WARNING: This is a Nanoha-Fate Fic and it is rated M for strong or violent content and sexual encounters between two females. If this kind of content offends you in any way, if you are easily upset by explicit violent or sexual scenes or if you don't have the age for reading M content, please don't read.
DISCLAIMER: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's characters belong to their authors. Plot belongs to Aleksei Volken & Galadan. All the characters and situations described in this fic are fictional. Any similarity with real people or situation is not intentional and purely coincidental.
-X-
The Legacy (English Version by Aleksei Volken and HikariFate)
Chapter 6. Putting two and two together (I).
"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter." Ernest Hemingway
-X-
TSAB Headquarter, Unit Six Offices, Special Unit Against Violent Crimes, Midchilda, 21thDay 12th Month, 21:00 hrs.
+++ Beginning of File +++
Subject: Takamachi, Nanoha
…28 years old …Female …IQ = 130
Family
Father: Takamachi, Shiro, age 62… former soldier, appointed to the Army special operations. Retired… File at the armed forces: Classified.
Mother: Takamachi, Momoko, age 60… former undercover agent. TSAB Intelligence Division, counterintelligence subsection. Retired… File *** Classified. Authorization level 9.
Siblings:
Takamachi, Kyoya, 32, architect, martial arts expert, married to Tsukimura, Shinobu. Children: two. No relationship with the armed forces or the TSAB.
Takamachi, Miyuki, 31, aeronautical engineer, martial arts expert, single. No relationship with the armed forces or the TSAB.
Personal References: Tsukimura, Suzuka: roommate. Bannings, Arisa: roommate. No relationship with the armed forces or the TSAB.
Known Relationships: none.
Professional Summary: Applied Sciences with Neuroscience specialization… Psychology and Neuropsychology Major… Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience (completed)… Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience (in process).
Current Position: Assistant-researcher at the Laboratory of Applied Neuroscience at the University of Midchilda. Supervisor: Dr. Jail Scaglietti.
TSAB Status: Expert adviser for the Tactical Division, Subdivision of Special Units.
Temporary Assignment: Section Six, Special Unit VI - Violent Crimes.
Superior: Enforcer Fate Testarossa Harlaown.
+++ End of File +++
Fate slowly lowered the device from which she had been reading over her desk. "Damn you, Hayate," she thought. Her favorite 'Colonel' had known all along what was at hand; surely from the very moment that Fate had asked for the authorization for Nanoha and Scaglietti to enter the TSAB, Hayate must have read what she had in her hands right now and probably more, much more. That was the summary that she could see. Hayate had an authorization level much higher than hers.
Looking back at Nanoha's family information, Fate wondered how much Nanoha knew about the "professional" past of her parents or if she even knew about it. According to what Fate could see, they had retired at a very young age, about the same age she was now. They had retired and changed their lives completely; it certainly was a significant decision. Hayate probably knew more about it and that was another reason why she had chosen Nanoha over Scaglietti to collaborate with them.
"I should've known." Fate muttered.
"What… Agent?" A somewhat timid voice reached Fate from the side and she turned to find a pair of blue eyes looking at her intrigued.
After the tense moment in the morning, Nanoha had returned to addressing Fate as "Agent". Needless to say, she still resented how Fate had talked to her.
"No… nothing. I'm just checking some documents." Fate quickly answered, closing Nanoha's file on her device.
"Do you usually talk to yourself when you work?" Nanoha asked, still serious but with a hint of amusement in her voice that made Fate blush slightly.
The best defense is the offense, so clearing her throat slightly, Fate decided to ignore the question and rather throw another one to her newest subordinate.
"How are you doing with all the records from the Yazawa scene that I requested? We'll have a review meeting with Colonel Yagami in about 30 minutes."
Nanoha was about to answer Fate's question when the cell phone she had just taken out of her pocket, to send a message to Suzuka and Arisa (with whom she hadn't been able to communicate all day), started ringing. The redhead looked at it quickly and then grimace, almost hitting herself with the device seeing who was calling, "Yuuno-kun!... I completely forgot about him! I didn't even call him to let him know I couldn't meet with him! Nanoha you idiot, Idiot!"
On her phone also appeared the five missed calls she had from the same Yuuno.
Embarrassed, she gestured Fate to wait a moment, then turned to have some privacy since she had decided to answer, she at least owned that to the boy.
"Uh, yes… hello… Hi Yuuno-kun," Nanoha answered, trying to think of what to say.
"Yes, I'm sorry Yuuno-kun, something came up unexpectedly at work… I couldn't even call you…"
"Yes, I understand… and I'm really sorry…"
As the conversation continued with Nanoha apologizing on every sentence, Fate couldn't help but arch an eyebrow; maybe the file was not quite right and she would have to investigate whether the girl was dating someone. "And what does that have to do with you, what do you care? Her job here is temporary… it doesn't matter who she dates or if it shows or not in the dossier." But a part of Fate's mind told her that such a thing couldn't be overseen by them, the TSAB always had every angle covered. "Maybe it's something recent" Fate kept on thinking and that's why it didn't appear in the dossier… however, despite her apprehension, she found herself bothered by the redhead's constant apologies. Yeah, yeah, she had forgotten something about the guy, so? Why the big fuss?
"Yes, we'll go out some other time Yuuno-kun… er… no, for now I don't know when I'll be able to… I mean, when I'll be free… I'm a bit busy lately…" Nanoha continued with her explanations that didn't explain anything really.
"If she apologizes again…" Fate thought annoyed.
"I'm sorry, Yuuno-kun." Nanoha said and Fate rested her forehead on her clenched hands trying to control the irrational anger that she felt by just listening to the brilliant scientist apologizing for the umpteenth time.
To Fate's relief the call ended and Nanoha turned around to meet a pair of hard cold crimson eyes staring at her with something akin to anger.
"Uh… I…"
"Don't say anything!..." Fate interrupted, her voice a bit too high. Realizing it, she stretched her hands in front of her to calm herself, continuing more calmed, "Don't apologize, please, if that's what you were going to say, please don't."
Nanoha was silent for a moment, and making an effort not to apologize, she tried to explain.
"I had some things planned for the weekend but, with the untimely call from Colonel Yagami so early in the morning I didn't have time to cancel."
"A date with your boyfriend?" Came a voice from behind her. A voice that they both knew too well.
"Colonel…" Nanoha said turning to meet a pair of blue eyes, that unlike Fate's, were not angry but amused. "Not, it was just an outing with a friend, I forgot to cancel and… well, he had been worried about me."
"I see," and moving towards them she said with a fake sad smile, "I'm sorry I spoiled your plans for the weekend." Fate could see that her boss, and friend, wasn't sorry in the least, "but your support here has been very helpful so far. Let's go to the meeting room with the others to recap the day, I have understood that you and Shamal are going to have a lot of work tonight."
"Yes, tomorrow will be the day we awake Vivio and we hope everything goes as planned." Nanoha answered enthusiastically.
The day had been intense since they arrived at Roshtaria for the first encounter with the unfortunate Yazawa family.
After Nanoha had laid out her hypothesis of a murderer with a personality disorder, she, Shamal and Signum had gone down to work on collecting all the information needed by the researcher to support her analysis. They had asked the forensic people to take photos that they usually didn't take and Nanoha, just like Fate, had visited the rooms over and over again, looking around every corner of the house taking notes, analyzing and constructing hypothesis in a red notebook she carried. Fate, although busy supervising the teams at the scene, the field investigators and the team that had stayed in Midchilda, found herself looking for the redheaded researcher from time to time. At first, she thought of it as one more of the activities being supervised but after a while she had to admit that she liked seeing Nanoha work, she like seeing how she moved and how her face looked like when she was deeply concentrated.
It was already early afternoon when they got back on the helicopter that took them back to the TSAB headquarters where they would integrate everything.
Everyone was already gathered in the meeting room waiting, when Hayate, Fate and Nanoha entered. Fate, as the agent assigned to the case, took the initiative in the recapitulation.
"Let's start with Shamal," Fate said, expectant to hear what they had found in the scene.
Shamal first explained the results of the autopsies from the Yazawa scene. As suspected, Hideoshi Yazawa, Dr. Filith's husband had been the last to die. According to the information obtained during the investigation, the first injuries made happened between one and one-thirty in the morning but the time of death was determined to be around five o'clock. The first one to die was Dr. Yazawa's daughter. Shamal explained that in the case of the Alpine family the situation had been the same, the couple's children had been the ones to die first and Logan Alpine was the last.
"We have a pattern then, for some reason he lets the Fathers live until the end. What about the other cases?" Fate asked, her eyes with a bright spark in them, maybe they could find a way to get out of that maze, they just needed a lead to follow.
"I still haven't received the information from the family of Dr. Mariel Atenza, but all the other cases are the same. I'm pretty sure we'll get the same results from the case of the Atenza's murder."
Fate quickly looked at Nanoha, she couldn't think of way in which that information could help them find a way to get to the murderer but she hoped that the scientist would think of something. The redhead was writing something in her notebook with that scowl of concentration that Fate loved.
"What about the bodies of the agents Reinard and Lacroix, were they finally found?" Fate asked, scolding herself for the distraction and turning her attention back to Shamal.
"No, Fate. The bodies of the field agents who were protecting the Yazawa family have not been found yet. The field teams are still searching using canine brigades, but still there's nothing."
But that was not their only concern. Shamal's attitude when she grabbed the results of an autopsy told Fate that the next thing the scientist was about to tell them would not be pleasant… at all.
"We initially thought that the murderer had not left a message, at least not one explicitly written in the scene. And indeed we didn't find anything in the house. When we performed the first check-up of the bodies at the scene we didn't notice it, in fact, not even the medical examiner detected it in the first general revision. I must say that the forensic team focused mainly on the bodies of Dr. Yazawa and her husband. But a few hours ago, Dr. Kanzaki called me about a "detail" in the body of Dr. Yazawa's daughter."
"And what is it, Shamal?" Fate asked calmly, at least on the outside.
Shamal activated the huge screen in the room to show the photograph of the body of Kaede Yazawa, the girl who was murdered along with her entire family. She was a couple of years older than the Alpine twins but she was still a child to Fate and to everyone. Fate was not immune to any murder or death, but when the bodies belonged to children, a piece of her heart died with them and a cold anger spread inside her, from the center of her whole being towards her entire body. She had been part of a massacre as a child and had somehow survived. The children, victims of this murderer, had not had the same "luck".
"Kaede Yazawa died from internal injuries cause by the penetration of a sharp metal object, of at least 60 centimeters length…"
"You mean…" Fate didn't finish.
"Yes, in a similar way as what happened to Dr. Yazawa, with the only difference that the object used in the doctor's husband wasn't as long. It took longer for the mother to bleed to death because there was no damage to vital organs that were… so deep."
Fate and everyone else could imagine what such an object could do.
"Dr. Kanzaki found this inserted in the chest of the victim while performing the autopsy."
Shamal then showed the next picture. A small square made of some sort of transparent material with clear letters engraved in black. A message… undeniably for Fate.
"She didn't deserve to live… not like you, Fate."
Fate shuddered at the sight of it. Then the murderer, that murderer, didn't just referred to her in his first message, but he also knew much more about her. Too much.
"What does that message mean?" Nanoha asked then. That was something that no one outside of Fate's team knew. And of course, no one had bothered to tell Nanoha anything about it and she was completely bewildered.
Shamal looked at Hayate seeking for approval. But it was Hayate who took the initiative. "One aspect that had been reserved until now Dr. Takamachi, is that in the previous scene, the murderer left a message… and it seems, he did so again."
"The fact that the murderer leaves messages completely changes the profile I'm creating. Do you have any idea how important that is?" She said, amazed that they hadn't mention such an important thing before, looking between Hayate and Fate. "Besides, you're not suggesting that he explicitly refers to agent Testarossa, right?" Nanoha was still surprised and bewildered.
"We weren't completely sure… until now" Hayate added looking at Fate who had her jaw clenched staring at the message on the screen and still without saying a word.
"But, how can you be so sure?" Nanoha insisted, looking now at Fate, scared of what she saw in the eyes of the blonde.
Hayate tried to speak but was interrupted by Fate standing up, addressing Nanoha but still staring at the screen. Her voice cold as ice.
"They are about me, Miss Takamachi. That's all you need to know. Shamal give the details of the Alpine scene to Ms. Takamachi." After that order she turned to face Nanoha, crimson eyes equaling the coldness in her voice. "We need you to take those messages into consideration for the development of the profile you mentioned. And we need it fast."
"Signum, Zafira, I need you to review all my files. Everything, absolutely everything since 2020, older ones if needed. I'll work with you, anything that's necessary."
"Fate," Hayate called her understanding what her friend was thinking. "Wait, the message may be intended for you, but we're not sure that all this has to do with you."
Fate looked at her harshly. "It has EVERYTHING to do with me."
"I don't understand what's going on, but there's something very wrong here. Agent, Colonel, maybe you think something like this might be irrelevant but if you really want me to provide a detail profile of the person we are looking for, then NOTHING is irrelevant." Nanoha was worried and puzzled by Fate's reaction, logic told her to wait but she couldn't just stay still.
"Fate, there's something else," Signum said, the only person other than Nanoha who dared to break the tense atmosphere in the room and address Fate fearlessly. "which makes us think that Hayate might be right."
"What is it?" Fate asked not really believing it.
Signum then showed on the screen the photographs of all the researchers involved in the Sankt Kaiser research, both those who were killed and those who weren't.
"All the researchers in the group have, or had, a family. Except for two."
She selected two photos on the screen enlarging them.
"Zest Grangaitz and Jail Scaglietti."
"We've already ruled out Scaglietti, we confirmed that he was in his lab at the time of the Alpine murder," Alto said precisely at that moment, looking at Nanoha who had been the one to make the data compilation. "But we still haven't been able to locate Dr. Zest Grangaitz."
It only took Fate a few seconds to consider the possibilities.
"Miss Takamachi, we need you to compare the information in your profile with all the information available about Dr. Grangaitz and then tells us if there is a chance he could be the murderer," without waiting for an answer, Fate continued giving orders.
"Regardless of Miss Takamachi's profile, Alto… our number one priority right now is to find Grangaitz… Signum, Zafira, along with all my background, check Grangaitz's as well…"
"Eh… wait," Nanoha tried to say, but Fate wasn't listening, much less looking at her.
"Lucino, Alto, we need more information about Grangaitz, we have to check every detail about him. We might need special authorization to do so but I'm sure Hayate can help you with that…"
"Agent Testarossa…" Nanoha kept trying, but Fate simply couldn't stop. Even though she was very under control and completely submerged in the case as always, Fate felt as if something was about to break inside of her. She had to keep going, keep moving, because if she stopped, that something could break irreparably.
"Verossa, Griffith… we need to discuss the following…"
Nanoha turned to Hayate looking for help but the Commander just sat there, arms crossed, watching Fate. She knew what she was going through and also what she was doing. Taking control in the only way she could and knew how. Hayate's gesture towards Nanoha said "it's okay, do the best you can," but Fate's attitude wasn't helping.
"Ms. Takamachi, something very important is…"
"Doctor," Nanoha interrupted loudly, looking at Fate with a dangerous glint in her eyes. She was tired of Fate's attitude and for the first time in the last few minutes Fate finally seemed to look at her.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, it's Doctor," Nanoha said emphasizing each letter. "Takamachi not Miss. If you're not going to keep your word… Agent Testarossa, and you'll rather forget our truce, at least have the decency to address me properly."
Fate narrowed her eyes seeing the girl watching her defiantly. They were in the middle of an important meeting with all of Fate's team, along with a few fellow researchers and her boss, and she interrupted her just to clarify her title?
"Very well, Doctor Takamachi… before you interrupted me I was trying to tell you…"
"No," Nanoha interrupted again, "you're not going to say anything until someone explains to me what's going on here. I need to know why you're so sure these messages are for you."
Fate angrily pursed her lips, Nanoha was looking at her stubbornly and they were once again trapped in duel of wills.
"You don't need to know. You have the messages and the certainty that they are for me. That's it, period." Fate tried to sound as convincing as possible and any other person would have felt intimidated under the gaze that Fate was giving the redhead, but she apparently was immune to it.
"And what is the basis of such statement?" Nanoha asked arching her eyebrows. "I didn't know that you were also an expert in that field."
Fate was silent, her jaw tense and fist clenched at her sides. She looked at Hayate but the Colonel was just waiting to see how she handled the situation, Fate knew it. Nanoha was her responsibility and in that aspect, Hayate was relentless.
The next thing she did left everyone frozen.
She took a folder with all the information about the murdered researchers gathered in it, including one file that was very personal to her. Before the meeting she had considered sharing that information with Nanoha to know her point of view of the situation, but she certainly never thought she would have to do it under such circumstances. In one swift movement she threw the folder on the table towards Nanoha's place.
"That's the information we believe will require analysis, it's about all the researchers who have been killed up to date. The first case corresponds to Dr. Precia Testarossa. She was my mother. And you are right, I can't say I'm an expert, but I have some… experience."
She said everything with a cold voice, disconnected, distant.
"Review the information and get ready along with Shamal for the protocol of Vivio's reanimation tomorrow morning. We need to talk to her."
After that she silently waited while Nanoha remained undaunted watching the folder on the table, trying to absorb what she had just heard.
Since Nanoha said nothing more, Fate concluded. "Everyone has their orders… would there be anything else to add… Colonel?"
"Everyone can leave to complete their assignments," Hayate said after a few seconds.
Fate was preparing to leave before anyone else but Hayate's soft voice stopped her.
"Fate, wait a minute, please."
Nanoha had not moved from her place, still standing by the table in the room, touching the folder near her.
With a slight gesture, Hayate told Signum to shut the door when she left after the whole group.
After a few moments, Hayate first addressed Nanoha.
"I understand you are a civilian Dr. Takamachi, and we really appreciate your support in this case. Your contributions this morning have led us to possibilities we would've never imagined and your help will be fundamental for our survivor and possibly, only witness. Now more than ever, she's very important."
Hayate paused, standing up, since the other two women were still standing in place. Fate cold and still as an iceberg and Nanoha visibly ashamed and dismayed.
"But there is a way of doing things, a sort of protocol that you definitely need to learn. One never questions a superior in front of other team members," She looked at Fate with a bit of amusement continuing, "I know that Agent Testarossa is not the best example to follow in that matter, but please, try not to learn from those bad… habits."
Unfortunately for Hayate, her comment hadn't caused the slightest reaction in Fate.
"I'm really sorry…" Nanoha said at last, apparently regaining the use of her voice. "It's just that at times…"
"Oh! I know. I know that our star Agent can be exasperating at times, that's a part of what makes her so good at her job… and at other not so convenient things."
"Fate," Hayate waited until Fate looked at her to continue, "I don't know what the problem is between you two, but Dr. Takamachi is part of your team now and we have at hand the most difficult case that we've ever faced. So fix the problem and do it… now."
There was no humor in Hayate's voice at her last statement. Fate knew it hadn't been a suggestion and noticed the slight glimmer of sadness in Hayate's eyes as she got up and headed to the door. She also felt bad when Hayate had to order her in that way.
"And Fate, you and I will have a little talk later. Look for me in my office when you're done." With a sigh she opened the door and left saying, "This will be a long night."
In more than one way, Fate understood Hayate. The majority of the pressure lay on her and in reality, Hayate was trusting in Fate's judgment and ability to solve the case despite the doubts that other people could have and despite all those ghosts that Fate had to face in the process. She had demanded to stay in the case and she had to respond to that trust.
"Fate, I'm very sorry…" Nanoha started, pulling Fate out of her thoughts, but she only answered by asking coldly,
"Don't you ever get tired of apologizing?" Fate looked at her, after Hayate's speech and everyone leaving the room she had managed to internally calm down, but she still felt a cold rage emanating from her. Too many things were happening right now like to know or wonder why that woman had the gift to break her composure so easily, but such thing was not a luxury she could afford at the time.
"You're right, if I didn't let myself get carried away by my impulses maybe I wouldn't have to apologize but I want to tell you that… I worry about you." Nanoha wanted to explain to Fate that from the first moment she set foot on the TSAB with Dr. Scaglietti, no… from the first moment she saw her eyes that first night, she had noticed the veil of sadness in them and had wanted to know the reason behind so much sadness, so much pain. And perhaps now she understood a little better where all that sadness came from, even if she didn't learn about it the way she would have wanted to.
"I want to help…" and she bit he lip to keep herself from saying the last word, "you"; since Fate didn't seemed in the best mood to heard that.
"The best way you can help is by doing what I asked you to," Fate said, her intense gaze on her, "If you can provide us with a profile of the kind of man we're looking for and we can successfully reanimate Vivio, that would be…"
Fate shook her head trying to find the right word but none seemed appropriate enough.
"… You have no idea how important it would be."
Nanoha stared at Fate feeling something hurting inside her. She had behaved like an idiot in her eagerness to learn the truth and had driven Fate away from her.
Taking the folder on the table, despite what her rational mind told her, she let herself get carried away by her impulses again and walked around the table to approach Fate.
"I'm really sorry… about your mother, Fate." She touched her arm with unsure fingers. "I would have rather learned about it in some other way, but I understand my responsibility in your reaction. I assure you it won't happen again, I won't question you like that again. But could you… could you trust me… please?"
Fate looked at her, still distant, but also puzzled.
Steeling herself, Nanoha decided to explain it a little more clearly.
"Since I arrived at the Section Six, I have the impression that you don't want me here and you've done everything possible to keep me away. I want to help by doing what you've asked me to, but I can't' do that if you don't trust me. I don't want to have to confront you every time, I assume you don't want that either but… you work so hard to keep me out…"
Fate held her breath in surprise, she didn't expect such a direct statement from Nanoha, and somehow she was right. Fate didn't want her there, but not because she didn't trust her, the redhead exuded a sense of sincerity and honesty that was hard to ignore. She didn't want her there for other reasons. She didn't want her to see how dark human nature could be sometimes, she didn't want her to see what came out of that darkness and most of all, she didn't want her to see her own darkness. She didn't want that girl to see the ghosts from the past that still haunted her even after all those years.
"It's not personal Nanoha," Fate finally said as she stared into blue eyes that seemed lighter at that moment. "It's true, I'd rather you were not involved but that's just because I don't like to involve civilians that could end up hurt by what we do, although I do value the contributions you can make."
Nanoha felt a little disappointed with the answer. Fate wouldn't let her in so easily, she had expected that to some extent. What she didn't expect was the coldness with which Fate kept on treating her.
Nodding, she decided to give Fate some space, and do what she had asked. If that was the only way she could help her at that moment, then she would. But she wouldn't abandon her efforts to get closer to her.
"I'll go meet with Agent Shamal." Nanoha informed her before leaving, tightly holding the folder in her arms.
Fate stayed a while longer in the meeting room after Nanoha left, thinking. Several thoughts raced through her mind, the murderer's messages, the images of the crime scenes, the memories of her mother and sister, Nanoha's pained look in her eyes, her silhouette leaving the room and the emptiness she had felt when the redhead left. She shook her head trying to clear her mind when Signum and Hayate entered hastily, their expressions, usually calm under any circumstances, were uncharacteristically disrupt.
"The bodies of the agents Reinard and Lacroix appeared." Fate heard Hayate say and frowned wondering why such thing would have her friends so agitated; and she understood with horror when hearing the next sentence, "In my house… Vita just got there and found them."
Fate instantly stood up.
"Let's go, now" she said, already on the way.
T/N: Hello everyone, sorry for taking so long to post this chapter, I've just been too busy lately and well having two other stories to work on, it's not easy, believe me. But anyway, how are you liking the story so far? I think it's getting really interesting, with so much mystery and all. I'll try to work hard to get the next chapter up soon, but there's no promises, as I said before I'm very busy, but I'll keep on working hard. So thanks for reading and don't forget to review, they are always appreciated :)