Chapter Three: The Resolution of the Heart
Hagan walked through the ship, feeling suddenly rather drunk. He really wanted to lie down and sleep. He wandered until he found his room and stumbled through the door. He climbed into his bed and fell into a deep sleep. This night, his sleep was untroubled by his other side, and he slept in a deep sleep, dreaming of happy times that could come to be. When he awoke, he felt refreshed, as he hadn't in a long time. It was a good feeling, to wake up and know that good things were happening in his life again. He got out of bed and stretched out. He then used the shower in his room and cleaned himself. He then dressed and prepared for the day. He went through his usual training ritual, focusing his mind for the trials he knew were to come.
For once, Alyssa wasn't on his mind, but the idea of fighting Gears claimed that position. Hagan had killed a few in his life, but there were only a couple, and he'd had the advantage in those situations. He knew that they were superior to humans physically and that they had many unusual forms and tricks to call on. He wasn't afraid, but he was worried. This wasn't an assassination or infiltration mission, but a protection job. He wasn't as good at that line of work. He was trained to kill and live through it, not to save others from death. He then changed his training routine some, trying to include protection into his usual moves. It was trying work, but refused to give up on it. He worked at it for a while, until he felt that he could do no more productively at that time, and he relaxed and cooled down.
Afterwards, he walked up to his door to leave, but he noticed that a note had been slid under his door. He picked it up and unfolded it. It was written by Alyssa. Hagan unfolded it and smiled. She wrote in the note that Johnny had briefed the crew that morning on their mission, and that Johnny had talked to her afterwards about his assignment. She ended the note by asking him to meet her on the rear deck at lunchtime. He folded the note back up and put it in a pocket and grinned.
He then realized that it was just about lunchtime already, and that he had overslept by a few hours. Forgetting lunch, he made his way through the ship towards the rear deck, unwilling to miss seeing her for anything. He finally reached the door to the rear deck and looked out the window on the door, and seeing Alyssa leaning over the rails, looking towards the sky, he opened the door.
Alyssa was looking out into the endless sky when he walked out there. He immediately walked over to her and stood next to her. Alyssa looked at him, her face melancholy for some reason. They hugged each other tightly, and briefly kissed.
"Oh, Hagan... I'm glad to see you. Have a seat here with me." she said and pulled a blanked out of a sack she was carrying on her back. She then proceeded to pull various food items out, including crackers, a dish of salted hams, and other assorted things. Hagan suddenly understood and smiled at her. They both sat down and Alyssa leaned against Hagan as they sat and began to eat.
"What is this then, a picnic? What made you think of this?" he asked, after chewing on a piece of salted ham.
"Well, it wasn't just my idea. Some of the girls from the kitchen also wanted to thank you for helping them yesterday. I went there to figure out something to do for you, and one of then came up with this idea. They helped me prepare it and all. Apparently some of the things you showed them were really helpful, and they're grateful." she said, swallowing a a peanut butter cracker right afterwards.
"I'll have to thank them later. I'd like to thank you for this. I overslept and forgot to grab food before coming here. I'm quite famished actually, and this food looks good. Good company to share food with helps too." he said, looking at her.
She smiled at him, but then her face took on that melancholy expression again, and it was obvious that something was on her mind. Hagan looked at her quizzically.
"Hagan... Johnny talked to me this morning. He told me you two had a good talk and shared some drinks. He told me that you'd told him about us. I'm glad you did that... but he also told me of what he asked you to do. Are you sure that you want to go back to fighting and killing? You don't have to say yes to this if you really don't want to. I'm serious." she said and took his right hand into her hands.
Hagan responded by giving her a quick kiss on her lips. He kissed her again, longer this time, embracing her as he did so. They kissed for a minute before Hagan slowly pulled himself from her lips. He smiled at her.
"You're the best, Alyssa. I really appreciate that, I want you to now that, but I must do this. I swore to protect you to Dizzy, Johnny, and to you personally. What good would all that talk be if I just hid in the ship while you and your crew mates risked their lives to help others in need? No, I want to do this. I am a fighter and a cook. I am good at both, and I should use both talents for the benefit of all, shouldn't I? If my fighting can make others like you not have to suffer... then that is all I need as a reason to fight." Hagan said, looking deep into her emerald green eyes.
They continued to eat for several minutes, enjoying both the food and the outdoors. The silence was calm, and it allowed them to think as they ate.
Alyssa finished chewing on a slice of bread, and then said "Do you have plans for the future, Hagan? I was thinking about that last night. I have no idea what you intend to do in the future. Seeing that I have a vested interest in keeping you around, I decided that I should know what you plan on doing."
Hagan thought as he finished chewing on another slice of salted ham. He hadn't really given it any thought at all. He had been so focused on the events of the here and now surrounding him that thoughts of the future hadn't come to him at all. He ate another piece of ham as he thought it over. He realized the simple answer as he swallowed the meat.
"I guess my plans weren't thought out past getting here. All of the rest of these events have been entirely unplanned. I've planned a bit further I last couple of days, but that's gotten no further than protect and stay with you. What I'm saying is that I have no plans." he said and drank some water from their canteen.
"You could stay here for a while. Johnny seems to like you pretty well, and you get along with May and Dizzy. None of the crew seem to mind you at all... I would say that you've got a good place here. I really want you to stay as well. I like you, and I think I would cry if you left... I'm sorry, I don't have the right to impose things on you like that... its just that... I thought about it last night, that you could leave here at any time. I didn't like the thought very much." she said and leaned against him again.
Hagan wrapped his arm around her. "I wouldn't think of leaving now. Not with you here, in need of protection. Not with these people here and the good I can do here. I guess I want to try to make amends for what Ive done until now with my life... and being here, with you, seems to be the best way to do that. Also, I have the beginnings of a new life here, and that's hard to come by. I don't know where that will take me, or us, but I'll not leave you." he said, and they kissed again.
She smiled at him, and he sighed happily. He felt content, even with the danger looming ahead. Somehow, he knew that he would make it, and that she would be waiting for him. They laid down, still embracing, and enjoyed the wind. He had almost drifted off to sleep with her in his arms when he felt something... odd... dangerous.
He gently stood up, waking her in the process. She mumbled something, but he kept scanning the horizon, looking for the source of his feeling. He felt it again, a tingle up his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Alyssa looked at the expression on his face and began to look worried. Hagan could feel it clearly now, this fight or flight urge... like a predator was nearby, setting its sights on him. He drew his weapons and stood in front of Alyssa.
"Go inside! Something bad is coming... very bad! I need you to go inside and get help... Go!" he told her urgently. He just wanted her out of harm's way, whatever was coming.
She looked at him fearfully, but then she nodded and stood up. She gave him a quick kiss and ran inside. Hagan waited for a about thirty seconds, and then issued his challenge.
"Whomever you are, show yourself. I protect this ship and its crew, and you'll have to go through me to get to them." he said and walked towards the railing.
For a moment, nothing happened, and Hagan almost relaxed... but then a large figure floated up from below, coming to rest level with him. It was a creature over eight feet tall with a machine-like, or very heavily armored body. It had a white color to the encasing its whole body, with blue underscoring on parts. It had a human shaped metallic head with bright red hair running down the back of it. A long, metallic tail twitched behind it absently. Hagan gasped when he saw this thing, because he knew what it... her, was.
He had heard about her several times in the Syndicate. She had been sealed away due to the actions of Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske in a great battle. It was said that she was the most powerful Gear ever created, and that her power could destroy cities at a time. She even slew Kliff, the greatest Holy Knight in history. Hagan took a step back from her. He felt panic begin to rise, and he was hard-pressed not to run at that point. He then thought of Alyssa and steeled himself. She would get help... he just had to hold out until then. He had to trust her.
"You speak brave words, human, but I am not a force you can stop. Stand aside, and I may yet let you live." she said. Her voice, with its metallic clarity, rang out over the winds whipping around Hagan.
Hagan took a step forward. "What are you doing here, Justice? You are not welcome here." Hagan said.
"I see you do have spirit. I am here for Dizzy, if you wish to know. That look in your eyes... perhaps you would wish to fight me? I can indulge your base desire for conflict, if you wish. It is what we were designed for, after all. I will end your life when our dance is concluded." she said, no tone to her voice, yet it was full of menace.
Hagan threw a chopstick at her, but it shattered on her armor. She laughed and just floated there, as if to mock him. He held out another one between his index and middle finger. He focused his element into it, and it froze over with a thick layer of ice, ending in a sharp point. He hurled it at her and then hurled three more in rapid succession. Justice's tail seemed to barely move, but all four of the icicles he'd thrown with perfect accuracy were shattered by quick movements from it. Hagan swore loudly.
"As I said, human, you cannot prevail. I was made to be the apex of all killing machines, and my power is nearly limitless. Stand down or die." she said to him slowly advancing on him, floating in the air.
Hagan took a step back, unsure of what to do. Fear and desperation set in. He took another step back, contemplating running inside, but an all too familiar voice in his head admonished him.
"What are you doing!? You cannot run from her! She will only kill you with your back turned! I refuse to die that way!" the voice of his other self rang in his head.
Hagan was confused by this, but he knew the voice was right. There was no running from Justice. He'd placed himself between all danger and Alyssa... and all danger included Justice herself if it had to. He took a step forward, stopping his retreat.
He then leaped into the air, jumping higher than Justice floated by about a foot. He then hooked his thin chains at his waist to the combat chopsticks he wielded in a single swift motion. He flung both of them, pushing them with the power of the water element that he was tied to. They flew towards Justice leaving contrails of water vapor in the air as they sought their target. They began to wrap around Justice, spiraling around her to entwine her in the chains. As they finished and went to impale her for the finale, she flexed her body, and the chains snapped. His chopsticks lost their power and went flying against the door.
Hagan was stunned. His attack was effortlessly defeated. He had no idea what to do to stop her. It was clear just how powerful she really was to him now. The pressure those chains exerted and were capable of handling when charged with his power was substantial, and she broke it without effort.
"You see now, human, the futility of your struggles. You are but a momentary blink in the whole of the cosmos, and no one will mourn you in the future." Justice proclaimed, and Hagan was truly afraid.
Then, the voice in his head, his other side, spoke to him again. "I won't let us die here... not like this! Use my power as well! Don't ask questions, you fool, just fight her!" it said to him.
Hagan felt power flow through him, and a strange feeling overtook him. It was like there was a rage deep inside of him, one that wouldn't stop no matter what he did. It almost felt like it burned, it was so powerful and concentrated. He knew then that this was the source of the fire element that Devil used. He felt that fire element as well as his water element, and it was a strange feeling. He could feel them entwining within himself, becoming stronger.
He threw another chopstick at Justice, giving a cry of desperation, but this attack was different. He empowered it with his new strength, which seemed to stem form his very soul. It was something that he had never felt before. It felt... strong and alive somehow, this new power. The chopstick began to glow with a flickering light. Justice raised her hand and and a field formed, and the chopstick collided with the barrier, making a bright flash and a bang. Hagan threw four more these, only to have each one blocked. He was running low on ammunition.
"How surprising! A chi user! I didn't detect that from you earlier. You're more dangerous that I thought. I'll have to eliminate you before I leave here. Your power cannot be allowed to exist." Justice said, her voice taking on a vicious edge.
Hagan stood on his guard, and then she was behind him, seemingly instantly, her tail striking at his back. He rolled back and managed to dodge it, but then she was suddenly above him, striking at him with her feet and tail. He flipped up and jumped back, only to narrowly dodge a swipe by her tail. He tried to draw a chopstick, but she was on him, striking at him repeatedly with her tail. He managed to dodge her attacks and flip back a few feet. They came to face one another again. Hagan was breathing heavily, and Justice floated there silently, awaiting his next move.
He concentrated his new power, chi, into his hands and threw it as though it were a chopstick. Radiant light flew from his hands, taking the form of his combat chopsticks, and flew towards her. She darted out of the way, but he redirected their course, sending them speeding at her back. They impacted on her exposed back, and she flew forward a few feet, giving a metallic gasp from the attack. Hagan ran in, calling chi to his hands to strike a blow, but was unprepared for her sudden response. Long claws sprang from her hands, seemingly growing from almost nothing, and they swiped across his chest, spraying blood on them both, and leaving deep wounds in his chest.
Hagan fell back onto the deck, his concentration broken by the severe blow. He could feel the deep lacerations in his chest. He could feel the burning of torn flesh and exposed bone. He shakily stood up, almost falling again from the pain.
"You have done well, human. I acknowledge your strength and your devotion to these people. It will not save you though. I am death, and it is your time." Justice said and began to advance on him.
He knew that they were beaten. "We did well, didn't we?" he asked of his other side as Justice closed in. "Yes... you fought well, I'll give you that. Now, it seems that we die." was its somewhat sad response. Hagan thought of Alyssa, and wanted to run to her before he died, to see her again. Almost as if he called her, the door to the deck opened, and Alyssa ran out, followed by Johnny, May, Dizzy and Descartes. All of them had their weapons drawn.
All but Alyssa stared in shock at the sight of Justice floating before them. Alyssa ran to Hagan's side, and gasped at the deep wounds on his chest. Hagan tried to shoo her back, but she wouldn't leave his side. She started crying and she turned to face Justice, and she interposed herself between the two.
The rest of them formed up around him, surrounding him. They were protecting him, all of them. The sight made Hagan want to laugh from the surprise and happiness, but he was in too much pain for anything. He tried to stand, to help them, but he couldn't even rise.
"Justice, go away. The odds are now against you, and we can repel you together. We're strong enough." Johnny said, pointing his sheathed sword at her.
Dizzy had a look of fear on her face, but she stood her ground. May also, had a look of fear, but she also had anger in her eyes. Descartes' face was unreadable, but he stood his ground with his large sword drawn and held out in front of him. Hagan noticed that it crackled with electricity.
Justice looked at the people in her way, and then she laughed. "So be it. I will let you humans be for now... but I will return to claim what is mine. All in due time..." she said and laughed some more. Hagan's vision was blurring, but he managed to sit up and face her.
Suddenly, her tail snaked by them all, and it plunged into Hagan's chest. Both Johnny's and Descartes' blades shot out to intercept it, but they were a little too late. Her tail pierced deep into his chest, and blood ran from Hagan's agape mouth. He gasped and his vision spun. Alyssa cried out his name, and Johnny muttered curses. As May went to strike out at Justice, she vanished in a flash of light. Hagan coughed up more blood and passed out.
Hagan came to in the void that was within himself. He felt weak and tired. He looked at his chest, only to see the terrible wounds on his body. He could see the deep hole the tail had put in his right lung, and the deep gouges the claws had cut into him. He knew that the injuries were likely fatal. He looked up to he his other self limping over to him, the same wounds on his body.
"We're dying! You know that, right? All of that crap you told me earlier was worthless!" Devil shouted at him, though his voice was weaker that it should have been.
Hagan stepped closer to Devil. "No1 It wasn't all worthless! We're dying so that they had the time to save themselves! That it worth it to me!" Hagan shouted back at him.
"I have to die for your damned foolish trust and morality! I wanted nothing to do with this. This is all your fault." Devil said to him, losing his anger halfway through it. "Though... I will admit, Alyssa is... different from most people. She could have been be trusted, were we to live past this. She was even nice to have around... you picked well in her." he said.
Hagan was rather surprised by his admission. Too bad they were dying, so this new understanding between them was going to be rather short-lived. Hagan sat down, as did Devil, neither having the energy to keep bickering. Then, a thought occurred to him. He wasn't dead just yet! He could still live. He just had to trust in them. They could save him, he had to trust in them and what they could yet do.
"What foolishness are you thinking now? This isn't even an issue of trust! We're too injured to keep living for much longer. Trust or no, they can't save us. Accept it!" Devil spat at him, hopeless anger in his voice.
"I will keep trusting them until either I am dead or I am back among the living. Until either of these things happen, I will continue to wait and trust in them. You can do what you will." Hagan said to his other side.
He was deathly afraid, but he refused do go down consumed by fear and depression. At the very least, he would die with trust in his heard, and his mind on Alyssa. Devil scowled at him, weakness eating at his anger, but said nothing more and laid down.
Strangely enough, it seemed to Hagan that he too, was waiting. He looked at Devil, seemingly falling asleep, and he knew that it was getting worse. He too felt extremely drained and powerless, and knew that death was coming. He struggled to maintain his clarity, but it was a losing battle. His eyes closed, and he felt himself drifting far away...
Alyssa sat in the hospital room where Hagan had been taken to after Justice had left them. She looked over to the bed where Hagan was resting. Though he was covered by a thin blanket, she could still see the many bandages covering the horrible injuries that he had suffered though it. His breathing was shallow and wet, his face was covered in sweat, and his pulse fluctuated. He looked very pale. Alyssa got up and walked over to his side and took his hand in hers. It was all she could do for him now.
"You'll live, I know you will. You have to keep your promise to protect me." she said, and fresh tears began to run down hr face.
She looked at him, knowing that each wound he had suffered was for her sake, and that he had fought to protect her, just like he had promised he would. And it had all but killed him to do it. 'Was this all... her fault?' she kept thinking. She fell to her knees next to his bed and laid her head down next to his hand, and began to sob.
Johnny and Dizzy watched from across the hall, and heard her cries. Dizzy's face had tear streaks as well, and Johnny looked grim. Johnny turned to Dizzy. "Do you think it will work?"
"It has to, or he'll die. I can't think of anything else to do for him. Its my fault... Justice came for me... I know it." Dizzy said and more tears fell.
Johnny put his arm around her and said "No, its not your fault. Justice came of her own will, nothing you could have done would have changed that. We need to worry about saving him, not blaming ourselves. Can you save him?"
Dizzy looked at him. She gave a thin smile and said "I will try."
Hagan suddenly 'awoke', thought he immediately knew he was still drifting within himself. He stood and took in his created surroundings. He was in an empty warehouse, or so it seemed. A candle burned in each corner of this large room, giving it a dim illumination. No crates or anything else that would be found in such a place were there, and on further examination, Hagan discovered that there were no windows or exits of any kind. He walked abut the room, rather puzzled.
Then, a figure slowly formed in the middle of the dim room. It was the girl he had murdered when he'd been trying to help. Hagan found himself with nothing to say, and fresh guilt coursing through him. He took a few steps towards her, hoping to reach out to her, but then stopped, unsure of what he could do.
"You murdered me... How could you? I thought you were going to save me!" she whispered at him, accusations in her eyed.
"I... I didn't want to! I wanted to save you! I wanted to help you!" Hagan shouted at her, wanting the accusations to just go away.
"You murdered me!" was all she said in response, and Hagan took a step back.
Another visage appeared before him. This one was a slightly overweight man, wearing a brown trench coat and a brown bowler derby. He had a short and well-trimmed beard and small glasses. Hagan knew this person as well, this was the detective he had killed before he'd killed this girl.
"You murdered me as well... I did nothing wrong. I was a good person, and I was only trying to do what was right for everyone. I was trying to protect people when you murdered me!" he shouted at Hagan, hate marring his otherwise kind looking face.
Hagan took another step back, his face full of pain. "Please... I... I'm trying to make amends for my evil deeds! Please just leave me be!" he cried out and turned around.
Yet another figure formed in front of him, and he knew this one too. This one was a younger man, no older than twenty, wearing jeans and a tee shirt. This was another of his victims, killed on contract over a year ago.
"You worthless murderer! What did I ever do to deserve death... Tell me!" he shouted at Hagan. whom had no response for the young man. He'd just carried out his orders, killing him without thought. Guilt washed over him.
A pair appeared in the room after the detective, and he struggled to contain his despair. It was his aunt and uncle, coming to accuse him with the rest of these people. They said nothing to him, but their hatred and pain was clear in their expressions, aimed all at him. He made a pitiful gasp and was truly afraid.
More and more people appeared in the forsaken place, all victims of Hagan at some point in his life. Each one had an accusation, a condemnation, waiting on their tongue... Hagan spun around, trying to find some escape, but there was no way out of this hell. He backed into a corner, near tears at this point. Then, another visage appeared, but this one formed from his own shadow. It was Zato-1, his mentor in murder.
"You forsook me and my way... I raised you from the pitiful, broken wretch that was brought to me into a masterful killer. All of these people around you, your victims, speak of your skills at death dealing. You decided to forsake me, and the path I made for you, and now you will suffer in hell for it. Didn't you know, Hagan Ko Lu, that this place is your personal Hell? There is only one way out, and you know what that path is. You must forsake your weakness and compassion, and return to my path, the path of the murderer! Only fortified by an iron will and a lack of compassion can you banish these victims from your heart. Accept it... and accept my way again!" Zato-1 said to him, his voice icy, but filled with dark promise.
Hagan looked to his victims, and back to Zato, who was giving him a rather impatient look. Each of his victims gave him a hateful glare, accusing him without words. Hagan desperately wanted to give into Zato's cold logic. If he closed off his heart again, their words couldn't affect him, and their accusations would be meaningless to him. It would be so easy to give into the murderous path again... it was so simple, after all. He was accepted and taken care of if he just followed orders. It was so simple and reassuring.
He shook his head. No, this was not the way, he was sure of it. It was the killer's path that had brought him to this hell, and he knew, deep in his soul, that it wouldn't save him from it. It was the cause of all of this, not the answer. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to those whom had believed in him. Alyssa, Dizzy, Johnny, May, the Mayship crew, and even Devil in the end... they had all believed in him and his desire to make things right. They'd all worked to help him in their own way, and to revert now... that would be a terrible betrayal of them all. He went back to Alyssa in his mind. He couldn't bear to betray her trust and love, even if it was the only way to live. He found that he'd rather die than betray her trust. The thought was far worse than anything this so-called hell could throw at him.
"No, Zato, your path isn't for me any longer. In fact, your path was never really for me, I just was too weak too see it at the time. You took advantage of my feeble state to mold me into your killer, and I reject that here and now! Each of these people here, my victims, deserves better than to be ignored! I've earned their ire, and Ill face it. I'll not run from what I've done any longer..." Hagan said, and walked right past Zato. The scene vanished into darkness as he walked past him.
He awoke, into the living world this time. He was on a hospital bed, and he was in an unfamiliar place. The room was sparse, and besides himself, the bed, and the medical equipment hooked to him, there was only a single chair in the room. There was a window, but it was covered by an opaque black curtain. Hagan found that he was in a bit of pain, but it wasn't so bad. He focused on simply sitting up, which he found to be rather difficult to do. He managed it, and was rewarded with throbbing pain from his chest. While he was afraid to look, afraid that this was some new hell, he forced himself to look under the flimsy shirt his unknown caretakers had provided him with.
He saw, amazingly enough, that the near lethal wounds had all but healed. They had left prominent scars, still angry red, but mostly healed. He was forced to wonder just how long he had been out of it for him to have healed that well. He pulled the heart monitor's wires from him, and he slowly stood. He was stiff and smelly, and he suddenly wanted a hot bath. He explored the room, finding a sink and toilet in one corner, hidden behind a thin partition. He washed as best as he could using the sink, feeling refreshed as he splashed the hot water over himself.
When he was done, he set out to discover just where he was. He looked out of the covered window to see a large city before him. He saw the ruins of recently destroyed building everywhere, and when he put that together with the landmarks he saw, he knew where he was immediately. He was in Paris, the Mayship's destination before Justice had attacked them. Worry set in, and he wondered if they'd executed their mission without him. He wondered if they were alright... if Alyssa was alright. He walked to the door of the room, and found it unlocked, which was reassuring. Whomever had him at the moment didn't desire to imprison him here. He opened the door, and walked out slowly.
He found himself in a long hallway going in either direction. A sign on the wall told him that this was a Holy Knight facility, and that the exit was to his left. He crept in that direction, edging closer to the double doors at the left end of the hall. He crept along, expecting anything at this point. He pushed the doors open and flattened himself against the wall next to the door. Nothing happened immediately, so he peeked through the now open doors.
He saw what seemed to be a waiting room, with a few people milling about. There was a desk in the middle of the room with a single man sitting there, wearing a Holy Knight's outfit. He scanned the room, and gasped in surprise when he saw Alyssa sitting at a chair against the wall in the room. She was sleeping, and she looked worn down even in her sleep. At seeing her, Hagan relaxed. This was no trap, he knew then, but where they'd taken him to help him. He walked into the waiting room and up to the desk, giving the man an authoritative look.
The man at the desk looked at him with obvious surprise. "I'm checking out, if you don't mind." he told the man and walked past.
"Hey! You aren't supposed to be up and about! You need to get back to bed immediately!" he said, consternation and annoyance in his baritone voice.
"Trust me... I'm well enough, and these walls are oppressive to me. I"m going back to those who need me." Hagan said and kept going towards Alyssa.
He heard the guy mutter under his breath, but he really didn't care one bit what that guy did. Hagan knew what his priorities were, where he needed to be, and what he needed to be doing. His vision of hell had burned its self into his mind. Each accusation had stayed with him, but he knew what to do with them. He was going to follow his path of redemption and compassion, no matter what it cost him. It was the only way to make right what he'd done as an assassin.
He sat down next to Alysa and looked at her. Sleeping, she was an angel, peaceful and beautiful. He looked back at the man at the desk, and saw him reading a book, seemingly no longer concerned with him, which was fine with Hagan. Alyssa was his main concern, not what these people wanted from him. He debated on whether or not to wake her, but he decided that she would want to know that he was alright... and he wanted to hear her voice, he admitted to himself somewhat sheepishly.
"Alyssa... Alyssa... Please wake up. I'm alright now. I... I want to hear you speak to me. Wake up, please." he asked her gently, wrapping his right arm around her sleeping form.
Alyssa stirred, and her eyes slowly opened. She looked at him, blinked, and looked at him again. "Hagan..." she whispered, and then wrapped her arms around him fiercely, suddenly crying.
Hagan also hugged her and held her tightly as she cried happily. He ignored the looks they were getting from the other people, concerned only with Alyssa.
"This... this isn't a dream, is it? You're here, right? You're OK, right?" she asked him between sniffles as she tried to stop her crying.
"Its as real as anything can be, Alyssa, and unless this is a pleasant dream for me... I'm here for you. Don't worry, I'm alright." Hagan told her soothingly, running his hand through her soft, silvery hair that he liked so much.
"The Knights' said that you might not live through the night, and... I was... so worried for you. I didn't know what to do..." she mumbled into his chest.
Hagan held her for a bit longer before releasing her. "It'll be alright now. Where is everyone else? I'd like to leave this depressing place and go... home." he said finally, feeling that he was right to call the ship home. He had a home again, after all of this time, and it felt good.
"They're all waiting at the ship. We decided to go to Paris, even with you terribly injured. We had hoped that they could help you as we helped them. I'm so glad that they could save you. I... don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Hagan. Please be careful... and please don't hate me. Its my fault you fought Justice, isn't it? You fought her for me, didn't you?" she asked of him, fresh tears forming in her eyes, and guilt written on her face.
Hagan was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected this at all. "Listen to me, Alyssa. Never blame yourself for the actions of others, ever. It wasn't your fault that Justice came, nor is it your fault that I fought her. I chose to fight for you and the others freely, and would do so again if I had to, without complaint or blame." Hagan rose, lifting her up by her hand as he did so. "Please, Alyssa, don't blame yourself for any of this." he asked of her gently.
She looked into his eyes, and she shook away her tears. "Alright, Hagan, lets go home then." she said happily, and they walked out of the makeshift hospital together, hand in hand.
They walked out into the sunlight, both happy again. They walked the streets of the injured city, Hagan taking in the sights of the devastation. He saw the ruined buildings and smelled the remnants of fires only recently put out. He could almost feel the sorrow and pain that lingered yet in the city and in the people, and it tugged at his heart. So much needless death and destruction had happened here, and it steeled his resolve even more.
They kept walking, still hand in hand, taking comfort in each other's presence in this backdrop of destruction. They walked to the outskirts of the city, where Hagan could see the Mayship resting among trees. He smiled at the sight, feeling a strong sense of homecoming. Alyssa looked up at him, grinning, and they walked to the ship.
Hagan saw Dizzy walking around outside of the ship, looking lost. They walked up to her, and when she saw the two of them, she began to run over to them. She reached the pair, a smile on her face and a trace of tears on her cheeks.
"You're alive! We didn't know if you would live through the night. We were worried about you, Hagan. I'm glad to see you well." she said to him, making Hagan feel a bit embarrassed.
"I'm sorry to have worried you all, I really am, but I'm better now. Don't worry." he told her, touched deeply by the concern clearly on her features.
Hagan noticed that a concerned look passed between Dizzy and Alyssa, but he said nothing about it. He knew they would talk to him if it was needed. He was surprised to find that he had no trouble trusting these people anymore, and it gladdened him. They made their way onto the ship that was their home.
Hagan walked the now familiar corridors, feeling nearly overcome with happiness. He'd wondered, for a time, if he'd ever see this place again, but that was over now. Looked to the two girls... no, women walking with him, and he sighed. "I trusted you all, even near death as I was, I trusted in you all to save me. Despite everything, knowing that I was dying... I found myself trusting in you all to save me. I knew you all would find a way..." he said to them, hoping to convey some measure of his gratitude to them.
The two women stopped walking, and another look passed between them. Hagan was now rather curious as to what was on their minds. Dizzy looked uncomfortable for some reason, and Alyssa had a strange expression on her face. Alyssa cleared her throat and began speaking.
"About that... We knew that you were dying when we got you into our infirmary and... we had to take some... unusual steps to save you. We, uh... we had to give you more blood and somehow get you to start healing immediately, so we did what we thought was necessary to save your life. Dizzy... well, she gave you some of her blood to keep you going." Alyssa told him.
Hagan was at first simply surprised by this, but then the full implications sunk in. Dizzy was a Gear... and he'd been given Gear blood in order to survive. Had the blood come from any other Gear, Hagan knew he would feel... somehow wronged, but not with Dizzy. She may be a Gear, but Hagan didn't see her that way. He saw her as a woman and a friend, and her being a Gear was trivial. He did wonder what that would do to him, having the blood of a powerful Gear flowing within him. He didn't feel any different, but that meant nothing.
Dizzy was looking away from him at this point, her gaze downcast. Alyssa was looking at him, trying to judge his reaction to this sudden news. Both of them seemed nervous. Hagan couldn't help but chuckle at this. It wasn't what he had expected at all, but it didn't bother him.
"Dizzy... you saved my life. Don't look down on yourself, you can look up with pride. You did what you felt was right, and I'm alive, so I would say it was worth it. I owe you my life." he told her, giving her a deep bow.
Dizzy gave him an astonished look. "I'm a Gear! You have a Gear's blood within you now! Doesn't that bother you?" she asked him, obviously expecting a different reaction.
Hagan shrugged and waved off her concern. "It doesn't matter. You may be a Gear, but you're a friend first and foremost, and that's all that matters to me. To be honest, were it just some Gear's blood, I would probably be appalled, but... you're not just some Gear, you're a true friend whom acted to save my life. How could I be anything but grateful to you?" he told her, and she looked up and gave him a happy smile.
Alyssa then clung to his arm, looking up at him and grinning. "You're the best, Hagan!" she said and they walked on happily. They found their way to the door to Johnny's room after a time, but they took their time.
"Johnny wanted to talk to you once you recovered. He said he had no doubt that you'd make it. I'll meet you once you're done talking to him... or you can just go to bed when you're done. You must be exhausted." Alyssa told him.
"Not really. I'd say I've had enough sleep for now. How about you meet me in the mess hall in an hour or so? You can come too, Dizzy, if you would like." Hagan told them.
"I'll have to pass, I"m afraid. I've got a lot to do today. I'll see you later." Dizzy said and walked off. Hagan then realized that she had looked tired, but had been trying to hide it. She must not have slept well. Alyssa gave him a quick kiss and then followed after Dizzy.
Hagan sighed and knocked on the door. He heard Johnny tell him to come in, and he opened the door and walked in.
Johnny was walking around the room with shot glass in one hand, idly swirling it as he paced. Something seemed to be on his mind, as he didn't even look up for a long moment after he had entered. He finally looked up at Hagan and gave him a welcoming smile.
"Welcome back to the living, my friend!" said and tossed the shot down quickly. "How are you feeling?" he asked after sighing from taking the shot.
"Rather good, actually. Strange as it is, nearly dying actually helped me out a bit. I worked some important things out in my head while I lay in unconsciousness. Also, the homecoming has been rather nice so far. I'm alive and the people I care about are safe, so that's all that really matters." Hagan said and chuckled softly.
Johnny sat down at his table and motioned for Hagan to sit, so he did. Johnny pured himself another shot, and offered one to Hagan whom politely declined. Johnny laughed.
"You did just get up, I would imagine, and I guess you don't want to end up in your bed so soon. I understand, but you'll have to have a drink with me at some point. A crew of girls leaves me with no one to drink with usually, so having someone to drink with is quite a treat." Johnny said and then frowned. "I hope Dizzy spoke with you about what was done to save you..." he said and looked at him, waiting for is answer.
"Yeah, she did, and as I told her, I'm just glad to be alive still. If Gear blood is what sustains me now, then I'm just glad that Dizzy was the one to give it. It doesn't bother me at all." Hagan said simply. It wasn't really an issue to him.
"Good, good. I was hoping that you'd be accepting of it. After it was done she was very worried as to what you would think once you learned of it. I told her it would be alright, but I think she needed to hear it from you, since you were the one that had to live with it when all was said and done." Johnny said and sipped on his shot.
"Alyssa told me that you wanted to talk to me when I was better. Was it just about Dizzy giving me blood, or was there something more." Hagan asked. He had a suspicion that Johnny hadn't called him in here just to ask him about that, and that bad news was probably coming.
"Well... that was one thing on my mind, but there's something else. The Gears are ramping up their activities, and Berlin was attacked this morning. The city is safe as a whole, but there was lot of needless destruction. People all over the world are starting to grow afraid... and I can't blame them. No one seems to have an idea as to where they're staging these attacks from. There's no place to counter-attack and no way to know which city they will strike at next. Even though their attacks seem to be limited to Europe, there's no way of knowing where they will show up next. We're going to meet up with some old friends of mine once we leave this city. Hopefully, they'll have some useful information for us to use." Johnny said, and Hagan could see the worry in his eyes.
"What would you have me do?" asked Hagan.
Johnny looked up at him and chuckled. "You've done enough for now, I would say. Isn't nearly dying enough for at least a few days?" Johnny laughed briefly and then continued. "Until I meet with my friends and learn something useful, we really can't do much. Just help out on the ship and enjoy yourself for the time being... and if you feel anything weird or unusual, please tell me. We don't know just what giving a human Gear blood will do, so be careful for now. That's all I can give you to do, so as your captain, I'm telling you to relax a bit." he said and finished his drink.
"As you order, captain." Hagan said and jokingly saluted as he stood, ready to leave. Johnny just shooed him off with a chuckle, so he left him to his drinks.
Hagan began to make his way to the mess hall. His talk had taken well under an hour, but he didn't want to be late. He walked down the corridors of his home, wondering about the Gear attacks. Hagan knew that Justice roamed free, and the Gears were massing under her, but something seemed to be missing from all of this. How had Justice gotten free in the first place? She was supposed to have been sealed away in another dimension for all time... but she obviously had other plans. That was the other big thing, Justice's plans. He had no idea what she was trying to accomplish beyond what he had heard of her ideals. She wanted to kill off all human life, or so he had been told in the Syndicate. Why? He turned the thought around in his head. He recalled his recent encounter with Justice with a shiver. She had come for Dizzy, or so she had said. Again... why? What was her plan? Dizzy wasn't a focused killer like Justice, and even with her supposedly great power, Hagan didn't think Justice could make her kill. Hagan growled in annoyance and shook his head. This was all rather complicated. When he looked up again, he was near the doors to the mess hall.
He walked on and passed through the doors into the mess hall. He saw Alyssa immediately. She was showing around two girls, seemingly new, around the hall. The members of the crew in the hall were welcoming these two here. From what he could gather, these two girls were orphans from Paris, and had decided to join the crew rather than be evacuated somewhere else. He walked up and sat at a table near the spectacle. The two girls were now introducing themselves to the assembled people. Hagan simply waited for this event to come to completion, but Alyssa came up to him, with the two girls in tow.
"Alright girls, now I want you to meet... well, the man I owe my life to twice over and a loyal member of the crew. He's a newer member of the crew as well, if either you see the other lost, try to help them out. Why don't you tell us your name?" Alyssa said, her voice had a singsong quality to it, and she sounded amused. Since most of the crew rarely saw Hagan, they were watching this with interest.
Hagan stammered, taken by surprise. "Uh... well... I'm ah, Hagan. Hagan Ko Lu... its a pleasure to meet you two." he said, regaining his poise midway through.
This first girl, having very short blond hair and blue eyes, gave him a sly look. She seemed only a bit older than Alyssa, perhaps seventeen, he thought. He could tell that she was a fighter just by the way she carried herself and walked. While her frame was small, Hagan could see muscular development on her arms and legs, indicating training. She wore the standard sailor uniform of the crew, blue in color. "I'm named Alice Risetto, but just call me Risetto." she said to him.
The other girl was giving him a mildly curious look. She had long red hair, going down her back in a single braid. Tied to the end of the braid was what seemed to be a small silver bell. She wore the same thing as Risetto, but hers was green, seemingly to match her dark, marble green eyes. She seemed to be about seventeen as well. "I'm Rina Senill." she said simply, her voice quiet, and gave a slight bow.
Before Alyssa could move the girls on, the one called Risetto walked up to Hagan and looked right at him. Hagan looked up at her, wondering what she was doing. Hagan almost felt like he was being... leered at. "So, you're the only other guy on this ship huh... I bet you feel lucky. Lots of sights to see.." she said to him, smirking evilly.
Hagan blinked in surprise. This girl had an attitude on her, but there was something else to it that he couldn't quite figure out. "Yeah, I'm lucky to be here... but not for the reasons you seem to be thinking of. Anyone should think themselves lucky to be among friends and loved ones, wouldn't you agree?" Hagan said as chastisement.
Risetto blinked in surprise, and then chuckled. Several of the crew still watching shot Risetto glares for being so rude. Alyssa was also glaring, and hers was rather intent. She looked around at the glares, and gave a slightly sheepish look. "Well, yeah. I guess you aren't so bad after all... I'm sorry. Forgive me?" she asked, giving him a abashed look.
Hagan shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm a bit out of place on this ship by appearances, I'll admit, but don't worry about me. I'm pretty much harmless." he said lightly, waving the whole thing off. If that was the worst of it, he was fine.
The girl called Rina was looking at him intently, and Hagan looked up at her. Her expression was slowly forming a faint scowl. "You... you're an assassin!" she hissed and took a step back. Her eyes held fear... and anger.
Risetto spun around to face Hagan again, and she shifted her posture, seemingly readying herself. "Is that true!?" she said, her face filled with rage.
Alyssa ran in front of Hagan, placing herself between them. "He was an assassin, but he's quit their ranks! Stop with these accusations!" Alyssa yelled at them.
Risetto swore loudly. Rina was giving Alyssa a hard look. "An assassin killed Risetto's parents when she was eight. They were hired by rival businessmen so that they could take their company. We've both seen what assassins do... they murder." Rina said to Alyssa.
Risetto began to slowly approach Hagan, her hands clenched into fists. Hagan could see it in her eyes, the desperate anger and sorrow that moved her now. She seemed angry enough to actually attack him. Hagan stood as she advanced on him. The rest of the girls watching were backing away, and at least one had run to get Johny. Risetto walked past Alyssa, whom didn't move to get in her way this time, and Hagan knew why. Only he could stop this from getting too ugly.
"Your miserable kind killed my parents! You assassins ruined my life!" she shouted, and Hagan could see tears forming in her eyes. "They were good to me! They were kind! Why did they have to die!?" she shouted at him, advancing even closer, and her hands ready to strike.
Hagan looked at the pain in her eyes, and didn't know what to say.