Section Thirteen
Chapter Ten: Descent
Not Gardius – A Crashed Ship - ? Hours
A rather embarrassing, and rather illogical fact of the average TSAB soldier was that, on occasion, you found yourself in the company of children who could slap you silly at something you'd trained to do for years. This wasn't too bad for those who could swallow their pride…unless that child happened to be on the opposite side from you. Then it sucked.
And especially so for one hapless private; reeling backward, he let out a cry of agony as flames consumed what remained of his barrier jacket before starting on the flesh underneath. His partner quickly extended their hand, summoning a brief healing circle to dispel them and offer what aid it could, even if it was through multi-tasking. This brat was no joke.
"Too slow, loser!" And fast, too. She jetted in, jabbing at him with that damn flaming spear. He dodged to one side, but it still pierced him there, and near his leg too – damn the Kaiser, it was hot.
He hit the ground, and the girl gave her weapon a twirl, some of his blood flicking off the tip. For a moment he thought that was it, but she lowered the spear and let out a contemptuous snort. "You really don't have anyone worth my time, huh. Why'd you guys even bother showing up?" Without even a glance back at him, she took to the air.
It was the closest any attack had come to her so far. The fire-flinging girl twitched aside, barely avoiding a blast of pink energy that came from above. Looking up, he gave a smile of relief. "Sergeant!'
She replied with a look of concern typical of her. "If you're too injured to fight, get back to the ship; the medical bay is filling up fast."
He hesitated, which she seemed to notice. "I'll handle things here." That firm tone of voice settled matters: when the Sergeant said she was going to handle something, it got handled. Nodding, he rose shakily to his feet, ascending out of the battle. The two barely noticed, squaring off at each-other. This was going to be the furthest thing from a skirmish, and both of them knew it immediately.
Alyssa Triad leaned against her spear, sneering. Something about the girl pissed her off: the outfit, maybe, all girly colors and frills. She almost looked like a doll. But no, it had to be the look in her eyes. It wasn't contempt, or anger, and she'd seen plenty of both before now. Instead it was more like…disappointment? Who the hell would be sad now?
"I have a feeling I know your answer already," Nanoha Takamachi murmured, "but won't you surrender? There's no reason for us to fight."
"…really?" The sneer changed to a full-on glare. "'cause from where I'm standing, there's plenty. You crash our ship, attack my old man, try to arrest all of us…" She pointed Bowie's blade toward her. "And then you tell me to give up? I think you'll make a perfect hostage!"
The stupid girl looked even sadder. "Is that really how you think about this? That it has to be you or other people?" She waved a hand over the aftermath of Alyssa's battle so far. "There's no point to any of this!"
One Flash Move later and Alyssa's spear clashed against her staff. This just gave her less space to talk through. "If you beat me, then what happens after? You think your family would want you to go on the run? Your father's already-"
"SHUT UP! You're lying!" Three times the spear hit the other device's shaft, getting deflected each time. Growling, Alyssa flew backward, firing a set of fireballs at the white-clad mage. "I'm not letting you touch him or anyone else! I'm gonna protect my family!"
The smoke cloud billowed up for a moment, before an intense pressure snapped over all of her limbs; a set of pink bands was responsible. She grit her teeth as Nanoha emerged from the smoke cloud, unharmed but for a few scuff marks. "Alright, then," she murmured, disappointment now tinged with anger, "if you think you can…"
If it was possible for a pink glow to be ominous, the one that came from her device now qualified in spades. Pinpoints of light of the same color blinked into view across the field, travelling toward it like fireflies. Alyssa stared, struggling against the binds as the energy grew. The hand holding Bowie was the first to break, the other ones following soon after. By that point it had grown almost as big as she was. What the hell kind of spell was that?
It didn't matter. The flame on Bowie's tip grew several sizes, sharpening to a point that was almost white-hot. "I'm not…"
"LOSING TO YOU!"
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Dormitory, Alyssa's Room – 0602 Hours
"…" slowly, Alyssa opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling like it owed her money. "Again? …can't even let me deal with this shit by myself, can you?"
Groping behind her for the pillow, she flung it down over her head and rolled over. Some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed, early or not.
0
Planet Gardius? – Location Unknown – 0712 Hours
Lacerta began tapping her finger against the console, and frowned.
Risking a glance toward his daughter, Leonard frowned. He would be quite a poor father if he couldn't tell his child's mood, and she'd passed merely being annoyed about an hour ago. Something about the boy just got under her skin, and he seemed to take an odd amount of pride in digging himself deeper at every opportunity. It probably wasn't on purpose this time, however; he knew better than that…as long as Cashim was around.
Still, though, he usually wasn't this late. "I could send out a few of the Vanguards to-"
"And have them come back broken, Father?" she replied quickly. "The Commander is the only one who can make him do anything he doesn't wish to." She clicked her tongue. "Of course, when she asks, it no longer is what he did not want to do."
As if on cue, the door in the wide, brightly lit room they were looking over slid open, and a young man stumbled out as if he'd just been pushed. He rubbed his back, frowning. "Alright, I'm going, I'm going!"
He walked to the center of the room, bouncing back and forth on his heels expectantly. "Well?" he asked after a few moments, brushing his brown hair aimlessly. "What's the deal, Lacerta? You fall asleep at the switch?"
The girl twitched, and her hand moved toward a large button, but the sound of control room's door sliding open halted her. Turning, a slight smile broke through her features. "Commander."
Cashim nodded back curtly. "Lacerta." Her helmet was on, as always, and she moved without any sign of discomfort despite the armor. Striding up to the control pnale, she hit the switch for the intercom. "I hope you enjoyed that break, Ryusei, because today is going to be a little difficult."
Ryusei grinned. "You mean you're coming down here, boss? That's the only way I can see me breaking a sweat."
She ignored the noise of discomfort Leonard made next to her. "You might be surprised."
"Heh, if you say so."
Removing her finger, she gestured to the old man. "Put all of their settings parameters close to maximum, please, Doctor."
"Are you sure?"
The soldier nodded. "He has to learn not to underestimate people on his side, droids or no. Especially now, with that unit nearing completion."
Leonard looked momentarily unsure, but a look of realization crossed his face. "Well," he said carefully, "if that's what you want, then there is something else almost ready for battle." Nearby, Lacerta raised an eyebrow.
Cashim's mask didn't show any such feelings. "Alright, then. Send it out."
His hands quickly flew across the keyboard, and what appeared to be the window lit up with screens displaying information far beyond her. Simple memory told her they were far above average. Good; he could use some humility for a change.
Ryusei was one of the first members to join their group, and she'd been involved with his induction personally. But not one of these sessions had gone by since where she didn't wonder if he was really ready. He had no personal stake in their goals, or any necessary benefit from this arrangement. And even given that these battles were fake, the idea that battles were life or death didn't come easily to him. Without even that backing you during one, you were asking to die.
On the opposite side of the wide room, a door slid open slowly. Ryusei turned, grinning. "Alright, let's see – huh?"
Cashim raised an eyebrow as the unit began its attack. "Interesting, Doctor."
Leonard nodded. "That isn't half of what it can do, of course, and there are still a few kinks to iron out – oh, there goes the head – but once it's complete…"
"It's enough to keep Ryu on his toes as it is now. Quite impressive."
"Ow! Boss, this ain't funny; you were just waiting until I was late to make me fight this, weren't ya?"
The masked soldier let out, if not a smile, then something reasonably close.
0
Planet Gardius – Angelo Corporation Penthouse – 0748 Hours
"I must say, you're a hard woman to get a hold of, Miss Benz-Vito. I usually prefer to meet people in person, you know."
"Um, yes, Mister Angelo, as do I," Mercedes said from the other side of the screen, managing to sound nervous with more than a planet's distance between her and the man, "but something suddenly came up, and well…" she coughed pathetically. "Erm, how exactly did the, ah…"
Quattro leaned forward. "How did the Logia turn out, you mean? Oh, quite well. Until it was destroyed of course." He smiled serenely. "I seem to recall you saying something about that."
The archaeologist squirmed. "Y-yes, I did, didn't I…but you know, Mister Angelo, Belkan phrasing can have any number of meanings-"
"Which I would have been most interested to hear when I first hired you." He tapped the side of his disc a little, watching Mercedes try to stammer out an explanation for that, too. Well, he didn't have quite enough time for that. There were only twenty-four hours in a day, after all. "So what I'm hearing from you is that the artefact wasn't claimed to be invincible at all, yes? I don't really like being lied to, Miss Benz-Vito."
"I, I didn't lie, Mister Angelo. M-merely gave my own interpretation on the passage." She had enough pride to sound vaguely offended at that, at least.
He leaned back. "I see. In that case, might I hear it again? I'm afraid it slipped my mind."
Mercedes nodded quickly. "Yes, I-I thought you might want to, I have it right here…" Hurriedly she flipped open the note and began reading, only a hint of a quaver in her voice.
"He who would awaken what slumbers behind this gateway, beware: should it rise again, no steel nor magic, no bolt nor fire shall put it to rest once more. To those who would desire its power, beware."
Quattro nodded. "Yes, I remember now. Suitably ominous, do you think? The Belkans always seemed to have such a fascination with melodrama, if you ask me."
She didn't laugh, partly because it wasn't a joke, and mostly because she had been at the excavation site personally. There was no describing how to him, but the feeling in that chamber had been worse than any booby trap could manage. "I'm sure you can see how that would be open to interpretation, no? I merely chose the one most-"
"Profitable for you?" he asked innocently. Her mouth snapped shut as he continued. "Thank you, Miss Benz-Vito. You've been very informative. Good-bye."
Before she could sputter out anything else, he had terminated the connection. The stupid woman would probably be looking over her shoulder for the next week; what could be better retribution than that? It wasn't as if he couldn't make the money back in that amount of time. And in a way, going back to the drawing board was its own reward for him.
He settled back to do some paperwork. After a while, a shiver came over him. "I'm sure I left that window shut…" Quattro muttered, turning.
A pair of glowing red eyes filled his vision.
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Headquarters, Officer's Quarters hallway – 0815 Hours
"Why am I doing this, again?"
Anton wasn't many things, but he was a morning person, and breakfast was the most important meal of the day after all. Unfortunately, not everyone shared his attitude, including his captain. Which might be why he was taking hers up to her right now.
Stopping in front of the door, he adjusted his load and knocked politely.
"I'm decent."
He sighed, and opened the door. What was inside wasn't what Anton had expected, but he'd also expected that to begin with. Alyssa was lying back on her bed, head propped up on one arm, lining up a shot at a dartboard on the opposite wall. That wouldn't be odd by itself, except for what was on it: a picture of a red-head with blue eyes smiling brightly, her hair in a pony-tail. As he watched, a dart barely hit the girl in the chin. A few others were nearby, most on the wall to either side of her.
"Just put it on my desk." she said sullenly, picking up another dart.
Anton frowned, but walked over, half-expecting her to toss it on the way. Putting the tray down, his curiosity overcame him. "Uh-"
Alyssa swivelled an eye toward him. "If you want to know why she's on my dart-board, just ask. It's a free planet."
He couldn't help laughing at that. "Was it that obvious? But, um, you have to admit it's surprising - I don't think you would find too many people throwing darts at Nanoha Takamachi."
Apparently that had been a bad thing to say. His captain rose, glaring at him like he'd just insulted every fibre of her being. "Yeah, of course. Hating a hero just isn't allowed, is it?"
Her voice was spiteful, maybe even worse than when she'd been talking about her siblings. "S-so you know her personally, then?"
Oops again. "So I'm only allowed if I know her, is that right? Maybe I just don't like her."
"…why not?" Anton asked. Well, he was already in the thick of it.
Alyssa pointed an accusing finger straight at him. "'cause of that, right there. You can't think of any reason to not like her, can you?"
He felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. "Tha, that's not true. Nobody's perfect, right?"
"Okay," she leaned back and gestured toward the dartboard, "go ahead: tell me one bad thing about her. Hell, tell me one bad rumor about her."
Wondering if this really shouldn't be happening to someone else, Anton's mind searched through itself feverishly. That was what the Langsleys did after all, and she had to be exaggerating a little, right? Anything to stop her looking at him like that.
"…um, she works too hard?"
His captain didn't even bother to look disappointed. "Yeah, thanks. You can go now." She picked up the dart again.
Anton looked miserable. "Alyssa-"
"Something else you want?"
He didn't need a neon sign to tell he wasn't wanted.
0
Planet Gardius – Angelo Corporation Penthouse – 0820 Hours
"…yes, the reinforced steel model, please…perhaps with a bit less steel this time, if possible. Yes, that will be fine, thank you very much."
Putting the phone down, Quattro looked across his ruined office. Papers had blown everywhere, the coach was bent in half, books were scatted everywhere, and holes had been punched in the plaster. It was like all the tabloid stories about him had suddenly come true. "I'm not quite sure all of that was necessary, Barnes."
"Right, Boss." said the familiar, not taking his eyes off what was sitting in the corner.
"Throwing the door, for instance, might have been a bit much. Although I suppose you'd already had it off the hinges to start with."
Behind Barnes, Katie raised a finger, adding: "And after only two hits, too; impressive what bru-loyalty can do, isn't it?"
Quattro nodded. "Quite right; remind me to look at your pay later, Barnes." He looked toward the corner. "Now, what shall we do about this…peculiarity?"
The gargoyle sat hunched in the corner of the office, staring at nothing in particular. Or had been; when the CEO moved its gaze snapped right over to him. Barnes let out a low growl, but his master silenced him with a raised hand. "I may not have either of your talents, but I trust my own eyes, and I am certain this statue was destroyed."
He took a tentative step forward. The logia's eyes followed him, but it didn't move. "And yet here it stands, intact as the day it was uncovered. If I had to guess, perhaps regeneration is one of its functions. With that in mind…"
His two associates tensed up as he reached out a hand, but it wasn't necessary. The statue accepted his pat almost like a dog, crouching down further and waiting expectantly. "It should still recognize me as its master. Why else would it be here now?"
Turning, Quattro smiled. "I suppose it was a net profit after all: splendid."
"That's nice." Barnes said, even if he didn't seem to think so. "Are you going to call that archaeologist back, then?"
"It's been over an hour, Barnes – I doubt she's anywhere near a phone by now."
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Secretary's Office – 0834 Hours
Anton looked up in surprise as a polite knock came from outside. It probably said a lot when he'd gotten used to not hearing that. "Come in."
It was Arturia. "Anton, here is some more work for you. The Major thought my hands looked free when we passed in the hallway.
He sighed. "Does he just generate it somehow? Well, put it in the in pile, I'll get to it as soon as I can."
The knightess did, but suddenly leaned forward when she was at his desk, studying him closely. An expression of concern had appeared on her face. "Anton, is something wrong?" she asked as the secretary quickly scooted his chair backward. "You seem troubled."
"Troubled?" he repeated. Of course he probably had been, but was it that obvious? Chock it up to those knight instincts, he supposed. "Well, maybe a little. It's about Captain Alyssa-"
"Ah." Arturia murmured, nodding knowingly. "I might have known. What did she say, if I may inquire?"
It was a perfectly innocent question, and spoken politely, but her gaze pinned him to the chair. Saying a silent apology about whatever came next, he said, "Well, I went into her room, and she was throwing darts at-"
The acolyte sighed, shaking her head. "I am hardly surprised. She simply cannot let that go."
Anton frowned. "I figured there was more to it than that."
"Oh, of course," Arturia said sharply, the thought of the captain giving her tongue a deadly edge, "but that woman would not admit it to a soul, even one she has taken a liking to. She may claim she has forgotten the past, but do not believe it for a moment. Honestly, I-"
The wind mage stood up. "Lieutenant, sorry, but I'm not really interested in what you think of her right now. Just tell me what the problem is, please."
She hadn't been expecting that, he could tell, but then again neither had he. "Very well, then," the fair-headed woman said, hiding her surprise with grace, "it is quite simple, really. During the Triad's arrest, all three of his children defeated many who were involved in it, to make no mention of the man himself. Subduing each of them was an Ace's duty, and for Alyssa that Ace-"
"-was Nanoha Takamachi." finished Anton. Sighing, he sat back down. "I think I get the picture."
Arturia nodded. "Indeed. You might say that without her, she would not be a captain in the Bureau today." She sniffed. "The thought of it must gnaw at her quite often. It would be best to stay out of her way for the rest of today, Anton. She will forget it soon enough."
He frowned. "That's your answer, then? Don't you care at all?"
"I did, at first." she replied, looking somewhat offended at the accusation. "But even as a knight, I cannot help someone if they do not wish to help themselves. I have told her many times to speak with Miss Takamachi and resolve this, but she is adamant. I see no need to try forcing the matter."
"But you're her lieutenant…"
The young woman spread her arms and shrugged. "Indeed. But I cannot force someone to change their minds on a matter, nor would I do so if I were able. It is an answer she has been unable to find for many years – what use could someone who has known her a mere few months be? But if you wish to try, I will wish you luck."
Anton stared. "That's an awfully defeatist attitude for a knight, isn't it?"
Her face suddenly wasn't as kind as it had been a moment before. "…please do not talk about things you know nothing of, Anton." With that she turned, marching out of the closet.
"Great," he thought, slumping back down, "just Ace and GD left, and I'll have made everyone in my squad mad at me."
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Library – 0850 Hours
"Daniel…Daniel, get the hell up, seriously…DANIEL!"
The pint-sized librarian sat bolt upright, hand going up instinctively to rub at the sudden bruise he'd gotten. "Wha, what, what's happening?"
Of all the unpleasant things a person could see first when they woke up, an annoyed-looking Jeanne was pretty high on the list. In answer, she stepped aside to reveal a small, mousy-looking man standing behind her. "I found him loitering around the lobby. It took nearly five minutes to get that he was a friend of yours out of him." Her tone suggested someone was going to have to pay for those five minutes.
Daniel groaned. Those fogged up classes, that slouch, the almost perpetual state of mid-cringe…he suppressed a sigh. He'd known the guy was in the city, but still, why today? "Hi, Buggy. What's up?"
Buggy Barrows, star-gazer by trade if not career, was a long-time acquaintance of his. Technically long enough that they should be friends, but Daniel's personal definition of friend didn't include someone like him. Alyssa thought Anton was kind of a wimp – hah! Showed you how much some people knew. He'd seen Buggy get freaked out by poodles, and take detours around groups of kids.
"H-hi, Daniel." He sniffed. "Um…I, uh…"
He waited, trying to ignore the look Jeanne was giving him now. Getting a clear sentence out of Buggy could sometimes take a little bit. "You wanted to tell us something, man?"
His head snapped up into a nod. "Yes, yes I did. I was star-gazing late last night you know – nothing illegal, of course!"
"When we make a law against that, I'll make sure you're the first to know." Daniel realized the wording of that a second later, hurriedly adding, "A joke, that was a joke!"
Buggy sniffed again. "R-right…anyway, I was looking at one of Gardius' moons, with my magic, and all of a sudden…" He paused.
Daniel waited for a moment, drumming his fingers on the desk. "And?"
"Crash!" the stargazer brought his hands together in a loud clap. "There was a cave-in under the surface, like an explosion had gone off!"
The librarian and his captain shared a glance over the top of Buggy's head. "Why don't you tell me where you saw this, Bugsy…"
0
Planet Gardius – Streets Outside Section Thirteen Headquarters – 0906 Hours
If there was ever an occasion for Buggy Barrows to hold his head hi – not down, he did it now, humming a tune as he strolled back to his apartment. It would carry him through the day, surely!
As he turned the corner to the next street, Buggy didn't seem to notice the black stretch limo with the tinted windows turning to follow him. This obliviousness continued until it pulled up next to him with a sudden burst of speed, a hand shot out, and he disappeared inside.
The mousy little man blinked, wondering where the man in front of him and the hard pressure on his arm had come from all of a sudden.
"Good morning, friend," Quattro said with a smile, "I was wondering if you might satisfy a sudden curiosity of mine…"
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Meeting Room – 0931 Hours
"Back to the grind yet again, eh?" Alyssa muttered not-very under her breath as she came through the door, sitting near Anton without glancing in his direction. The frown she got from Arturia in return was equally ignored.
Major Destin glanced at her sharply. "No time for joking today, Alyssa; this is serious." A serious tone coming from him was more than enough to catch her attention. He tapped a few buttons under the table, and a projection of space around Gardius filled the room. "A little less than a half hour ago, a friend-"
"Acquaintance."
"-whatever, of Daniel's informed us about a cave-in on one of this planet's moons. I took the liberty of checking a satellite's footage near the time he said, and he was right. It was subtle, but there was definitely some kind of collapse there. But that could only happen if there was something major for it to cave in to."
"So you think we have some moon-looters, then?" Dwight murmured with a frown. "Seems a bit far-fetched to me. What's even up there to take?"
Daniel whistled. "Like you wouldn't believe. Planetary warfare was big back in the Belkan days, and moons like that were huge advantages. They could be used for pretty much anything: turrets, shields, even just front-line bases. Better to fight them there instead of on the planet, right?" He shrugged. "'course, when they were seriously damaged, the enemy had usually already won. Not that it was much fun taking over a flooded world."
"We had already investigated a few of the ones surrounding Gardius before you arrived, Anton, but found nothing." Arturia explained. "Apparently this one was the remaining trove, or so they must think."
Destin held up a hand. "Of course, this is all just speculation. But even if it is just the possibility, we can't ignore it. I think a scout team is in order."
"I'm in," Alyssa said, "I can fly, and I'm the fastest one here who can."
Arturia stared at the red-head for a moment before giving Destin a nod. "If my captain is going, I suppose I must as well."
Daniel tried to ignore Jeanne's stare as long as he could, but gave in and sighed. "Guess I don't have a choice, right? Not like you'll get far without proper expertise anyway."
"You're a sweetheart, Trail."
A quiet voice spoke up next. "I would like to go with Daniel." All eyes went toward Otavi, and it was clear to everyone that that was what was going to happen.
Anton cleared his throat. "Well, I-"
Before he could say anything more, a red eye swivelled toward him. "Statement: with respect, Anton, more than this amount in a scouting mission would be counterproductive."
"What he said," Alyssa added, not looking in his direction, "you're better off staying home."
"...A-alright, then." the wind mage said, shrinking.
Destin nodded. "Well, that settles that. I'll let the Doctor know to prep the transport chamber for you four. Everyone else, stay on alert – you never know, right?
No, you never could.
0
Planet Gardius? – Location Unknown – 0940 Hours
The saying went that there was an opposite side to every coin, a counterpart to every situation or story imaginable. This was certainly true, but you never found many people talking about how that must apply to every situation – like meetings.
"I swear to the Kaiser, Cypher, whoever's responsible for getting me up is about to be very unlucky, so I'll hope for your sake its not you."
Leonard frowned as he sat down across from Grace. "I'll never understand that, you know. What is there here to stay up late for?"
"It's one of the only things I get to decide for myself, these days."
On the other side of the screen that split the two scientists, Cypher watched impassively before he finally spoke. "There is trouble. Section Thirteen has acquired knowledge of the cave-in at our moon dig site."
"That's it?" Grace asked after a moment. "Have we even found anything worthwhile up there?"
"A few articles," Leonard said, adjusting his glasses, "but it's mostly being used for extra storage. And there-in lies the problem."
Cypher nodded. "If they find evidence of our work, not ideal. Must remove remaining evidence. Quickly."
The old man pursed his lips. "That…could be a problem, Cypher. Most of it is just equipment, but there are also-"
"A bunch of Bureau meddlers interfering with my work?" A rush of feathers came down from above. "Unacceptable!"
Leonard nearly jumped out of his chair, while Grace merely turned to regard the fourth member of their little quartet as he landed on the back of his chair. The great bird of prey fiddled with its wings as the collar around its neck let out another crackle. "Gentlemen, I see you are well. Grace, you look as lovely as always."
She rolled her eyes whilst the other scientist realigned himself in his seat. "So those monsters of yours are more trouble than they're worth again, K? I can't say I'm surprised. It seems like they're always doing just as much damage to us, maybe more."
A contemptuous harrumph came from the speaker. "I would not expect a mere tinkerer to understand the true value of my work."
"True value!? You-"
"Irrelevant." Cypher's voice cut through them like an arrow. "All that matters is disposal."
The bird spread lowered one wing in a gracious bow. "Indeed. Though they may be my creations, it would not do for them to endanger our mission. You have my permission to destroy them, if need be."
The agent's glasses honed in on it like a laser. "Did not require it."
Leonard frowned. He could act as genial as he wanted, but everyone here knew what kind of man Doctor K was. If he and Grace were amoral, then he was truly repugnant. It was anyone's guess how Cypher had found him – the man's trail stretched back further than an entire crowd's arms, and if even a quarter of the rumors about him were true there was almost no criminal organization or agenda that didn't owe something to him. Often-times that included its destruction, save for him.
As for his field of expertise…he suppressed a shudder thinking about some of them. Give him a pile of wires and servos any day.
He blinked as Cypher turned toward him. "Unit One and Two, prepared?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, I just completed the finishing touches on the latter earlier. But Cashim has some reservations-"
"Am aware. Have them ready for deployment, soon." His eyes flickered across the table. "A distraction would be ideal."
Grace smiled happily. "I thought you'd think so. I think a certain businessman would be interested in hearing about an opportunity like this, assuming he hasn't found out already."
Cypher nodded. "Have shipment of Vanguard units prepared for him. Anything else?" None of the three replied. "Do it." The connection was cut.
"Well, if nothing else demands my attention," Doctor K said as his bird took wing, "then I shall be going. I am nearing a breakthrough in my latest project, and it seems my specimens will be at a net loss after today, alas…"
"Time to make the pretty-boy do our dirty work again, I suppose." said the blonde as she rose. "I'm sure there's something shiny around that he'll want to take."
After the two had left, Leonard remained, a trouble expression on his face. "Well, she isn't going to like this." He shrugged. "But I only made the thing, after all. It's not my fault."
0
Planet Gardius? – Location Unknown – 0944 Hours
As the transmission was cut, Cypher sat back in his chair, silent for the moment. "Dissatisfied with decision?" he asked quietly.
From where she stood near the wall, Cashim nodded. "Speaking honestly, I can't say I do. Ryusei is strong, but he's not skilled enough yet to fight with their Aces."
"Have said so many times," he agreed, "but will happen sooner or later. His talents are required now." Swivelling the chair toward her, he stared. "Feel a kinship with him. Understandable. But ultimately, both of you have a duty to perform."
"Of course," she said without hesitation, "this is my role, and I've never complained. But he's younger than I. Far younger."
Cypher's stare didn't waver. "True. Unfortunate situation, certainly. But do you intend to fight alone forever? Perhaps more ready than you think."
Cashim made for the door. "To tell the truth, that's part of what I'm worried about." She turned, and the mask met his opaque lenses. "But I'll go tell him at once."
His gaze followed her out the door, and the room fell into silence.
0
Planet Gardius – Angelo Corporation Penthouse – 0950 Hours
"So, Section Thirteen may be going on another mission soon." Quattro murmured as he sat down. "They're working too hard, if you ask me. Quite a piece of valuable information – it's a shame the young man ran before I could compensate him."
Barnes shrugged. "You gave him the exercise, at least. I'm not even sure I could run that fast for that long."
When a third voice didn't chime in, he turned to regard Katie flipping idly through a newspaper from the last week. "Uh…"
In answer, she slapped a section of it down on the table, grinning. "I think I know what we're going to do today~" she sang.
Rolling his eyes, Barnes picked the page up and handed it to Quattro. His eyes lit up when he saw what was on it. "Ah, this…I had felt a bit bad about overshadowing it, you know." It was a story about a local museum that had recently opened in Gardius. Although it held a few pieces from local and off-world artists, its main feature was artifacts from the Belkans that had once made their home here.
"Stealing from a museum? Creative, Katie, certainly. But according to this, the functions of most of the artifacts are yet unknown."
The lightning triad nodded. "True, but it's always nice to have a trump card ready, isn't it? I've read that the excavation into the ruins they've found has progressed very well lately. Who knows: one of those could be the key to their castle. With the team split up from this, there's no reason not to take the chance."
Quattro paused for a moment, pursing his lips. "True, it could be quite a boon later on. And with our new friend around," he nodded to the gargoyle currently hunched in the corner, eliciting a scowl from Barnes, "sending both of you out won't be as much of a problem. Yes, a wonderful idea."
Barnes nodded. "Well, if that's settled…" he stared at an empty patch of carpet. "You can come out now, I'd say."
"I'll have to find a way to beat your nose someday, Mr. Barnes." Grace said through the droid as it uncloaked. "Good day, Mr. Angelo."
The boss smiled. "Ah, I thought you might appear at some point, my friend. The usual package of 'bots, then? Hold the War Armors this time, I think."
Katie pouted. "And here I thought you were leaving it up to us."
Quattro smiled like a cat. "I am still a businessman, mind."
0
Planet Gardius – Section Thirteen Headquarters, Teleport Chamber – 1011 Hours
It would be foolish to assume the duties of every Bureau base would take place on the actual planet, with the current age being what it was. But at the same time, Bureau ships were too valuable to give to everyone with how much territory there was to oversee. As a compromise, Section Thirteen and others had been given specialized equipment, designed to send officers to the exact coordinates of their destination. The only downside was it had to be calibrated with extreme care, to avoid them being transported into say, a wall.
While Forrester made these adjustments, the members of the scout sat around killing time; Arturia was meditating in preparation, Daniel flipping through a book of his on the local Belkans, Alyssa tapping her foot and humming, and Otavi…well, just sort of sitting around. The captain looked up as the door opened, and Dwight walked in.
"So, just about ready to go, then?" he asked, smiling.
"Yeah…" Alyssa said, a suspicious frown creasing her mouth. "You want something, Dwight? The rest of you guys are supposed to be on standby, if I remember."
He laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Yep, pretty obvious, right? I wanted to ask a favour: take me along with you."
She stared. "Uh, I know Jeanne's kind of a hard-ass, but I'm not sure going to the moon is the better deal."
"N-no, not that, I just-"
Alyssa shrugged. "Hey, none of my business. Just don't throw me under the bus when she finds out, okay?"
Off to the side, Forrester raised his head. "I'll just prepare a fifth passenger, then? And that goes triple for me, incidentally."
It took a few minutes more, but finally the old man looked up and nodded. "Alright, I've set it for near where that supposed cave-in occurred. I suggest you put your barrier jackets on, unless you'd prefer warping into instant suffocation.
They didn't really need any more incentive than that. When they were all assembled on the raised dias, he typed in a few more commands and pressed the large red button on the console's front. "Here's hoping you come back in one piece, literally!"
"Cheery." Alyssa said before they all vanished in a flash.
0
Planet Gardius? – Location Unknown, Teleport Hangar – 1013 Hours
"Seriously?" Ryusei asked, his eyes and teeth practically sparkling. "I finally get to go with you, boss?"
Cashim stared back, frowning underneath her mask. "If you can keep that attitude under control, then yes." She held up a hand quickly. "And I will remind you, this is not a combat mission. You're only to engage the enemy if it becomes absolutely necessary."
"Right, right, move the stuff, herd the animals, whatever you want! I'm just glad to finally be helping you, boss."
His earnestness couldn't help but make her crack a smile. "Well, you will. There are some things up there that I certainly can't lift. Of course, you can't either; not by yourself."
Grinning, he gestured toward what Leonard was finishing the last adjustments on. "I've been in the simulations for that thing so long it'll fit like a glove, boss."
'That' was a large, humanoid machine silently crouched in front of the teleporters. A closer glance would show it wasn't a machine at all, however, but a hollow suit of armor, open at the front to admit a passenger. Its blue and white frame almost resembled a knight ready for battle, and compared to the Vanguard soldiers it looked one of a kind. Which it was: the prototype for a project that would offer a much-needed breakthrough in protection for mages the Bureau over – the METEOR Armor. It had been quite the innovative idea from Cypher. But then, that was his job.
"It's as ready as it will ever be, Ryusei. Take it for 'a whirl', as the saying goes."
"Try not to break it, either." came Lacerta's voice from behind them.
He was too happy to bother with an insult. Running up in front of the armor, he spread his arms and backed into it. Recognizing its registered wearer, the clamps present in the legs and arms snapped securely over his limbs, the front swinging shut to cover him completely soon after. With a hum, the systems inside began to start up. The METEOR Armor was designed to fulfill all the basic functions of a device, but with far more practical protection. Systems and abilities made to counter or dispel magic were on the rise, but Leonard would be truly amazed if they could make a few hundred pounds worth of armor disappear.
Ryusei stood up, the armor accepting the movement as smooth as clockwork. He clenched one fist, a reddish glow coming over it briefly, and nodded. "Awesome. Better than awesome, Doc! I feel like I could beat anyone in this thing!"
Ignoring that, Cashim prepared the teleporters. Unlike Section Thirteen's, this one only went to one location, so even she could operate it. "You two will go on ahead, and I'll follow after."
"Yeah, we'll…two?" Ryusei turned and nearly jumped a few feet in the air (not an exaggeration) when he saw the robot that had somehow snuck up right next to him. He recognized it immediately: the unit that had been the cat to his mouse just a few hours ago. It looked more like the Vanguards than the suit he wore, but more slender and…well, girlier, like whoever made the thing had had gender in mind the whole time.
The machine swivelled its head toward him. "You look like someone spat in your eye, Ryusei."
Only one person could talk to him with that kind of acid tongue. "Lacerta?" He turned around to see the computer jockey wearing something similar to what Doctor Grace wore when she was controlling that messenger bot. The girl raised one hand, and the robot mimicked the movement right down to finger placement.
"You didn't imagine they'd send you up there alone, did you? Naturally, I'll be coming along via Unit Comet here, to make certain you don't break something." Both machine and human stared at him. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Ryusei made a mental command, and the helmet slid open. "Do I? You'd better believe that I-" A third stare hit the back of his skull. "…don't."
"Splendid." Unit Comet started forward. "Shall we be going, then?"
Grumbling under his breath, he followed, replacing the helmet as he did. Once they were on the pad, their commander tapped in a few last commands. "Good luck, you two. And…try to get along, please."
The pair (or at least one half of it) disappeared in a flash of light, sending them off on their path: one of inevitable conflict.
To be continued…
Next time, Katie and Barnes begin their heist of the museum, while Ryusei and Lacerta try to cover their group's tracks on the moon. Section Thirteen is split up, and has to deal with both these threats divided. Both Anton and Alyssa are distracted by the feelings their conversation dredged up – will they be able to push past them and win the day?
The only way to tell is to read the next chapter, Break In, Break Out.
Until next time, see you, readers, and Merry Christmas. And if it's not too much trouble, could I ask for a few more reviews? I haven't had any for a fair few chapters now – don't want to make me lonely, do you?