Mercy
"Ah, Chieko and Cho. My two girls are my best creations to date. It is a pity their alternates, Aimi and Asami are not so well done." Nagisa turned away from the two-way mirror, which allowed her to look in on the two girls in the room. Ritsu looked at Nagisa like she was insane.
"I do not see four experiments, only two." Nagisa smiled sadly at him.
"Because I performed the experiment on an already existing fighter unit and sacrifice, instead of creating my own, something went wrong. Both girls have been given alternate personalities." Ritsu continued to appear confused, wondering why that was such a problem. Two personalities simply meant twice the will for fighting, and a stronger threshold for pain in his opinion.
"I know what you're thinking, and I will stop your train of thought now. These girls are not like that. For some reason when they gained alternate personalities, those personalities were given their own name. Cho and Chieko are Merciless, powerful fighters with no concept of surrender, and who live up to their name. However, their alternates, Aimi and Asami, have been given the name Merciful. They hold the same fighting ability, but never win, for they always take pity on their rivals, or flee if things are too dangerous. Merciless is generally in power but… it is never an exact certainty they will stay in control for a full fight." Nagisa stopped, turning back to the two-way to watch Cho and Chieko. The girls were sitting on the floor, reading. Chieko's book was about some homicide detective, while Cho's was a compilation of the case files on the famous English serial killer Jack The Ripper.
"So, if sent into battle, we cannot be sure which pair is going to be fighting?" Ritsu asked, not needing an answer after catching the look on Nagisa's face in the reflection off the two-way. He now understood what she meant. The Merciless pair would have been perfect, but the Merciful pair would be their downfall if sent into battle against Soubi and Ritsuka. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, trying to figure out a way to use the girls.
"Nagisa, is there any ways the girls can control which personality is out, if only for a short period of time?" He asked his voice hopeful.
"Well, we are working on that. They can generally concentrate on keeping control, without a worry of switching for roughly five minutes. But if they concentrate on the switch, after the five minutes are up, they immediately revert to the personality that forced the switch. So getting Aimi and Asami to concentrate on allowing Cho and Chieko control will ensure that Merciful takes control again the moment the five minutes is up." After a moment, she realized something.
"But, if we were to have Cho and Chieko force Aimi and Asami into control, once the five minutes is up, there will be no doubt as to which pair will be out." Ritsu smiled slightly, then went over to the door.
"Sounds like a plan to me Nagisa. I will have a mission for these girls, now that I can use them."
Both girls perked up as the door opened, and then quickly went back to reading at the sight of Ritsu. He frowned slightly, wondering at their disinterest in him. He put if off though, approaching them slowly. He stopped in front of Chieko, the sacrifice. She looked up at him again, her eyes a dark forest green.
"So, you are the Merciless sacrifice… You and your fighter unit will prepare yourselves for a weeks travel outside the building. You are to watch and record your observations on the fighter unit Beloved, and the sacrifice Loveless." He paused for a moment, continuing when she nodded in understanding.
"You will not engage in battle unless they challenge you. If they do challenge you, concentrate on allowing your Merciful personalities control. Once their time is up, you will be free to battle, without worry of them ruining your chances of victory." Chieko looked to Cho, who merely shrugged, her eyes never leaving the case files. Ritsu smiled, knowing they would be ready, before leaving them. He nodded to Nagisa, who entered the room he had just exited. He watched in disdain the sudden change in the girl's attitudes. They both stood, placing the books on the center table before walking over to bow to her. He disliked their obvious attachment and loyalty to her. She had altered them for his purpose, so why did they not respond that way to him? He shook his head slightly, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. What did he care, they were just experiments.
A few days later the girls walked out of the building and into the fresh air. Cho's floor length red hair was tied back in a ponytail, so that it didn't collect dirt from the ground as she walked. Her pale lavender eyes were bright in the sun, always watching her surroundings. Chieko's cropped black hair shone brightly, offsetting her deep green eyes prettily. Both girls still had their ears; Cho's were a dark velvety black, while Chieko's matched her eyes perfectly. Both girls had long, cat-like tails that were the same coloring as their ears. Chieko wore a dark brown t-shirt and tan pants that brought further attention to her eyes, while Cho wore a black sleeveless dress which fell to her knees with a purple and black cinch. Both girls wore black combat boots, and leatherette wrist bands. Cho wore a leatherette collar with purple tags, while Chieko wore a set of dog tags.
"So, I guess we had better find this apartment we have been given." Cho spoke up, moving in the direction Nagisa had pointed. She held a small map with the streets highlighted, and the exact address written at the top. The girls held hands as they walked along, wondering at the strange people that walked the streets. They could never understand these people, so carefree. The girls, being sisters, had felt their connection as far back as they could remember. And so, they had been fighting for a long time. Neither girl understood how these people could stand to be without one another constantly. Cho and Chieko were always together, anytime they were not they felt as though their hearts had been torn out. Along with sharing the same name, they were fraternal twins. Cho consulted the map every once in a while as they walked along, occasionally stopping as Chieko's attention was drawn to one thing or another.
Eventually the sisters found their apartment building, and they sighed in a mix of relief and anxiety. They had never lived on their own before. Once they were old enough to leave their parents house without extensive legal troubles, Septimal Moon had taken them in. Nagisa had cared for them since then, so this strange experience was new to them. They stopped by the front desk, talking with the landlord briefly before receiving their key and retreating to their new home. The apartment was very small, only a one bedroom with a decent sized kitchen, and tiny bath. Nagisa had sent their things ahead of them, so there were a few boxes in the middle of what served as a living/dinning room. Both girls sighed as they started to unpack, throwing things like blankets and cushions eith into the bedroom, or into a corner. Chieko would take the designated bedroom, while Cho would curl up in the den area.
"Hey Cho, what are you going to use as a bed? I only see one fold-up mattress." Cho turned and smiled at Chieko, opening a larger box, filled entirely with large, soft cushions.
"These are going to be my bed. I prefer a soft pile of cushions to a hard mattress." Chieko sighed and rolled her eyes before continuing to unpack. In the smaller boxes were a few pots, a water filter to put on the tap, and a couple debit cards. Chieko smiled, knowing that Nagisa had snuck the cars in for them.
When the girls had unpacked and set up their new home, Chieko cooked a simple meal of rice and chicken strips. Cho pulled a map out of the handbag she kept. She spread it out on the floor, contemplating their first move as she ate the rice. She used a small pencil to circle the areas of interest to their mission. When she was finished she had five circles. One was his school, another is home, another Soubi's home, and the last two were a local library and a park where it was rumored he visited occasionally.
"Hey, Chieko, where should we go to find the targets first?" She called out, making the other pop her head through the entry way to her room.
"Well, it's a Sunday, so he has the day off. It is a nice day, so the park?" Chieko walked out of her room clad in a white t-shirt and dark brown baggy shorts. Cho rolled her eyes and stood up, finishing the last of her rice and holding out the plate to Chieko.
"You have no idea where he'll be. You just want to go to the park." She said accusingly. Chieko took the plate, carrying it into the kitchen. She looked down at the chicken, which remained untouched.
"Why don't you eat meat anymore? You used to be like a carnivore, but now you won't touch my cooking if it isn't vegetarian food." Chieko frowned at the plate as she dumped the chicken into the trash can. A lot had changed with her fighter unit after Nagisa's experiments. They had once been perfectly in tune, as twins are meant to be. At one time no one could tell them apart by talking to them, they had to see the girls, see their different appearances to know which was which. Now Cho was no longer Cho. And Chieko knew she had changed as well.
"It's that Asami personality. She hates meat, and it has affected my own preference." She walked over to the boxes, pulling out a black, knee length skirt with a purple tank top. She walked into Chieko's room, closing the door to change. When she emerged she had also donned several necklaces and a long, black cloth glove. Chieko stood at the door, waiting. She slipped on a pair of running shoes as Cho pulled on her combat boots again. At the park Cho sat at a picnic table, munching on a carrot while Chieko explored, climbing trees like a monkey.
In another area of the park Natsuo's ears perked up, at the same time, in a small grove of trees further away Soubi stood up, his eyes narrowing slightly. Both faced the same direction. Youji and Ritsuka both looked at their fighter units, wondering what was wrong.
"Natsuo? What is it?" Youji asked, moving in the direction Natsuo faced.
"Another fighter unit is here." Youji turned, raising his brow at the fighter.
"Yes, we already know Soubi is here with Ritsuka. Soubi told us this morning remember?" Natsuo shook his head, giving Youji an 'do I look that stupid' glare.
"I know Soubi is here, and I'm not talking about him. I mean there is a third fighter unit in the park today, one I don't know. They feel familiar, but I don't recognize them." Youji walked over, grabbing Natsuo's hand and pulling him up.
"Well then, shall we go say hello?" Natsuo grinned, pulling his sacrifice towards the unknown unit.
Further away Soubi had picked up Ritsuka and was carrying him over to the fighter unit's location. Ritsuka's ears were laying flat against his skull as he glared at Soubi for picking him up.
Asami looked up as two boys walked through the underbrush towards her, her dark fuchsia eyes narrowing. Further back was an adult carrying a young boy. Her ears tilted forward as she stood, slightly suspicious of the two. She knew they were teams, she could feel the fighter units as they approached. Aimi was still dormant in Chieko, who had gone exploring, so if they challenged her, she would be helpless. Asami had taken control as soon as she was distant enough.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" The fighter unit closest to her asked in a brash tone.
"I am Asami, fighter unit of the name Merciful. As for my being here, I cannot answer that." She came around from behind the picnic table, her guarded, defensive stance covered by a cloak of confidence.
"You won't answer my second question? Well then, I will have to force the answer from you, won't I?" His sacrifice stepped up as he spoke the words she had hoped she wouldn't hear.
"I, Natsuo, fighter unit of the name Zero, declare a battle!" He shouted, just as she felt the change coming over her. Asami retreated into her mind with delight. Along her path into the safety and darkness of Cho's mind she met her alter personality. The two locked eyes, and Cho understood that she was about to be sent to battle. The words ripped from her throat as soon as she had control again.
"I accept the challenge!" Natsuo looked around her for her sacrifice.
"You accept without a sacrifice to take the damage for you? Heh heh, good luck." He stood in front of Youji, his eyes suddenly widening. The female fighter unit's eyes had changed color, and she now had a name scrawled across her chest, where previous to battle had been blank. Even stranger to him was the fact that the name read Merciless instead of Merciful. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts for the fight.
"Rip. Rend. Tear her to pieces!" He shouted.
"Absolute defense. No penetration. Target shift; Zero unit." Her words came in rapid succession, deflecting Natsuo's attacks. A single restraint attached itself to Youji, making both boys gasp. She had managed to send his attack back at him.
"Butterfly shield, surround. Blades of wind slice through. Destroy the enemy!" Cho's clear, commanding voice cut through the howling of wind.
"Shield. Deflect." Natsuo shouted, staring in amazement as a set of translucent purple butterfly wings sprouted from Merciless' back, surrounding her entirely. Youji's voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Natsuo, destroy her!" Both boys grinned at the girl.
"Wipe away all shields. Rip. Rend. Destroy. Tear her apart!" Large tears appeared in Cho's wings, as restraints appeared around her wrists and ankles. Natsuo and Youji grinned.
"Tear asunder. Rip her to shreds. Destroy." Natsuo shouted.
"Deflect all attacks. Target shift; Zero unit." Cho said, her voice still calm and even. But the Zero boys were wise to her trick.
"Target shift; original target" Natsuo yelled, smiling triumphantly as another restraint appeared, this one around her throat. He was ready to strike the final blow when her eyes turned, the name on her chest disappearing again. Asami looked around for a moment before speaking.
"Butterfly wings carry me away. Retreat." She disappeared in a whirl of purple. Natsuo and Youji blinked as the park came back into proper view. The girl was kneeling on the grass, her eyes the dark fuchsia Natsuo had first seen.
"How did you defeat her?" Asami asked, her eyes searching for Chieko.
"She is unbeatable with Chieko at her side!" Asami's confusion was evident in her voice.
"You fought without a sacrifice, can't you remember?" Youji asked, confused.
"How could I remember? Cho fought, not me!" Asami said, her voice wavering slightly.
End
Um, yeah. I'm going to end it here for now. Next chapter I'm going to explore Asami and Aimi's characters more.
I hope you liked it, please review!
Also, I regained the use of my home computer, so for those of you that read Shinkirou, I'll be adding tomorrow!
Kayt (aka sulphurwolf)