Woot! Okay I was happily surprised with response to the first chapter. I luv you guys^^
Anyways a lot of people asked about the age thing between Nanoha and Fate. That gets answered in this chapter (although for all you skimmers Nanoha just turned 17 and Fate is about to turn 18) and just to warn people this chapter is darker than the first one. If you have a problem with death or killing I would not suggest reading further, and just in case some of you are like what the hell? How did it go from light hearted to morbid...bleh It won't stay that way. It goes back to being lighter for the next several chappies.
This is my first attempt at an epic length fic, and I think I'm in serious need of a beta. I second guessed this chappie a lot, and I'm pretty sure I missed a couple of errors but yeah anyways read and enjoy people.-_-'
Nanoha after arriving in her dingy one bedroom apartment all but collapsed onto her futon. Her limbs felt abnormally heavy, and her eyes struggled to stay open. The mere thought of robbing a miscellaneous place so soon again was ridiculous. As if to emphasize her point her body began to spasm, and she was racked with a violent coughing fit. After a few minutes of uncontrollable hacking she shuddered and wiped the edge of her mouth clean . Instinctively she knew her hand was now streaked with blood but she could not bring herself to look at it.
Her power was raw and untamed. It made her a formidable opponent, but it also overwhelmed her. Humans were not meant to channel this much energy. As a result her magic was eating away at her body. She placed a trembling hand over her eyes.
She had such vast stores of energy-Nanoha needed to cast large elaborate spells to empty even some of her reserves. The more she used magic, the safer she would be, but in a world where mages were the stuff of legend and magic only existed in children's stories-it was not safe. Humans tended to fear things they could not understand and of all the forces in nature magic was one of the most incomprehensible. Those that did know of it's existence were very few indeed. Organizations of varying types were familiar with or aware of mages. The government incorporated magic users into their operations.
Riot force six was a good example of an integrated unit of mages and humans.
Nanoha's thoughts wandered to the leader of said unit-a certain blonde with blood red eyes.
She had met Sparky for the first time a year ago.
The Tokyo police force had proven inept at stopping Nanoha's crime spree. She had heard whispers of them calling in a special task force. She hadn't given the rumor much thought until one night in the middle of a job-a soft spoken magic user a few years older than herself had stalked in waving a very dangerous looking spear at her. The alluring crimson eyed officer commanded her to come quietly, and return the micro chip she was holding.
Nanoha found the idea laughable.
In the old days she had stolen for the thrill and then sold her prizes. She never gave anything away-that would be immoral and stupid.
She told Fate as much.
The reserved blonde responded via a large lightning attack that if it had connected would have left Nanoha with painful third degree burns of varying shapes and sizes. The brunette remembered standing safely off to the side- gaping at the lightning mage and noting that in the aftermath of her attack, the law enforcer's face was flushed from the exertion.
Nothing had ever looked more enticing to her before.
From that point forward Nanoha had gone out of her way to tease the solemn officer. Each meeting she made sure to initiate contact. A caress. A hug. A devilish grin stretched across her face as she remembered the events from the night previous.
A kiss
Even last night with Fate itching for a fight, Nanoha only found the blonde's antics cute. She had no intention of fighting the lightning mage. After dealing with the blonde for some months now it was safe to assume that although Fate was powerful she lacked experience. In a couple of years the lightning mage would be able to utterly decimate her.
But for now…
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Nanoha groaned, and reached out for her cell. Loosely she grabbed it, flipping it open to the flashing text message received screen.
Nanoha you're late. Some1's trying 2 steal the jewel. If you don't show up in 5 minutes it will be gone.
-Yunno
The brunette had barely finished reading before she was in motion. She stumbled to her feet, and leapt over to her closet, ripping the sliding door open and grabbing her face mask. She swayed unsteadily on her feet at the quick motion, and had to grab the door frame to steady herself. Even after resting for an hour her body was still numb with exhaustion. She could not afford to rest though.
"Raising Heart. Set up."
Her murmured words set a ripple of power across the room. Her weapon pulsed with energy-a tiny glowing orb lengthening into a long ivory staff. Her regular clothes melted away and were replaced by white armor. Deftly she donned her mask.
"Raising Heart."
Her device pulsed once then she was wrapped in a cocoon of magic. A sensation that was similar to floating washed over her as her weapon answered her command transporting her to the coordinates Yunno had sent. Transportation took less than a second as quickly as her magic carried her, it disappeared. Upon arriving in the building she blinked in surprise. The room was the standard grey most museums were. Exhibits of varying kinds were strewn about the room. Historical artifacts excavated from the far reaches of the globe decorated the walls. Nothing seemed out of place except the magical force oppressing the room was so distinct-so unnatural it poked and prodded at her. Her headache returned tenfold and she grit her teeth.
Even to her fatigued senses something was wrong.
She was not alone.
"Locate the jewel Raising Heart."
Her weapon resonated, shining softly in response to her command, and a beam of light shot out lighting the way to her goal.
"That won't be necessary. We have you outnumbered, and out classed. The only way you'll be taking the jewel with you is over our dead bodies."
The cold voice made her pause. There were several people in the shadows. She could feel their magic trickling forth. Adrenaline pulsed through her body, and her senses became more attuned to her surroundings. For the first time she realized that her head ache did not stem from the massive buildup of magic in the room-it stemmed from the stench in the air. She could identify it now: the metallic odor of blood assaulted her senses. Nanoha's hand tightened around her staff, and she smiled icily at the darkness.
"That can be arranged."
And with that all hell broke loose.
"So where is Nanoha again?"
The White Devil's motley group of friends all gathered around a long table at lunch. Subaru sat alone on one side, while Arisa and Suzuka sat on the other side. Subaru felt distinctly out of place with the other two. She was a Junior in high school while they were Seniors in Nanoha's class. They were not ostracizing her, but they were unfamiliar with each other. Strangers. The blunette only associated with these two when Nanoha was there, otherwise she spent her time hanging around Tea.
Subaru blew loose strands of hair out of her face, and met Arisa's demanding gaze.
"She was not feeling well. She decided to go home."
The aggressive blonde sighed, and sent the girl sitting next to them a despairing look. "Suzuka she's always goneeeee. Nanoha never used to ditch school this much."
The purple haired heiress sighed softly. "I'm sure she doesn't do it on purpose."
The scowl on Arisa's face did not disappear though. The blonde turned to Subaru. "And where's your cranky sidekick?
Her stomach wrenched at the question.
Something must have shown on her face because Suzuka elbowed Arisa sharply in the ribs.
Subaru didn't dignify the sharp tongued girl with a response. Idly she wondered the same thing. Where was Tea? She cast her gaze across the cafeteria searching for her elusive friend. Abruptly she got up from her seat, and began to look for her. She swept past a startled Arisa and Suzuka and paved her way through the throng of students. No Tea.
She pushed open the heavy metal doors and sidled down the hallway.
No Tea.
She paused at a window looking out over the school grounds and saw a very familiar set of pig tails.
What was Tea doing on the hillside?
…And who was that with her?
Her ornery friend had refused to be in the same vicinity as her for the last week or so-throwing out the excuse she was busy or had studying to do. Subaru was naïve not stupid. Tea spent most of her time training her fighting skills. She was not keen on homework. Both excuses were blatant lies. The blunette had the paranoid feeling that her human friend was avoiding her.
Her hand clenched into a fist.
Well that was depressing.
Beep Beep Beep
She blinked, and dragged out her cellphone flipping it open to the text message received screen.
Nanoha needs u. Here are her coordinates.
-Yunno
Subaru's brow wrinkled in confusion.
Wasn't Nanoha at home resting? She had just done a job less than twenty four hours ago. To accept another one so soon was not only reckless it was dangerous. A small smile quirked her lips as she thought of her friend. The brunette was incapable of resting. It irked her. With a sigh the cyborg pocketed her cell phone just as the bell rang signaling the time for class.
Yunno would not be texting her if Nanoha was not in some kind of morbid danger.
With that thought in mind Subaru quickened her pace, vaulting over the stairs and practically running out into the courtyard. She had to push her way past a throng of students trying to make their way to class. In her haste she wasn't watching her surroundings and barreled into another student, knocking them flat on the cement. She stumbled a bit, and then felt a rush of embarrassment as the student she ran over let out a pained groan.
"I'm so sorry."
"Subaru?"
Tea's voice startled her. She looked down, and to her shock the one she had so rudely bowled over was none other than Tea Lanster. A sheepish look crossed her face as she held out a hand to help the girl to her feet.
"Sorry, an emergency came up-I'm in a hurry."
The look Tea gave her was contemplative, and Subaru tilted her head to the side in puppyish confusion.
"What?"
"You're always in a rush somewhere, and you've been ditching school a lot lately. Where are you going this time?"
Subaru blinked. She did not want to lie-after all this was Tea. Her best friend would understand the truth if given it. However… There was no way to tell her the truth, in doing so she would betray Nanoha and the existence of magic, not only that but it would place Tea in danger as well. Her thoughts raced, and she settled for being reproachful. Her eyes gentled a bit.
"Tea I really can't talk now-there are some things that are personal, like if I asked you where you've been this week and who that boy was that you were with, would you answer?"
Tea's scowl was answer enough.
Subaru sighed, her bangs falling like a curtain across her face. "I have to go. We'll talk later."
She brushed past her fuming friend, a part of her wanting nothing more than to go back and fix the growing distance between her and Tea. Normally she would never leave her friend behind-not like this but Nanoha needed her help. Focusing on that one irrevocable fact Subaru pushed herself to a sprint rounding the corner and leaving the school area. She ducked around people zig zagging through the crowd.
It was winter so darkness came early. It was barely four o clock and already the sun was setting. Subaru instinctively hid herself in the ever growing shadows.
"Mach Caliber."
Her device pulsed once, and Subaru dialed in the coordinates Yunno had given her. Without her having to give the command her clothes began to shift, her school uniform lengthening to an overcoat. Her right arm shimmered, and Subaru grinned as her signature gauntlet slid into being.
"5 seconds to transportation my master."
Subaru nodded slowly.
In no time at all energy enveloped her, and she disappeared in flash of blue.
Subaru exploded out of her transportation mere seconds later falling on her hands in knees- her breath coming in quick short pants . She hated teleporting. She was told it felt like floating to some people. To her it felt like suffocation. She inhaled a fresh gulp of air, and immediately froze. Blood. That's all she could smell, the stench was so strong she could taste it. Shakily she got to her feet, her head swimming a little bit at the ominous feeling in the room. Something was severely wrong.
Carefully she picked her way through the building that she was now only starting to identify as a museum.
"Nanoha."
She called out her friend's name, not expecting to hear an answer and not getting one.
"Mach Caliber, try to get in touch with Raging Heart."
Her voice sounded strange in the vast room, echoing off the walls and increasing the eerie feeling she was getting. A chill went down her spine as her weapon complied, glowing once then falling silent. The sinister feeling would not leave her and Subaru licked her dry lips, her armored hand clenching into a tight fist.
"Master. Raging Heart has informed me that Nanoha is less than 800 meters in front of you. Go down the hall and take a right-she will be there."
"Thanks." She murmured gratefully. Without trying to seem like she was panicking Subaru rapidly descended down the hall her stride lengthening to a half run-quickly she turned to the right and moved to greet her friend with a smile "Nano…" The name died on her lips as she took in the sight in front of her. "ha…"
Dead people were strewn everywhere.
Blood.
Blood pooled across the granite floor soaking it red.
There among the distorted and crippled bodies of the dead stood her friend.
Nanoha's white barrier jacket was ripped, and torn. Blood stained her clothes and trickled down the side of her face. Subaru could not discern how much of the blood was Nanoha's and how much belonged to someone else. The ruined condition of her armor did not really bother Subaru, what really bothered the cyborg was the completely dead quality to her eyes. Nanoha's gaze was typically warm, and full of life. Now it was dull, and had an icy quality to it.
As the sound of police sirens became audible, Subaru stumbled towards the inert girl.
"We have to go."
Nanoha's silence caused an uncomfortable feeling the pit of her stomach, and she grabbed the brunette's arm guiding her away from the horrific scene.
The brunette's docile submission to be led away terrified her more than anything else that she had witnessed.
Fate after receiving her new undercover mission and enduring an hour of teasing from her friends had gone home to recuperate. Her house consisted of a small condo and patio in the suburbs of Tokyo-paid for entirely by her salary as the leader of the Riot force six. Arf trailed in after her, letting out a puppyish yip then curling into a ball onto the couch and passing out. Fate could understand her familiar's exhaustion-this whole week had been tiring. Instead of resting though she had spent hours looking over her case portfolio.
The White Devil was being abnormally active this week.
She found her thoughts once again turning to her adversary. She had been shocked to find out that the bane of her existence was little more than a high school student. What could possibly possess someone that young and powerful to steal when there were so many other options open?
Fate snorted derisively.
She was not in a position to talk. Fate was a AA class mage herself. There were very few in the magical world that could touch her, and she had to be the same age as the thief adorned in white. However, unlike the White Devil she never went to a high school- Fate had been home schooled for the majority of her life, and graduated early. Then due to special circumstances and the untimely suicide of her mother Fate had been drawn into the Bureau, and introduced to the Riot force six.
She smiled fondly at the memory, and plopped down on the couch-stroking Arf's silky fur.
After losing her mother at age 12 Fate was a mess. She had no motivation for anything. She was not truly living her life-she merely existed. She had no food-no house, nothing concrete to call her own except her familiar. The day Arf met another familiar on the streets was the day Fate's life changed forever. Zafira sensed her magical potential and within twenty four hours had led Hayate and the rest of the Riot six force to her location.
Signum had taken one look at her pitiful expression and told her thirteen simple words that set her world ablaze. "Self pity is beneath you. Grow up and stop feeling sorry for yourself."
Fate hadn't realized it but from the time her mother died to the time Hayate and the enforcers found her she had aged two years. She had spent two years on the streets wallowing in grief. For the life of her she couldn't remember what she did during that time, and Arf spoke very little of those years only commenting that Fate was much happier now.
A nostalgic smile spread over her face as she remembered the years of intensive training she received after that. Vita and Signum made her sparring life hell. Every day she had to force her abused body to get up and endure whatever torture the two adrenaline junkies could think up. Every day she pushed herself to surpass their expectations. Along the way they became close friends. One day she even beat them.
Life was never dull with her friends.
Now at age 17, she led the Riot force six.
"I've got a feeling woo hooooooooooooo that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good good night-"
Fate sighed at hearing her ringtone, and grabbed her phone from the night stand.
"Testarossa here."
"Fate." Hayate's voice reverberated throughout the room. "We need you to get down to the Tokigawa museum pronto."
Fate had already started to move when she saw the caller I.D. but paused at hearing the tinge of anxiety in her friend's tone. "What happened?"
There was a pause.
Then.
"It's the White Devil. She struck again, but it was different this time."
Fate had begun to put on her leather jacket. Quickly she hefted her badge in one hand while trying to balance the phone on her shoulder, but at Hayate's words she fumbled. Hesitantly she asked, "How was it different this time?"
"There were twelve deaths. She didn't just take something this time, she killed everyone inside."
Fate dropped the phone.
A tremor ran through her.
Lies.
She knew the thief, her habits, her signature. She's never killed someone before, but a sliver of doubt raced through her. There's always a first, but what could cause such a drastic change in her M.O.? This made no sense. Carefully she picked up the phone from the floor again, as she began to make her way out of the condo.
"Fate you still there?"
"Yeah I'm here. I'll be there in ten minutes."
She hung up the phone with a click.
Something wasn't right.
Her suspicious nature proved to be correct because after ten minutes of driving on her motorcycle, going at a speed that would get even a cop arrested, Fate arrived at the Tokigawa museum and almost gagged at the amount of magical power and blood that permeated through the air. Yellow police tape barred off the museum from the desperate camera crews and from the half formed crowd that wanted to see the bloody tragedy for themselves.
She had been there less than a minute when a familiar figure waved her over to the doors. Fate wasted no time vaulting over the police tape and making her way over to Hayate's pale figure.
Her friend gave her a grim nod.
"You need to see this."
She was unceremoniously led inside. The place itself was in shambles. Rubble decorated the floor. Various exhibits that might have once been impressive were now broken and lying in piles of dust. Charred remains covered the entirety of the entrance. Apparently a battle of epic proportions had occurred here. Precariously Fate followed Hayate's slim form past the rubble, and they came to the end of the hall.
They made a right, and it took everything that Fate had not to vomit.
Bodies were strewn everywhere. Deprecated body parts maligned with burn wounds were imprinted in the floor. The floor itself was permanently stained red with blood. Over ten guards lay dead here looking like they had spontaneously combusted.
Her voice came out in a whisper;
"She did this?"
Hayate nodded slowly, "We gathered some D.N.A samples from the bodies, but honestly no one else was here, it's pretty straight forward evidence, and after sending the samples to the lab we'll only have confirmation that she's behind this. We don't have anyone else in our data bases that is capable of initiating a lethal attack on this kind of scale."
Fate's hands clenched into shaking fists.
"Don't let it get to you Testarossa. We'd like to think the people working for the bad guys aren't always evil but…"
Signum's smooth voice trailed off letting the sentence hang. And for the first time Fate noticed the rest of the Riot six were already there.
Vita had a dark scowl on her face.
"Your mission just got a lot more dangerous. The only other one of us that looks young enough to pass for a high school student is me. I'm going with you. If the White Devil is capable of this kind of slaughter we're not sending you in alone."
Fate's absent mindedly nodded her assent.
Playful blue eyes seared themselves into the surface of her mind.
Why would the White Devil do something like this?
The next day
Subaru Nakijama watched her friend like a hawk. Nanoha had not spoken the entire ride home last night. The brunette did not even protest when Subaru laid her up in bed, the only thing she did do was silently hand over a blood encrusted jewel to her, and quietly demand Subaru put it with the others. The cyborg had never questioned Nanoha before, but seeing her standing haloed in a hall covered with blood had stirred something in her. Nanoha was hurting, whatever happened last night had hurt her immensely and Subaru did not know how to help because she did not know what happened.
She steepled her fingers in a thoughtful pose as she eyed her exhausted friend.
Honestly it didn't even matter.
She trusted Nanoha, and instinctively believed she would do the right thing no matter what.
However today her brunette friend was sluggish.
She slept in all her classes, and that was worrisome.
Nanoha was typically an A level student, or at least pretended to be.
She had asked the brunette if she really wanted to go to school today, and Nanoha serenely replied: of course. How much worse could it get?
The droning of their music theory teacher abruptly stopped and everyone's gaze was drawn to the front of the room. Another adult had stepped in-one that was secretly whispered about to be the recruitment dog for the school. He went out-bought candy, lured the less suspecting genuis' into a van and dumped their sorry butts at Okazu high, or at least that was the rumor the kids spread about him. Behind him a beautiful blond girl with crimson eyes stood timidly.
As the blonde entered the room, Nanoha's head snapped up immediately as if sensing her arrival.
Subaru blinked eyeing the brunette's reaction with interest.
Did they know each other?
Faintly she could have sworn she heard Nanoha muttering expletives, and groaning in exasperation to herself.
She also could have sworn she heard the brunette whisper the word Fate with more than a little longing.
Perhaps her systems were defective.
However when Fate's crimson eyes wandered around the room then lingered on Nanoha longer than was truly necessary-it was clear something was going on.
"Class this is our new student. Her name is Fate T. Harlaowan."
That would not be any relation to Chrono Harlaowan would it?
Subaru's lip curled in disgust.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
There's two of them now.
R and R
