Sophia watched Yuri and Tanya closely.
"Attack," Yuri said.
Mechanically, Tanya turned around. Sophia watched 'ripples' explode from Tanya directed at Yuri. He barely got a shield up before they hit. Yuri swayed a little before calling, "defend!" She saw the 'ripples' come from Yuri, but in no where near the quantity. When she looked at Tanya, she saw the customary barrier between her and Yuri forming. Tanya didn't even flinch when the attack came. After the training, Sophia approached Yuri.
"You are quickly becoming overmatched, Yuri. Trifle with her much more, and you might be in for something you don't want to think about."
"I think not. I can always modify the psychic amplification here." He tapped his head. "And besides, there's always you."
Sophia shook her head.
***
"I knew that she couldn't come. I knew it! It's Yuri. If I ever see him again…" the president trailed off menacingly.
"Getting stressed out isn't going to help much, Will. Besides, I don't even think that Yuri was mind-controlling her; he didn't have his device. Whatever has happened, I think that it's Tanya's fault."
"God damn it, Jim! All of this is Yuri's fault, and besides, Tanya was one of our best Agents. We're not in the best planetwide situation, and losing another specialist can't help us."
"What do you suggest we do, then? Call her up again and this time say please?"
"We go in with troops."
"That's ridiculous, Will! If she can't follow your orders next to Yuri's, she'll probably try to kill you to defend him! You've got to know when to let something go, Will…now is one of those times."
"The hell it is, Jim! I'm getting Yuri, this time for good. He won't be controlling anyone else any more--including Tanya."
The vice-president bit his lip and looked down. "This is your call, Will. Just…make it a good one." Then he left.
***
"Roger, Mr. President. Coming up on target now." A flight of Harriers was making towards Yuri's facility.
"This is Rogue 1 contacting unidentified facility." A comm. officer's head appeared on Rogue 1's screen. "I request a word from your facility coordinator."
"Hold on…" the comm. officer looked as if he were struggling against something, then, a split-second later, he was as he was before. "That person is unavailable. You will be transferred to the nearest person below him."
Rogue 1 gasped. The officer went unconscious and the viewscreen changed to directly behind him. Sophia was there. "What brings you here, you Allies? I hope it isn't to search for your friend… or ours, in a manner of speaking." Tanya walked up to her and put her face towards the comm. screen.
"Don't try anything, soldier. I'm here on a mission, of sorts."
"The president and I find that unlikely, Agent Tanya. Yuri is in the facility--"
"Don't remind me of that cringing weakling," Tanya said while Sophia said, "He is unnecessary," at the same time. They looked at each other.
Meanwhile, Rogue 1 felt like throwing up. Tanya and Sophia…friends? "You have become pitiful, Tanya. I regret it deeply, but if you are now Soviet, then you are an enemy. And as for enemies…" His fingers headed for the LAUNCH MISSILE 1 key.
"Don't even think about it, soldier." Tanya narrowed her eyes menacingly.
"I'm sorry, but I have t--" he didn't get a chance to even touch the key before Tanya detonated the missiles inside his plane. Rogues 2 and 3 had to swerve out of the way to keep away from the debris. The transmissions between the ships consisted mostly of 'what the hell?' and 'Jesus Christ!'
Sophia looked over at Tanya. She gave her an encouraging nod. "Ingenious. I wouldn't have thought of that." With that, Sophia led Tanya to her quarters.
As soon as Sophia left the room, the emotional barrier that had covered Tanya's mind lifted. When she realized what she had done, she started crying. God, What kind of a monster has she made me?
***
"You're sure about this, pilots?" the president yelled furiously.
"Unfortunately, sir. We saw the message as well, at least until…" the pilot trailed off.
"Dear God…how could Yuri…"
"Mr. President," the pilot said for the 1,000th time that day, "it wasn't Yuri. It was Tanya. We all saw."
"All right, all right. How could she get a detonation order for a missile that hadn't even been launched?"
"That's the problem, sir…she couldn't have. An order like that can only be executed from inside the plane, and Rogue 1's hands were going to touch the launch key, not the detonate one!"
"This may be some sort of new psychic weapon. You said that Sophia was there?"
"Sir, I've had a lot of experience with the psi corps. When they strike, they always have the amplification device on and activated. Besides, doing something like detonating a missile isn't psychic--it's metaphysic!"
"All right, pilots. You're dismissed." They got up, saluted, and left. Once they were gone, the president got a hold of Lieutenant Eva.
"Eva, can you tell the precise location of Agent Tanya?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can you monitor vital signs, or is there some sort of blocking field?"
"There's no blocking field to my knowledge, sir. I should be able to. Why?"
"Monitor her brain functions extremely closely. Inform me of any significant changes."
"Yes, sir."
***
"Why are you letting her do this, Yuri?" Tanya yelled at the top of her lungs. "You're turning me into a monster! I just killed one of my friends, an Allied pilot!"
"How many times must I tell you, Tanya? You are not a slave to Sophia or me…you are a slave to your own abilities. That is why I don't keep a guard on either you or Sophia. You will come back because your power wills you to come back."
"I'm sick of it, Yuri! Before I came to this God-forsaken place, I was free and happy. Now…I'm a murderer."
Yuri tried to attack her. He couldn't let her keep thinking like that!
"Don't you try to kill me, you son of a--" she gathered herself for the killing blow, but then she stopped when she realized what she was doing. She buried her face in her hands. "You see? This so-called 'power' almost killed you. I'm losing control…more and more often." She almost whispered the last part.
"I wish I could feel sorry for you, but you are becoming the epitome of Soviet policies. You and Sophia are more valuable to the Union than you will ever know."
"I'm going now. This time, for good!" Yuri simply laughed. They always come back. Just in case, though, he ordered Sophia to follow her.
***
"Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. President, but for about 10 seconds, Agent Tanya's brain activities just went off the scale," Eva's voice came from the console next to him.
"Who's she with, Eva?" the president was on the edge of his seat.
"Yuri, it appears, sir. His life signs started wavering as soon as her brain functions skyrocketed…they could be linked."
"I'll bet they are. At least she's against him. We'll just have to trust in them."
"Agreed."
***
Tanya looked down and gulped. There was a chamber filled with boiling water, only one jump away.
"I wouldn't suggest that, Tanya," came Sophia's voice.
Tanya reflexively reached for her 'power', and to her surprise, she still kept her conscience. It's your clarity of purpose, an unknown voice inside her head said.
Sophia took advantage of Tanya's confusion over the voice and attacked with all her strength, and almost knocked Tanya over the edge of the railing.
Tanya almost wanted that, but she knew she had to kill Sophia before she did. She formed a shield and started her own attack.
While she was attacking, she thought of trying to strip Sophia of her 'power'. The voice came up and said NO! That would cost you yours! You've just begun to discover your potential! Tanya shook her head. She'd fallen for the power once before, and this time she wouldn't let it stand in her way.
She started to think. And it happened. All at once, it felt like her brain was being ripped out of her head. The last vision she remembered was Sophia's face twisted in agony.
***
"Put this room under guard, Jim. I'll be in there talking to her."
"Are you sure about this, Will? She's dangerous."
"Maybe not any more. She was fighting Yuri." With that, he walked into the medical bay.
"Mr. President…wow, is it good to see you. I never thought that I would escape him."
"You're here now. Would you mind explaining the death of one of my pilots?"
With tears in her eyes, Tanya told the president everything. When she was through, he gave her a long, hard look and said, "How does it feel…being without it?"
After a long pause, she looked up and said, "Free."
***
Yuri stood over Sophia apprehensively. "Try again, Sophia. You can't have lost it!"
"I have, Yuri. It's over!" her eyes gleamed with hatred. "And if it's the last thing I do, I will make Tanya pay for what she's done."
"I'm sure you will."