"Aurelia isn't going to be back in time," Ica sighed, shaking his head, swallowing. There was a nervous glint in his eyes, but he still spoke levelly. "Have any of us heard from her?" There was not an answer, but rather a collective silence that answered louder than any words could have.
"We must not wait for her. There's a life at risk- one we can save," Haru stepped forward, laying a hand on that holographic table in the meeting room; where, now, there was a projection of the small office building they were to invade.
"Must not?" Fox angled her head, smirking. "What- you gotta talk all fancy, since you're growing into this strategy thing?"
"Shut up," Haru snorted, laughed, shaking her head. "Look I get it- people die every day but we don't know where they are, or have a chance to prevent it in most cases. Here- we do- it's the human thing to do."
"I am not human," Lif chuckled warmly, slowly standing. "However, maybe it is also the demon thing to do. I do not care; it is the right thing to do. Sometimes, I forget."
"There's a saying where I'm from," Fox smiled. "So often great people get lost in the pursuit of being great, that they forget to be good."
"Wow. Philosophy from the brat," Charlotte smirked, and the dark-haired kitsune glowered, stepping closer to Haru and looking as though she might bite somebody.
"We have decided then," Eileen sat forward, her expression as emotionless as ever. "We will make moves to save Alex, and depart without Aurelia- or Cecil. He is out looking for her, yes?. She is likely brooding because Haru stood up to her and she is not used to having accountability expected of her."
"That's right," Lif agreed, chuckling. "Cecil has a soft spot for her, they've been friends a long time."
"Alright. Let's do this," Haru sighed, rolling her shoulders. "Gear up- real weapons this time, and let's get moving."
"Ready to get back here with Alex and celebrate?!" Fox jeered, as they jogged down the hall toward the helipad, ramming her shoulder playfully into Haru's side.
"Hell yeah I am," Haru agreed, laughing. "Let's do some good!"
"TO HELL WITH BEING GREAT!" Charlotte shouted sarcastically, shoving the doors open wide.
"Let us do this!!" Lif agreed, clapping his hands together loudly.
-
"Please don't do this," Alex whispered, head lolling to the right, coughing; there was a wet rattling in his chest, and blood splashed the ground. "I told you… I don't understand the magic of this world… I don't know…"
"Yes, I believe you," The man before him spoke, chuckling. "You are a summoned hero, though, are you not? You must know that there is more to your existence- something greater. If you could smite me, rip me down- right now- what would you do? What form would your revenge take?"
"I don't want… any revenge, I swear…" Alex wheezed, breaths rattling painfully in his chest. "I'd rather… die than be some kind of… scumbag who gets off on killing…"
"Yeah?" The man smiled and stepped forward, tangling a hand into Alex's blood-soaked hair, tipping his head back. "You don't want to hurt me?"
"No, I'd rather… beat you black and blue… but leave you alive," Alex muttered, eyes starting to roll back, only to gasp as he was backhanded with nearly enough force to knock his chair over.
"What would beating me black and blue look like, Alex? You're a hero- so you CAN- do you even understand how rare summons are?!" The torturer stepped back toward the doorway, laughing until his voice was cut off- Alex jolted. The man before him… his face was gone, and the so-called summoned hero was staring instead at a forearm, a fist.
Whoever it was had walked up behind and punched cleanly through the torturer's skull… and now flung the body backward, out of the room, as if the body weighed nothing more than tissue paper.
I might be half dead, but I'm smart enough to shut up, right…?
"I guess there's no saving face for that guy, huh?"
God dammit Alex.
"Funny," a voice replied, and Alex watched, chuckling nervously, blood bubbling from one nostril, as a stranger slowly entered the cell. He was tall- too tall- with dark hair combed to one side, dressed in a pristine, dark suit- well, save for the arm that was now drenched in gore. He had to duck under the doorway, and when he straightened up with a disarming smile, he stood well taller than the doorway, his head nearly brushing the ceiling.
"I bet your doctors hated measuring you growing up."
Alex shut up come on man.
"They didn't tell me you were a jokester," The new man laughed lightly, standing casually with his hands in his pockets. "Can you guess why I'm here?"
"Make a wish foundation? You got it wrong though- I don't have cancer; I'm just bleeding out."
Silence.
"What can I say? People ch-change when they go through stuff like this."
"Yes… well, I am called the Giant by most," The Giant sighed, stepping forward and slowly circling Alex. The young, bloodied man stiffened, catching a glimpse of a blade… and then… his hands fell free.
"W-What-?"
"You see," The Giant spoke and sighed, returning to view and leaning against one of the grungy concrete walls of Alex's cell. He- Alex- didn't dare to move yet, but he seemed to be well and truly free. The Giant continued speaking, a guilty smile pulling at his lips.
"I have a part in your torture. A part in the blame for it anyway."
"I gathered that much," Alex sighed, rolling his eyes, coughing weakly again.
"Yes, well- I did not ask for it," The Giant amended, shaking his head. "I have been funding the research of this place; they were to research magics and technological methods of soul transference. The idea is effective immortality- the ability for a soul to hop, body to body, becoming- well, you know."
"What's that got to do with me? As you can see, I'm very, very mortal." Alex grinned with red teeth, then laughed at the absurdity of his situation, head falling back again, lolling to the right. "Hahah, I mean seriously look at me, I couldn't run if I wanted to…"
"Yes, well at first I didn't know why they thought that you, as a summoned hero, might know things about such magic that they did not. I demanded answers, and found out within hours that they were lying to me- that they were trying to discover whether one can learn spells consciously by choice, rather than while dead or outside of normal ranges of control."
"What…?"
"Ah, yes, I suppose there's much you don't know, of this world; the point is that I am here to free you and turn you over to good people. Ones who will protect you."
"Witness protection ain't my style- can I get a ride back to Planet Earth?"
"What- sorry, this is Earth," The Giant stumbled over his words, narrowing his eyes. "Is your home world also called Earth?"
"No, I just call it my home world for fun. It's a social media trend."
"Is it now," The Giant sighed, raising a hand to rub at his temple. "Alright, well I'm glad that your sense of humor is intact, Alex. The point is this; if I free you, there will be questions. I came here to escort you out, and to safety- in my arms, if you cannot walk."
"How romantic of you, my beloved," Alex winced, sitting forward and coughing. "Why free me? Why now?"
"I won't play coy," The Giant allowed with a smile. "I am motivated by money- what else matters? If I can pay to uncover the secrets of immortality- if I can pay for an existence that never ends, never suffers uncontrollable variables… then, what am I if not the strongest of Gods? I will do things to that end that some may never understand- but they will come to die within a few decades, and forget about all that I have done."
"Alright, got it, you're a selfish egoist who wants to play God- and you've got a great tailor to boot."
"Thank you," The Giant continued, unfazed. "This? Whatever they were doing to you? It is not relevant. I am not an animal- I do not seek pointless suffering. These fools abused my funding to conduct an experiment that I did not authorize."
"Haru, Eileen… did they escape alright? The soldiers with me, I can't remember their names…" Alex coughed, and for a moment his vision swam. Closing his eyes, he sighed, trying to collect himself.
"I do not know of the soldiers, or what you're hoping they escaped from," The Giant offered curiously, and Alex, eyes still closed, thought he could hear the smile in the voice speaking to him.
"Mnh…"
"As for Eileen and Haru, though- I know that they are safe."
"What…?"
"Well, it was them that brought my attention to you," The Giant chuckled slowly. "Haru stormed one of their towers with a shotgun and a gang of allies; created a mess, truly. Very clever ploy- so much red paint and yet, only one died that night. Eileen bent the weather and earth to her will, that the mission may be a success… but you weren't there."
"Where am I then…?"
"A more hidden location of theirs. Now, may I please lift you? I possess no healing magics, and you are unfit to walk."
"Who are you…?"
"I am called the Giant."
"No, who… who are you…"
"I am…" He continued speaking, but consciousness began to leave Alex behind as he realized it might be safe to rest.
The Giant stopped mid-sentence and chuckled, kneeling and checking Alex's pulse before slowly lifting the blonde man up into his arms, bridal-style. "Come on now, let's get you to your friends…"
-
Cobalt landed Wolfpack on the roof of a local hospital. "You'll hoof it the rest of the way! Hospital staff has been told that you're a bomb defusal squad approaching quietly to apprehend a terrorist in the outskirts of town, and they're sworn to secrecy!"
"Sounds good!" Haru hopped out first, checking her sidearm and readying her rifle, swallowing. She had a mild headache, hair bound tightly behind her head, but eh- I'll get used to it.
Fox joined her in similar dark gear, both girls pulling up a half mask to above their noses and rolling their shoulders, swallowing. Lif and Ica were dressed much the same, and they'd brought a couple of nameless soldiers from the wall this time- just in case. Only Charlotte was dressed any differently, and Haru found her eyes flicking that way; short skirt and sheer stockings. How very Charlotte- and that sweater, ugh-
"Hey," Fox huffed, stomping a foot. "Focus on the mission. And me."
"Mm, mm," Haru agreed, warmth blooming in her chest, looking away. "I guess if you can't die, then there's no point to tactical gear."
"Mhm!" Charlotte agreed and walked forward, throwing herself off the edge of the roof. "See you at the bottom!"
Rolling her eyes, Haru walked away a bit and shoved through the roof access door, starting down the stairwell inside with the others.
At the bottom, they pushed out of a fire escape, unbothered as promised, and Charlotte rejoined them as they marched through the dark night air, sticking to the shadows.
"Contracted Arms?!" A voice, from behind them, and Haru turned, glancing back- just a small child. A girl, maybe ten or eleven years old, with short, light hair and a wide smile missing a few teeth.
"That's… us," Lif agreed, chuckling. "We are on our way to stop a big bad man!"
"Can I come!?" The little girl wiggled hard, grinning wider as if she'd just been handed everything she ever wanted and more. "Come on come on, please!"
"If you come with us," Haru smiled, mask rising with her cheeks. "Who would protect your parents? Make sure all the doors and windows are locked?"
"Exactly," Fox agreed. "Go home and make sure that your family is safe. That's what Contracted Arms is about, right? Saving people?"
"Okay! I'm going- I like your skirt lady!!" The child giggled at Charlotte, stomping her feet for a moment and then turning, running wildly off. "Hee hee, I'm a demon copper, rahhhhhhh~!!!"
"Jeez…" Haru laughed, shaking her head and turning around again. "Come on, let's keep going. Contracted Arms- I'm not super familiar, the Queen said something about it being an international military, right?"
"Blah blah blah," Ica rolled his eyes, laughing. "Angels and demons fought a proxy war on Earth using humans and killing masses until the portals were established and demons and angels could support their own bodies on Earth- no more need to possess and kill humans. CA was formed to show that angels, demons and humans can work together to keep peace. Set an example."
"Who made the portals to heaven and hell? Are they in every nation?"
"Nobody knows who made em except the people at the top of CA supposedly- and they're in the northern portion of Alcantore. All inter-dimensional travel starts there."
"Gotcha… what's Alcantore like?"
"It is neat!" Lif chuckled, palms coming together as they walked further into the outskirts of the town. "A desert nation that thrives- they have used magic and technology to make most land oasis! Dragons are many, there, but they coexist with the people. Long ago, it was tribal land of spears and straw huts, but they have come far."
"Well that sounds racist. Did some Mirian introduce them to tech?" Haru rolled her eyes, snorting.
"No! They learned to commune with dragons and their knowledge was taught to them, in part," Ica took over. "Nowadays they're considered the most intelligent nation by far- they've got one of the most prestigious colleges between heaven, hell and Earth."
"Interesting…" Haru nodded, glancing down at Fox and swallowing.
"We're almost there," Charlotte smirked, stepping into the lead, tail flicking, hips swaying. "Are we giving them the chance to surrender?"
"The chance, yes," Haru spoke, but Lif cut her off.
"I believe no, little badger. Giving them the chance, it is nice- but they will likely not take it, and die anyway."
"Not likely doesn't mean definitely," Haru countered, but Lif insisted.
"It is likely that they will shoot while we speak. Would you let a bullet into Little Ica's forehead because we preferred kindness?"
"Then Charlotte and I will take the lead," Haru spoke quietly, stepping forward as the group stopped, their target building in sight now. "Bullets don't hurt us like they would him. I'm not going to be a cold-hearted killer, and if that can't fly, you'd have kicked me out of this little private military already."
"Mn… I like you," Lif chuckled, shaking his head. "You remind an old man of the fire of youth. Perhaps, too jaded is what I am. Let us go; there is our target."
Indeed, the lot of them stood now outside of a generic office building. The signage labeled it only as 'call center', without any company branding. The windows were dark, and the place seemed to be closed down for the evening, judging by a glance. No guards on the outside. Nov visible cameras. The building was about as unassuming as it gets.
"Place your bets," Haru muttered, relaxing. "We're either about to step into a few armed guards and a creepy basement or a full-on horror-movie death-laboratory. What do you think?"
"Definitely a death lab," Fox sighed. "I'm going all in on stupid laser grid hallway that tries to cut you into a thousand pieces unless you can backflip perfectly through the laser lines.
"I'm putting my chips on zombies in cages in a hallway," Ica snorted. "We reach the end of the hall to get something we need and suddenly all the cells open and we have to run or fight for our lives.
"I will be optimistic!" Lif grinned. "I will lie and say that I believe Alex will be handed to us on a silver platter."
Until now, Eileen had been silent, but finally, she spoke.
"Can we stop joking around, and get in there…?" She'd used magic to make her ears look round, and was cleverly disguised in the same dark clothing as them, though her staff was still bound to her back with a backpack and a small firearm.
"Sounds good. Let's go," Haru agreed and pushed forward, into an alley between the two buildings. A moment later and she raised her foot, kicking the employee only door in- she was expecting an alarm, the local Contracted Arms had been instructed to ignore one… but there was none. Just silence and a dusty locker room.
"Come on," She shrugged, and pushed ahead, holding her rifle steady, sweeping left, right, with Fox on her heels.