MGLN: Future Tense
Chapter 25: Extrication, Part 1
Xx~~*~~xX
When Nanoha's finally opened her eyes, she was met with the very worried face of her cyborg manager, and managed to groan out, "My head... what time is it?"
"You've been out cold all night," Sein informed her, and then sighed while sitting down on the bed. "You had me worried there for awhile; you're pushing yourself too hard for this. You need to take it easier if you want to...."
Nanoha tried to sit up, wincing a bit at the pain. "No choice. I have to win these fights."
"Hey, careful!" Sein warned, reaching out to brace the wounded woman. "You need as much rest as you can get. Your next fight isn't until noon, although I'm beginning to think we should find a different way." She shook her head slowly. "I heard that they moved your fight up; it was a dirty move. But because of that, the old man sent his personal healer mage to help treat you; you're lucky he's a part of your fan club. But because of that, the worst of it has been dealt with, although you'll still have some pain and stiffness for awhile. However, if you keep at this pace... well, I'll go get you some food."
Despite her condition, Nanoha detected something in Sein's voice. "What do you mean 'if I keep at this pace'?"
Sein stood up and faced away, sighing. "I'm not entirely sure myself, but it was just a thought I had while you were unconscious. How much do you know about Jail's cloning process?"
Nanoha's brows furrowed as she thought about it. "I'm not a scientist, so I don't know the details. If I recall correctly, he learned the initial techniques from another scientist, but didn't have much luck until Precia made the process stable. He made Zest, and then later made... me." Nanoha stared at Sein with wide eyes while the implications sunk in.
The cyborg nun's expression was filled with sympathy. "I'm not totally sure myself, as I'm not a scientist either. But from what I remember, even after Precia greatly improved the process, she didn't make an exact copy, and an exact copy is what the doctor ultimately wanted. So there are two types of clones: a non-exact copy who ends up with quite a few differences, and-"
"And an exact copy that doesn't live as long," Nanoha finished the thought, head lowering as she studied her hands. "Which is what I could be, and if so, I don't know how much time I could have left. I thought it was just because I had three strenuous fights yesterday and the injuries I sustained during them, but..."
Sein leaned over and gently placed a hand on the clone's shoulder. "I could be wrong, and he could have improved the process between then and now; after all, before the TSAB intervened, all of us cyborgs were supposed to give birth to an exact copy of Jail in the event he died. But I have to admit, the thought crossed my mind; if you are like Zest, then every time you use your magic, you hasten your body's breakdown. It could be weeks or months before it finally gives out. Then again, you could have years, but that was why I was concerned about you continuing."
"I may not have much choice anyway," Nanoha stated, picking up the heavily cracked and splintered staff she had been using. "I doubt this thing can last another fight, especially on the level I've been using it on. That Starlight Breaker horribly damaged it."
Sein crossed the room to a dresser, picked something up, and then tossed the small object her way. "I was going to save this for a surprise later, but I suppose I can give it to you now. Sorry I wasn't available yesterday, but I was out on a mission in order to get some parts for it."
Nanoha caught it easily, then stared at the red jewel in her hand. "Raging Heart! You got it fixed?"
"Not entirely," Sein admitted with a sigh. "But we don't have a choice, since you need a device for your last two fights, which will be harder than the ones you've had so far. It's functional, but you'll have to avoid going too extreme with it, as the frame will still need some reinforcement and some of the parts are substandard. Still, it should work much better than the storage device you were using."
"Thank you," Nanoha replied, clenching her hand tightly around it, then looked up as another thought occurred to her. "Do you have any information on my final opponent, the one before Zira?"
"Yes, and I'll tell you about her, but only after you eat," the cyborg informed her, back in full manager mode. "We'll talk then as well; I have some more things to tell you."
"Me, too," Nanoha replied softly, her thoughts drifting back to Zira as Sein left the room.
x~~*~~x
Teana paused as she reached out to tap her code into the door panel; the casing of the keypad appeared a bit loose. Narrowing her eyes, the Director of Homeworld Security entered her code and pulled out Cross Mirage while the door swung open. She flicked the light on while slowly entering, training her gun around and trying to notice anything else out of place.
"It's me!" came a familiar hushed voice as a pair of eyes popped up from behind her desk.
"Givo!?" Teana blurted in surprise, lowering her gun as the door swished closed behind her. "I nearly took your head off; what are you doing?"
"I had to sneak in without anyone noticing," he replied, standing up. "I found out where she's been going, but they discovered me and so I've been running and hiding since yesterday!"
Teana stared in disbelief, returning Cross Mirage to card form and slipping it back into her pocket. "Well, what did you find!? Let me know where it is, and I'll organize some Enforcers to jump on it, while taking her into custody."
He stepped back as she sat down and opened her terminal, beginning to tap away. "What about the prisoners? You said you'd release them!"
"As soon as you tell me what you learned, and if I can get Wendi off with it, I'll work to get your rebel friends out," she told him gruffly. "I told you it wasn't going to be easy, but that I'd do my best. Now, tell me what you learned, quick! If she knows you're onto her, she'll shift her plans quickly to a backup, so we have to move fast."
Givo was silent a moment, and then sighed and leaned over to indicate a spot on the map. "Here. There is a fake wall at the end of the corridor, and behind it is a bunch of hi-tech computer stuff and funny yellow glowing jars. There's a weird guy down there who has another guy captive, and another woman working for him."
Teana paused, her brow furrowing. "Weird guy? Can you describe him?"
"He's got-" Givo started to say, but the words died on his lips as the door swished open and several Enforcers filled the room, followed by a certain cyborg.
"Quattro!" Teana nearly growled, leaping to her feet. "It's over now, we have evidence against you. Enforcers, arrest her."
Quattro merely smiled when they didn't move, as someone else came out from behind her and answered, "Enforcers in the capital answer to me. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, Director Teana Nakajima. You're under arrest on suspicion of treason."
"Fate," Teana spoke the name evenly, her eyes narrowing. "I know we have our differences, but I didn't think you'd take orders from Quattro. The one you should be arresting is next to you; she's working with others and framing people like my sisters!"
Quattro's grin's became even wider, if possible, and tapped a button on a small device.
"As soon as you tell me what you learned, and if I can get Wendi off with it, I'll work to get your rebel friends out."
Teana paled as her own voice came across in the recording, and then pivoted to glare at Givo. "You let them put a bug on you, and then lead them straight back here!"
Givo's turned his own disbelieving stare to the cyborg with the cheshire-cat-like smile. "You... when you grabbed me, you must have..."
"As you can see, I have no choice but to put you under arrest," Fate repeated calmly. "Please hand over your device and surrender peacefully." She gestured to the line of troops between her and Teana. "Enforcers, you have permission to use deadly force if she resists in any way."
"So you are going through with this," Teana growled as she warily eyed the slowly-approaching Enforcers creeping around her large desk. "I should have figured that eventually you'd come for me, ever since you started with Cinque. But it won't be that easy."
"Enforcers, arrest her now!" Fate suddenly demanded, to which Teana responded by grabbing Givo and putting him in front of her while stepping back.
"Didn't think you were up to using a child as a human shield, Director," Quattro teased, amused. "I don't think Hayate would approve... or maybe she would...."
Teana grinned, teeth showing. "We'll find out, won't we?"
In the next instant, the floor opened up under Teana and Givo, and the darkness swallowed them up.
x~~*~~x
"Are you ready?" Sein asked as the pair approached the arena for Nanoha's final fight before the tournament championship.
"Yes, but I'm still not sure what to do about Zira," Nanoha replied, her voice tinged with regret and melancholy. "If I win, she loses her chance to cure her daughter. I know I have to win, though. I just don't-HEY!"
"It really is a crime that you have a better chest than I do," Sein teased, giving an extra squeeze, then jumping back, giggling, before Nanoha could respond. "Sorry sorry! But I had to do something; you were in danger of dropping into a funk. We'll figure out something, trust me. For now, you just need to concentrate on this fight; leave everything else to me!"
A grateful smile formed on Nanoha's face. "Thanks, Sein."
The cyborg manager turned her client around and gave her a push. "That's what your manager is for; now get out there and win!"
Nanoha formed her barrier jacket along with Raging Heart. "I will."
"Now entering the arena, the Starlight Destroyer Seikou, who has quickly become legendary by defeating several powerful mages in quick succession!" cam ethe announcers voice, although it would be muted once the battle started. "And in the other corner, another mysterious woman who has rapidly come up through the ranks. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the 'Magekiller,' Isis Egret!"
Nanoha gripped Raging Heart's shaft tightly as the crowd went wild.
x~~*~~x
"So, any luck?" Verossa asked as Otto came back. "Your sister got back awhile ago, but neither of us could find anything."
"Yes, and not what you're expecting," Otto declared holding up a disc. "I found this being peddled in some of the black market stalls; they are recordings of a series of underground fights."
"Did Sein go back on the circuit?" Deed questioned, coming down stairs full clothed while rubbing her hair with a towel. "I thought she had retired."
Otto put the disc into the player as the screen came on. "Not exactly; take a look at this."
"Is that...?" Verossa started, then shook his head. "It can't be. Her hair is different... but her voice, her spells, and her barrier jacket are very familiar, if not exact. Nanoha?"
"They are calling her Seikou, the Starlight Destroyer," Otto informed them. "Whoever she is, Sein obviously feels compelled to help her. This was the same woman who left the orphanage with Sein."
Verossa leaned back. "I've heard that name. Someone the Bureau has been having trouble with recently. Rumors abound, but apparently they took out several divisions of troops, and is supposedly the reason Jalacia is currently off-limits."
Otto paused it, showing Sein very clearly going out to hand Nanoha a robe in the wake of the latter's victory. "And there she is. I'm not quite sure what's going on, only that the both of them showed up a couple of days ago and have been fighting a series of special matches in order to participate in the championship tournament. I don't know much more, except that the Bureau has learned of this and is trying to find the location of the fighting ring in order to apprehend her."
Deed gazed at the screen, and finished the thought for her sister. "I agree; since Sein most likely has a very good reason for what she's doing with this Seikou person, we should probably help her. We need to find this ring before the Bureau does."
x~~*~~x
"Divine Buster!"
Despite Nanoha getting a chance to fire, Isis easily ducked under the beam, proving just what a nimble adversary she was. Despite staying mostly at the long ranges Nanoha usually preferred, the current distances were proving more advantageous to Isis. It allowed her to continue with her own relentless, and unusual, attack: butterflies. More specifically, small ones made up of some type of explosive gas that Isis had remote control over.
Which Nanoha was becoming intimately aware of as one of nearer butterflies detonated in a large explosion which Nanoha just managed to avoid, but that set her up for a secondary detonation that she was forced to shield against. But the repulsive force from that blast put a third butterfly at her back that ignited with a burst and sent her careening towards the arena floor.
She managed to recover and level out, skidding along the ground, but realized what Isis was doing; methodically using those explosions, calculating where each one was and where Nanoha would go. Thus, she knew she needed to change things up and be less predictable. At least she could begin to understand why her opponent had made it so far in the tournament; the keen mind combined with her quickly multiplying fluttering bombs were quickly depriving her adversaries of maneuvering space.
"Why are you fighting?" Nanoha asked, remaining on the ground while gazing upwards.
Isis didn't respond, but merely slowly brought several butterflies to bear on Nanoha, who quickly triggered a Flash Move to end up behind her opponent, but somehow Isis must have anticipated that, too; there was a pair of butterflies waiting for her. They erupted with powerful concussive forces, temporarily stunning Nanoha while Isis seemed mostly unaffected and even managed a pair of powerful punches and a kick that sent Nanoha against the arena shield.
She responded with a wave of Axel Shooter orbs, but as before, they only temporarily dissipated the butterflies; the gas came back together almost immediately afterward, and Isis easily shielded against the magic missiles. That left Nanoha wondering once more about how to get inside her guard.
From what Nanoha had learned from Sein, she understood very well why Isis still appeared rather youthful despite being almost 60 years old; Isis was both a cyborg and a mage, and very adept at combat, as she was now proving.
Still, Nanoha tried again, telepathically this time, after executing another Flash Move to deliberately end up at a bad angle to attack, and thus Isis didn't expect her to be there. "[Why are you in this tournament?]"
"[I don't have to tell you anything]" Isis responded gruffly, expelling more gas from the spherical bottles on her wrists.
Nanoha figured it wouldn't be that simple.
x~~*~~x
"What are you doing!?" an alarmed Givo cried as the pair continued down the slide and through the darkness.
"Quattro had the advantage back there, so I needed to change the venue," Teana yelled into his ear. "Your testimony wouldn't be enough to free Wendi; we need actual proof, so we have to get that and then present it to Hayate!"
The ride abruptly ended, dumping both of them on a mat which kicked up the covering layer of dust in protest. Coughing, Givo quickly moved off it, but found his wrist grabbed as the older woman roughly pulled him along.
"Hey, easy!" he complained.
"We have to keep moving," she told him impatiently, turning a corner. "You need to take me to Quattro's hidden base so I can record everything. I can transmit that to Hayate, which should be enough to put Wendi's trial on hold. First things first, however." She brought out a card device and held it in front of Givo. "Cross Mirage, full scan."
"Scanning..." the device intoned as Givo wondered what was going on. "Detected; tracking device located. Disabling..."
Givo felt a low burning sensation on the back of his neck. "Ow!"
"There, that takes care of that," Teana told him, turning the card into a gun. "Now let's get moving; we need to get to Quattro's hideout before she has a chance to clean it out, so lead the way. You said there were others working for her?"
"Um, yeah," he responded absently, trying to recall the way. "A strange guy and another woman. They didn't mention names, though."
"Who could she have working for her?" Teana wondered aloud, turning a corner to see a pair of Enforcers who appeared to be as equally surprised to see her. "You two! Come with me. There is a vital mission that concerns Homeworld Security that I need your help with."
However, the pair appeared quite awkward as one of them explained, "Um, ma'am, we have orders to arrest you on charges of treason. I'm afraid you and the boy will have to come with us. You can explain it to Commander Fate."
Just as Givo was beginning to wonder how Teana would respond to them, she showed him; by suddenly shooting the two. "Why did you-" he started to say as the two Enforcers crumpled to the ground.
"They're only stunned," Teana told him, pushing him along again. "We can't waste time; Quattro obviously hopes to stall us, and I need to take care of it. Cross Mirage, put in a call to Hayate."
"Unable to complete request," the device replied after a moment. "Jamming signals are in effect."
Teana cursed. "And I can't reach her by telepathy from this far away, either. Her ship should still be in orbit in preparation to leave for Supools, so I'll need to get a ship myself. Still, I don't get it; we've had our differences, but why would Fate believe Quattro over me? And I thought she was going with Hayate to capture Nanoha."
"What did she do to you, anyway?" Givo wondered aloud.
The Homworld Security Director was silent a moment, and then faced away, a far off look in her eyes. "It started a long time ago. Rioters protesting some of Hayate's policies had taken control of Marial's first Hydra power station outside of Clanagan. Cinque and Dieci were nearest and responded, and I wanted to go help them."
Her eyes closed, recalling...
"Negative, Teana, continue with the investigation," Fate ordered over the communicator.. "I'm closer, so I'll grab some Enforcers and back her up."
"But you know how well I work together with them!" Teana protested. "The three of us can handle it if I go!"
"That's an order, Enforcer Nakajima!" Fate replied after a moment. "Enforcer Commander Harlaown out!"
Teana slammed her fist against the wall. "Cinque snuck in to peacefully subdue the rioters while Dieci provided long range sniper support. But something went wrong; the reactor blew up. It killed Cinque and severely injured Dieci, such that she would never fight again. And Fate showed up much later than she said she would with her promised backup!" Her eyes flew open again. "If only she had let me go, or been there sooner, then Cinque and Dieci would be alive today. That's why I blame her. After that, she took me more and more off critical assignments, and so I eventually transferred out of the Enforcers to end up where I am today." She sighed. "Givo, where is she currently?"
"The Fate woman?" Givo questioned, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. "I... don't know. I can't get any sort of read on her. Whenever I think of the person up there, I get confused with the other woman who was with Quattro in that hideout. Only she had blonde hair instead of gold.."
Teana grabbed his shoulders roughly, surprising Givo with the intensity in her eyes. "What did you say!?"
"The woman who entered with Quattro had blonde hair before," Givo answered quickly, startled. "My magic sense told me they were the same two down there with the other guy. She must have changed her looks."
"Transformation magic?" she questioned, then shook her head and began to pace. "Quattro has an ally that uses transformation magic... or does she? This is just like with Wendi; someone deliberately doing a very good impersonation of her without the aid of magic. But who could..." She trailed off and stopped, her eyes widening. "But she couldn't be... could she? It would all make sense, except it should be impossible..." Suddenly she spun on Givo and projected a picture from her device. "Tell me honestly... Is this who you saw?"
"Yeah, that was how she looked down there," he answered, wondering what the big deal.
"So that's how she's doing it," Teana breathed in understanding, her eyes narrowing as she studied the picture of Due.
x~~*~~x
[I need to reach her,] Nanoha decided resolutely, gripping her weapon tighter.
"ACS, standby," Raging Heart announced in response to her will. "Strike Flame."
"[I know what you went through]," Nanoha stated, gazing evenly at her opponent while recalling all that Sein had told her. "[You spent a lot of time in a Bureau interment and reeducation camp.]" According to Sein, the experience had changed her greatly.
"[The war did that to a lot of people, but I got over it,]" Isis growled, setting off a chain of explosions as Nanoha charged straight for her, but to her surprise, Nanoha just took the damage and continued at breakneck speeds.
Still, Isis managed to sidestep slightly and grab Raging Heart's shaft, twisting while slamming an elbow into Nanoha's gut before tossing the woman away. Nanoha quickly recovered, but was forced to retreat as several more floating bombs came in. She hadn't expected Isis to be able to react so fast, even though Sein had warned her about Isis's cyborg reflexes; and she absently rubbed her stomach where her auto-barrier had barely mitigated the force of Isis's cyborg strength.
"[But the pain of losing friends, never goes away, does it?]" Nanoha countered sympathetically, the change of expression on Isis's face revealing that she had hit a mark. "[You go along, doing your best, only to see it makes no difference in the end. I heard about Thoma and Lily.]" She left off mentioning how the Saint Church had taken Isis in after that and consoled her, and that later led to Isis fighting for them during the war where she was captured.
"[Shut up!]" Isis ordered, gesturing more butterflies in to finish Nanoha off. "Don't talk about them as if you knew them! They were the nicest people I had ever met, and in the end, they were used like pawns between larger forces. Their lives meant nothing to the people fighting over them, except as weapons of war!]"
"[Yet you fought for the church, so you must have believed in what they stood for,]" Nanoha countered, pointing her staff. "Strike Stars!"
Isis grit her teeth and exploded several butterflies to stop the volley of Axel Shooter shots, but was forced to deploy a Round Shield against the main beam. Her feet dug in, bracing her body against the force the blast, determined not to give in.
"[I thought the church was better than the Bureau, but in the end, even they abandoned me!]" she mentally shouted, the beam pushing her back despite her shield, but her bombs were in position. The chain of explosions covered nearly a third of the arena when they were done, but had succeeded in forcing Nanoha to end her attack, and Isis presumed caused serious damage to her opponent.. But as the the smoke cleared, her eyes narrowed; Nanoha was gone. [I couldn't have done enough to vaporize her...]
That was when binds snapped into place around her wrists and ankles and a large pink glow from above grabbed her attention.
A Flash Move had gotten Nanoha to safety just in time, and the brief pause had allowed her to begin charging her Starlight Breaker. She had realized that further words wouldn't reach Isis's ears right now. she was still too angry at everyone. The Bureau for the loss of Thoma and Lily and later her incarceration, and the Saint Church for the peace agreement; when they surrendered, one of the terms was for the church to give up all rights on prisoners of war. They had no choice, since those were the terms the Bureau demanded. But this was the part where Sein's intelligence had faltered; all the cyborg nun knew was that Isis had managed to escape years later, but apparently hadn't shared any of the specifics of that with anyone. Just that she had gone into seclusion on Supools after.
"[You think this will stop me?]" Isis snarled, straining against the binds.
"[I know you won't believe me, but I do understand what you're feeling,]" Nanoha stated calmly. The events of the past 50 years, the war; she was discovering that it hadn't just left anyone untouched, but had affected them all deeply. [And I'll put an end to this, one way or another.] She swung her staff down. "Starlight Breaker!"
A disturbing smile formed on Isis's face. "Puffy, disengage safeties, activate black perfume!"
Nanoha watched, puzzled at what her opponent was up to as a black gas was emitted from Isis's wrist pods, covering her hands and turning them the same ebony color. With a mighty battle shout, Isis launched herself skyward and met the descending beam with her left hand, and in that instant, something strange happened; Nanoha found her Starlight Breaker spell disintegrating. Then Isis was in her face, and despite getting a combination Round Shield/Bind spell up, Isis's right hand easily smashed through it as if it wasn't there, impacting the other woman's stomach. Nanoha went flying across the arena, smacking into the side barrier, but Isis was there again and despite Nanoha weakly getting her left arm up to block, a second strike sent her crashing down into the ground.
"Now you know why I'm called 'magekiller'," Isis informed her as Nanoha struggled to rise, wondering what in the hell happened. "I spent much of the last ten years getting the formula just right, but I succeeded in duplicating the magic particle de-linking function of the Eclipse virus. It's temporary and carries a bit of a risk; I could end up permanently infected if it goes on too long. Which is why I'm going to finish this fast."
As Isis raised her fist, Nanoha knew she had to act fast. It was only her barrier jacket that softened the previous blows just enough; Isis's cyborg strength would finish her quickly. Even though the wind was knocked out of her, she managed to point Raging Heart straight down and fire off a Divine Buster, then roll out of the way as the explosion obscured everything. She only had a couple of moments to recover and come up with a counter for Isis's new anti-magic.
"This won't hide you forever!" Isis yelled, creating several more butterflies that exploded and dissipated the dust cloud in the area immediately around her.
"Divine Buster," Raging Heart announced, firing.
Isis immediately shielded against the pink beam as it emerged from the remains of the cloud, sending her remaining butterflies to the that location. But then her eyes widened as the cloud cleared enough to see that the device was floating there and firing on it's own, Seikou nowhere in sight. She turned just in time for a magic-charged fist to strike her cheek; time seemed to slow down in that instant, then the moment was over and Isis hit the ground, hard. She recovered and leapt to her feet, preparing to charge at Nanoha in rage, only to have a magical shot explode out of the ground and impact her chin which sent her stumbling back until a second shot impacted the back of her head and canceled her backward momentum.
"Your magic de-linking effect is limited to your hands, and to what you can see coming," Nanoha stated, pointing her finger as she continued her barrage of hidden Axel shooter orbs. "Crossfire Shoot!"
Isis instinctively raised her hands to block the pink beam, dissipating the spell as another shot impacted her stomach and dropped to her one knee. "I have to... win. I have to... get back and save... Runessa! Puffy, increase Black Perfume yield, full body!"
Having heard from Sein earlier about the Eclipse virus, Nanoha couldn't let Isis deliberately infect herself like this. Acting quickly as the gaseous cloud began to move up Isis's arms, sent her mental command to Raging Heart, now having positioned itself behind the woman while Nanoha had her distracted.
"Excelion Buster!" the device announced, firing from only a few meters behind, the large pink beam fully engulfing the cyborg.
Then it was over, Isis falling forward to hit the ground with a thud.
x~~*~~x
Teana cursed again; a growing habit Givo had noticed from her. True to his word, he had tried to lead her to Quattro's hideout, but eventually there were too many Enforcers and soldiers blocking the way; they couldn't get close. Also, there was a fairly powerful anti-magic field in effect, which meant she abandoned the plan of trying to fight her way through. Then, Teana had decided to sneak a shuttle out next, but that was also covered by plenty of Enforcers, and from what she could see when she interfaced her device with the computer systems, all shuttles had been taken down for maintenance.
"Quattro knows me too well," Teana seethed in anger, slamming her fist against a metal wall as the pair took a brief break in a small room. "At this rate, I can't inform Hayate nor gather the evidence I need. And she's making me look like the criminal! She probably had something like this planned all along. I need to think; I can't go to Dieci, Nove, or Wendi, as she would expect that, too. Damn it!" Her fist met metal once more. "Without access to a shuttle or the official teleporters to get above this interference, I can't contact Hayate on her ship before she leaves, and I don't know who I can trust!"
Givo raised an eyebrow as he watched her pace from his place sitting against the wall, but despite his thoughts being more focused on his own troubles. [I should have just run when I had the chance. I'm right back where I started; being pursued by the Bureau!] Then a thought struck him. "So you need to teleport to the ship? Layla can teleport."
Teana paused in her pacing and stared at him. "I read her file: support magic mainly, but also some teleportation. I don't think she has the range to reach the ship, but maybe..." She paused, her face showcasing the wheels that were beginning to turn in her head. "Yes, Quattro was forcing into this situation as much as I was, so she can't be fully prepared for everything, and she knows I"m not a traitor, so she might not expect me to... it's a risky gamble, but I might not have a choice." Her head came up. "Givo, we're going to free your friends after all."
Barely able to register her words due to shock, he didn't protest as she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along.
x~~*~~x
"Why are you here?" Isis grumbled, her first words upon waking up and seeing Seikou by her bedside.
"I came to apologize," the woman offered, actually looking a bit sheepish. "I've never really been reduced to actually punching someone before." Her expression changed, appearing more thoughtful. "I had heard that you were saving up money to get to Mid-Childa, and I guess I know why, now. At first I thought it was for revenge, but it's more than that, isn't it? You want to rescue Runessa, don't you? Would you tell me about it?"
Isis was silent, not feeling like responding.
The visitor sighed. "For what it's worth, I'm fighting against the Bureau; that's why I'm competing, into get back to Mid-Childa. I'll try to take you with me if I can. But if I can't, I promise, I'll do what I can to find Runessa for you. It would help if you told me more."
"You're crazy," Isis stated, staring at her, then sighed and shook her head. "Runessa was the only friend I had in that internment dump. Together, we hatched a plan to escape, but when it came time to carry it out, we got separated. Before I lost sight of her, she told me to go, and that she'd find another way out. The transport I hid away on took me to Supools, and now I can't get back!" She slammed a fist on the hospital bed railing, partially denting it. "I shouldn't have left her!"
Seikou surprised by reaching out to gently pat her hand. "You did what you had to. If you hadn't of escaped, then Runessa wouldn't have a chance now." Then a small smile appeared on her face that hinted at things Isis could only fathom. "And you're right, I suppose I am crazy. But someone on my planet once said: '
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.' So, I suppose I am a bit unreasonable. But you haven't given up on friendship as much as you'd like to project, since you're going through all this for a friend. In that way, you're a bit unreasonable, too."
"Probably," Isis admitted, turning away. "It's what Thoma would have done. Stupid idiot that he was."
The mood turned somber for a moment, and then Seikou stood up to leave. "I didn't know Thoma nor Lily, but they sounded like great friends. I have experienced the loss of people I cared about, too, so I know how you feel. I promise you that, if it was in any way possible, I would have done anything I could to save them. No one deserves to lose people they care about."
"Bit late for that now," Isis mumbled, glancing up at the ceiling. "That's in the past."
When there was no immediate response, she turned back to see the small secretive smile on Seikou's face had grown slightly. "Perhaps."
And with that, she walked out, leaving Isis more puzzled then ever. [Just who is she?] And then she noticed a small envelope on the stand beside her bed. Curious, she opened it and read the letter:
Isis,
In case I don't get to talk to you again, or take you with me when I win the tournament, I've enclosed a couple names for you to seek out on the Jalacia continent that may enable you to return to Mid-Childa. If you do, look me up, and we'll find Runessa together, as well as change the Bureau into something that doesn't have reeducation centers.
Sincerely,
Seikou
Confused, Isis scrolled down farther and read the names, but that didn't clarify matters any. [Who are 'Laguna Granseic' and 'Lutecia Alphino'?]
x~~*~~x
"So you've made up your mind to stay, then?" Hayate's image asked from the screen.
"With the entire Wolkenritter along side you, you shouldn't have any problems capturing Nanoha on Supools," Fate answered in the normal professional tone Hayate had come to expect from her oldest friend's service over the years. "Besides, someone has to look after this place, with Teana's attention diverted by Wendi's trial. Also, I have a few things to take care here."
There was a pause as Hayate briefly considered that, her face partially hidden by fingers clasped together. "Very well. You're my most valuable subordinate, but more than that, we've known each other a long time. It might be best this way."
"When do you depart?" Fate inquired.
"Within the hour," Hayate answered. "The last of the troops will be on-board then, and we'll rendevez with the Genya and the Regius for the trip to Supools. Intel still suggests Nanoha is still fighting in that underground tournament, and the Enforcers Rai left will have the location pinpointed soon."
"Good luck," Fate offered honestly. "Try to bring her back in one piece."
Hayate nodded. "That's the plan. With luck, I'll return in a day. Hayate out."
The screen winked out, and Fate exhaled, relaxing back in her chair.
"Masterful performance as usual," Quattro purred from the darkness of a corner. "I guess it is most fortuitous for us that the real Fate decided to take a mysterious leave of absence. Still, Hayate is going to be a bit upset when she learns we delayed her receiving of Fate's letter."
Fate slowly morphed back into Due. "We'll just have to deal with it. Teana's little surprise caught us off-guard, and although we can use this, this will have to be handled delicately. Do we have any word on them yet?"
Quattro shook her head. "None. Shouldn't you return to her house as Dieci?"
"No, I think Teana expects us to be waiting for her there, and she won't want to put her 'disabled sister' in any danger," Due replied, thinking. "It would be best if we can have Teana killed for resisting arrest, but either way, by the time Hayate returns, it will be too late for her to do anything and we can move to the final stage. With her pillars of support gone, she'll be forced to rely on us. All that remains is the matter of where Fate went." She turned and noticed Quattro's smile. "I see you're amused by something."
"While I am ever in awe of my old teacher's capacity for deception, I have to wonder exactly what purpose this plan of yours is going to accomplish," Quattro answered, with equal parts awe and subtle probing.
Due's amused smile easily surpassed the one worn by her old student and sister. "If you can figure that out, you will have passed the final lesson."
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
I was initially considering using Sieglinde instead of Isis, but Sieg's magic style isn't entirely clear, and when I look at what I plan for further chapters, Isis's backstory and involvement will actually work better. Of course, I'm assuming a few things about her that haven't been made clear in Force yet (like Isis being a combat cyborg), but we'll see if my predictions bear out. If not, I've got an escape route to use later. If that sounds vague, good. ;p
I had intended this to be one chapter, but as I wrote parts, especially the ones about Isis, I realized that it would be a disservice to keep her part small. Also, looking at what I have to do for Zira and the events afterward, it would have made this chapter huge. And so splitting into two also allows me to expand a bit on the Teana/Givo scenes, and hopefully set some good stuff for next time. Also allowed me to add the final Quattro/Due scene there, which I like because at this point I can only imagine the kind of relationship the two had, prior to Due going undercover.
Music for this chapter was primarily the Fairy Tail Main Theme, both the regular and slow versions. Check 'em out on youtube, or better yet, watch Fairy Tail or read the manga (the anime follows the manga). It's pretty good.^^
2010-12-16, 12:35
Author
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I love this fic.
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