What will Mizuki do next? Let's find out.
What's going to happen to all of us? Is this how it all ends? For the first time since that incident on the cruise ship that brought me to Metropolis, I've never been so afraid ever before. There's something dark coming for this world and I'm terrified. I don't know what more I can do. As everyone crowds towards the doors to the police station frantically, I step back to gape at the view. What do I do now? "You made it through alive," says someone familiar who suddenly appears at my side. Risa waves weakly as she puts her hand on my shoulder. I instantly squeeze her until I hear her sharply sigh. When I pull back, I notice her bloody shoulder. "Christ, what happened?" I ask out of concern.
"Do not worry about that right now," she forcibly assures. "It is just a scratch. What is important right now is-"
"Excuse me," an officer wearing a grey uniform that stands out from the normal cop attire comes behind me. She has a rugged expression, a rigid, square jawline, but really gorgeous grey eyes. "I need you to come with me."
"Why should I?" I demand.
"I'm not asking. There are things we need to discuss. Come inside now." Risa and I exchange reluctant glances and I reply, "Fine but she has to come with me too. Otherwise I'll-"
"Let's go." The grey uniformed woman makes the crowd part with her overbearing presence and we and proceed inside the station. Risa can do that too but I can't, people don't find me intimidating at all. If I had that intimidating aura like they did, then a lot of things that happened to me wouldn't have happened at all.
Every hotline inside is ringing wildly, officers are swamped with people who lost their family members and victims of Heartless' attacks. Space put the attacks on hold and told me I'm supposed to stop them as if it was so simple. I'm so useless and so weak, there's nothing I could do. Meanwhile, Risa was out in the enemy's turf and also got herself hurt too. Why can't I do a damn thing for anybody? I catch Risa staring at me as we wait for the elevator to arrive. "What?"
"Nothing."
"So are you gonna tell me why're bleeding?" I whisper. As she leans in close to me, I wonder what her face must look like under the hood. Why must she be covering herself up all the time? Even though she gave me some details about her family, she's still hiding things from me. "I was careless," she answers dismissively, not leaving the conversation open for discussion. The elevator arrives with a loud chime. "In," commands the officer in grey. Once we're inside the elevator, it descends slowly.
"Are we in some trouble?" I ask her, shocked how somber and depressed I sound. She doesn't make eye contact but answers vaguely, "You may be. We have a medical squad down here, we can get you cleaned up," she nods toward Risa, who's slumped in the corner. She's trying to quiet her breathing but ends up wheezing and catching her breath, some scratch. Everything is dying-the people, the sky, the entire world. And not a damn thing I can do about any of it.
' ' '
"I cannot believe that I have to turn to young girls for this kind of thing!" exclaimed the old commanding officer in grey. "Forgive me, I'm General Taylor and she is General Pauline. I've heard reports that you, young lady, were reducing the enemies numbers earlier. I want to personally thank you for delaying the enemy but we need to eradicate this problem, yes? Now tell me everything you know about the enemy who has been slaughtering the people."
I feel so trapped in here-two security guards outside the door, one inside the office, and everyone besides me and Risa are in grey. Down here is like an underground city filled with elite officers with huge guns waiting for the right moment to turn the tide against the Heartless. Just like the guys I saw when I went to the future and saw Older Mia with officers in these grey uniforms. Does this stuff have to do what's going to happen in the future? No, Mia was older so it has to be at least a year from now. Focus on what's happening now Mizuki and worry about the future later. "These creatures that are here are called Heartless and they lack-let's just say they'll stop at nothing to kill everyone here. They can die but then more of them will keep coming," I explain gravely. General Taylor frowns, wrinkling his mustache.
"So you're saying that there's no way for us to save-"
"Unless their leader is destroyed," interrupts Risa. "I had my experience with them too and apparently, there is someone coming here who leads the Heartless."
"Wha-? Someone? A person?" I ask in shock.
"Yes."
"And how do you know this information?" wonders the general suspiciously. His silent soldier watching us from afar looks less aloof than earlier, now paying close attention to us. "Like I said, I have experience with them and they always follow a leader. Take down the leader and the rest of them fade away." How does she know that? We never talked about this before. General Taylor hums with his eyes closed and nods. "And where is their leader?"
"I do not know General. I only know that he is arriving soon."
"Thank you for cooperating girls. That's enough we need to strategize a plan," he sternly exchanges glances with the silent soldier in the corner of his office. "I'm going to have to ask that you two stay here so that you can be easily updated with information," General Taylor gestures toward the soldier and he opens the door. General Pauline stands outside with her expression apathetic when we walk towards her. "What's that?"
Risa and I turn around and follow where the general is looking at. I bend down to pick up the picture first and then gasp at who's in it. Risa reaches for it but then drops her hand to her side. "It's a picture of Mia. Why do you have this?"
"I picked it up when I went-went to her house the other day," she hints at something else which I can easily pick up. Mia looks so happy in the photo, ah that's right. Leather Jacket Guy kidnapped her and she's trapped with him now, maybe the army can help us. If that's one thing I can do, then I should try to get her out already, we need her help too. I still have Mia's invisible bo staff in the side of my pants, she'll probably need this when she's out.
"General!" I approach his desk again, with balled up fists. He looks up at me, his musty, aged coffee eyes waiting for me to continue. "My friend, the girl in this picture, was taken before all this stuff happened-taken by Abaddon who works for-"
"Egglady. One sibling isn't enough for this country," mutters General Taylor exhaustedly, rubbing his white brows. "It's only fair we help get your friend out in exchange for the valuable information you've shared with us. We'll sniff out her lair and infiltrate them right away."
"Thank goodness," I leave the picture on the desk and rejoin Risa's side. He then adds confidently, "while snuffing out the leader, we'll shut down Egglady's entire operation." It doesn't take long for another outburst from someone else. "General!" another officer pushes past both of us, nearly knocking us off our feet. "Excuse my intrusion but we have reports coming in-"
"More of the Heartless?" assumes General Taylor, clearly stressed with everything going on.
"No, but of a boy who might be manipulating them."
J.G.P.