Chapter 7

Homecoming

As she flew Tusk's vehicle over the woods south of the Dawn Pillar, a flash off of Starboard suddenly caught Ange's attention. She looked over and flying up to them was an aircraft similar in design to Tusk's. Its pilot flashed at her with a signal mirror and gestured her to follow him. "Lady Angelise?" Momoka asked. "Who is that person?" Ange didn't answer. She had been lied to and betrayed too many times over the last few days to easily trust anyone, especially a complete stranger who for all she knew could have been hired by Julio to bring back her head.

"I don't know," Ange finally said. "But check Tusk for any guns. If this guy is a threat, he won't live long enough to regret it." It wasn't as if she and Momoka had a ton of options at the moment. Besides, she still had far too many questions that she needed answered. Turning the aircraft, she followed their guide as he led them east over the Dawn Gardens and past the Imperial Castle until the beach suddenly came into view. Around her, other vehicles similar to Tusk's joined them, including two which carried the helmeted man and woman who had charged the gallows when Tusk had cut her down. As they formed a perimeter around them, the pilot of the lead vehicle gestured for them to land and Ange descended down onto the sand. The others followed suit as the pilot of the lead vehicle, a large and powerfully built man, gestured for them to hurry.

"Everybody move it!" he ordered. "We only have a minute window. I want these Norma out of here now!" From the lead vehicle, the woman from the gallows leapt off as did her accomplice who had ridden in with another woman. They stood next to Ange and Momoka as the others rushed over to where something had been hidden in the scrub and covered with a camouflage net which they pulled off to reveal a trailer of some kind. "You three get in now!" the leader barked. "And take Tusk with you. Rio, attach the Skyhook. Coordinates are already programmed into Auto Nav."

"Now wait a minute!" Ange said. "I'm not going anywhere until someone..."and Ange was cut off as the helmeted woman roughly grabbed her arm.

"For once 'Princess', would you not argue and just do as you're told!" That voice, and those violet eyes behind her visor. There was no doubt in Ange's mind anymore who it was underneath. Reluctantly, Ange did as she was instructed as both she and Momoka grabbed Tusk and dragged him across the sand towards the trailer. Hilda's accomplice meanwhile, mounted Tusk's vehicle when the guy in charge suddenly pointed a finger at him.

"We're not done!" he warned before he rushed back to his own aircraft. The three girls climbed in through a small door in the front, pulling Tusk in after them and laying him on the floor as the helmeted man backed Tusk's vehicle up to the trailer and connected with several loud clicks.

"Everyone buckle up," he called as the aircraft and the trailer lifted off the sand. Though the shuttered windows, Ange looked watched the others lifting off in their own vehicles before scattering in different directions. Soon, Misurugi was far behind them and they were safely flying low over the ocean. Inside the trailer, Ange had removed the tunic Julio had forced upon her and changed into a clean shirt she had found in an overhead compartment, finding relief in removing some of the filth that still clung to her. Even better, the shirt was large enough to fall over her hips and preserve her modesty. Next to Ange, deeply shaken by all that had occurred, Momoka sat wrapped in a blanket while across from Ange, Hilda sat with her helmet beside her, her red hair done up in a single ponytail.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you my lady," Momoka half sobbed. Ange smiled and rested a comforting hand on her maid's shoulder.

"Don't be. I actually feel a lot better." Momoka looked up and Ange sighed in resignation. "I'm free now. There's nothing there left for me anymore." She then looked up at the girl who had been nothing but a pain in her ass ever since she had arrived at Arzenal. "Hey Hilda?"

"What?" Hilda asked.

"Thanks," she managed to say without choking. Hilda just smirked and shrugged.

"Well, you looked so pathetic I couldn't help feeling sorry for you. And I guess I did owe you anyway for helping me escape Arzenal." You owe me for a lot more than that, Ange thought. But I guess this is a start.

"Oh, that's right," Ange remembered. "What about your mom? Did you ever find her?" Hilda frowned and looked away.

"Yeah." Somehow that was all Ange needed to know.

"I see." At that moment, the door to the trailer opened and Hilda's accomplice entered. He removed his helmet and Ange took a closer look at him as he wiped the sweat out of his short blonde hair. There was no doubt he and those others were humans. She had seen him using the Light of Mana to cover Hilda during the firefight at the Dawn Pillar. What she wanted to know was what he and Hilda were doing together? And why did he risk his own life to save some random Norma?

"Okay," he told them as he sat down. "Looks like the autopilot has us headed southeast. We'll decide our next move after we rendezvous with the others."

"So," she asked, "what's your story?"

"Me?" he grinned and ran his fingers through his short blonde hair. "Why I'm just a dashing rogue who saw a fair maiden in distress and decided to come to the rescue." Ange stared at him and couldn't believe he was being serious. Likewise, Hilda groaned and rubbed her eyes in embarrassment.

"Really?" Momoka whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Whatever," Ange said. "Now then." Kneeling down, Ange lifted Tusk up by the collar of his cloak and delivered a slap across his face. "Wake up!" Tusk cried out and shook his head clear.

"Ange?" he asked as he looked over at the other guy. "Rio? Then we all made it out?" Was that all he had to say to her? Ange grit her teeth and began grinding his skull between her fists. "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"What is wrong with you!" she growled. "Why are you so compelled to jam your face into my crotch?"

"I'm sorry! It was an accident I swear! Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Um Lady Angelise?" Momoka asked. "Who is this person and what exactly is your relationship?"

"That's what I was wondering," Hilda added. Ange released him and Tusk laughed nervously.

"Well," he murmered, "it's actually pretty serious."

"Really?" the other human asked as Momoka's face lit up.

"I knew it!" she cried. "The way you risked your life to save her! What else could it be? Oh Lady Angelise, you have no idea how happy this makes me as your head maid! At long last, the flower of womanhood has bloomed in your boyish heart!"

"What?" Ange yelled. Momoka did not just say what she thought she had.

"And to think!" Momoka went on. "You have not one but two incredibly gallant gentlemen seeking your hand!"

"Now wait a minute!" Hilda suddenly cried as she stood up. "Rio's with me!" Realizing too late what that sounded like, Hilda's face turned a bright red. "I mean...he came with me! I mean...the only reason he was there was because I forced him to come along!" The other man, or Rio as he was apparently called, chuckled and scratched his temple.

"That's actually pretty true," he admitted.

"Can we get back on topic?" Ange demanded as she turned back to Tusk. "Why are you even here? How did you find me? And who were those people?" Tusk looked around at the others and hummed in thought.

"Well," he finally said, "Jill sent me."

"The commander?" Ange asked.

"What does she have to do with all this?" Hilda added

"I was told not to let you die. And those other guys are friends of mine. They heard about how you and your friend broke out of Arzenal and they offered to help." Reaching into his pocket, Tusk pulled something out which he placed into Ange's hand. "Here. I took this off that Julio guy. It's important to you right?" Ange looked down and felt herself overcome with joy. In her palm was her mother's ring which she placed back on her finger.

"Yeah it is," she said as she fought back tears. "But, I still want to know. Just who are you? How do you know the commander?" Tusk stared at her with his violet eyes but didn't answer.

"I'm sorry but...I think we should wait until we meet with the others. There are certain things I need to discuss with them first so how about we get some rest until then."

"Suits me just fine," Rio said as he laid down on his end of the bench. "I've been running myself ragged the last three days." Ange grumbled in frustration but let it go.

"Fine," she said. "But not a moment later."

"In the meantime," Tusk said. "Can I ask you something?

"What?"

"Your hair," he smiled. "How is it such a beautiful shade of gold?" Ange blushed in surprise, Hilda stared at them with a raised eyebrow, and Rio simply looked at Tusk and smiled.

"Um...well..." she stammered. He couldn't be serious, could he? She could still feel bits of produce in her scalp. "It just is."

"And the carpet's a match."

"That's it!" Ange yelled, and the craft began to rock back and forth over the water as she unleashed her fury on Tusk.

"Lady Angelise!" Momoka cried.

"Watch out!" Hilda shouted.

"Not in the ship!" Rio yelled.


In the private quarters of the Emperor, Captain Riza stood by and watched as the servants did their best to calm His Holiness down. Behind her, Princess Sylvia sat in her chair and cowered against the wall. Once she was certain the terrorists had evacuated the grounds of the Dawn Pillar, Riza had personally escorted Emperor Julio and his sister back to the palace where they were greeted to another scene of carnage. While the main force had attacked the Dawn Pillar, another group had run interference against any further security. From what she had gathered; a man with an assault weapon had attacked the police on the western promenade, a woman witnesses claimed to have been a Norma had held off those coming from the south, and a third had attacked the guards on duty at the Palace as they tried to join the defense at the Dawn Pillar. As if that wasn't severe enough, the metro database had apparently been hacked, sending the police running around in circles while the dissenters rampaged to their hearts' content.

"Your Holiness please!" the royal physician begged. "You need to calm down so we can..." and the doctor was cut off as Julio grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and threw him halfway across the room.

"I said FIND HER!" he screamed, the wound to his cheek reopening and dripping blood onto his clothes. "I don't care what you have to do! Send out every guard we have! I want Angelize's HEAD!"

"Emperor we hardly have any guards left!" a servant cried. "Many were killed in the attack and the rest are severely injured! Even the police were handicapped during the assault!"

"Then call out the National Guard! Get me Rosenblum! I'll have Arzenal and every Norma there burnt to a pile of ash for what she did to me!"

"But your Holiness..." and the servant was cut off as Riza laid her hand on his shoulder.

"See to the princess," she told him. "I will take care of the Emperor." The servant looked to her in doubt but a firm glare from Riza convinced him not to argue. On masse, the servants departed and escorted Princess Sylvia out of the room. Julio meanwhile continued to sit and seethe in his chair as Riza stepped forward and pressed his head against her bosom. "My poor Julio," she cooed. "Look what she did to you." He caresses and words finally calmed him down as Julio relaxed and wrapped his arms around her.

"She...she cut my face!" he whimpered. "That vicious monster of a Norma cut my face! And that dissenter, he dared to insult me when I was wounded!" Riza shushed him as she stroked his hair. Her finger found its way into his mouth and he instinctively began to suck from it.

"It's alright," she whispered. "Don't worry. I'll make her pay for what she did to my poor prince." Julio looked up to her as tears began to stream down his face.

"Mommy," he sniffled. "It hurts." Riza smiled as her hand began to glow with a red light.

"I know," she assured him as she laid it upon his face. "But don't worry, I'll make it all better." The cut began to close and heal until only a scar remained. She could have healed it more but leaving a reminder of his injury could be worked to her advantage. "Now," she said as she led him to the bed, "let's forget all about what happened." Afterwards, as Julio contentedly slept, Riza emerged from his bedchambers so she could think. This was truly an unexpected development. The Norma of Arzenal were threat enough to her mission but what if they joined forces with these renegade humans? And what about the one she had briefly fought with? When her energy had connected with his Mana, despite his being weakened by overuse during the fight she had been violently repulsed on contact. And even more troubling, in an instant she had sensed an energy within him not dissimilar from her own kind. But how? I must report this to Lady Salamandinay, she decided. If these renegade humans do have some unknown connection to Aura then we need to determine what it is immediately.


As the sun came up, Hilda yawned as she stretched herself out and grimaced at the crick in her back. Who would have thought that sleeping two nights in halfway decent beds would soften her up so much? After arriving at their destination; she, Ange, and Momoka had slept in the trailer while Rio and his friend camped outside. The smell of smoke drew her outside where she was greeted by none other than that Tusk guy who sat with his back to her, roasting some fish over an open fire. He turned towards her and Hilda was taken aback a bit. The beating Ange had given him after he had run his mouth off had left his face a swollen bruised mess. And though he had asked for it, in a way she felt sorry for him. She probably looked no better after those police had attacked her. "Oh hi!" he said, somehow managing a smile through his injuries.

"Yeah sure," she said. Cautiously she made her way towards him, ready to put some more pain on him in case he got any ideas. Rio might call him a friend but Tusk was still only the second man Hilda had any extended contact with since she was a little girl. She wasn't about to let her guard down around him until he had proved himself like Rio had. "So, where's everyone else?"

"Rio went for a jog," Tusk answered. "And Momoka took Ange inland so she could wash off the rest of the garbage." Hilda nodded and took a look around. Tusk's "Skyhook" as it was called had landed on a sandy cove on the island's southern coast. A large jungle covered hill dominated the island's interior while in the crystal blue waters, coral formations sat partially exposed in the low tide amidst sea polished domes of rock.

"So where are we anyway?" she asked.

"My place," he told her. "It's an island about 900 miles southwest of Arzenal."

"You own this whole island?"

"Oh no, what I mean is I live here. I don't have any money." Hilda tried to process that and then remembered that Humans didn't need money thanks to the Light of Mana. Though now that she thought about it, Tusk wasn't using any Mana either. Out of curiosity, she bent over him for a closer look. "Is something wrong?"

"Hold still," she ordered. She parted some of his shaggy brown hair around the base of his skull but to her surprise she found nothing. "Where's your M-jammer?"

"My what? Oh, I don't have one."

"But you aren't using Mana."

"Well of course not. That's because I can't." Hilda blinked in confusion and stepped back.

"Wait a minute," she said. "Are you saying you're a...male Norma?"

"Well not exactly?" he asked. "It's kind of a long story." Hilda felt her head start to spin. A male Norma who wasn't a Norma, who knew the commander, and who also knew Ange. What the hell was going on here? Tusk meanwhile turned back to the fish cooking over the fire, one of which he picked out and handed to her. "Here. You're probably hungry." Hilda's stomach grumbled and she reluctantly accepted it.

"So, how is it that you know the commander?" she asked. Tusk gave a start and for a second, Hilda though that he wasn't going to answer.

"Well," he finally answered, "she employs me for certain jobs. You now, jobs that need to be done quietly." This guy is a terrible liar, she thought. Then again, Jill had sent him to get Ange so she guessed there was some truth to it. And that brought up her next point.

"And Ange?" To her surprise he answered right away.

"She and her Para-mail washed up here when it malfunctioned. I pulled her out of the water and helped fix it so she could contact Arzenal." Hilda almost choked when she heard that. So he was the reason Ange survived? "Something wrong?"

"Uh no nothing at all." Luckily at that moment, Rio came jogging out of the jungle and down to the beach. He had stripped out of the jumpsuit he had taken from the depot and had changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

"Breakfast ready?" he asked as he approached.

"Sure is," Tusk nodded. As Rio ate his own fish, Hilda inched over for a private conversation.

"So what's the deal with this guy? What is he doing out here?"

"Tusk's parents were allies of the Network," he told her. "His father was a great warrior known as the Knight of Vilkiss. Which makes Tusk his successor by birthright."

"He's a knight?"

"That's what he's supposed to be but he gave it up a while ago. He now supports himself by trading with us. He finds and salvages wrecked Para-mail which we take off his hands in exchange for supplies. Speaking of which...hey Tusk...you don't have any spare units lying around do you?"

"A couple," he admitted. "I left them in the usual spot." At that moment, Ange and Momoka stepped out of the jungle as well. Villkiss is Ange's unit, Hilda realized. So does that mean Tusk is supposed to be her knight? "Feel better?" Tusk asked.

"Yeah a lot better," Ange smiled, though it faded as she rubbed her throat. "Thank you. If you, Rio, and Hilda hadn't shown up when you had, I'd be dead." Tusk gave another start.

"Wait what?"

"Well duh," Hilda added. "Who do you think covered her while you were knocked out?" Tusk looked to Rio who nodded in agreement.

"I see." He wasn't going to get all moody about not being the big hero, was he? To Hilda's relief, Tusk instead picked up two more fish spits and walked over to Ange and Momoka. "Here, I can imagine that after two days of prison, you two could use some real food."

"Oh, thank you so much Mr. Tusk," Momoka said as she happily accepted his offering.

"So," Ange asked as she ate, "what happens now?"

"Now," Rio answered, "we need to get you, Hilda, and Momoka someplace safe. We just need to wait for Rhino and the others." As if on cue, the sound of approaching engines echoed over the jungle. Overhead, five more Skyhooks suddenly appeared and dropped down towards the beach, their engines kicking up a sandstorm as they landed.

"Hey watch it!" Ange yelled. Rio put his back against the grit to shield Hilda and Tusk tried to do the same for Ange and Momoka when he suddenly cried out.

"Oh my!" Hilda heard Momoka gasp. She and Rio looked over and to her bemusement, saw that Tusk had stepped on a piece of driftwood that the aircrafts' engines had exposed during landing, losing his balance and causing him to fall on top of Ange with his face once more wedged between her legs.

"You..." Ange hissed, "...IDIOT!" A single punch and Tusk was sent flying back against his Skyhook's trailer. Seriously? she thought. This guy is a knight?


The last thing Tusk remembered was Ange's fist in his face before everything faded in an explosion of stars. "Hey?" someone asked as a palm began to lightly tap his face. "You awake?' His vision cleared and he looked up to see none other than Kat kneeling before him, the rest of the Wildpack along with Rio and Hilda standing behind her. "Sorry Spider," she said. "Looks like he's alive."

"Rats," Spider sulked. "And I could have used a new pair of boots."

"Was he that beat up when we left Misurugi?" Kamaitachi asked. Tusk looked past them to where Ange stood with her arms crossed and her back to him.

"I uh, slipped in the sand," he told them. It was truthful enough.

"Um excuse me?" Momoka suddenly said and the group turned as one towards her. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I don't know how I could have gone on if anything happened to Lady Angelise." Rhino frowned and nodded.

"Yeah about that," he said. "Rio, can we have a word with you?" Tusk pulled himself up as Rio leaned towards him

"No matter what happens," he whispered, "keep them out of it." Tusk nodded as Rio followed Rhino, Vulture, and Kamaitachi further down the beach while Kat and Spider stayed behind.

"You're Ange right," Kat asked. "I'd like to check you out before we move."

"Oh, um sure," Ange said. Spider meanwhile, began to hover around Hilda.

"So," he grinned, "you're Rio's passenger, right? Are all the girls at Arzenal as cute as you?" Hilda didn't respond. "You know, I have med training as well. If you're hurt I can..." as he spoke, Spider's hand reached for hers but Hilda slapped it away as her other lashed out and grabbed onto his groin.

"Keep your hands to yourself or YOU'LL be the one needing a doctor!" she warned.

"Okay okay I get it!" Hilda released him and Spider limped away. Kat meanwhile, who had been watching the whole thing, groaned and shook her head.

"I'm sorry about that," she said. "I think one of Spider's gadgets backfired and fried his brain a while back." Rio and the others meanwhile had reached the other side of the cove where they stood just above the tide line.

"That was a well-played move," Rhino admitted.

"I'd like to think so," Rio said.

"However, "in a blur of movement, Rhino spun around and drove his fist into Rio's stomach, the impact knocking the breath out of him and doubling him over. "What the HELL were you thinking!" To Rio's right, Vulture dropped his cigarette and ground it into the sand beneath his boot.

"Did it ever occur to you that what you did would compromise our own mission?" Rio looked up and before he could answer, Vulture slugged him across the jaw with far more force than his lanky frame suggested he was capable of.

"Not only that," Kamaitachi added, "but you endangered your passenger as well with your impulsiveness. Such selfishness is inexcusable." As he spoke, Kamaitchi's leg rose up and dropped its heel onto Rio's shoulder, sending him face first into the sand. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Rhino yanked Rio to his feet and delivered another punch across Rio's jaw, sending him ricocheting back and forth among the three of them as they landed blow after blow on him.

"Stop it!" Tusk heard Momoka beg. "What are you doing to him?" Hilda growled in anger and reached for the gun holstered at her side but Tusk grabbed her before she could draw it.

"Let go of me or I'll..."

"You can't interfere!" Tusk told her. "Rio's a soldier. And for whatever his reason, the fact is he went against orders. And in doing so he endangered himself, his mission, and his comrades. This is the price he has to pay in order to make amends to them."

"I don't care!"

"Rio knew this would happen. I know how it looks but all we can do is stay out of it and let him keep his dignity as a man." Hilda's eyes widened in shock as she looked over to where Rio was being beaten and then turned away, a look of horror and confusion spread over her face.

"Don't worry," Kat assured them. "Trust me. If they wanted to, Rhino and the others could do some REAL damage to him." Meanwhile, a final blow from Rhino knocked Rio out of the circle where he lay gasping on the sand.

"That's enough," he ordered. "We'll let HQ decide his punishment." Kamaitachi and Vulture relaxed as the older man pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

"I don't care how tight you think you are with Boss kid," Vulture said as he lit up. "You are not walking away from this one." Wiping a mix of sand and blood from his lip, Rio spit a wad of red saliva onto the beach and slowly picked himself up.

"Yeah yeah I get it," he answered.


Doing her best to ignore the stupidity of her teammates, Kat resumed her examination of Ange. Why did men always have to settle their differences like children? "You have a bruise from the noose and a couple of cuts from the whip but nothing too serious. Just take it easy for a couple days, keep the cuts clean and you'll be fine."

"Right," Ange agreed. "So, who are you people anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious Princess?" Rio's passenger asked. "They're terrorists."

"Terrorists!" Momoka gasped.

"We like to think of ourselves as 'independent thinkers,'" Kat corrected. "The big guy is Rhino. He's the guy in charge. The ones with him are Vulture and Kamaitachi. Kamaitachi's the cute one. The creep who make the mistake of hitting on your friend is Spider. He's our tech guy. And I'm Kat."

"What about Rio?" Ange asked.

"Rio's one of our field agents. He was supposed to conduct your friend down in Enderant but he ran into difficulty and instead had to bring her up to meet with us. Don't ask me why he did everything else though." Ange saw Hilda reflexively bite her lip and wondered what role she played in all of this.

"Tell me," Ange asked, "are you a Norma like me and Hilda?"

"You got it," Kat nodded. "I'm one of the lucky ones. The Network found me when I was a baby and my parents gave me to them to keep out of the government's hands." Kat sighed and noticed how Ange was looking at her. "Sorry, it's just that when I think of them, I always wonder what they were like and if I could meet them one day."

"No, you don't," Hilda warned. "Trust me on that." Well aren't you a ray of sunshine, Kat thought. Meanwhile, Rhino and the others had finished their business with Rio and they were now marching back.

"If we're done," Rio said. "Then let's talk about where we're going to go now. We still have to get these girls to Neo-Zion." Oh boy, Kat thought. He is not going to like this.

"Rio," Tusk said. "Ange and Hilda aren't going to Neo-Zion."

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Word came down to us from Boss himself," Spider said. "He's been in talks with Commander Jill. We're taking them back to Arzenal."

"To Arzenal?" Hilda asked.

"No!" Rio said as he angrily looked to the others. "No! Absolutely not! That is not what my mission was!"

"Your mission has changed," Rhino stated. "This is an opportunity to restore relations with Arzenal and you WILL follow orders." Baring his teeth, Rio marched up to Rhino and Kat readied herself to pull him back in case he actually tried to take a swing at the big man.

"Screw my orders and screw you!" Rio snarled. "We're supposed to keep them out of places like that. Give me one good reason why I should take them anywhere near there. And don't you dare say it's because of what I did!" Rhino snorted and cross his arms.

"You're right," he answered. "It is partially because of that stunt you pulled. But mostly..." shifting his gaze, Rhino pointed at Ange, "...it's because of HER!"

"Me?" Ange cried.

"Her?" Rio asked. "What makes her so important?"

"Haven't you been paying attention kid?" Vulture asked. "That girl is a royal Norma. What do you think that means?" Rio raised an eyebrow only for his eyes to widen as the implication finally set in.

"Hold on. Are you saying that she can pilot Villkiss?"

"It's true," Tusk said. "A few weeks ago, Ange and Villkiss washed up on this very beach. That was when I first met her." Rio's shocked gaze shifted back and forth between Tusk, Ange, and the others.

"So, does that mean..."

"It's Libertus," Kamaitachi interrupted. "Boss has already declared Exodus protocol. Every agent has been called in, the militia is being armed, and Neo-Zion's already evacuated. This time, we're not going to be caught unprepared. There really is no other place these three can go." Rio rubbed his chin and appeared to consider everything that he had been told.

"What if they say no?" he suddenly asked.

"Rio," Rhino said, "that's not the issue."

"The hell it isn't," Rio argued. "The whole point of the Network is to protect Norma from being exploited. We have Norma agents but they join us of their own free will. We don't force them and we sure as hell don't treat them like collateral. If they choose not to go back, then are you going to force them?"

"Rio," Tusk tried to say, "Jill..."

"Tusk stay out of this," Rio ordered. "And as far as Jill is concerned..."

"Then let's go back," Hilda suddenly said as all eyes fell on her. "It's like your friend says, there really is no place else we can go. Besides, I have to make sure nobody's messed with my stuff while I was gone."

"Hilda," Rio said as Ange stepped forward.

"And if what I'm hearing is correct," she said, "then I need to go back as well. I have some questions and the commander is who I need to get them from."

"So, there you have it," Rhino said. "I take it you're satisfied?" Rio's shoulders slumped in resignation.

"It's their choice," he sighed. "I'll respect it." Rio walked away and Kat followed after him. As tough as he acted, she had known him long enough to know when he was upset.


As he looked out over the water, Rio wasn't sure what stung more, the beating he had gotten at the hands of Rhino and the others, or that everything he had gone through had turned out to be for nothing. At least the beating he had expected. Sand crunched behind him and Rio looked over to see Kat step up to his side. "You okay?" she asked.

"I'll live," he told her.

"So why did you do it anyway? That was reckless even for you." Without a word, Rio looked over his shoulder at Hilda. "Because of her?"

"What can I say? Something about her just got to me." Kat thought it over and suddenly grinned. Oh crap I know that look, he realized. Before he could put some distance between him, Kat had thrown her arms around his neck and buried her face in her bosom.

"Oh Rio!" she wailed. "I was so worried! What would I do if I lost you!"

"Kat!" his muffled voice called out. "What the hell!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to help you," she whispered. "Trust me. Girls hate it when someone moves in on a guy they like."

"It's not like that!" As he wrestled free, Rio looked over in time to see Hilda glaring at him before she turned away. But that was the least of his problems. The last thing he needed was Kamaitachi to challenge him to a duel. Fortunately, the swordsman seemed more embarrassed then jealous. Then again, Rio knew from experience that dating Kat required a certain amount of patience.

"If we're done," Ange said. "How about we get going? We don't want to keep the commander waiting."

"Why not," Hilda answered. "Might as well get it over with."

"Then we'll leave you with Tusk and Rio," Rhino said. "Rio, you're to escort them to Arzenal and then await further orders. And keep in mind that you're representing the Network."

"Yeah I get it," Rio groaned. As Hilda, Momoka, and Ange boarded the trailer of Tusk's Skyhook, the Wildpack mounted their own craft and began to take off when Kat suddenly called out to Hilda.

"Hey red! Go easy on Rio okay! He's got his quirks but guys like him are rarer than you might think."

"I'm sitting right here," Kamaitachi said as his eye twitched.

"Awww," Kat cooed, "you're so cute when you're jealous."


And so it was, not more than an hour later; the two norma, maid, and their guardians; found themselves on a tiny patch of beach at the base of a sheer cliff that loomed over them. Up there is Arzenal, Rio thought. Sarah is somewhere up there. I'm certain of it. Though Hilda had told him at the Misurugi safe house that the name Sarah Honister only sounded familiar, it was still the best lead he had gotten. In front of him, an arch had been set into the foot of the cliff which opened into a passageway that undoubtedly led all the way up into the base. Though his desire to charge straight through that arch was overwhelming, Rio knew that running headlong into Arzenal with neither a plan nor gear was the surest way to get himself killed. Besides, the way was already blocked. Before the arch stood two people. One was a tall woman smoking a cigarette. Her long black hair was done up in a ponytail and as her cape fluttered in the winds circling the cliffs, Rio saw that her right arm from the bicep down was a metal prosthetic. Beside her was a young girl about the same age as Hilda or Ange. Her long dark purple hair was done up in twin tails like Hilda, but unlike the latter's flowing crimson mane, this one's hair hung straight and smooth as silk. As he approached them, the girl fidgeted and averted her eyes. I guess I must be the first man she's ever seen, he realized. Either that or Rhino's fist did more damage to my looks then I realized.

"Commander Jill I assume?" So this was the famous Jill, alias Alektra Maria von Lowenherz. She was every bit as beautiful as he had heard. But there was something else about her. A sharpness like a knife pointed right at him.

"That's correct. And you must be Rio. You and Tusk have my gratitude for bringing back our girls safe and sound." As she spoke, Jill's eyes shifted from him to where the girls waited behind him. Rio had seen that look before, usually from Major when she was about to administer discipline to an ill-mannered underling.

"Years ago," he said, "we were allies. I hope that this proves to be the first step towards rebuilding relations between our two organizations." Dropping her cigarette, Jill exhaled a long slow plume of smoke over his head. Not low enough to hit him in the face, but still close enough for him to smell it.

"We'll see," she said. "Now then, I think it's best you leave before anyone sees you." Rio gave a crisp salute and turned away. Though she had been polite, the message had been clear. He was NOT welcome here.

"Well," Tusk said as he approached, "time for us to go."

"Already?" Ange asked

"Afraid so. I've got some other matters to attend to."

"And I've got a superior who probably wants my ass on a griddle," Rio agreed. As Tusk and Ange said their own goodbyes, Hilda stepped up to him.

"So," Hilda said, "this is goodbye." Rio looked to her and smiled.

"Only for now," he told her. "But I've got a feeling we'll see each other again." Hilda frowned and Rio rested his hand on her shoulder, eliciting a sudden blush from her as she tensed. "So tell me. How did it feel to hit back for a change?" She looked up at him and smirked.

"Good," she admitted. "Really good. But it kind of makes me feel as if I still owe you." Rio offered his free hand to her.

"Cook me breakfast next time I come around?" Hilda stared at him but finally a genuine smile broke through as she accepted his hand in hers.

"Sure, why not?"


As Tusk's Skyhook flew off over the water, Hilda watched until it vanished from sight and was surprised at how sad she felt. She hadn't known Rio that long but somehow, she had gotten used to him. He was the most unusual person she had ever met. Nothing he did made any sense to her. But in a way, she kind of liked that.

"We know two very strange guys," Ange said beside her.

"I guess we do," Hilda agreed

"What was that about breakfast by the way?" Hilda crossed her arms and turned her nose up.

"Mind your own business 'Princess'." Behind them, the crunching of sand under boots signaled the approach of Jill and Salia

"If you two are done," the Commander said, "we have important matters to discuss." Ange frowned and walked towards them with Momoka in tow.

"You're right," Ange said. "We do." Hilda groaned to herself and followed after. She was NOT looking forward to this.


Back at Tusk's island, Rio sat on a stone ledge overlooking the jungle. To think that for a few moments, he had actually stood on the shores of Arzenal itself. He had heard rumors and stories about it from Boss, Vulture, and a handful of other Zion survivors; none of them good. And if his hunch was correct then that was where Sarah had been sent by the Norma Management Board. I was so close, he thought. I have to get back there but how? In the middle of his thoughts, Rio's datapad began to vibrate to a familiar rhythm.

bzt bzt bzt...bzzzzzzzt...bzt bzt bzt...bzzzzzzzt...

Rio groaned and reached for the device. Best to just get this over with. "Rio here."

"Rio," Boss said over the line. "Glad to see you're alright. Now would you kindly explain what the hell happened in Misurugi." Rio grimaced. He could practically see Boss's expression.

"I have no excuses. I let my emotions get the better of me."

"Which doesn't answer my question." Rio hummed in thought before he finally settled on an excuse that made sense.

"I was unprepared for the extent being a resident of Arzenal had on my passenger. It was the only way I could prove that the Network could be trusted." For a long time, Boss was silent.

"I suppose I can see your reasoning. But that doesn't change the fact that you violated the parameters of you mission and in doing so; endangered yourself, your passenger, and your comrades. If circumstances were different, I'd have you dragged back to Neo-Zion and imprisoned in the stockade for a month."

"Boss about that," Rio interrupted. "Is it true? Can that Ange girl really pilot Villkiss?"

"It certainly looks that way. I apologize for not telling you about this earlier but we needed to verify what Jill told us and how best to address the issue. I know that was probably a bitter pill to swallow, but it was the only choice we could make. Now then, you have another assignment. Chaplain will send you the file shortly."

"Already?" Rio asked.

"And let me make one thing absolutely clear. What you're about to face will probably be the most crucial mission you've ever undertaken on behalf of the Network. And after that stunt you just pulled, I have a lot of reservations about trusting you with it. Major herself was about to personally come down there and drag your ass back here for punishment. However, just as when I sent you to conduct the Norma, you're in the right place at the right time. This is a chance to redeem yourself. Don't waste it."

"Yes sir," Rio answered. From over the line, he could have sworn he heard Boss chuckle.

"By the way," Boss said. "I saw the broadcast of the message you gave to Julio Misurugi. I have to admit, I enjoyed that quite a bit." The connection was cut and Rio groaned as he laid back on the ground. When he looked up, a beer bottle was hovering over his face.

"Want one?" Tusk asked.

"Need one." Rio accepted the bottle and Tusk sat beside him as Rio popped the lid off and drained the level of the beer considerably, although it would have been better if it was cold. For all of Tusk's technical skill, Rio couldn't understand how he couldn't just rig up a working power source and a fridge.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Tusk asked. "Ange's friend. The red head." Rio sighed and shook his head.

"I'm trying not to. In the past three days I've been shot at, nearly blown up, and had my ass kicked more times than I care to think about. And in the end, I couldn't even keep her from going back to that hellhole."

"I can empathize," Tusk laughed. "But somehow, if you could do it over, I have a feeling you'd do it all again." Rio thought about it. True, this job had been more hassle than he was willing to deal with but it wasn't all bad. He had meant it when he had asked Hilda if she would cook him breakfast again. And of course, while it hadn't been a pleasure trip by any definition, traveling with a beautiful girl was always fun. Plus, as tough as Hilda acted, Rio couldn't deny there was something inside her that occasionally seeped through. Something fragile and sad that in a way he could identify with. Maybe that was the real reason he had put himself and his career with the Network on the line to help her save Ange.

"Well," he mused, " I wouldn't exactly say no. What about Jill? Are you sure they're going to be alright with her?"

"Jill may act hard but she's not so bad," Tusk assured him. "She might administer some discipline but she won't do anything nearly as bad as what the humans would do to them." Rio guessed he should trust Tusk's judgement and let it go. As the two sat and drank, Rio thought back to when he had first met the young knight. He was still in training and the Network had sent him as part of a group to pick up some salvaged Para-mails for the militia. Rio hadn't been impressed with the collector, some scrawny kid who lived in the middle of nowhere. So he mouthed off to him and Tusk had thrown him flat on his back. Afterwards, the two had become friends and Rio had taken every opportunity to visit him be it to pick up Para-mail or just to check on him. Which is why he was so surprised to hear that Tusk had been sent after the other Norma.

"So tell me," he asked. "Why are you taking up your title now?" Tusk took a swig of his own and gazed out over the jungle.

"For Ange," he said. "So I can protect her."

"But that's just it," Rio replied. "After Libertus failed you said there wasn't any point to being a knight and you weren't going to waste your life in the name of someone you had never even met. So what changed your mind?" Tusk sighed and leaned back.

"When Ange first showed up here," he said, "she wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. But, after a while I began to see that it was a cover for how lonely she actually was. You know she used to be a princess, right?" Rio nodded. He had seen the broadcast of Ange's baptism and the shock that a royal family member was a Norma had knocked him for a loop. "Apparently she wasn't having an easy time when she first arrived at Arzenal. Between the shock of learning who she was and the adjustment to her new life, she began to shut everyone out. It took a little effort but I was able to get her to open up. She stayed with me about a week and that's when it happened."

"What happened?"

"One of the DRAGONS had followed her here and attacked us. Villkiss was still damaged so I ran to get it up and running while she held it off. It was amazing. Ange was so small and yet she took on a Schooner in hand to hand combat. Luckily, I was able to get Villkiss working enough for it to shoot it down. That incident opened my eyes. Ange had lost everything, had so much stacked against her, but she still kept fighting. It made me question what I was doing and why I had done nothing for so long. So, after her squad found and rescued her, I decided that it was time for me to stop hiding. I'm not the Knight of Villkiss because I inherited the title from Dad. I'm doing it because I choose to fight for Ange." Rio thought it over and smiled.

"Sounds more to me like you chose to be the Knight of Ange." Tusk looked at him with a confused glance but finally broke out laughing.

"You know, I think you're right. That's exactly who I am."

"Of course, you might want to work on a few things first. Seriously, you can't tell me all those face plants were accidental."

"Th...th...that was not my fault!" Tusk stammered as his face flushed beet red.

"And complimenting a girl on her 'carpet'?" Rio added. "See, this is why I keep telling you to get off this island every once in a while. If you socialized out in the real world you wouldn't be so awkward." Tusk sulked and Rio couldn't help but laugh. "So, it's really happening isn't it? LIbertas I mean."

"Looks that way," Tusk agreed. "Things are going to start moving pretty fast soon." As if on cue, Rio's datapad began to vibrate. Rio checked the menu and saw that a new file had been sent. Okay, he thought. Let's see what I'm doing now. Rio opened the file and his eyes widened as he read the mission summary. Are they serious? Rio had to reread the file two more times just to make sure he wasn't imagining it. "Hey what's wrong?" Tusk asked. Rio looked over and saw that in his shock he had stood up. Then he began to laugh. He couldn't believe it. Maybe it all wasn't for nothing after all. "Rio?"

"Tusk," Rio grinned, "can I crash here for a few days?"

"Oh uh, sure no problem." Still grinning ear to ear, Rio switched to com-mode and dialed the access code for the mobile command ship.

"Hello?" a familiar voice asked.

"Chop, I'm going to need a few things."

"Oh no!" Chop said. "Forget it! No more favors! You've used up all your credit with me! After what you did, I got chewed out like you wouldn't believe from Major!"

"Well," Rio beamed, "good thing this technically isn't a favor. It's entirely mission relevant. Now listen up. I've got a list." As he spoke, Rio turned his gaze in the direction of Arzenal. Just a few more days, he vowed. Just hold on Sarah and I'll get you out. And Hilda too.