CHAPTER 4
Nymph and Astraea picked themselves up and steadied themselves as best they could. Ikaros had paused momentarily, though it was unclear if it was due to her resisting Minos' conditioning or to repair her existing damage. Nymph used her sensors to scan Ikaros' condition.
"Ikaros is definitely putting up a fight, but Minos' program keeps reasserting itself." Nymph concluded. "I should be able to break it if we can get her to sit still. We'll have to disable her somehow."
Her musings were cut short as Ikaros released several waves of Artemis missiles from her wings. "Delta, circle us around!"
Astraea grabbed Nymph and strafed around Ikaros, causing the missiles to converge as they tracked her, narrowing their striking angle so that she could block them all with her shield. "Senpai, I think I can hold her down if I can get in close!"
Nymph nodded. "Wait for my opening, Delta!" She broke away, drawing some of the missiles with her. Positioning herself so that the incoming missiles were between her and Ikaros, she turned to face her elder sister.
"Paradise Song!" A stream of plasma emanated from her mouth, destroying the missiles in front of her. The stream continued towards Ikaros, who erected her own Aegis defense barrier. Though not quite as durable as Astraea's Aegis-L, it protected Ikaros from every angle and could remain active almost indefinitely. It was more than capable of dispersing Nymph's Paradise Song.
However, Ikaros could not fire Artemis out from Aegis as long as it was active. That was the opening Nymph planned for. "Delta, now!"
Ikaros dropped Aegis and prepared another Artemis wave, but Astraea had already reached her side. Astraea grappled with her sister, halting Ikaros' attack. Nymph moved in to begin hacking.
In response, Ikaros erected Aegis around both herself and Astraea, locking Nymph out. "Alpha, what are you doing?" Nymph cried.
Ikaros then fired Artemis from within Aegis, a suicidal tactic. The missiles traveled but a short distance before detonating on Aegis' interior, the force rebounding onto both Ikaros and Astraea from all sides.
"Of course," Nymph realized. "If Minos can't have Alpha, he wants her destroyed along with us!"
Aegis faded and the smoke from the explosions cleared. Both Ikaros and Astraea stumbled away from each other and dropped to their knees, breathing heavily. They had lost most of their armor and their wings were badly scorched. Flight would be limited at best, and Artemis was out of commission. Despite their damage neither of them were ready to quit just yet. Facing one another, they rose slowly but surely into their combat stances. Ikaros' superior regenerative abilities meant that she would still triumph in the long term. Nymph moved in to subdue Ikaros, but was swatted aside. Even in this state Ikaros was far superior to her in raw power.
"Senpai, my sword! I need my sword!" Astraea croaked.
Nymph looked up from the ground in confusion. "What? I can't just leave you here! And if you use Chrysaor on Alpha..."
"Ikaros-senpai wouldn't want to live like this. And senpai is strong. She'll make it, I know she will!"
"...All right." Nymph stood and turned away. "We're all walking away from this. Understand?"
"Yes, senpai. Let's go play in Mom's house after this." Astraea looked into Ikaros' eyes. "All of us."
Something briefly connected within Ikaros. For an instant, her mood seemed to lighten, her eyes smiling ever so slightly. It soon passed, and she advanced grimly toward Astraea as Nymph descended to the world below.
Daedalus stirred. She was aching all over, but at least she could move. She looked about to see Minos sitting across from her. The Harpies were beside him, having recovered from their loss against Astraea. Gamma-2 tended to a deep cut on Minos' scalp. He seemed eerily content, considering his earlier outburst.
"My dear, I only wish I'd known you'd be such a nuisance. I guess your tenacity is something to be commended." Minos snapped his fingers, and Gamma-1 hoisted Daedalus to her feet. "I wonder if your creations are doing as well."
Daedalus expressed her contempt through silence.
"Master," Gamma-2 interjected, "The wound is nearly dressed."
"Good. When you're done, let's see how those girls are enjoying their little play session."
Fortunately for Astraea her sword Chrysaor had not fallen far from Synapse. It did not take long for Nymph to locate it with her radar, and the breach in Synapse's barrier Nymph had created earlier was still open. She returned to see Astraea on the definite losing end of a melee with Ikaros.
Astraea's shield had been knocked a fair distance away. She was scoring a few good hits, but from her stumbling gait it was clear that her strength had almost been spent. In contrast, Ikaros was fighting with disciplined vigor and slowly recovering in spite of combat. Her wings had regained most of their form, enabling the use of Artemis. Nymph dived towards them.
"I'm here Delta! Hold on!"
Ikaros turned and locked her Artemis array onto Nymph. Astraea made a desperate lunge at Ikaros' flank. As Ikaros began to fire, Astraea tackled her to the ground. A handful of missiles had still been launched and were headed straight for Nymph, who tossed Chrysaor towards Astraea as quickly as she could. Nymph spun to the side and narrowly avoided a direct hit, but she could not escape the worst of the missiles' detonations. She was thrown out of control and tumbled painfully past her sisters.
"Forgive me, senpai!" Astraea snatched Chrysaor out of the air. Holding it in both hands, she charged the blade with most of her remaining energy and plunged it through Ikaros' abdomen, binding her to the earth.
Ikaros convulsed, coughing up synthetic blood. She twisted to and fro in a desperate attempt to free herself, even as her strength abandoned her. After one last pitiable spasm, she fell completely limp, all radiance fading from her tarnished wings. She lay still for what seemed like an eternity to Astraea. Finally, Ikaros drew a labored breath. She slowly turned her head towards her vanquisher. Ikaros' eyes flickered between red and green, and her expression had softened. The trauma had disrupted the conditioning enough for Ikaros to momentarily regain her senses. It was all she could do to whisper, "Thank you."
Nymph staggered over to where her elder sister lay. She was barely able to move after taking those blasts, but one more task had to be accomplished. Placing her hand on Ikaros' forehead, she began purging her of Minos' alterations. Astraea carefully removed Chrysaor from Ikaros and held Ikaros' hand protectively.
As Nymph completed the restoration of Ikaros' original programming, Ikaros peacefully closed her eyes and entered passive recovery mode. The wound in her stomach slowly began to knit itself together. It would nonetheless be a few days before she regained full mobility. She had also lost her imprinting with Daedalus, but that could be renewed once she was well again.
Nymph and Astraea looked at each other and smiled. They had made it.
"I must congratulate you on a spectacular climax!"
Nymph and Astraea whirled around to see Minos and his Harpies hovering above them. Gamma-1 had Daedalus restrained, while Gamma-2 held her cannon to Daedalus' temple.
"Mom!" they both screamed.
"To think that all of you would actually survive." Minos turned towards Daedalus. "Your children have impressed me, and I do not make such statements lightly. In fact, I'm willing to extend to you the opportunity of a lifetime." He leaned in close to Daedalus' face. "Make them mine, and all of you might yet survive through this coming age."
"What? No! My children, flee!" Daedalus cried. Gamma-2 pressed her weapon against Daedalus' head.
"Look at them, my dear. They can barely stand, much less fly. How far do you think they'd get before my Harpies could cut them down? And I don't believe that the Uranus Queen is in any condition to go anywhere at all."
"It's okay Mom," Nymph said through tears of grief.
Astraea nodded. "We'll save you someday! For sure!"
Minos scoffed while Daedalus solemnly extended her hand. Nymph and Astraea's chains extended to their full lengths, flowing from their collars to her grasp. As Daedalus released them, the chains floated over to Minos, who gleefully took them in his fist.
Nymph and Astraea fell silent. They turned to face Minos, and bowed deeply. "What is your bidding, master?" they both intoned. Daedalus could only look away.
Minos grinned victoriously. "My Harpies, return Daedalus to house arrest. As for my two new servants, I might have to take some extra steps to ensure your loyalty. You shall report for reconditioning." He focused a threatening gaze on Nymph. "After I have Beta disciplined for marring my perfect visage, of course."
Nymph winced. Astraea placed a hand on her in consolation. "What about Ikaros-senpai?" Astraea asked sheepishly.
"Hmm." Minos stroked his chin in thought. "A Uranus Queen that lacks imprinting may prove a challenge to subdue. She will have her memories sealed, and her body stored at the far edge of Synapse until proper measures can be taken. But that is a task that can wait 'till pleasantries are concluded." Minos beckoned towards them. "Now come, my dears. Your new lives await."
