Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha - This is purely for fan enjoyment.
Mission Location: Classified
Mission Objective: Classified
Mission Operatives: The White Devil – The Iron Hammer Knight
Mission Status: Classified
Mission Uplink: Disconnected
…
"Are you going to be okay Nanoha?" Vita snapped as she surveyed the surrounding area from their vantage point behind what used to be a giant stone wall of some sort. She and Nanoha Takamachi had been assigned a high profile mission to neutralize a well-hidden bionic augmentation research facility deep in the mountains.
The local wildlife had been the primary test subjects for the facility and from what Vita could tell there was very little of the beasts organic selves left. Just from observing them for the brief moment that she had it was easy to tell the creatures were far more feral and vicious then they once were.
Less than robots and yet more than cyborgs…they were monsters and while Vita did pity the animals for their misfortune it didn't change the fact that they needed to be destroyed.
What unsettled Vita more so then the beasts however was the large bipedal robots drudging around the facility. Their movements were more fluid than any robot she had ever seen before and while she couldn't see any organic parts on them she couldn't help but wonder…
The abominations that littered the facility, the bastard scientists included, wasn't why Vita was currently hiding. Destroying the facility and everything that moved within it would be easy enough, especially with Nanoha fighting with her.
No the reason she was hiding was in fact Nanoha herself.
Ever since the two had left Nanoha had been a bit pale and once the two began searching out the research facility the brunette girl began to shake lightly. Vita wanted to write it off as Nanoha feeling a bit chilled, but once the facility came into view and they touched down the taller girl's shivers only seemed to get worse.
While Nanoha hadn't objected to kill the now cyborg beasts, Vita assumed that was the cause of her trembling. After all the animals were technically still living creatures in possession of their own heart, or at least at one time and if that was too much for Nanoha to deal with Vita didn't have any real intention of forcing her to help.
Nanoha knew very well that Vita was a little rough around the edges, unpolished in the way she interacted with others, and that her harsh tone and often ill-tempered way of speech was just who she was. It was why, like so many times before, Nanoha didn't hold it against her when Vita asked if she was okay in the manner that she did.
In fact Nanoha was tremendously happy that Vita cared enough to notice that she was seemingly unfit for this battle. Vita never showed any sort of sympathy nor empathy with anyone other than Hayate, so just Vita asking showed that her and Nanoha's recently formed friendship truly did mean something too her.
After all the two had been on quite a few missions together and had spent more time talking and simply being in the others presence than anyone else the last few months, but while Nanoha had hoped they two had grown closer she hadn't really been sure until now.
Hayate had been telling Nanoha how much Vita idolized her and valued her since she was Vita's first friend, but hearing it second hand and actually feeling the concern and caring from the smaller girl were two different things.
A small smile bloomed weakly on Nanoha's lips as she thought about how close they had grown despite their outward relationship remaining relatively unchanged.
However, just because the two had grown closer over the past several months didn't mean that Nanoha would tell the smaller girl that she was losing her magic. The two had been rivals ever since the start of the 'Book of Darkness' case and their rivalry carried over even though they were both on the same team and friends now.
If Vita found out that she was losing control of her magic then Nanoha feared all the effort to get closer to the Iron Hammer Knight would be in vain. Not to mention Vita would be sure to tell Hayate and Fate…
"I'm fine Vita-chan, what's the plan?" Nanoha said, trying to force the quiver at the corner of her lips to stop.
"Hmm…" Vita hummed as she looked the girl over, clearly unconvinced.
"Really Vita-chan I'm fin-" A sharp jolt of pain caused a quick gasp to cut Nanoha off as she tumbled forward slightly. Nanoha's hands instinctively went to her ankle, the source of her pain, in some primal hope that simply putting pressure on the spot that hurt would alleviate the discomfort.
Latter it was discovered that the pain Nanoha had felt, her ankle bones shattering in her skin as she had described it, was due to the fact that her body had started to decay on the inside six months prior due to her overuse of magic with little to no training for it. It only having manifested symptoms at that moment.
Vita scowled as she moved to Nanoha's side to check on her ankle and upon seeing no physical abrasion caused a small sigh of relief to leave her lips. Her relieved expression hardened again when she caught sight of Nanoha's apologetic smile.
"I certainly don't need you slowing me down." Vita said sternly as she pointed to the wall she had just been crouched behind. "You go wait there and try to keep your head down, I'll finish this quickly and then we can go get that checked out."
Nanoha could help but giggle lightly at how hard Vita was trying to sound tough and uncaring with her, the brunette's giggles only getting harder when she noticed Vita blushing at having seemingly been caught actually caring about the White Devils well-being.
"Fine Vita-chan, I'll let you have all the fun." Nanoha said with a good hearted smile despite still being in quite a bit of pain. "If it ever gets too much to handle on your own just let me know and I'll be right there to help."
Vita huffed something about doing fine on her own and Nanoha needing to just rest there and not cause trouble, making the older girl smile again at the rough way Vita hid her true feelings. Having waited long enough Vita quickly launched herself at the nearest group of cyborgs and began the battle.
Unable to simply lean back against the wall and rest until Vita emerged victorious Nanoha instead decided to try and aid Vita from behind the wall by being a backup sniper of sorts. Nanoha hadn't been aware that these creatures were high adept at sensing magic and as soon and she raised Raging Heart to shoot down one of the many cyborgs slashing at Vita several were upon her.
Knocking one aside and weakly blasting another was all she could manage before teeth and claws sunk into her body. A small scream alerted Vita to the attack and within second she was at Nanoha's side, knocking the creatures away from her friend.
Although she was having some difficulties, Vita was holding her own against the large group of cyborgs and successfully keeping them away from Nanoha…or so she thought. Neither of them had been aware that some of the creatures had been augmented with a near invisibility cloaking device and by the time Nanoha had noticed the cyborg it was too late.
A choked scream ripped through Nanoha's throat as what appeared to be a massive claw shredded through her abdomen with little effort. Feeling every ounce of magic left in her body explode at the impact Nanoha almost instantly passed out from the pain, collapsing to the snow unable to hear her name being shouted.
Vita heard nothing but Nanoha's scream ringing in her ears. Moving faster than even Fate on a record run she had destroyed the creature who dared attack her friend, but it was too late, the damaging having already been done.
Something Vita rarely ever felt began building in Vita's chest: Panic.
Nanoha was bleeding out in the snow and the cyborgs, who had stopped their attack after watching one of their own be destroyed, where starting to regroup and close in.
The little Cloud Knight didn't have time to panic, she didn't even have time to think so she simply let her body go into autopilot as she threw her hands in front of her and forcibly drew out her linker core.
"Graf infuse Nanoha with ninety seven percent of everything I have left!" Vita demanded shakily, unable to tear her eyes away from the gaping wound in Nanoha's chest.
"Magical Infusion: 85 percent." Graf Eisen said as Vita started to transfer her own linker core's energy straight into Nanoha's linker core in a last stich effort to save her life.
"Damnit Graf I said ninety seven! Three percent in more than enough to get her back to base!" Vita screamed angrily, tears now streaming down her cheeks in a full torrent as she shakily held her hands over Nanoha's now almost lifeless body, easing the magical transfer.
Had Vita been in any other state of mind she would have cursed herself for letting tears roll down her cheeks, but her mind and heart was in such a state of emotion chaos that she hadn't even noticed she was crying.
Anger, self-loathing, hatred, sadness, insecurity and fear were only a few of the jumbled mess of emotions raging inside the small girl as she watched the small pool of crimson grow larger around her friend with ever second.
"Time needed to add linker core, please defend." Graf Eisen's voice brought Vita back to reality as she looked up to see the large group of cyborgs closing in on them. She could even see a few of the scientists taking notes from afar on how their monsters were fairing in their first taste of real combat.
It was the sight of those bastards treating all of this as test. Uncaring that her friend was dying in the snow or that it was their fault…
Suddenly there was only one emotion left in Vita and it burned through her veins with such fire that any restraint or reason she may have once had was swallowed by the all-consuming fire that was her rage.
Leaving her linker core above Nanoha she used her last fifteen percent on magical power to summon Graf Eisen into full Hammer form. It would take roughly five minutes to get Nanoha into a stable state so she could be transported and it was all the time Vita would need.
In the beginning she pitied the beasts and thought she would go about putting them down easily…
A burst of magic sent her forward without warning and with a mighty swing she slammed her hammer down on top of one of the cyborgs head. A sickening crunch was drowned out by the sound of blood spraying from the creatures collapsed skull, staining the ground around it as it buckled to the ground in a heap.
The rest of the monstrosities sprang to life, jumping at her baring their claws and fangs. The once docile robot turn violent, grabbing anything they could to wield as weapons. Even the scientists grabbed weapons, some form of plasm rifle it seemed, to try and take the little girl down.
Nothing survived.
The parts of the facility that weren't stained in blood were either destroyed beyond recognition or on fire. Vita had no time to dwell on that, as soon as she no longer sensed any other life forms besides her and Nanoha she was back at the older girl's side.
Now in a stable enough condition to be moved Vita wasted no time in getting her back to the base and back to Shamal. Vita will never forget the look of pure horror on her friend's faces as she suddenly burst into the room clothes ripped and covered in blood…holding a barely living Nanoha in her arms.
Vita reluctantly handed over Nanoha to Shamal and her assistants as she watched them quickly dart into the operating room.
Once Nanoha had been removed from her care Vita found Hayate standing over her, gently wiping the blood from her face. Vita had expected questions about what had happened and perhaps even a scolding, but when nothing came Vita stared up at Hayate questioningly.
"You don't need to explain anything right now and no I'm not angry, if anything I am very proud of you for getting her back here in time for Shamal to…" Hayate's words drifted off as her brow furrowed, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn blood stain that would not come off her adorable little knight.
Vita wanted to say something, voice her inner turmoil or ask to be comforted. To share what had happened or at the very least say that she completed the mission, but Vita's mind was so jumbled with the swirl of all her conflicting emotions that she simply stood there allowing Hayate to clean her face.
A moment of silence passed before Hayate spoke again. "Would you like something to eat? I can get you a change of clothes as well?" Hayate's hands drifted lightly across Vita's body, checking for any serious wounds Vita may not have let on about.
"No, not right now. I failed as her partner, I just want to know the extent of that failure." Vita said in a low tone, her eyes staring at the surgery room door.
A sad smile found its way to Hayate's lips, but she didn't question the small Cloud Knight and since she couldn't find any grievous injuries she couldn't in good conscience tell her she couldn't wait with them to hear how Nanoha was doing.
Everyone in the room jumped slightly when Chrono suddenly walked into the room, except for Vita who had been too focused on the door to even notice hi come in at first. He took a moment to ask if there was any news on Nanoha yet before explaining that after Vita and Nanoha had entered the mountain range their coms died due to the research facilities interference.
Due to that they had sent out a backup team who arrived at the scene shortly after Vita had left with the critically wounded Nanoha. The crew began searching for any surviving scientists or equipment and only managed to find two hidden security cameras inconspicuously mounted inside the mountain itself.
After recovering the camera's a salvaging the footage those in charge were able to see everything that had transpired at the facility.
The start of the fight and Nanoha getting attacked, Vita valiantly fighting a dozen cyborgs at once to try and protect her. The lethal strike and Vita's frantic attempt to save her even at the risk of her own life, since trying to forcefully transfer energy from one linker core to another almost always proved fatal for the one extracting the energy.
Even when Vita's mind seemed to snap as she flew into a berserker rage slaughtering everything in sight was caught on film.
It took some deliberation, but the higher ups decided to destroy the evidence and simply pretend that nothing ever took place on the mountain. Vita would be known as a hero to those who heard the story second hand, but no evidence of the event would ever exist.
"Hero?" Vita muttered with distaste, she let her friend nearly die and lost herself to her anger… She was no hero…
Before anyone could say anything else the surgery room doors suddenly swung open to show Shamal covered in sweat and a little blood, but with a bright smile on her face.
"She's in bad shape, but she's in stable condition now and with time should be just fine." Shamal said happily, turning her attention to Vita as a collective sigh of relief echoed through the room. "It's thanks to you Vita, if you hadn't given her so much of your linker core…"
Shamal trailed off as she walked over and braced Vita as if she were having trouble standing up. "…if you hadn't given her so much of your own life energy she wouldn't have made it. You did well Vita, she's safe now you can relax."
That was the last thing Vita could remember hearing, because as soon as she heard that Nanoha was safe and she let the tension loosen from her body she blacked out.
Vita later awoke with a jump, a natural reaction for her if she had gone to sleep by any means other than what she considered normal, and let out a pained yelp as she felt every muscle in her body suddenly erupt in flames.
"Please don't move so suddenly Vita, you will make yourself worse." Shamal instructed softly as she pushed the smaller girl back into a lying position, helping her prop up on a pillow slightly.
"What happened to me Shamal?" Vita asked absently as she tried to move her arm slightly, but the overbearing pain stopped her cold.
"You used up almost all of your linker core that's what, it will take a while for it to regrow and spread throughout your body. Since we absolutely have to have our magic to live, you will be stuck in that bed for a few weeks until you get better." Shamal gave Vita a sympathetic smile, patting her on the shoulder lightly as she whined in disbelief that she was stuck being bedridden.
A few moments of silence passed before Shamal chuckled lightly. "It's funny you two are so similar, not twenty minutes before you woke up-" The older woman was suddenly cut short by the unannounced arrival of Nanoha and Fate.
"Fate you know full well that she should not be up and moving around yet." Shamal scolded, furrowing her brows not at Nanoha, but at the girl enabling her.
Knowing she had no excuse for being putty in Nanoha's had and unable to deny her anything she requested, Fate simply hung her head in shame as she helped Nanoha towards Vita's bed.
Releasing herself from Fate's grip Nanoha slid onto the bed beside Vita and gently pulled her into a weak hug.
"I'm so sorry Vita-chan. I was stupid and I pushed myself too far… I hurt everyone around me and I put you through something unforgivable… They told me I might not be able to use my magic anymore, but I know their wrong… I'll get stronger and I'll be there to protect you from now on… I promise…"
Vita could see just how weak Nanoha was, because after her declaration she fell asleep still hugging her as if she were some sort of body pillow.
Vita wanted to claim she was in too much pain and have Fate take Nanoha back to her room.
Vita wanted to hate this girl who she had decided to call friend for all she put her through.
Vita wanted to give up on the idea that she could be anything more than Hayate's weapon.
Vita…was so happy to know Nanoha was okay and that she wasn't made that she failed her…
A small smile bloomed on Vita's face as she allowed herself to be pulled into a tighter hug, her discomfort completely ignored as she found her eyelids getting heavy as well.
What was this foreign feeling of warmth in her stomach?
Vita was unsure, but she would have plenty of time to find out…