Hello again. Sorry for the late update, been having a lot'o exams, term papers and what not. But yeah, I've pulled through. Semester's about to end back here, so at that means I'll have more time to keep on writing.
Situation Reports
Four days later. Old Quarter Ruins, Rouen, France…
It's been their habit to constantly move from place to place. Luck seems to be on their side for the whole time, because so much time has already passed and yet Frederick seems to be lax in keeping tabs on them. But knowing him, he probably doesn't care anyway; or maybe he doesn't know a thing that's been going on over this past few days. Four days of peace, four days of not having to worry about Sol Badguy…
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"Remarkable…", the hooded man spoke faintly.
…
It was still dawn, barely morning as usual. Shifting shadows, crumbly old walls, scrapes of paint peelings and the musky scent of aging concrete was the aroma of the four-cornered , the sound of footsteps resonated across the hall. Then two silhouettes entered. One hand shut the door shut behind; the metallic cranking gave off the fact that it was now locked. That was barely thirty seconds ago.
"You still sense it. Don't you, Raven?" the hooded man continued.
"Yes, your Holiness."
…
They stood behind the shade of the aging wall. Clandestine and sly. This is their way of doing things: to act behind the scenes. Even though the chances of them being discovered by anyone in this part of the Ruins are very, very slim, they prefer to talk about matters of great consequence in complete seclusion. But it's a wonder why do they prefer to mingle their shadows with the common folks of the world, knowing that these two do not want to be discovered.
Raven knew what his master was referring to. It was the aura, four days old; it was ominous and lasting. What they had felt four days ago, which they believe was a few hundred miles away from them, give or take, was still emanating. It is an aura that only true practitioners of magic could even sense. They aren't quite certain if it is a leftover from a sudden surge of energy that would soon dissipate or an explosion of some sorts. But they knew where did it come from.
"I must say that I am still amazed just how much Dizzy's power has grown in a short time span."
The Child of Light and Darkness is never short of intriguing surprises.
"Yes sir, but I knew I-No couldn't be trusted." Raven grumbled. "She went after Dizzy head-on…"
Applying the basic principles of logic, it would seem that it was because of the intrusion of the former that brought about the surge of energy from the latter. It is only I-No who can agitate people like that. The aura is still very apparent to feel. Must have been quite an encounter, even if it was brief. Images of I-No brashly starting up a fight with Dizzy came to mind.
"She's so full of herself. Typical of her, sometimes…" the hooded man spoke.
"And to think she follows you out of interest alone…" commented the subordinate. "With respect, sir, but I think you should consider being more cautious around her."
Raven had always been at discord with I-No, whether bluntly or subtly expressed. The opposite sides of a coin need not necessarily be at peace with each other in the first place.
"I know how you feel. But I prefer to let her be." His master replied. "The commotion she has caused can still be salvaged anyway."
The hooded man peered outside the window; his eyes greeted by the dark blanket of dawn covering the sky and a few lights from distant households. The rays of the sun are peeking from the distance, giving the mountains and their trees a faint yellow silhouette. Thanks to this light, it easy to see the two enormous airships hovering above the mountains. Like weird looking potatoes they say, they are there nonetheless. Blinking lights made it apparent that they are from the International Police.
IPF traffic has increased steadily since that day. Word about bounty-hunters romping down the British countryside is unsettling; Dizzy's absent-minded show of power seemed to arouse the suspicions from the neighboring villages of a Gear gone rogue and this has gotten the attention of many vagabonds and adventurers. Also, I-No's little rampage on the private companies had definitely thrown the IPF off-balance as planned. Police units are now securing various salvage dumps and industrial centers across the coast of the Isles and the mainland, but they're spread too thin. And there is still the rumors circulating within their ranks that Captain Ky Kiske missing in action this past four days now. It's not just a commotion, really. No doubt, everybody is getting paranoid now and they will be sure to lower their guards. What I-No has done could have actually been a blessing in disguise.
"I suppose you are right, sir. But the attention that was garnered because of this is just-"
"Don't worry too much, Raven. So long as Mr. Kiske is still alive, we can still accomplish our goal…"
Raven couldn't help but agree with his master; the latter knows better anyway.
"Indeed, your Holiness."
The hooded man peered outside again. Soon, from the distance, the sun's rays began to stretch and clutch the clouds. It was almost morning. Below the Ruins, a few people began to emerge from their homes and shanties, ready to begin their daily routines as usual. Such simpletons; they couldn't grasp just what on earth is in store for all of them. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes lie observant. The people have no idea of the things that may come…
…
…
"Ky and Dizzy. What a powder-keg these two would become…" he muttered.
"I-No had said that the boy is the perfect catalyst." Raven said. "I actually expected him to bring Dizzy back to the IPF…"
News travels fast for Raven and his master, even though they weren't there to witness the escapade of it all.
"…but I was surprised that he was actually eager to pursue what's otherwise."
That is, it was to take the young Gear to a safe place after her encounter with I-No. Normally, a staunch and uncompromising IPF officer like Ky would have considered bringing any fugitive to a precinct; standard operating procedures and all. Knowing Ky's naïve view of justice and stubborn sense of duty, he could have just called for back-up after his encounter with I-No. But why is it that he took Dizzy instead, who used to be one of the most feared persons to have ever existed, and sheltered her somewhere when he could have just incarcerated her and done 'an excellent contribution' to mankind?
"Yes. I do find that interesting."
"If that is the case, sir, then I guess I-No is right about him…" Raven begrudgingly spoke.
Now that the facts are laid down, the two men should now plan their next move. A powerful Gear together with a not-so-predictable-after-all pawn would make for a remarkable spectacle, albeit one that could prove to be…uncontrollable if not everything would fall into place.
"I would like to see how things would unfold. In the meantime, we will refrain from getting directly involved."
"As you wish, sir. But what about I-No?" Raven asked.
"She is free to do as she wishes. Now that I know what Dizzy is truly capable of doing, I am confident that whatever I-No does wouldn't jeopardize our plan."
She's probably locked herself up in a room, licking her wounds. Maybe literally, knowing her…
"So be it, your Holiness."
They still have matters to attend to. From the four walls of aging concrete, they would plan their next few steps.
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…
"It wouldn't be long sir. The situation in the Backyard is becoming more serious."
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…
The hooded man concurred.
"Hmph…Aria... it seems she's about to get tired of waiting…"
At the same time. The Mayship, Bridge. 10,000 feet above the Channel.
A man draped in black leather and tinted sunglasses lay slouching near the navigator's post; his thumb under his chin, his eyes seemed inattentive. His silence was deafening. June, the ship's navigator, couldn't help but look over her shoulder and glance at this man at her left. Johnny. He looks deathly worried. He has been like that for four days. No kidding. Behind the lively expression on her face, June feels the same thing. Everyone does: Dizzy hasn't returned yet from her day-off.
"Are you sure we are headed the right way?"
Something's wrong. But how come something could go wrong? She's the most powerful fighter that the crew has and there's no way she's going to let herself be taken down by thugs or bounty-hunters. Or by cops. Or maybe even by perverts. But to think that Dizzy would go on missing like that. It's unthinkable. Then again, who else wants to take her? There's nobody else in the list of "bad people" whom she should be worried about.
"Hey."
Or is Dizzy hiding something from the crew? What did she want in that village anyway? Did she have some loose ends to take care of? And why did she even want to go alone? She could have just gone with April and-
"Hey, June!"
"Oh! Uh…what?" June stammered.
Her chain of thought was broken by a voice. The young girl turned around, only to see April with a frown on her brows; the helm is still clutched in her hands. The pilot gave herself a mental sigh. Her navigator had been spacing out again.
"I said are you sure we are heading in the right way?"
"Oh…uh…yeah…I guess…"
"Ugh. Come on! Are you sure?"
June fiddled with her sextant again; her hands slightly shaking. She's positive that she's right. The sun's almost fully risen, but at this altitude there are still stars strewn about in the sky, so navigation using her apparatus wouldn't be a problem. But it's just that her mind is occupied with other thoughts. She couldn't think clearly as much as she wanted to. April could clearly see an expression of worry behind the lavender tresses of this girl's hair. With a navigator like that…
"W-Well, by my calculations, we are on course. Bank north, two degrees starboard..." June quivered.
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…
The pilot sighed.
"We're going to be screwed if you're wrong…"
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…
Again. It has already been four days. Something definitely went wrong. Johnny has been sending scouting parties since the other day to find any trace of Dizzy. It's only natural for them to get worried. A sudden beeping sound rang inside the Bridge. It is the comm-receiver. It's probably May down at the hangar bay.
"Sir?" June asked her Captain.
She dared to look at the man in black slouching in his seat. It's been like-
"I'll get it." He muttered.
With that, Johnny removed himself from his place; went towards the navigation panel with a stern posture and tightly-gripping fists. June lay silent; she and her crewmates haven't seen this kind of serious demeanor from him much. Only recently, given the situation they have on their hands right now. He toggled the switch to activate the receiver, and then began to speak with a burly voice.
"May?"
"Y-Yes…Johnny…We're almost finished prepping up our ships. We just need to make minor repairs on-"
Her childish voice was a bit marred by radio static.
"How long?" he cut in.
"Uh…umm…a-about three minutes, Captain." She stuttered.
"Move out as soon as you're done. Split into three groups of two. Make sure July is in command of the third, and Augus would take charge of the second."
"Aye, aye…Johnny." May softly replied.
"I want a thorough sweep of your assigned areas. In case of any trouble, return to the ship immediately. Otherwise, don't stop looking for her. Clear?"
"Yes…Johnny."
With that, he flicked the switch to turn off the receiver, then made his way back to his seat. Once again he draped his coat over the back rest of his chair. His chin once again held by the tip of his thumb, his eyes unusually glaring into nothingness once more. His hands lay stiff much like his body. Deep in thought. Deafening silence. June took a deep breath. It's better not to disturb him. Only the sound of the engines' mechanical purr resonated around them.
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* * *
The silence entertains winding chains of thoughts. Johnny's mind is filled with them.
Where is she? What the hell happened to her?! Was she held up? Is she sick?
It's easy to fear for the worst.
Dammit, I should've sent April with her…
So far, the search for any faint trace of Dizzy had been fruitless. She wasn't in Berkshire when the first search team started there. Nor was she in the surrounding areas. And as much as they would want to have a follow-up, the IPF had already arrived, quite unusually. Wonderful timing. Why would they send their men over there right now? Perhaps they were there in search of pirates? Or maybe they're there for those attacks on the private companies? No matter. Everyone has their own worries to take care of.
Johnny couldn't get out of his mind the terrible stir of emotions he felt when April returned to the Mayship days ago, bringing the awful news that Dizzy's missing. Regret, worry and that sickening feeling of dread. He felt like a parent who had just failed in his solemn pledge to protect her from harm. He wondered where he went wrong.
Just what on earth went on with her this time? Johnny is certain that something has not been quite right about her recently. That day when he sent Dizzy on an errand, the one when she later returned a little dirtied, he knew that she had gotten into a little trouble. Of course she would not readily admit this to him, knowing this girl and all. She may have feared for the crew's concern for her, which might cause them to act too impulsively if they found out she got held up. But somehow, Johnny is sure that she is hiding something. Something so serious for her to disappear for.
Would he fear for the worst? There is this ebb in his heart that tells him someone is after Dizzy, and that's why she's gone. Bandits, bounty-hunters, maybe even the IPF?
"Those rotten bastards…" Johnny muttered.
June turned around when he spoke; then glancing away from him almost immediately.
…
Why can't the whole world just leave her alone? Don't they know who she really is?
Just what do they want from her?!
Don't they know that all they're just doing is putting a little girl's life in needless danger?
…
It's easy to curse when you're upset. But Johnny just couldn't fathom why some people would go to great lengths when it comes to her. It's just unfair. Her village abandoned her, strangers she'd never met hate and fear her for no reason, everybody else condemn her for crimes she never committed. Then there are hate-mongers… these images and thoughts in his head aren't easy to stomach. Johnny feels like he had finally experienced all kinds of 'worst' people in his lifetime.
He feels so terrible. It's been a long time since he had felt this hopelessness.
"Captain?"
He has to find Dizzy, no matter what.
"Captain? Are you-"
"What is it, April?"
"I…uh…we're receiving a transmission. On the radio…sir."
"Really?"
"It's on a high frequency, must be from-"
Johnny stood up from his seat once more and made his way towards the two girls. April and June could only stand still at his presence. Once again, they are almost definitely sure that this is the first time they felt this coldness emanating from him. Fear and dread. He walked as if he is already devoid of all joy and merrymaking. That stern expression of his face, they are quite sure that Johnny's eyes would look cold if only he'd removed his sunglasses. He made his way to the console, and turned his hand to the receiver. He cleared his throat, and spoke out once more in a burly voice.
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"President Gabriel, is that you?" he asked.
The girls around him widened their eyes in shock. Gasps came out from their mouths.
At the same time, somewhere in what used to be the Old Town.
One of the many privileges that officers of the IPF have is the right to have proper lodgings if their assignment would bring them to a distant nation or village; typically places where the comforts of the civilized world are not plentiful. If not, well there's always the airship to call home. But in the case of Ky, he was somehow able to get an accommodation at a quaint hotel. A Victorian-like living space that he can call his own for at least a few weeks; clearly bargained for him by the higher-ups of the IPF.
It has been four days now, though. Only the man in Ky's stead is left in the room. A middle-aged man is becoming worried. He sat up straight beside the windows. His fingers rested beside the comm-receiver. And a voice is talking to him through the small device. It's the IPF chief.
"Yes, sir. There's still hasn't been any word from him." Bernard answered.
"Are you sure? No calls, no news…not even a letter?" the Chief asked.
"Yes, sir. Still nothing."
From the other end of the small device, he could hear the Chief give out a deep sigh. Disappointment or worry, it's only natural for him to have this stir of emotions. Current events are a bit disorienting. The IPF have received numerous reports of bounty-hunter gatherings up and down the British Isles, as well as in the mainland across the Channel. Not that these people would actually be eager to start some sort of trouble, but the local populace are becoming erratic. Attacks on the private companies, and now this? Nobody knows exactly what on earth is going on. A catalyst for chaos.
Somebody has to keep them in check.
That's probably what Ky Kiske would say. But the master is not around. Bernard could only hypothesize, using the bits of much advanced police thinking he had learned from him. Still, the recent deployment of IPF units is a bit troubling. A taste of things to come, hopefully not. Pandemonium is almost imminent. Word on the street is that a rogue gear has gone loose in Berkshire…
"Hmph. Bernard I think you know the kind of situation that we have on our hands right now."
"Yes sir." He replied politely.
"One of our top officers is missing, and now we have our hands full with all of this that's happening in the mainland…"
"I couldn't agree more, sir."
Bernard peered outside the window. Several police officers are in the hotel premises, guarding the perimeter and checking their equipment. They are to be deployed to the outer regions of the Old Town to increase security there. Standard operating procedure and everything, it's almost as if they're going to war.
"…not to mention the things that are going on over there." The Chief continued.
"Yes sir."
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…
"Do you think that Captain Kiske's investigation in Berkshire has something to do with all this?" the Chief asked.
"Sir?"
…
"Ugh. Never mind that I asked that…"
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…
Bernard could hear the Chief sigh again. Long pauses and his worried tone indicate that he's under stress. A few sips of chamomile would probably do something about that. Then again, everybody's hands are full.
"Just make sure, Bernard, that if something comes up… anything…let me know."
"Yes sir. I will."
"If there's word from him, make sure to relay them to me immediately, are we clear?"
"Yes sir…Crystal clear, sir."
A beep resounded in the receiver. The conversation was over. With that, Bernard turned off the device, got up from his seat and walked away. His feet led him to Ky's desk; unread letters and memoranda were scattered across the pinewood table. Paperwork has increased steadily since he had left. As much as everyone would like to worry about the Captain, Bernard instead began to tidy up things. There's still work to do. Unfazed by the tension brewing outside of the hotel room, he browsed through the papers.
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Official reports... Letters from associates... Personal notes...
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"What a mess. These people sure are demanding…" Bernard said to himself.
Ky would have a lot of things to deal with when he comes back, but Bernard would shoulder the responsibility of doing desk-jobs in the meantime. That is if the Captain ever comes back. The best that the middle-aged man could do is to at least arrange them accordingly. He fumbled over them and set them on top of a tray, trying not to read them as much as his eyes would tempt him to. There are things that are best left in ignorance and unknowing. What Ky has been doing since four days ago is an official investigation, and nobody would want to interfere with-
!!!
A paper slipped his hand and fell on the floor.
"Ugh…clumsy me."
Bernard picked it up and set it on top of the table…
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…
"Hmm?" he muttered.
…
'Confirmed Alive!', a handwritten note on the paper exclaimed in red ink. The rest were obviously type-written.
'Description: Humanoid Gear, Commander-type (unconfirmed as of yet). Girl with dark lavender hair, wings, and a reptilian tail. Reddish eyes. Seems to be in early 20's. Most likely a powerful practitioner of magic according to testimonies. Previous whereabouts are uncertain due to conflicting/unreliable eye-witness accounts. Listed in the UN's 'Most Wanted' as of this printing; 500,000 World Dollar reward slated for her death (?)'
'Criminal History: Various cases of assault, resulting to multiple serious physical injuries. Refer to Archives for more details.'
The words that followed it were handwritten by Ky.
'Conviction to aforementioned cases is questionable because of conflicting/unreliable eye-witness accounts and victims' testimonies.'
Assessment: Subject's motives are unknown. Reason for assault may purely be because of self-defense. However, subject's possible Commander-type classification supersedes all IPF priorities. Extreme discretion is advised, should confrontation prove unavoidable.'
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…
Something caught Bernard's eye.
'Update: Subject confirmed dead. Eliminated by a 'Jam Kuradoberi', Chinese, a bounty-hunter (?).'
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…
That last part of the paper had a long black dash across it. The report was at least a few weeks old. And that black dash seems to have been made no more than five days ago. 'Subject's reported death may have been falsified!' it exclaimed 'Currently pending follow-up'. This paper must be part of Ky-sama's investigation. He's clearly making-
"Ugh! What am I doing!?"
Bernard's eyes had betrayed him. He immediately turned his head away from the paper and quickly set it on the tray. His hands and forehead sweated a little, now knowing that he had just set his eyes on some highly classified information that only his master should know about.
I didn't see anything… I didn't see anything… I didn't see anything…
He chanted mentally on his head; walking away from the desk absent-mindedly, eyes closed.
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A Commander-type Gear? Confirmed alive?! Is Ky-sama really sure?
For someone who went through the Crusades, the mere idea of that particular type of Gear on the loose is troubling. But to actually know that the IPF, not to mention the master himself, is not keeping tabs on a new, clear and present danger all along makes it even worse. Perhaps it is true? That Ky's investigation and that rumor of a rogue Gear, and all this panic going on in the continent recently are all connected to one another?
A beep sounded from the comm-receiver. Instantly, Bernard went back to it and answered it, pressing the button, and then clearing his voice.
"Yes?"
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…
"Bernard? Bernard can you hear me?" A young man's voice replied.
It sounded way too familiar.
"Ky-sama? Sir? Sir, is that you?"
//