truth in her words; Janja had to be at least A-rank, and her device appeared similar to Cross Mirage's dagger form, though less advanced, as it was split into two dagger handles from which red magical blades protruded. Nanoha guessed the bounty hunter had bought a lower cost storage device, but it still would allow her to process mana faster than Nanoha could.
However, Nanoha still held an advantage. "I've had a lot of students over the years who had similar feelings. I disillusioned them fairly quickly."
"Then bring it!" Janja yelled, streaking for Nanoha again while thrusting her right hand dagger. "Crimson Lightning!"
Nanoha canceled her flight magic and dropped from the air, forming her barrier jacket as the red electric attack barely grazed her. Janja wound up another shot while diving after her prey, but it struck the trees as Nanoha dropped below them, casting Flier Fin again just in time to skim along the forest floor. She wove in between the trees, using them to shield herself from the bounty hunter's attacks.
Passing in front of a thick oak to temporarily drop from Janja's line of sight, Nanoha focused her magic, forming several small orbs that encircled her wrists, then darted out again and trust out her right hand. "Crossfire SHOOT!"
Janja stopped quickly at the first shot, letting it fall short, then had to put up a round shield to block the second from Nanoha's right hand, but it succeeded in arresting her pursuit. The third and fourth shots from Nanoha's left hand shattered the shield and forced Janja out of the forest and back into the sky, reversing the chase. Nanoha took off after her, preparing four Divine Shooter orbs and sent them after Janja, but something else was waiting for her as she cleared the treetops.
A larger form shielded the bounty hunter and three of the orbs exploded against its hardened body, then the gargoyle dove for Nanoha, razor-sharp claws extended. The sky ace mage managed to roll in mid-air to barely avoid the gargoyle's dive, but the odds had definitely turned.
"Two against one, now!" Janja called gleefully.
As Nanoha grit her teeth and tried to keep both targets in view, a new female voice called out. "Make that two against two!" Fried came streaking out of nowhere heading straight for the gargoyle, a fedora and eyepatch wearing figure on his back who tossed something at Nanoha. "Here!"
Nanoha dove and caught it after Fried let loose a large fireball that struck the gargoyle head on, although it emerged singed as the pair entered their own mid-air fight. Nanoha took a look at the red jewel in her hands, and then formed her staff while giving Janja an even gaze.
"Raging Heart," she said simply.
"Buster mode," the device replied as it formed while Nanoha took her stance, magic circle flaring underneath her and pink energy gathering at the tip.
The bounty hunter's eyes widened, then she grit her teeth and slapped her two daggers together, side-by-side, fiery-red magic gathering at the tips. "I'm still stronger than you! Cardinal BURST!"
Nanoha sighed and shook her head, while Raging Heart cheerfully announced, "Divine Buster."
Before losing consciousness, Janja had the pleasure of knowing her crimson beam held off Nanoha's buster for all of 1.2 seconds.
x~~*~~x
"Any luck?" Yuuno asked as his wife fiddled with his collar, sitting on the bed in the corner of the room.
Shari sighed and put down the two metal, chopstick-like prongs. "None. Mariel made these things well. Without a key, I can't remove it; or at least better tools, which we don't have. I have to be careful not to trigger the explosive."
Yuuno glanced around the small underground room where they had been living the past couple of days; after their escape, Runessa had brought them here to hide. Although he wasn't entirely sure where they were due to all the twists and turns they took getting here, he had surmised it was several levels below Clanagan. It was supposedly where Runessa herself had been hiding in between running missions above, and although her current mission right now was safeguarding his wife and him, she didn't have access to a key to remove the collar and couldn't get better tools. She had told them before she had used up most of her tricks just getting into that detainment area.
"It is probably for the best at the moment," Runessa told them, coming into the living area from a side tunnel and heading for the small kitchenette to put the food down. "I was selected for this mission after they freed me from prison, because I do not have a linker core, and thus cannot be detected due to performing magic. With the collar on, you won't be tempted to do magic and thus will not bring attention to yourself."
Yuuno sighed and leaned back a bit as his wife wrapped her arms around him from behind. "All the same, I would like to get this thing off, just in case. When the time comes, I'd like to do what I can."
"Still cannot speak of it?" Runessa asked as she began preparing the ingredients for their dinner, to which Yuuno shook his head. "That is for the best; the cell system for resistance members is quite effective that way. As I said, my orders were simply to keep you hidden here, in addition to my standard reconnaissance trips."
Yuuno was well-acquainted with the time-honored cell system, where no one person or group had access to all information. Instead, they were told only what they needed to know for a current mission, so if some were captured, damage would be minimal. And as Yuuno well knew, the Bureau
would get information out of people one way or another; enhanced interrogation techniques were in full force.
"So how long have you been down here?" Shari asked, changing the subject. "Can you speak of that? Last I heard, you had joined the church, and then were captured by Hayate during the war."
Runessa paused. "Yes. After my... actions regarding the mariage incident, the Saint Church came to me in prison and offered me the chance to repent for my sins. I was so full of anger and pain, but they helped me deal with it. And so I sided with them against the Bureau, but Teana captured me during the war. Someone broke me out of prison later, and I was brought down here to be an secret agent. That was almost 15 years ago."
"And you've been alone all this time?" Shari questioned, her tone softening.
"Mostly," she admitted, shrugging as she dropped numerous chopped up vegetables and meat into a pot. "But this is my penance. I have done horrible things, so this is the least I can do to make up for that. Sometimes I wish I could just go back in time and undo what I've done."
Yuuno glanced at Shari, who bit her lip, which told him she was thinking the same thing as him. But the sudden bout of silence made Runessa turn in their direction.
"What is it?" she inquired, curious, then smiled slightly. "Or have you actually found a way to go back in time?"
"That's a bit impossible, isn't it?" Yuuno joked, placing his hand behind his head and chuckling.
Runessa raised an eyebrow, then full smiled and shrugged. "I suppose it is. I admit it has been a silly wish of mine for some time, though. At any rate, your dinner is cooking; I apologize that it is not much, but I work with what I can find. I have already eaten and must return to my patrols, so I shall see you later."
The couple watched her go, and a few minutes after her departure, Shari finally spoke. "Do you think she knows?"
"I'm not sure, but we have to be careful," Yuuno stated, straining his ears, but only hearing the light bubbling of the stew in the pot sitting on the small stove. "We adopted the cell system for a reason; what we have to accomplish is too important to let anyone know the full details, even if she is the real Runessa."
"So you think she's not, too?" Shari questioned pensively.
"I admit I never really knew her well in the first place, so I can't say for sure," Yuuno admitted. "It would be a bit too roundabout for Hayate, as far as discovering what we know."
"Making us think we were free, in order to get us to spill what we know?" Shari suggested, raising en eyebrow. "You're right, that would be a bit of a stretch for Hayate, when she has more direct methods."
Yuuno stood up to go check on the stew, only meaningless cliche answers coming to him. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open."
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
What will Teana do? What is Quattro planning? And who is the mystery woman who rescued Nanoha? Tune in next time for a very special episode of Future Tense, tentatively titled "Family." And I promise it will be well worth it. ^_~