Chapter 10

Claire sat on their bunk cradling Charon's head. Her sister had been in a catatonic state for a few days now delaying their investigation of West Genetics. Claire found her curled up at the foot of the memorial statue trembling. If something had gone wrong when she tried to connect to Varen it would explain her current state, but that was something only Charon knew. For now, Claire just held her sister and tried to comfort her as best she could. The rest of the Chevalier force continued to question staff and students searching for any possible clue they could find on where Varen and his team went.

"Liars…" Charon whispered and Claire nearly jumped hearing her voice.

"Charon? Come back to me!" Claire said looking down into her sister's eyes.

"All of them…liars." Charon hissed. Her voice made Claire nervous for some reason.

"What happened? It's been days." Claire asked. Charon turned away still lying on her lap.

"I was finding the truth. Now I know the truth and all will be well." It was Charon's voice, but Claire sensed something dark behind it. She was different, or rather, she was dangerous.

"Alright, what was the truth?" Claire asked. She had to make sure she didn't set Charon off. Whatever had happened to her clearly affected her mental state and Charon was already prone to violent outbursts. The black haired girl looked back up at her and smiled wickedly.

"That they are all liars my dear sister. Every last one of them. This school, Chevalier, the Justicar, all of them. Liars."

"I don't understand. Did you find him?" Claire asked and once more Charon looked away.

"Yes, I found him. I will force him here and make him beg for forgiveness." Charon growled.

"Tell me Charon, I'll listen."

"I know you will Claire. You always listen to me. Chevalier will never give him to me, and it seems that he already has another. I cannot allow this any further. He and I could have been so much more. Him and Chiffon meant that he was like our brother. When she died I knew it was a sign that he and I were destined to be together. Chevalier hid it all from me that he was with our sister. They hid that he now was with that red haired witch! He was mine!" Charon screamed and Claire sucked in her breath nervously.

"Who was she Charon? Tell me and I'll make her pay for what she's done to you. Everything we've done and been through you deserve to be happy. I swear it Charon I will remove her."

"I don't know who she is! Before I lost the connection I heard a voice. It said Crimson Queen. That's all I have to go off of." Charon answered.

"There was a girl with him when they attacked the Chevalier facility. She might be the one you saw. Long red hair, tall, and very aggressive. She wielded a scythe if I remember right." Claire said.

"That must be her then." Charon said angrily.

"I will kill her then. For stealing him from you." Charon smiled patting Claire's leg.

"Thank you sister, but it won't be that simple. Kill her if you so desire, but I must convince him to join us. He wants Chevalier gone? Let's give it to him." Charon said. Claire's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

"What has Chevalier ever done for us Claire? We've spent all our lives killing for them, and for what? To come home and spend our days locked away, beaten, and tortured? They've lied to us from the beginning. Used us for whatever they wanted since we were born. No more! They are afraid of us Claire. With Chiffon dead we are the strongest living beings on this planet and it's time we acted like it. We don't need them anymore. We can offer Varen what he wants and together us three could achieve anything." Charon explained.

"You're talking about betraying Chevalier? Charon you shouldn't speak like this. You just suffered severe trauma and you aren't thinking clearly." Charon sat up and grabbed Claire by the shoulders.

"No, for the first time I am thinking clearly. I will bring Varen to us and then offer him everything he's ever wanted. He can't refuse and then, together, we will turn this world upside down. No one will ever raise a hand against us again." Charon said.

"I don't know; Chevalier is all we've ever known. What if you're wrong?"

"Do you want to go back to living in fear of being tortured. Being owned?"

"No…" Claire said after a long pause. Charon smiled and leaned forward kissing her on the cheek.

"Today begins a new day. No…a new era." Charon said excitedly hopping up off the cot.

"How will you bring him to us?" Charon's smile turned dark and her katana appeared in her hand.

"If no one here knows anything about him then they aren't of any use are they?"

"Kill them?" Claire asked.

"His actions brought this on himself. He will come for them and then nothing will stop me from convincing him to join us. Bring this school to its knees Claire." Charon answered leaving their tent.

"Ma'am, Interceptor inbound! Markings match." A Chevalier soldier said. Charon slid her katana free from the body of a student dropping him to the ground.

"Bring it down. I want him alive, kill the rest." Charon ordered. Hours after their initial attack on West Genetics the school was still in disarray. The repercussions of her surprise attack would echo further than just the walls of this school. Chevalier had given Charon control of a large number of Chevalier and Asakura military members, but not to attack. There would be no going back now, but Charon didn't care what they thought now.

"They are coming then?" Claire asked stepping up beside her. Their armor reflected the sunlight shining down on them as they both looked up at it.

"Yes. Make ready and prepare to pull back. These soldiers will not be enough to win this and I will need time to convince him. We will make for southern Asakura to reinforce and prepare. Oh…and Claire?" Charon said as her sister nodded and turned to walk away. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Kill the Crimson Queen for me, would you?" Charon asked sweetly. Claire gave a quick nod materializing her faceplate. Finally, after waiting for so long she would she him. Everything within her had been dedicated to finding him and meeting him. Chevalier had tried to keep them apart, but no longer. Now she knew that it had to be because they feared a union between her and Varen. Together they would be a force that no amount of military might could ever hope to stop.

Charon put her hand over her heart feeling it beating faster at the very thought. She was getting excited and the anticipation was killing her. Claire would handle that red haired Pandora who stole him and then there would be nothing keeping them apart. They would overthrow Chevalier and create a world where the Novaborn ruled. He would be a king ruling over the entirety of humanity and she would sit beside him guiding his hand. She would give birth to children born to two Novaborn parents. As they grew they too would inherit the world Varen and her shaped for them.

She materialized her faceplate to hide the redness of her face as she began to imagine feeling his hands running over her body. Lust began to fill her mind as she began to fantasize about intimacy. Something that until she knew of him had never crossed her mind. Now, she was desperate for it. It sometimes kept her up at night wanting nothing more than to press herself against him.

"Ma'am?" Charon spun slicing the soldier's head clean from his shoulders. Blood sprayed over her armor serving only to stimulate her more. Two other Chevalier soldiers fell back terrified as the headless torso toppled over.

"Do not disturb me. You have your orders. Obey." She commanded and the two men backpedaled quickly away from her. Under the faceplate she smiled licking her lips waiting for him to arrive. This would be the beginning of the era of Novaborn.