"Mami-san, did anything happen? You look so tired…"
"I'm okay" Mami answered sheepishly "I just had a rough night."
That was the tenth colleague that asked her that, the first after lunch. She usually enjoyed talking to them, it took her mind off her problems, but this time, she just wasn't in the mood for it.
She sat at her desk, juggling a pencil in her left hand, gazing out the glass walls with empty eyes. Her mind wasn't there. All she saw in front of her was the cold ground she had invariably ended up on in the last week. First she was left out of the fight with the sniper that blew a hole through her hand, and then she was knocked cold while trying to hunt a witch. Twice.
When did I become so weak?, she thought. She raised her hand in front of her eyes, long healed without leaving a trace, but somehow she could still feel something in the back of her hand.
And in front of the girls as well… Heh, I don't deserve to call myself a mentor, do I?
The last one, however, had been the tipping point. She had simply lost it at the dessert witch's barrier. She couldn't recall herself being in such a state, overcome with anger. Her behavior had even scared Madoka.
But Homura's words to her…
"Before you fall asleep again, understand this: you would have died in that condemned building if it weren't for me, and the same would have happened here today. Do not make me your enemy. I have no intention to be yours."
Those words really made her think. So far, she figured Homura was simply trying to sabotage her. That was perfectly understandable: she knew well competition between Puellae Magi was commonplace. Then why would she say such a thing? She caught no hint of deceit in her words: was she really trying to save her? But most importantly, why?
But nonetheless… she couldn't stand it. None of that mattered. Who told Homura she needed to be saved, and couldn't take on the witches herself? And who the hell is she and who does she think she is to humiliate her like that? To disgrace her honor, right in front of Madoka and Sayaka, twice? And to leave her a Grief Seed out of pity? And to cause a mess to the point that it forced Sayaka to contract with Kyubey just to stay alive?
That stuck up black-haired bitch, I'm going to ki-
*crack*
Unknowingly, she was clenching her left hand so hand she broke the pencil in half, causing a number of surprised colleagues to look at her. She quickly dismissed them by saying it was just a bad memory she had. They accepted the explanation and went back to their chit-chat. Fortunately, none of them noticed the blood dripping from her hand: her nails drew blood from the palm of her hand.
No, this isn't right. Keep your cool, Mami.
As it was a small wound, she was able to heal it without using both her hands, and without any visible glow. She gazed at it, as the four small cuts vanished under her skin.
…what's happening to me?
She was finally brought back to reality by the arriving math teacher, who walked in the room with a bigger smile than usual. She wasn't the only one to notice, as her colleagues quickly began to take bets on the possible reason for it.
"Oh, his baseball team won, right?"
"I heard he's moving up to the executive council…"
"You saw the eighth grade teacher? You think they're fu-
"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone."
He waited for a few seconds before continuing.
"Now, before we begin, I have an announcement. This is something that would usually be done at homeroom, but there were schedule issues."
The teacher slowly raised his hand and gave a signal to the doorway, as if telling someone to come in. In a second, a figure appeared outside the room, and made its way in.
It was a rugged but young looking man, quite tall for the age he appeared to have. The ninth graders were not only surprised by that, but also because of his uncommon outfit. He wore western-style casual clothing, consisting of a black bomber jacket, wore open; blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a large black helmet in his right hand. Although it was obscured by the jacket, a careful eye could see a rather humorous stamp on the t-shirt: a triangular traffic sign with a figure holding a sniper rifle, with the inscription "SNIPER AT WORK" written below.
He walked up to the drawing board, with a perfect posture, wrote his name on the drawing board (having signaled to the teacher he intended to introduce himself), and addressed the class with a powerful, but polite and kind voice.
"Good afternoon, my name is Kazuhira Brito. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I study at Mitakihara Military Academy, and I will be attending some of yours and the eight grade's classes to collect data for a school project in Psychology. I hope you will welcome my presence among you."
"Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector."
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Against Destiny
Chapter 6
Angelus Custodiens
A few hours earlier…
"I see you've reached a decision."
She looked at her wrist watch, having to place a hand above her eyes, as the strong sun rays reflected on the glass. 12 PM sharp. I guess it should be expected, given his raising.
The flash green Kawasaki Ninja parked right besides her, filling the area with a light scent of gas. The rider shut down the engine, slammed the kickstand down, and hopped off. He removed his helmet, revealing himself to be the man from the other night.
Kazuhira, uh?
"Indeed, I have."
They exchanged looks for a second, with neither moving a muscle on their face, before he continued.
"I've decided to take upon your offer and watch over the Puellae Magi of this city, until the event you talk of."
"Thank you-
"However, know that I only do this for the greater good. Those poor girls… they are doomed. And we're only going to prolong their suffering… But if it's to save this city, and everyone in it, I cannot refuse."
"I understand your predicament. But you've made the right decision.
…and, before we continue, thanks. Your help yesterday was certainly welcome."
Homura did not display it, but she was relieved. She had thrown her plan for this timeline out the window, and gambled everything on his acceptance. It paid off. So far, that is.
"Don't mention it. If we're gonna do this, we need to preserve each other as well."
She nodded, and opened her bag, pulled out a notebook, and handed it to him.
"That's the information you'll need to keep an eye on them. You'll probably have some on Mami Tomoe, since you tracked her down, but it's important regardless."
He flipped through the pages. The first one had a mini-bio for Mami, along with a small picture glued to the top right corner. After it, several pages of assorted info, all written in a clean, concise and organized way, including a map of her house, usual routes, and even going as far as to detail his seat in her class.
"You certainly are… thorough."
Homura noticed the hint of awkwardness in his statement, but she decided to ignore it. Kazuhira flipped a few more pages, until he stumbled upon a page written in the same style as the first, separated from the rest by a bookmark. And as with the first, there was a photo glued to the top right corner. And it was again a familiar one.
A blue-haired girl.
"This girl… Sayaka Miki…
"She was inside the barrier, yesterday. I couldn't get to her in time. I'm sorry."
He tried to say "its okay" or "it's not your fault", but he couldn't. Another innocent girl, condemned to life in hell. Damn.
"You should be especially careful with her. She can be… unpredictable."
Kazuhira nodded, and continued reading, finding the same sort of information on Sayaka as well. After that, there was an extra file about a girl called Kyouko, but it was marked "Not local. May appear at random times".
So, three girls, four with her. That's not too bad, I feared there'd be more.
Closing the notebook from the middle, he place it beneath his arm, and retrieved school supplies of his own from a large black sports bag he wore around the shoulder.
Homura raised an eyebrow. She was really making the effort to express her emotions, in this case surprise, to him, instead of repressing them. By now, she was used to clench her fist or throw her hair back instead, whenever she had a stronger feeling of any kind.
"I have an additional plan, if you don't mind."
In order to dispel her surprise, he explained his plan. He was going to join Mami's class with the excuse that he was working on a school project on Psychology: with Sayaka now thrown into the mix, he would observe her classes as well, even though Homura was present there. He'd also try to approach them carefully: if Homura was to be a distant protector, he'd try to get close to them, even though he would have to assist them in battle without being uncovered, if possible.
"I see. It's an acceptable plan indeed, but… can you do it? You've been living in hell for a while now. I know how it should be hard for you to socialize with others…"
And she had a very good example.
"Despite everything that happened… I cannot let it affect my morale. Rika would have never forgiven me if I had lost my cheerfulness. If it happens, that's the end. Trust me, I can do it. If anything, it'll be a nice break from the fighting."
He said this with a large smile in his face. His mental strength is truly amazing, Homura thought.
"And will the school accept it?"
"They've already accepted over the phone. Its common practice for Psychology students to make this kind of study, and the school's okay with it. I should know, one of my sister's friends wouldn't shut up a about her time here."
"But you're not really a student in the Military Academy…"
"I used to be." He replied, clearly nostalgic. "But I doubt they'll check it anyway, different schools do this all the time. In the case they do, I can forge some documents. My dad told me one day it would be a useful skill… he was damn right."
He threw her the sports bag, which she promptly caught: although she could handle it easily, it was quite heavy: a regular person would have been encumbered.
"Take it, it's yours. I figured that, since we're working together, I should provide you with some equipment, just as you gave me this information just now. Nothing too fancy, but it will help. Although… you probably shouldn't open it here."
Homura opened the zipper just slightly: inside, she could spot the barrel of a large weapon and several smaller, indistinguishable pieces of equipment.
Doesn't smell like gunpowder, or plastic explosive. Good.
"Thanks."
Kazuhira looked at his wristwatch.
"Well… I'll go get some lunch, and I'll come back after to introduce myself. I suppose you don't want to accompany me?"
"It would be suspicious if we were seen together."
"Right…" he answered, rolling his eyes.
"But in other circumstances, I might be inclined to accept."
Homura surprised even herself, as she said that.
"Good, but… why do you say that?"
"You intrigue me. We are… alike. We know the truth about this world, but endure to fight against it nonetheless, as we have something to protect to the point where we are willing to give our lives for-
"You are nothing like me."
His jolly face darkened instantly, and he turned his back on her.
"We may both fight to protect what we hold dear, but… you can still save the one you want to protect the most. I've lost that opportunity long ago."
What? When did he-
"I saw it. At the rundown building, you kept your cool even as I hit Mami Tomoe's hand, but when that pink-haired girl was injured, you looked at her with sheer fear. She's the one you want to protect the most."
Tsk…
"And you can still do it. You still have that chance. So until you've lost her for good, don't say you're like me. You don't know what it's like, to carry on her will, to feel her pain, but to never be able to hug her…"
Away from her sight, he cleaned a tear that fell from his right eye, and mounted the bike.
"Sorry… sorry if I was too harsh. But I had to make you understand."
Kazuhira's words had broken Homura's iron wall, and he saw her looking down, with tearful eyes, just momentarily, before she regained her composure the next instant.
"Tell me… what's her name?"
"…Madoka. Madoka Kaname."
"Homura Akemi… I promise you, I'll help you protect Madoka. I may have failed myself, but I will not allow you to fail. For my sake. For your sake. For Rika's sake."
He pushed the kickstand back into he bike's body, put his black helmet back on, and started the engine, pulling away from the cobbled sidewalk.
"So that you don't become like me."
You will fight, uh?
"Psst. What are you doing?"
"Taking notes."
"Yeah, right. And my hair isn't actually blue, I just got hit by a falling bucket of paint."
With years of experience in the fine art of slacking in class, there is no way she would be fooled by such a sloppy excuse.
"Fine… I'm reading poetry."
"Oooh, let me see. Or I'll tell the teacher that the mysterious student that popped up in the last class of the day, and who's supposed to be studying us, is slacking."
He rolled his eyes, and handed her a small, leather-covered poetry book, titled "Loveless", which he had carefully concealed behind several carefully placed sheets of paper.
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end
The goddess descends from the sky
Wings of light and dark spread afar
She guides us to bliss, her gift ever gasping…"
"Lasting. Everlasting."
"Yeah, that. This is heavy stuff, you like this?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"You're new here, and I'm curious. Simple."
"Well, you should be paying attention. You never know when…"
He went silent for a second, in order to hear what listen of what was happening up front: his argument was instantly rendered moot, however, as instead of lecturing, the teacher was torturing a poor student in the front row on how a salad should be properly presented.
"…well, that, might be useful."
Sayaka laughed at his embarrassed look.
"And you're the one telling me that? I caught you reading poetry in the middle of class. I'm younger than you, if I'm the one telling you to be responsible, something's wrong, no?"
Kazuhira let out a giggle of his own.
"Don't you worry about that, I've taken my notes long ago. It's easy."
"Easy?"
"To be honest… I don't actually have to be here all the time; I can collect data pretty quickly. But the project forces me to attend a large number of classes."
"Oh, yeah? Then please, indulge me with your masterful observations." She replied, while waving both her hands in the air.
"Well" He said, while retrieving his notes, and pointing at the subjects as he mentioned them.
"Most of the class is amused by your teacher's enthusiasm, and thus she manages to keep most of you interested; those two girls must be arguing for that boy across the room; that green-haired girl next to you must be worried about something, because she spent half the class looking out the window; that pink-haired one is trying hard, but can't understand most things; and you, young lady, you've spent a good part of class in the cloud kingdom."
"He… hehe…"
Sayaka's nervous laugh said everything. Busted!
The next instant, the bell rang, signaling the end of Kazuko's salad rant. She took a deep breath, and dismissed the class with a large smile. Kazuhira was instantly surrounded by a crowd curious students, asking him how was life in the military academy, his bike, and all sorts of other things. He answered them one by one, but without stopping: thus, he walked across half the school completely surrounded by mid-schoolers. And he started to wonder whether introducing himself to Mami's class first and leaving this one for last was a mistake.
Keep on walking. Do NOT stop: if you do, you die. Hehe.
He managed to survive until they reached to locker area, at which point the remaining few dispersed. Upon opening his assigned locker, which sat at the end of the hallway and still had the previous Psychology student's name on it, he wiped his forehead in relief. Safe.
"Don't worry, they're harmless."
It was Sayaka again, this time accompanied by a pink-haired girl. He clenched his fist as he saw her, and looked away, as he couldn't exchange looks with the other girl. Not only had he gravely injured her, but she was also the reason Homura Akemi fought onwards, despite knowing the truth… he couldn't help but to relate.
"Brito-san, right? Is there… something wrong?"
Being addressed by her didn't help. Nonetheless, he shook away those thoughts, and put up his regular, cheery face. Out of instinct, he also pulled up the jacket's zipper: it'd be for the best if she didn't see that t-shirt up close…
"No, nothing. And please, just Kaz is fine."
The pink-haired girl smiled back, and extended her hand.
"Kaz… it sounds very cool! I'm Madoka Kaname. Just call me Madoka!"
"Well, you certainly look cheerful."
"Uh-uh. I was injured in the head, and I had to wear my hair straight for some time to cover the bandages. But now I took them off, and I can wear my ribbons again. I'm so happy!"
Madoka's smile was pure and contagious, instantly filling both Kaz and Sayaka with happiness.
"And it's not often we someone with a bike." Sayaka said, returning tot he previous conversation, and pointing at his helmet. "And from the looks of that helmet, it's not a lame scooter either. You need to show it to me. I am so getting one of those when I can."
"Sayaka, bikes are dangerous…" Madoka replied, worried.
"But that danger is fun. And come on, I like walking with you, but sometimes I'd like to get places faster, you know? He can probably go anywhere in town in five minutes, while we have to walk everywhere. Right?"
He knew how to spot an opportunity.
"Actually… I'm leaving it in the parking lot overnight. I got distracted and forgot to fill her up on the way here, and now I don't have enough to get to the nearest station. I'm going to have to bring a canister tomorrow."
"Well, then, you can walk with us. Where do you live?"
Think, Kaz… where did Sayaka lived? It was on the map…
"The eastern district."
"Perfect, that's where I live too." Sayaka replied "We can go together, we just need to wait for- hey!"
Sayaka was nearly pushed to the ground by someone who walked by her so fast that she only saw a green-colored blur.
But that was enough for her to know who it was.
"Hey, Hitomi, watch where you're walking!" Sayaka uttered, angered "Are you that late for tea class or whatever?"
"Uh, yeah, tea, that's it, I'm late for tea class, sorry I can't go with you, goodbye!" She answered sloppily, without stopping.
"Tea class"… yeah, right. She's lying, and by the way she was embarrassed, it's probably something serious.
"Seriously… Hitomi's just not been herself lately… well, let's go?"
Both Madoka and Kaz approved, and they departed. By the gates, they crossed paths with Homura: Kaz nodded at her, a signal she reciprocated. Sayaka put up an angry face when she saw her, but that quickly faded away, as she circled around the parked Kawasaki, with her eyes glowing in amazement.
They walked together through the city, with Kaz being naturally the center of attention. He wasn't used to it anymore, but it felt good, having regular people who cared about him.
Even though they had to take a detour, Sayaka insisted on taking Madoka home. There, they parted ways with the cheerful girl, and as soon as the pair turned around the corner, Sayaka's smile faded away.
"Hey, Kaz, since you're in the military academy, can you tell me… how is it like to go to war?"
"I… don't know. I've never been to it."
He felt like punching someone right there. He knew it all too well. He had been living in it for far too long not to know it. If you can call that a war. It's more like a fucking massacre.
"But… I know people who did. Why do you ask?"
"It's because… I'd like to know how they feel. I have… a challenge in front of me. You could call it a difficult battle."
It's a lot more than that, Sayaka, it's a lot more than that…
"There's no way I can tell you that. No one can. It's something that can't be put into words."
"I see…" Sayaka replied, looking down. "But, let's say, hypothetically, that I have a big battle in front of me. It's difficult, and a lot of people could get hurt. What should I do?"
"War is never good. You should never start or enter one, as long as it's possible."
"What if I just have to fight? What if… I just have a good reason to fight? Something I just have to protect?"
"In that case… absolutely, go for it."
The sudden change of both opinion and tone of voice surprised her.
"Uh?"
"Nothing's free in this life. Everything has a price and we should be well aware of it, before taking any action. If you don't, there's no telling what could happen. You should always know the consequences of your actions before undertaking them."
But you don't know, and should never know them…because if you do…
"However… that does not mean there is nothing worth paying the price for. You will suffer the consequences, yes, but if you truly have something you want to protect that much, fight with everything you got. Because no matter what sacrifices we have to make, no matter how much suffering we have to go through… there are some things in this life that are worth more than our own lives."
Sayaka looked at his eyes: it was as if they were ablaze. Such passion…
"We all have to fight for something at some point. Just be damn sure that what you're fighting for is worth waging a war for."
Kamijou…
"And what do I do, when I have to do it?"
"Fight with all your strength, with your very life if needed. Never stop, never surrender, never regret your decision, and most importantly, never lose sight of your objective. Because if you do, then you'll be waging a pointless battle… a war for war's sake… and it will eat you inside. All wars have the same objective: to vanquish the opponent, end the conflict, and come back home alive to those precious to you. You should treat any challenge in life the same way."
Sayaka nodded silently, and they didn't say another word until they reached her house. She waved him goodbye and thanked him for the company and conversation, and walked in. Just as she was getting out of sight, Kazuhira called her out.
"Sayaka-chan…"
"Yes?"
"Remember: never surrender."
She nodded again, but this time with a smile on her face, and carried on.
I'll stay by your side all the way...
"Akemi-san, what sport do you practice?"
"That sports bag looks heavy… Must be hard to carry it to training every day, right?"
"I hope she's not going to join the volleyball team, I'll no longer be the best player…"
Ugh.
It was bad enough to have to carry that lummox around all day, she had to come up with excuses for what seemed to be half the world asking her what she was doing with it. She could only sigh in relief the moment she dropped it in the middle of her living room.
Let's just see what's this all about.
Homura opened the zipper gently, and took a good look inside. Everything was neatly arranged, disposed in individual bags, and the objects that weren't were tied to the bag.
She removed the contents. First, three pairs of headset radios. She tried one on, which fit perfectly, and tapped the mic twice: a few seconds later, the same signal was sent to her. In a rare fit of vanity, she looked to her right, into a large mirror: she didn't look half bad with it.
Then, a box of high explosive grenades and another with stun grenades, which she carefully placed besides the bag.
Afterwards, she retrieved a small cushioned box, which contained an ultra-compact Walther PPK pistol, which was smaller than her own hand. Attached to it, there was a post-it saying: "For petty stuff. Keep it in your pocket".
Too bad you forgot I don't have pockets.
Nonetheless, it would be useful should she need a firearm without transforming. She took out one of the several boxes of matching ammunition that came in the bag, loaded the pistol, and placed it inside her schoolbag.
And finally, the motherload, which occupied half the bag. There was another note attached to it.
I'm guessing you obtained your weapons by raiding JSDF bases and yakuza hideouts. But there's only so much you can obtain in Japan. Here's something I think you'll enjoy. I personally prefer my Arctic Warfare, but it's not like recoil is much of a problem to you, anyway.
-Kaz
Homura recognized it immediately, as she had tried to obtain it before, but wasn't able to find it anywhere, even in JSDF bases. A Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle, chambered for .50 BMG lied inside, broken in half for transportation. A monster of a weapon that suited her purposes perfectly: it was immensely powerful, and it's massive bulk, weight and recoil were not a problem to her.
With mild excitement, she retrieved the parts, along with the large ammo boxes that laid beneath them, and assembled the rifle. At 1,45 meters, it was almost as tall has her. She discarded the now-empty bag, and leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling, and lightly touching the barrel with her left hand. At about mid-length, she felt something on the barrel: a closer look revealed it to be an inscription, engraved on the steel.
ÆGIS
Aegis... the impenetrable shield of Athena, a symbol of unwavering protection...
Her Soul Gem suddenly started to glow. This pattern... it's the TV witch.
Wasting no time, she transformed. It was the perfect chance to try it out her new toy. She checked her ammo, and pulled back the charging handle, which came back down on the rifle with a large clang. The metallic bullpup rifle reflected the moon's warm glow in her eyes, as she jumped out the window, vaulting over the rooftops, steadfast in her intent to terminate Elly.
To protect Madoka... and this world... Like it or not, this time, I am not alone.
Because salvation cannot be given up on... I now understand that...
A/N: Intro quote from: Ace Combat 04. Rather fitting, given that it's an aerial combat game. I am a big fan of the series.
Sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for being so late :/ I've had uni exams, plus I just got an Xbox. I promise you such a delay shall not happen again.
A set-up chapter for the most part. Even Snake would be proud of such an infiltration. Which is rather ironic, because if you've played MGS: Peace Walker, you've probably been laughing for two chapters now.
Walther PPK: Universally known as James Bond's pistol of choice, it's small size allows easy concealment.
Barrett M82A1: Mostly explained.
And last but not least, a big thanks to Jodan No Ken for correcting the Latin titles.
Reviews welcome, and as always, hope you enjoyed! :)
