"If there is one thing that the Water Wars has taught us it's that, when put into a desperate situation, people will do whatever they can in order to achieve their desires, no matter who or what gets in their way. That's what's so scary about desperation: even the most well-mannered saints can turn into the most savage of beasts if they are pushed too far."
-Excerpt from Remy Leroux's text 'From Earth to Phobos: How Water became Humanity's downfall.'
Chapter 3: A Family of Ice, Further Expansion
Personal ID: Sgt. Franklyn Roberts
"What the hell are we looking at here, Newborn?"
"I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more patient, Sergeant. Contrary to popular belief, not all of our equipment is able to work instantaneously."
Roberts crossed his arms over his armored chest and grunted in annoyance while looking over at the purple haired woman lying on the bed. She was still unconscious even after the hour long hike all the way from the destroyed city back to basecamp. Shortly after they arrived, they had brought woman and the two kids back through the portal where they had immediately been taken to nearby treatment rooms for healing and recuperation. Though unfortunately, Newborn and his eggheads were quite eager to run scans on all three of them while they were being treated, mostly in order to figure out just how the hell the woman was able to manipulate the ice the way she did while also seeing if the two boys were also able to accomplish the same feat.
Currently the woman was lying in bed a foot away from the two gentlemen. Her damaged clothes had long since been removed in favor of a traditional hospital gown which also covered the numerous gauze and bandages that were wrapped around most of her torso along with both of her arms. A large bandage had also been placed over her forehead in order to treat the nasty gash she had received due to landing in a pile of debris after that demon had nearly blasted her about twenty feet into the air. Honestly, she was lucky to even be alive after going through such an ordeal, especially when she had a pair of kids on her shoulders.
The worst part of it, however, had been her leg. The ice crutch that she had been using had melted off long before they got her back to the base, leaving nothing but bloody and nearly frozen stump. Ironically, the ice had managed to slow down the bleeding tremendously so a few thick layers of gauze were thankfully able to prevent what little blood had been pouring out of the wound.
Sadly the bandages were the only things that were currently on her person. Various wires and tubes had been connected to her arms, legs, and torso, which in turn, were either hooked up to medical machines, blood bags, or pouches full of pain killers.
All in all, the woman looked like one huge science experiment waiting to go wrong. Roberts had an inkling suspicions that that was the only reason as to way Newborn wanted her and the two boys brought back alive.
"Patience isn't exactly my strong suit, Newborn, considering who I work with." Roberts said as he narrowed his eyes at the scientist, who was practically ignoring him in favor of staring at a nearby terminal. "Can you at least tell me what you're gonna do with her and those kids? I hope you didn't have us bring them all the way back here just so you could cut them open," he added with a bit of warning in his tone.
Newborn sighed before turning back to look at the Sergeant with slight annoyance. "It's a bit more complicated than that, Sergeant. And no, I'm not going to 'cut them open' as you so delicately put it. I simply wish to study them in order to get a full read on those mysterious abilities that you and your men were lucky enough to witness firsthand."
"Tch, don't remind me. I'm still having trouble wrapping around the whole thing. First giant monsters, then superpowers? What's next, dragons and elves?"
"I sure hope not, Sergeant. We're already having enough trouble harvesting enough resources for an entire planet. Best not to focus on the negatives for now."
Roberts shrugged his shoulders before walking over towards the bed and peering down at the woman. Despite the various amount of injuries she had sustained, she seemed to be recovering just fine. An oxygen mask had been hooked up to her face and the steady rise and fall of her chest indicated the she was breathing normally. He momentarily wondered if the two other kids were in any better shape.
Speaking of kids. "How's that little girl that Monroe found doing, by the way?"
"You'll be happy to know that she's made a full and healthy recovery." Newborn said as he continued to look at the monitor. "Due to the nutrients and fluids we had to inject into, she should be back to her normal strength in a few day tops." Newborn paused before brushing a hand over his hair and sighing. "Physically, she's perfectly fine. Mentally, however, is still up for debate."
Roberts raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'up for debate'? What's wrong with her?
"I mean that as soon as she saw me when she woke up, she shrunk into the bed in absolute fear and looked about ready to cry on the spot. Then she said she was 'sorry' before pleading for me to not hurt her and that she 'didn't mean to escape' and that she would 'be a good girl from now on.'" He sighed again. "It's quite obvious from her reactions that, wherever it is she came from, she has suffered a substantial amount of abuse, both physically and mentally even though we never found any injuries on her skin."
Roberts' knuckles turned white while he grinded his teeth together in barely restrained anger. He took a few moments to calm himself down before continuing. "You think it could've been her mother?"
Newborn shook his dead. "While that may be anyone's first assumption, there are several key factors that suggest otherwise. The first being her fearful reaction towards seeing me. That second was the way she tried to hide herself after I told her that she was inside a treatment facility. Both of these points suggest that her abuser was someone with a medical or scientific profession. And considering the enormous amount of unknown energy we found inside her body after we found her, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was holding her hostage while trying to experiment on her. This also leads as to why she was wandering out in the snow in the middle of nowhere wearing nothing but a hospital gown. She obviously tried to escape from whomever was holding her in captivity." He held up a finger. "Let's also not forget her mother's reaction to Private Monroe's mentioning of her daughter's name. From what he told us after he had found her, she seemed very adamant on figuring out how he knew her daughter's name while at the same time constantly questioning him on her whereabouts, which leads us to believe that she had obviously been searching for her. So we can assume that the girl was probably taken against her own will."
"Jesus," Roberts muttered as her looked back towards the woman. "No wonder she was so hellbent on interrogating Miles. Probably thought her daughter was dead or something." The morbid thought made him think of his own daughter, sending a shiver down his spine. To think that even on other planets there were sick fucks out there who got their kicks off of kidnapping innocent children. The thought made his blood boil. If anyone had done the same to his daughter, there wouldn't be a single force on heaven, hell, or earth that would've been able to stop him from finding the fuckers and ripping their guts out before beating them to death with them. Anyone who did shit like that didn't deserve a shred of anything even resembling mercy.
Though he had disobeyed orders, on the inside, Roberts was proud of Miles. The kid had a tendency to do the stupidest shit sometimes but his heart was always in the right place. Always doing his best to protect innocent people even if it resulted in him disobeying orders and getting in massive amounts of trouble. Still, Roberts was glad to have someone like him on his squad and hoped that the kid would continue to follow his heart even if some people disproved of the way he went about it.
Speaking of his youngest squad mate, "Where is the kid anyway? Last I saw him he was helping the medics get the lady here adjusted before wondering off again."
Though he couldn't see it, Newborn gave a light smirk. "I believe he said that he was finally going to introduce himself to our recently awakened ward."
Down the hall a few rooms away.
"…and so we quickly made our way to the big starship before blasting our way into space! The bad guys were right on our tail but luckily Andrew over there is a crack shot when it comes to blasting spaceships outta the sky! The bad guys stood no chance as they were all blown to fiery bits! Because of that, everyone was able to get out safely without a single scratch!"
"Really? 'Cause I seem to remember you balling your eyes out after getting shot in the leg."
"…Okay so most of everyone got out without a scratch, but at least no one died!"
"That is incorrect, Private Monroe. There was an estimate of 157 fatalities-"
"Not in front of the kid, Nine-Oh-Four!"
"I also seem to remember Gorrey missing quite a bit of those so-called 'crack shots.' The gun was already halfway outta ammo before he even landed a single hit."
"Oh, go blow it out your ass-"
"Language!"
To say that Ultear was stumped was to say that it was cold in the Arctic Ocean; a complete understatement. Currently inside her room and sitting around her bed were some of the strangest people she had ever met in her entire life, and that was also a dramatic understatement. About an hour after the scary man in white had left her room, the tall blonde man in armor who had saved her life had come in and had introduced himself as Miles Monroe. Another strange name, she thought. Not only that, but four other people who he had said were part of his squad (whatever that was) had also come in and had introduced themselves. Them being a man with dark brown hair named David Cormac, a ponytailed woman named Jennifer Whales, and another man with a small scar on his right cheek named Andrew Gorrey.
The strangest, and quite possibly - in her opinion - the scariest looking individual was the last member of their squad who looked like some kind of grinning demon made completely out of metal along with a pair of glowing green eyes. It - he - didn't have a name but instead a simple alias that Miles had said was Nine-Oh-Four, "said with words instead of numbers" he told her. She had nearly screamed at the first sight of him but was quickly and calmly reassured by Miles that he meant no harm. Though that didn't stop her from sinking a little further into her bed and quickly averting her eyes whenever he looked in her direction.
Like Nine-Oh-Four, she had initially been distrustful of the other three squad members. The only reason she hadn't been afraid of Miles was because she had been able to recognize his face from when he had saved her. Though some reassurances from Miles, along with some intense but fascinating stories about the squad's past adventures had eventually been able to bring her out of her shell in the end. However, she still took great care to avoid eye contact with Nine-Oh-Four as much as possible.
Though the robot's demonic looking appearance was soon pushed to the back of her mind when she stared back up a Miles, who was sitting on a chair to her left, and was still chastising his squad mates for their vulgarity.
"Seriously, haven't any of you morons been around kids before? You can't just go around saying dumb shi-stuff like that in front of children-"
"Mister Miles?"
The voice was so soft that it may as well have been a whisper, but Miles and everyone else were close enough to the bed to hear her anyway, which caused them all to immediately pause in their ensuing argument to look back towards her. The amount of attention she suddenly received was enough to make her blush and look down in embarrassment. However her embarrassment was short lived when a soft, yet calloused hand reached under her chin and gently lifted her head back up, in which her widened eyes were suddenly met with a pair of deep green ones as Miles gave her a warm smile.
"Just Miles is fine, kid. We're all friends here. Even the satanic tin can over there is pretty chill once you get to know him." Cormac and Whales both chuckled as he gestured over to Nine-Oh-Four, who simply remained silent as he stared back at Miles.
Blushing harder, Ultear shifted her gaze back down as her grip on her bed sheets tightened. "Miles," she whispered. The name sounded so foreign to her, yet it also confused her. Why any parent would name their child after a unit of measurement was beyond her.
She shook her head of the thoughts. Now was not the time to debate the concept of foreign names. She still had questions that needed answering. So it was with greater confidence that she stared back up at Miles' green eyes with a look of slight anticipation.
"Miles, then. Are you really from space? Does that mean that you came from another planet?" her question was blunt and straight to the point. Her tone of voice was also less soft and more sturdy. The sudden change in the girl's attitude made everyone besides Nine-Oh-Four blink in surprise. The fact that this young girl could go from meek and timid to serious and focused made them all slightly uneased considering that she had almost died. The fact that she had also blatantly asked if they were from another planet was also a cause for concern. After all, it wasn't like they could just outright tell her that they were actually from another dimension.
Ultear's sharp eyes immediately noticed that Miles, Cormac, and Whales shared a quick glance between one another while Nine-Oh-Four's attention was now focused solely on her. Miles cleared his throat before looking back towards Ultear.
"Well, Ulty," Ultear's eyebrows scrunched in confusion at the nickname. "I guess technically, you could say that we're from space. We did, indeed, come from another planet, but it's a little bit more complicated than that."
"What do you mean? You said that you and your squad were from space, so that means that you're from another planet, right?"
"Well, yes but what I'm trying to say is that we're not just from another planet." Shit, this is going from zero to a hundred real fast. How the hell are you supposed to explain to an elementary schooler that you're from another dimension? Really wish Newborn was here right about now. On second thought, never mind. He'd just find a way to make things even more confusing.
Thankfully he was spared from having to give the girl a long and confusing explanation from Whales, who decided she had enough fun in seeing her squad mate suffer. "So cutie," she said as Ultear shifted her gaze towards her. "We didn't get a chance to tell you the good news, did we? Well we think we may have found your mother. Isn't that great?" she asked as she, Cormac, and Miles gave her anticipated grins, obviously waiting for the girl to either jump up in excitement or cry tears of joy.
What they got, however, was not the reaction they were expecting.
If possible, Ultear's skin had gone noticeably paler than it already was. Sweat started to pour down her forehead while her entire body started to shake. Her grip on her bed covers tightened to the point where her knuckles were bone white. But the most notable change was her eyes. The feeble and meek warmth that was in her eyes was instantly replaced with a cold and empty gaze, as if they were the eyes belonging to a corpse.
The lights flickered on and off as a cold chill began to set into the room.
The four squad members silently debated whether or not it was a good idea to have left their weapons behind.
Forward Operating Base
"So you're saying that the entire town was destroyed by the time you got there?"
"Yes, sir. The massive, uh, organism had already done more than enough damage to the entire area before it retreated back into the mountains. Luckily the entire town seemed to have been evacuated before the damn thing showed up and went ape-shit. Well, mostly evacuated, sir."
General Tiberius nodded his head at that. "Yes, you did mention that. You say that Slaughter Boy were the ones to find the woman and the two boys?"
"Correct, sir. The woman sustained major injuries and is currently being treated in the intensive care ward back in the laboratory. Two soldiers are also keeping her under guard at all times. Newborn thought it was necessary considering the unknown abilities she somehow displayed while fighting the creature."
That's putting it lightly Tiberius thought grimly. In fact, it was a downright understatement. The reports and video feeds he had gotten from the WASP drones had almost been enough to drink himself into a stupor. Giant horned monsters that shot out laser beams? A woman that was somehow able to control and manipulate ice? Kids with white hair? Just what the hell kind of upside down fantasy world had Newborn sent them to?
Tiberius sighed and shook his head in exasperation. During times like these it was better to not ask too many questions or else they would just keep piling on and on until it drove him crazy. He focused his attention back on Sergeant Maxwell Jenkins, the man in charge of Polar squad who had also aided Slaughter Boy back in the town. "And how are those two boys fairing?"
"Besides some minor scrapes and cuts, Newborn says that they should be fine in the long run. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they suffered some emotional trauma after everything they've been through."
"The fact that all three of them were able to survive in the first place is a miracle itself. Just what the hell were they even doing there in the first place?"
"Hard to know, sir. Maybe the woman is the two boys' mother? It's possible that the two somehow got left behind and it was simply a case of a mother wanting to protect her children."
"Well one thing we do know is that we won't be able to learn anything until she wakes up. Make sure that at least two guards are posted outside her room at all times. And make sure that they let us know the second she wakes up. The sooner we know more about this planet the better."
Jenkins straightened his posture and gave the General a hard salute. "Yes, sir!"
"Also Sergeant, I want you and your squad to provider extra security detail for the construction crews I'm planning to send to the town."
Jenkins raised an eyebrow at that. "Not that it's a problem, sir, but may I ask why?"
"Well considering the fact that the entire place is destroyed and deserted, we're planning to clean it out so that we can construct a larger base and develop and stronger foothold on this planet. A bigger base means we can build a motor pool for more vehicles and hopefully an airfield so we can get more eyes in the sky. The fact that the entire town is also mostly secluded means we hopefully won't have any prying eyes. That's where your squad comes in. We aren't taking any chances when it comes to threats, especially after that creature just got done razing the damn place to the ground. Take your squad and help sweep the area. We'll also have a swarm of WASP drones providing air support in case things shit hits the fan again. If something does happen I want you and the other squads to evacuate the construction team and hightail it back here as quickly as possible."
"We'll be sure to do our best, General." Jenkins said with a nod. "Just one thing though, sir. What if by chance we happen to run into more humans?"
Tiberius folded his hands behind his back and stared down at the ground, a grim expression on his face. "I was hoping to avoid any contact with local primitives but it looks like Slaughter Boy and Newborn have already thrown that suggestion straight out the proverbial window considering the number of strays they've already dropped into our hands. Since the damage has already been done, I guess it can't be helped. If, by some miracle, you do happen to run into any other humans, do whatever it takes to keep them away from the base. Do not, however, engage with any lethal force unless you're certain they pose a threat. Lord knows the last thing we need are civilians getting shot because of misunderstandings. Do I make myself clear, Sergeant?"
"Crystal, sir!"
"Good, gather your squad and get yourselves ready. The rest of the troops will be moving out within the hour."
Jenkins gave one last salute before making his way towards the makeshift barracks that was setup near the portal. He wasn't able to make it far, however, as a he suddenly spotted a soldier to his left who sprinted out of the portal a nearly knocked him over.
"Hey, watch where the fuck you're going, trooper!"
The soldier ignored him and quickly made his way over to Tiberius, who heard the commotion and was staring at the soldier in confusion. The man slid to a stop and snapped him a quick solute that the General returned.
"What seems to be the problem, son?"
"It's the purple haired woman that Slaughter Boy brought in, sir. She's woken up."
Tiberius' eyes widened. "Shit, now of all times? Did you inform Newborn?"
"Yes, sir. He and Privates Hudson and Reynolds are trying to keep her calm but it appears she's very adamant on trying to find her kids. The doctors found her trying to crawl out of her bed. Luckily they were able to stabilize her before things got too crazy but she's still desperate to make sure her kids are alright."
Tiberius muttered some curses under his breath. "Dammit, I thought we'd have more time. Alright, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Go inform Newborn that I'll be there in a few minutes. Let him know that I want her stable enough for questioning."
The soldier saluted. "I'll get it done right away, sir."
"See that you do, son."
The soldier made his way back through the portal. Tiberius shook his head and went back to directing the rest of the troops. First monster attacks and now this? And worst of all it wasn't even morning yet. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hopefully once he was done he would be passed out in bed with half a bottle of whiskey burning in his stomach.
Newborn's Lab, separate recovery room.
"Please, you don't understand! I need to see her!"
"Ma'am, for the last time, you're in no condition to be getting out of bed! You have multiple lacerations and are missing a damn leg!"
"I don't care! I know that you have my daughter and I demand that you let me see her!"
"I don't give a flying fuck who or where your daughter is! You are severely injured and will stay on that damn bed or so help me God I will not hesitate to put your fucking lights out!"
"I'd like to see you try, you cold hearted son of a bitch!"
"Enough."
Both the woman and the soldier ceased their yelling as they looked towards Newborn, who was currently standing near the door with his hands clasped behind his back and was staring at both occupants with barely concealed annoyance.
"Private Reynolds," he addressed the soldier. "While I appreciate the effort in making sure Miss Ur stays in her bed, threatening to 'put her lights out' will prove to be more of a hindrance than help. Therefore I politely request that you refrain from inflicting any bodily harm on her."
Reynolds scoffed derisively before making his way out of the room. "Whatever, Newborn. You seem to have the bitch under control so me and Hudson will leave her to you." Before he left he took a moment to look over his shoulder and give Ur a mocking grin. "Though if she starts acting up again, don't hesitate to call me."
"What was that?" she growled. Suddenly the room's lights began to flicker as her magical energy began building up.
Sensing the incoming danger, Newborn was quick to try and remedy the situation. "Thank you, Private Reynolds, you may leave now." The soldier chuckled and gave him a mock salute before closing the door behind him.
"Jackass," Ur scowled before crossing her arms over her chest. The lights ceased their flickering as her magic returned to normal. She then set her violet eyes on Newborn, who grabbed a nearby chair and made his way over to her. He stopped, however, as she suddenly held up a hand. "While I thank you for getting your rid of your annoying guard dog, that doesn't mean that I trust you. Just who the hell are you people? How am I still alive? And more importantly, where the hell are my kids?"
The lights once again began to flicker, but Newborn was far from scared.
"Who we are is a little bit hard to explain, but rest assured that we don't mean you or your kids any harm," he said in a calm tone. Ur raised an eyebrow at him but didn't lower her guard. "I would also like to apologize for Private Reynolds' behavior. Some of the soldiers tend to boast their bravado where it's not needed. As for how you're still alive? Well you're lucky that we were able to find you when we did. As you can already tell, you suffered numerous injuries including the loss of your right leg. Luckily a squad of our soldiers were able to find you and your two boys not long after that large creature disappeared."
Ur widened her eyes at that. "Large creature? You mean Deliora?!"
"Deliora? So that's what that creature is called?" Newborn asked in surprise.
Ur nodded her head. "Yes, but he isn't just any normal monster. He's an Etherious Demon created by the Black Wizard Zeref."
"A Demon?" Newborn had been expecting many things, but even he had to admit that the woman's explanation had been completely out of left field. "I hope you excuse my skepticism, Miss Ur, but a demon? Granted they are mentioned a lot in ancient myths and legends, but that's all they are; myths. Are you sure that it wasn't something else? Maybe some sort animal that was thought to be extinct?"
Ur simply stared back at Newborn with a look that said 'are you stupid?' "Listen, doctor, I know what I saw. That thing was no 'extinct animal' as you so kindly put it, because last time I checked, no normal animal is fifty feet tall and is able to destroys entire cities with just its bare hands."
"And last time I checked, Miss Ur, no demon is able to shoot out highly concentrated beams of pure energy out of their mouths that rival the destructive capabilities of an ICBM."
Ur had no idea what an 'ICBM' was but chose to ignore it. Instead she let out an amused snort. "I've learned that nothing is considered normal whenever Zeref is involved."
"You've mentioned that name twice now. Who exactly is this Zeref person?"
Now Ur was staring at him as if he had grown two heads. "What do you mean 'who is Zeref?' He was the most notoriously evil wizard in all of Earthland! How the hell could you not know who he is?"
"As you can probably tell, my associates and I aren't exactly from around here. So we don't exactly have any knowledge on your urban legends."
Ur snorted in amusement. "Well you must really be a long way from home if you don't even know who Zeref is. Speaking of which, where are you from anyway? Judging by your clothes you're obviously some sort of doctor, yet I don't recognize the uniforms of any of your soldiers. Are they apart of some special branch of the Rune Knights? Or are the some sort of private military organization hired by the Magic Council?"
Rune Knights? Magic Council? Interesting. Newborn filed the names away for later. He didn't want to go around revealing certain information to the woman that she had no business hearing, or else he'd never hear the end of it from Tiberius. "We'll try to answer what we can in due time. However, I believe that you wanted to know how your children are doing?"
Ur's color drained from her face as she realized she had momentarily forgotten about Gray and Lyon. And my daughter! "Oh my God, are they alright?! Please tell me they're safe! And my daughter! Please tell me you have my daughter!"
Newborn put up his hands in attempt to calm the distraught woman. "Please remain calm, Miss Ur. Yes, your two boys are indeed safe and are currently healing in separate rooms. As for your daughter…well she is safe but…"
"But what?! What's wrong with her?!"
Newborn sighed before once again pulling up a chair and sitting down near the bed. "While she's fine and healing physically, I'm afraid the same can't be said for her mental health."
Now Ur was getting hysteric. "What do you mean her mental health?! You know what, never mind! Just shut the hell up and take me to her already!"
He sighed and prepared himself, knowing this would likely bite him in the proverbial ass. "I'm afraid I can't, Miss Ur."
This time the room's lights shut off completely. Then one of the monitors Ur was hooked up to began to beep more intensely.
"And why the hell not?"
Newborn simply stared back into her eyes. "Because she doesn't want to see you. Nor does she want anything to do with you."
As if unconsciously using her magic, Ur froze on the spot. Though the lights were off, Newborn could see a faintest sign of tears leaking out of her wide eyes.
"What?" her voice was barely above a whisper.
Newborn sighed before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped under his chin. This was going to take a while.
Ultear's Room, one hour before.
"You found my mother?"
Ultear's voice was as dead as her eyes. The sound of it greatly unnerved the present squad members of Slaughter Boy, even Nine-Oh-Four's posture seemed to suggest that even he was on edge. The fact that the lights in the room were seemingly going haywire for no reason was also a huge cause for concern.
Though he was slightly freaked out by Ultear's sudden change in demeanor, Miles fixed the girl with a nervous smile before gently putting her hand on her small shoulder.
"That's right, Ulty! We saved her after she got attacked from a big scary monster. And it turns out that she's been looking for you! Isn't that great?"
"No."
Now Miles was completely shocked. Why wouldn't she be excited at seeing her mother again? "W-What do you mean, kid? Didn't you hear me? Your mother's been looking for you! She was really worried about you! Why the heck wouldn't you be excited to see her?"
Slowly, Ultear shifted her empty gaze towards Miles. "Because she abandoned me. She left me to die."
"What?" exclaimed Whales in a shocked voice, though there was also a hint of anger to it. "What do you mean she abandoned you? Why the hell would she do that?"
"Because she doesn't care about me. She never did." Tears started to pour down her eyes as her lips began to quiver. "S-She left m-me behind and t-then replaced me."
"Replaced you?" Cormac asked incredulously. Suddenly hid eyes widened in realization. "You mean those two boys that were with her? You think she replaced you with them?"
Ultear said nothing, only nodding as more tears escaped her eyes. Her small sniffles may has well have been as loud as gunshots considering how quiet the room was at the moment. Whales, deciding she couldn't take seeing Ultear like this anymore, quickly got up and engulfed the girl in gentle embrace. Ultear's body soon racked with quiet sobs as her head rested on Jennifer's shoulder.
"Look, this is obviously just a big misunderstanding," Cormac said softly. "Once your mother wakes up we can take you to go see her and-"
"NO!" Ultear shouted, making everyone in the room jump at her raised voice. "I don't want to see her! I don't want to see her EVER AGAIN!" her sobbing only increased in volume as her entire body shook like a leaf.
Whales, Miles, and Cormac could do nothing but stare at each other in silence. Nine-Oh-Four simply continued to stare at Ultear's sobbing form.
"David," Miles said softly as he turned towards Cormac, who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Could you go and get Newborn? I think we should let him know about this.
Cormac nodded before getting up and silently leaving the room. Meanwhile, Miles and Whales simply sat on the bed and continued to comfort the crying girl in somber silence.
Ur's Room, current time.
To say that Ur was having mixed emotions was a dramatic understatement. On one hand, she was relieved and overjoyed that her daughter was alive and safe. The one person who was more important to her than anything else in the world had been alive this whole and she never knew it. Which was unfortunately the reason why she was also absolutely disgusted with herself. Her daughter was alive and she never knew. Those monsters at the Bureau of Magical Development had lied to her, told her that her daughter was dead, and she believed them. That thought alone almost made her vomit self-disgust. They lied to her face and she believed it without putting up a single fight. And now her own daughter hated her because of her own stupidity. And she knew that she deserved it.
Newborn said nothing, simply sitting back and watching the wide range of emotions playing out on the woman's face. It wasn't like there was anything he could say. He wasn't a therapist by any means but even he knew better than to try to cheer someone else up with false comfort.
With nothing else left to say, he simply sighed before getting up and making his way towards the door. He would give the distraught woman some privacy before checking up on her later.
However, before he could grab the doorknob, she suddenly uttered something that made him stop in his tracks.
"Take me to her."
Newborn turned and looked back towards her with a raised eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me. Take me to my daughter."
He ran his hand down his face. "Miss Ur, I already told you-"
"Enough with the 'Miss' crap already," she hissed. "And I know what you told me, I heard it loud and clear." She took a moment to calm herself before speaking again. "I know that she hates me and wants nothing to do with me, God knows I deserve it. But how am I supposed to try and make it up to her if I can't talk to her? And before you start giving me more crap about my health, do I honestly look like I care? Right now the only thing that matters to me is seeing my child and hopefully getting the chance to hold her and tell her how sorry I am for not knowing she was alive this entire time. I want to tell her that I love her more than anything else in the world and will do anything to earn her forgiveness. Even if she never wants to see me again, I just want one last chance to tell her that I love her." She stared directly into his eyes and for a moment he could've sworn he felt some kind of hidden power behind those violet eyes of hers. A power that she was certainly not afraid to unleash.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, indeed he thought. And God help anyone who gets between a mother and her child. This brought out an amused chuckle. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do because Ur narrowed her eyes in anger, thinking that he was mocking her. He quickly brought up his hands in a placating gesture and shook his head, though a grin was still present of his face which momentarily confused her.
"Well someone certainly has a way with words," he said as he turned around and opened the door. Ur was about to say something but stopped when he turned towards her. "I must say, it takes a lot for someone to change my mind. You should feel proud. I'm not a man who's so easily convinced to do the opposite once I've set my mind on something. Congratulations." He gave her a wink for comedic effect which caused her to sputter indignantly while a blush swept over her face. This only caused him to laugh before turning back around.
Though deep down, he had to admit that seeing her embarrassed made her all the more appealing to his eyes.
He scowled and immediately banished those thoughts. He had more important things to worry about. "I'll let the doctors know that you're well enough to be moved and request for a wheelchair. I'll return shortly to run a few more tests and then I'll take you to see your daughter." He then moved to close the door behind him.
"Wait!"
With a sigh he turned back towards her, and was momentarily stunned to see her giving him a warm smile while a few stray tears came escaped her eyes.
"Thank You."
He gave her slight smile in return. "I'm simply doing my job, Miss Ur." This caused her to scowl but what he said next immediately shocked her. "No parent should ever be separated from their child. Believe me when I say that I know that all too well."
An uncomfortable silence fell between the two as no words were exchanged. For the first time since she met him, Ur took a quick moment to study his features. Too really look at him.
Dark brown was cut short on top of a thin, yet perfectly shaped head. His face was slightly pale and she could detect the hint of a five o' clock shadow around his jaw. His nose was small and she could even spot a few freckles that were peppered over his cheeks. Despite his slightly unkempt appearance, he was by no means ugly. In fact, if Ur had to be honest with herself, she would say that he was actually kind of handsome for someone who looked like he didn't get much sun. However, it was his eyes that caught her attention the most, which were a deep chocolate brown that were even a darker shade than his hair. They say that eyes were the window to the soul, and she could tell just by looking into his eyes that this man was a lot more than he let on.
Thinking that she had nothing more to say, Newborn was about to leave until her voice once again stopped him in his tracks.
"What's your name?" she asked softly.
He smiled once again and answered. "My name is Cameron Newborn, though you may simply call me Cameron if you wish."
"Cameron," she whispered to herself, though he was still able to hear her. Not that she needed to know that. She looked up and once again gave him a warm smile, though there was also a slightly playful glint in her eyes. "I see. I'll be sure to remember that. Thank you, Cameron."
"Like I said, I'm simply doing my job, Miss Ur."
"I told you to stop calling me, Miss! I'm not even that old!"
He laughed once again. "So you say," and with that he quickly made his way out and shut the door behind him. He pointedly ignored the stream of curses that she was screaming in his direction. He grinned and shook his head. Sometimes he wondered if he enjoyed his job a little too much even for his own liking.
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
"GYYAAAHHHHHH!"
"This would be a lot easier for you if you simply gave me what I asked for."
"GO TO HELL!"
"Your choice."
"GYYAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Pain surged through his entire body like hellfire. It was as if someone was forcibly opening every single pore on his skin and was dumping vats of molten magma into his veins. The pain was so intense he surprised that he hadn't simply dropped dead just from the feeling. But he knew why. He knew that they were simply toying with him, trying their best to get him to break. Every time he refused to speak, the pain would increase and he would scream until his voice finally gave out. They would bend him, sure, but never break.
Because Marines don't break no matter what kind of hellish torture they were put through.
The pain stopped and he was once again left in battered and slightly burned mess. Most of his clothing had either been torn or burned off during his first few 'interrogation' sessions. The only thing he had been left with were a pair of slightly burned Army BDU pants and his dog tags. However the metal only seemed to increase the pain as electricity coursed through his body and conducted through the metal. If he somehow managed to survive he honestly wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with a circular scar burned across his neck and chest. Though unfortunately that wouldn't be the only scar he'd end up with.
His well-toned chest, back, and pretty much every other exposed part of his body was now littered with lacerations and burn marks. Not only that but strangely enough there were also seemed to be a few imprints of what looked like suction cups one would see on tentacles that were also scattered on his chest and back. Said 'tentacles', however, were unfortunately the cause of his intense pain.
With what little strength he had left, he lifted his head to glare up at the grotesque looking creature that was currently grinning at him as it hung lazily upside down from the ceiling. The 'creature', if it could even be called that, looked like a fused hybrid between a poison dart frog and an octopus. Its slick, red skin was covered from head to tentacle with black spots while its underside was a light purple. Its beady yellow eyes stared into his own with what somehow looked be amusement, as if it was enjoying every second of the torture that it was giving him. Many of its slimy limbs were encircling his torso while two more circled themselves around his arms, which were currently handcuffed to a chain that hung from the ceiling. Despite the cool and wet temperature that the monster's appendages had, he knew for a fact that they could just as easily turn scalding hot with electricity at any time the creature chose. Or, at least, at any time its master commanded it to.
Speaking of masters…
He shifted his gaze over towards the person standing no more than a foot away from him and, for just a moment, simply stared. Because no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't help but feel captivated by her appearance.
The woman in front of him was what he considered to be beauty incarnate in literally every sense of the word. Porcelain skin as pale as snow yet not a single blemish or scratch could be seen on her. Her perfect hourglass figure, from her large, generous breasts to her curvaceously wide hips, all the way down to her thick and creamy thighs looked as though it were perfectly sculpted from the hands of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, herself. Her attire consisted of an exotic looking Japanese-styled kimono that was blue in color and littered with strange black symbols. The entire thing seemed to be just barely held together by a single dark green sash that was tied around her slim waist. Though even then the tight-fitting kimono seemed to be barely cling on to her voluptuous body as he could plainly see the generous amount of cleavage and the tops of her almost exposed breasts. He also managed to make out the tops of her thighs due to the kimono's parted slits at the sides of its bottom half. Lastly, the rest of her legs were also concealed in green, thigh-high stockings that connected to the bottoms of a pair of white sandals. He also noticed that the tops of her exposed shoulder were covered in strange tattoos. The same could be said for another strange symbol that was also tattooed to her forehead. Her angelic face was framed by a waterfall of purple hair that cascaded down to the center of her slender back. His eyes then traveled to her face which, in his opinion, was her most beautiful characteristic. Eyes the same color as her hair gazed back into his without a hint of emotion, followed by a small button nose that ended with a pair of thin and graceful lips that were set into a thin line, displaying neither satisfaction nor displeasure.
All in all, he couldn't help but feel as though he were in the presence of an angel every time he saw her.
But he knew better. He knew more than anyone that the woman in front of him wasn't an angel in the slightest.
The horns that protruded from the sides of her side was just the first indicator.
No, the woman in front of him was a Demon.
A sigh that was comparable to light wind breeze escaped her lips before she snapped her fingers. In an instant, the tentacles unwound from his body as the monster retracted its appendages and retreated back up towards the ceiling.
He wanted to speak but decided to keep silent as the woman sauntered over to him and gently grabbed his neatly shaven chin and brought up so that his eyes could meet hers.
"Do you think that I take pleasure in your suffering?" Her melodic, yet slightly sultry voice held no emotion as she gazed deeply into his brown eyes. "Do you think that I enjoy watching you squirm in pain like a dried up worm in the blazing hot sun?"
"Wouldn't put it past you if ya did," he grunted. She was close enough that he could barely feel the swell of her breasts pressing up against chest. He could also smell a slightest scent of lavender and mango that coated her flawless skin. "You're a demon ain't ya? Isn't it in your job description or whatever to enjoy seeing us 'lowly humans' suffer?" he asked with a pained grin.
She said nothing as she continued to stare at him, though she did unconsciously start to gently rub his cheek with her thumb. Even now when he was trying his damn hardest to stay conscious, he could say with a hundred percent certainty that he enjoyed the feeling, considering that it was probably the only feeling he would be getting that wasn't just straight up electricity. Well, that and the fact that she was practically pressing her nearly exposed breasts into his chest.
Suddenly, her hand released his chin before she turned around and began walking away. Even as the tentacles began encircling his body once again, he couldn't help but appreciate the slight shake of her hips before she turned back and faced him.
"I will admit, your kind of humans are certainly more resilient than the ones in Earthland. Dozens have stood where you are now and not even half of them have been able resist as much as you have. You're certainly quite a more interesting lot than they are. Disappointing really. Quite a few of us more than interested in seeing what your world is like. Myself, included." She gave another sigh. "Sadly we are forced to remain here with nothing but these even lesser humans for our amusement."
"Heh, well I'm flattered that ya think so highly of me," he spit some blood on the ground before gesturing towards the handcuffs. "Why don't ya come over here and get me outta this little mousetrap, then I'll gladly tell ya all you want to know about my planet. Ya know, just like we used to."
It may have been a trick of the light but he could've sworn that he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes before it immediately disappeared as if it were never there. "Apologies, but I'm afraid that time has long since passed. I only need one thing from you now, and all of this pain can end right now if you'd stop being so stubborn and just give it to me."
"Like I said earlier, sweetheart, ain't happenin'."
She clicked her teeth in annoyance before turning around and walking away. However, she stopped turned back hallway, and he was shocked to see her look at him with a pleading gaze.
"I won't kill you, Michael, but for your sake and mine, please just give it up."
"Seilah-"
"Don't." the walls surrounding them began to crack as an immense pressure filled the room. "Don't you dare try and guilt trip me, Michael. You know that it won't work." With that said, she continued her walk at a faster pace. "Yakdoriga, increase the voltage but make sure he's well enough to breathe. Lord Mard Geer still wants him alive for questioning when he returns."
He kept staring at her retreating until it completely disappeared from his line of sight. Even as electricity once again swept through his body with even greater ferocity.
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my Demons hide