AN: Thanks SapphoSensei! for catching an inconsistency. It was because the whole beginning of this chapter was missing. It helps explain a few things and leads into things that happen in part 3.
Forgot to mention that I loved reading your reviews and reactions on the pregnancy issue. You guys are AWESOME! As is your patience with me.
I Feel You in the Midst of Revenge
part II
Fate lifted her hand from the scientist neck. It was clear she was roused into coming here to witness his death. The question was why? She had never met the man let alone knew him. Although one thing she was sure of. This man was the first clue to finding her wife and the man who kidnapped her. "Chief Nickolson, did Mr. Richardson have any enemies or rivals?"
The chief broke his stare from his former employer and gazed into authoritative burgundy eyes. She was good, doing her job right away. It seemed her reputation wasn't just for show. He liked that, respected her for it, and felt confident his boss's killer will be brought to justice. He explained what he knew of the scientist. "No. Mr. Richardson was a nice man, well loved, and respected for his charming character."
"Did anyone ever threaten him?"
"No." The chief stared meaningfully into her eyes. He switched to a private telepathic link. "But, he knew he was going to die. That's why you were called in."
"Did he know who?"
"No. He only told me he was going to die in a lab accident."
"You think it was an accident?"
"No. The man was a brilliant geneticists and engineer. He wasn't the careless type."
"Was there a message? Anything that clued him in."
The chief shook his head, no. Then after some hesitation he replied. "He occasionally had prophetic dreams."
"So he was a mage."
"No. He only had a small amount of magic. No one knew about it except me. "
Fate nodded. Weak magicians lived their lives as non-mages since they didn't have enough magic capacity to complete mage training. However, they weren't well received by either the mage or non-mage community. "He must have trusted you greatly."
The chief nodded. "He was like a son to me."
Fate stood up, taking one last glance at the dead scientist at her feet. "Get me cleared for magic, I want to take a look at that lab."
He nodded.
A few minutes later, Fate stood in the basement. The vents had done a good job clearing the smoke. She could actually see the lab. It fit the image of an underground secret laboratory, shaped like a tunnel made of cinder blocks with machines lining the walls and fluorescent panels hanging by thick steel cable from the curved ceiling went down the tunnel. She came upon the table Mr. Richardson was working at. Some glass was shattered. Blue liquid dripped off the table to the puddle on the floor. Across from her were the remains of a machine, shards of metal, ripped wire live with electricity, and a splatter of black soot on the wall and floor. She had Bardiche scan and record everything in the room.
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"2000, 2001, 20002, 2003…" Nanoha counted cracks on the stone walls. It was better than listening to the static ring in her ears, the sound of nothing but the noise in her head. She had grown more acquainted with it than she ever would have liked, and she found she couldn't tolerate it. Hours of emptiness, dry dullness that was all that was in the room. Sleep, dreaming was a respite, an escape from the monotony, lethargic passage of time, but there was only so long the mind and body could sleep. Full of energy and bored of pacing, she had sat, staring at the gray stone walls.
"2004, 2005-" She stopped counting, the walls suddenly running golden brown like paint dripping down the wall. They became grainy, turned into planks of wood, and the cement floor had grown softer becoming tatami mats. She found herself in her family dojo. Her father, twenty years younger, performed a kata, explained to her the basic stances and the flow of movement. She stood up and heard the familiar squeak of the floorboards. He was patient, correcting her feet, the position of her arms and back, till she had the starting stance of the kata. He made her practice the form, something she hadn't done since she was nine.
"That's it Nanoha." He was in a wide stance as was she. "Feel your core, like gravity it grounds you, keeps you in balance. Now breath," he inhaled deeply, so did she, and exhaled "Breath is master of energy." He swiped his arms from one side to another like a wave. "Its flow is the flow of movement" he lifted his leg sweeping it around, in an arc. "With breath you focus your mind, become its master. Then, you can do anything." He pushed off his toes with his other leg doing a complex aerial before landing in the crane stance.
Her father had always been an amazing martial artist. She hadn't inherited such mastery of her body, but his teachings had made her master of her magic. Rising Heart had shown her the sleeping energy living inside her. It awoke like a fire breathing dragon, wild, untamed, but she was able to grasp it, direct it under her bidding. At the time it had been instinctual, she hadn't really realized what she was doing, she had automatically fallen back on breathing and moving like her father had taught her, and because of that she was able to survive her first battle with a magic creature; an amazing feat for someone who had never practiced magic before.
Funny how she realized how much her father's teachings influenced her now, after all these years. She never really liked doing martial artist, even as a child, she preferred watching. It was probably because she was so clumsy when she did do it, her father even her brother and sister had more grace than her. But, she was grateful he had made her practice.
Her father disappeared. She practiced alone in her family dojo, her body remembering the steps. Her breathing controlled. She flowed from one motion to another, feeling herself become grounded.
The sound of grating metal, the door opening, dispelled the illusion. Her steps stopped. She turned and faced two boys- one a teenager, fourteen years old, the other older, maybe seventeen. Tattooed across their left cheek in black ink were four slashes. It looked like a bear had taken it's paw and swiped it across. They didn't speak or make eye contact with her. The younger one put down a tray of food beside the door while the older one stood guard in front of him and the door, a spear in hand.
"Thank you." Nanoha said from a need to be polite.
They didn't respond or acknowledge her, but she noticed the younger one give her the slightest nod before he left, the door closing behind them with a click of the lock. She scooted over to the tray, grasped the fork, the utensil feeling strange in her hand, which was used to the slender feel of chopsticks. She ate her meal, the silent walls and slight clanking of the fork on her plate keeping her company.
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In her office, Fate went over news articles, police reports, anything she could find on Mr. Richardson that could lead her to his killer. The data from the lab was inconclusive, there was no trail other than a weird set of symbols in one of the machines programming. It matched the virus that attacked Rising Heart who was still under repair for extensive programming errors. According to Shari, the virus was smart and adapted quickly, too fast for her fixes to last; it was something she had never encountered before. The only thing saving and protecting the intelligence that was Rising Heart from destruction was the sophistication of the defensive mechanism, which stopped the virus from penetrating into the jewel's main core, but could not repair the damage done to the other sector's of the jewel. It would have been nice if Fate had access to Rising Heart's log files see if the jewel had a magic signature or an image of Nanoha's kidnapper. But, it would take some time before the device was back to one hundred percent.
Fate rubbed her eyes. They were twitching and bloodshot from staring at the holographic screen for hours after the sun set. It had been a while since she worked so late into the night. She wasn't used to it anymore. Still, she couldn't go home. Not to an empty house and bed. She wouldn't sleep. She'd be full of restless energy, ending up lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about finding Nanoha. Working was better, it felt more productive.
She stared at the screen and her notes, trying to figure out this puzzle as quick as possible. The motive behind killing Mr. Richardson, the connection the scientist had to her. The only thing she knew was the guy who kidnapped Nanoha and killed Mr. Richardson had something against her, that message was clear from their conversation earlier. She still had the words, "Victim, judge, and executioner," play in her head over and over again, making her wreck her brain for something, anything, she had done to this man. She knew he wasn't a criminal, or someone she had imprisoned. She had never dealt with him before. The search she had Bardiche do, going over every prison holding, had shown every felon she brought in was still behind bars. It made her frustrated; more so since she couldn't find a damn clue in the database of useless information. If she could only fly around the city, find her wife, and bringing the scum who took her to justice, it would have been better than staring at a screen, piecing half a puzzle together.
She clicked on yet another article. Something about a break through discovery by the collaboration of Mr. Richardson, Rebecca Warner, Dr. Holmes, and… she paused, reread that last name, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Dr. Aberstein." She read aloud. How was that old geezer involved? She read the article with more care and learned they found a way to improve a mage's magic ability by linking emotions with magic. It was well known that a mage's emotions could effect the strength of a spell. Similar to how fighters become more immune to hits and have a stronger punch or kick when they are angry. But, why bother linking the two? She supposed for a weaker mage, it would be an easy fix, a way to compete with a higher ranked mage. But, even if they became temporarily stronger, their control over their magic would deteriorate. Still, there was something about all this that seemed familiar.
She looked into it and didn't find much else except for one file, a report marked classified. She leaned back in her swivel chair. Her gut told her the TSAB was involved. She wouldn't be surprised if they funded the project. Thing was, even with her position, she wouldn't be granted access. She shut down the holographic screen and left her office. There were other places she could go to find answers.
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"Something doesn't add up. Rebecca Warner" (chemist) "and Scott Richardson" (Genetic engineer) "die in a lab accident. A few hours later, Dr. Jefferson Holmes" (medical doctor) "is killed in a car accident. It can't be a coincidence. I think we're dealing with the same guy. But, why go after them?" Jane said while looking at a board of photos and notes.
Maura entered the room. "I just got back the lab results. The same patterns that were in Rebecca Warner's spectrometer were found in Scott Richardson's lab and Dr. Holmes car."
"So what's the connection between them?" Jane thought out loud.
"This." Frost opened a holographic screen showing a news article. "They worked together on a way to link a mage's magic with their emotions."
"I know that experiment. It was based on Dr. Aberstein's work." Maura piped up. "It was kept secret. Dr. Aberstein was a guest lecturer in my six week course on Understanding Magic, It's theory and application. He told us a bit about it."
"Maura, why bother taking that class when you can't do magic?" Jane asked, and immediately regretted it when she saw that look in her best friend's eyes she knew would lead to a long winded explanation.
"Jane, you don't have to perform magic to understand it. The class was interesting. I was able to incorporate scientific principles to explain the intricacies of magic like how-" She drawled on an on, the detective listening with only half and ear.
"Well, that's nice." Jane muttered sarcastic. "Now, about the experiment."
"Right. The idea was modeled after Gryphus Originalous, you might know it as a griffin, a bird-like creature with immense magical capacity and the added benefit of a stable linker core. It lives on the planet Mongol, where it makes its home in the Kazantian mountains which separates the jungle from the desert planes and….."
"Maura." The detective warned, not keen on listening to yet another lecture.
"Yes. Well, they took a bit of griffin DNA, modified it, and injected it in mages to see if their magic strength increased."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. The results were never published."
"Here's something interesting." Frost said. "Within the same year of the experiment, there are reports of young mages 10-17 years old committing violent acts against common citizens. Police suspect the increase was because their former home, an orphanage called 'A Home for Lost Children', founded by Dr. Aberstein was destroyed in a freak explosion. TSAB enforcer's were sent in to handle the rogue mages."
"That's excessive for a local problem." Jane commented. "Where are those mages now?"
Frost typed some things. "Most died from unknown causes, except for these five." He showed her the list.
"Send me a copy." She said as she turned to her best friend who gave her a what-do-you-want-from-me look. "Let's go, Maura." Jane grasped the doctor's forearm as she walked to the door.
"Where are we going?" Maura asked as she was pulled along.
"Out." Jane replied She wanted to see if she could find anything on the streets.
"I really don't like not knowing our destination." Maura complained.
"Maura." Jane whined, as she held the door open for the prissy medical examiner.
"Fine." Maura conceded as she walked through the door.
"Thank you." Jane muttered, soon joining her friend in the hall where they waited for the elevator.
"But you owe me dinner at Le Charles Du Rue" Maura pronounced the name using the proper French-like language. The elevator doors opened up.
"That fancy place you always talk about." Jane pressed the button to the first floor.
"I heard they serve the best Foie de veau." That was the doctor's favorite food.
"Uh huh, well your home cooking is just as good." Jane remarked. Then got off the elevator when the door opened.
Maura was slower to react, nearly tearing up at the compliment. "Aw Jane, I didn't know you liked it that much." She said as she caught up to the detective.
"Oh yeah. Its good." The detective said absently as she held the door open for the medical examiner. "Turkey sandwich is good too."
"Oh." Maura said with disappointment.
Their voices faded away as the door to Karagne's homicide department building closed behind them, cutting off the entertainment for the listening officers going about their routine. The daily banter between the two women was always an amusing spectacle.
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Fate drove to the warehouse district. Going to the doctor's clinic had proven unfruitful. The old geezer was away. Further away than a simple teleport and when she called his device he didn't answer. So she did the next best thing. She stopped before an old apartment building. The building was six-stories tall, made of brick whose original color was indistinguishable from the dull grey and outright black grime that had built up over the years, and the windows in some places were either missing or shattered. In the slums that's how all the buildings and shops were like.
Fate took a moment to glance at the small car mirror, checking her disguise, an illusion spell she had placed on herself. Purple eyes and ebony hair greeted her. Perfect. She stepped out of her exotic sports car, parked in front of the apartment complex. Gang members passing down the street or hanging around the fence watched her and her car as she made for the building's shabby entrance. She knocked three times on the grubby wooden door.
A square peep hole slid open and part of a man's face appeared. "The black serpent," he started.
"Fears no one." Fate ended.
The small window slid shut. There was some clambering. Then, the door opened and she was pulled into a crushing grip, her arms pinned to her sides, and her feet lifted off the ground.
"Birdie!" A gorilla of a man said while he held her in a bear hug.
"H-i … F-ang." Fate wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
"Put her down you big oaf! Can't you see she can't breathe?!" A slender man, like a toothpick, said as he came into the hallway from the adjoining room.
"Sorry." The giant man gently placed Fate on her feet, letting her breathe easy.
"Its ok. I missed you too." She smiled up at the muscled man. He was tall, much taller than her or her brother, and he was built wide like he worked out at the gym for hours. His eyes were a gentle green like a forest and his face handsome, although an ugly half moon scar running from his left to his nose gave him a mean look. It was given to him a long time ago when he was a homeless boy up against an unscrupulous mage with a deadly broad sword. Because of that and his size, people often shied away from him afraid they'd get hurt, but to those that knew him he was just a big teddy bear, at least when he wasn't ordered to fight someone.
"Aw Birdie, the family has been too quiet without you." the gaunt man with pepper gray hair and youthful face said as he approached Fate with open arms.
He was referring to the initiation trials. Many of the group members didn't approve of her since she completed their assignments on technicalities and loop holes. They didn't like her methods, and thought she was to soft and weak. Emotions escalated, and one night when she was on her way to her next target in the trials, they ambushed her. It turned out badly, for them. After that, they left her alone and eventually accepted her into the family.
Fate turned to the thin man, and walked into his arms, giving him a hug, while saying his name, "Shemesh" It meant sun in some archaic language. It didn't suit him since he didn't have a bubbly or radiant personality, but he liked how it sounded so he chose the name for himself.
"It's been too long." He squeezed her to him then pulled away with a kind smile. "Come, King will wish to see you." He led her up many flights of stairs to the top floor, down the narrow hall, to a single room that occupied the whole level.
King, a man no older than 35, in an all white suit with gold buttons, his head rich in dark brown locks spiked up with wisps swept over his handsome face, regally sat on an antique, downtrodden, chair like it was a thrown. He looked every bit a king without a crown. "Well, look at what the cat dragged in!" He chortled deep from his belly.
"King." Fate bowed slightly in respect to Black Mamba's leader.
He jumped out of his chair, came down the single step, and made toward her. Disregarding personal space, he captured her cheeks. She let him, starring him straight in the eye, which just so happened to be blue. He was a head taller than Fate and resembled Nanoha greatly; Fate imagined if Nanoha were a boy that's how she'd look.
"Your pretty face, the fire in your eyes. I missed them." He said with a smile. He moved in even closer, their fronts pressed together. He tilted her head up and bent his down, and laid a soft kiss on her forehead, a greeting he reserved only for her. He stepped back and returned to his chair, one leg bent over the other. A wave of his hand brought in a maid with a box. "What brings you here? Birdie." He lifted a cigar and gave the girl a charming smile. She blushed before she was sent on her way.
Fate watched unamused. "I'm looking for someone."
"Mmm." He took a swig from his cigar and puffed smoke. "Who?"
"I don't know their name. But I was wondering if anyone new appeared?"
King, grasped his cigar between his thumb and forefinger and took it out of his mouth, held it aside and rolled it between his fingers back and forth, as he eyed her intently from head to toe. She patiently waited for his reply, seemingly nonchalant about whether he'd answer or not.
"Well you're in luck Birdie. Tonight you will accompany me to the Casino. But first," He called in yet another maid. "We got to get you out of those clothes. Can't have my girl looking like a high priced hooker."
Fate glanced down at her ensemble. It was true what she wore was revealing. It came from Hayate's costume line. The black outfit consisted of a skin hugging leather corset with metal loops on the sides holding chains that crisscrossed over her greatly exposed abdomen, a frilly black mini skirt that just barely covered her bottom, and knee high black boots. She thought it fit Raven's tough as nails no-nonsense attitude.
She gave King, a disapproving pout and a deadly glare for insulting her.
"You look lovely, my dear. But, I think something more elegant would suit you better." He placated her, giving her that charismatic white grin that irked her as he watched the maid drag her by the elbow to the adjoining room.
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Jane and Maura were wandering the streets on the poor side of town, hoping to find some clues, when a man called out to the detective.
"Hey Vanilla!"
"Crap." Jane mumbled before turning around. "Rondo." She greeted the dark skinned man in clothing riddled with holes. She wouldn't be surprised if rats nibbled on it since he lived on a newspaper between the trash bins of some alley.
"Word on the street is your looking for someone."
"Yes." She showed him the pictures. "Have you seen them."
"Ou. You got a bad bunch."
"So you know them?"
"It's hard to say." He had a knowing gleam in his dark brown eyes.
Jane drew out some money and he began to talk.
"Ah yes, they are part of a new gang. They call themselves The Bear Claw Gang." He turned grave, "They're dangerous, Vanilla. You'll need back up. I can be of service." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, lightening the mood.
Rizzoli cringed while smiling politely. "Thanks, but their location is good enough for me."
"Sure thing, Vanilla."
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Nanoha stood in her dark chamber of stone. Her wrists wrapped in chains that pulled her arms above her head and forced her to stand as straight as she could. There wasn't any slack to them. When she shuffled her feet to ease the discomfort in her legs, the chains dug into her wrists and yanked her up.
She lifted her head as the door to her cell opened with a groan. A bright light came in that pained Nanoha's eyes and made Nanoha turn her head away.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Nanoha demanded unable to see.
"Tough even in chains." The voice was deep like a male. She felt a touch at her cheek and pulled sharply away, wincing as the rattling chains pulled at her.
There was some shuffling as he moved away.
Nanoha blinked a few times. Then, slowly, she saw a shade-like figure. He was softly illuminated by an orb that hovered above him and was off to the side. The orb cast a shadowy blue glow to the room. The figure was tall, covered in a black cloak that hid his features. She couldn't see anything passed the cloak, not his face, hands, or legs. She wondered if this was another hallucination. Lately, her mind liked playing tricks on her. And frankly, she welcomed anything that broke the silence and boredom, even if it was a wispy shade.
"It's a pity." The deep voice rumbled. "I kind of liked you for a TSAB agent."
Nanoha was silent, thinking what strange turn this conversation would take.
"Why are you here?" Nanoha asked.
"Justice." He said the one word like it explained everything. "I seek Justice. And you," he pointed a black gloved finger at her. "Will be my vehicle to it."
"Why me?" Nanoha scrunched her brows, confusion in her blue eyes.
"You're guilty by association"
She didn't quite understand, but a single name kept flaring in her head. Fate-chan. Was this real? Was this not real she didn't know, however, Nanoha steeled herself. "I won't let you get to her."
The shade was quiet as if thinking her a poor child. "Whether you want to or not, doesn't matter. You will be her punishment."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Nothing yet. But, I will have true justice."
Nanoha felt his heavy gaze. It was oppressive and almost gave her the quivers. Only her steely resolve kept her from showing any weakness.
"I'm sure you understand. You're not like the rest. You're honorable. You even put yourself on trial when you were accused."
Nanoha remembered that case. She had a student who had mental issues. She didn't know it. She thought he was like all the rest who admired her. It wasn't the first time a student had asked her to be his girlfriend. She had done what she always did, smiled politely and said she already had someone in her life. He had been upset, but the following day, during her class, he had been fine. It wasn't long after he had, in front of her class, accused her of molesting him. She had been speechless and almost canceled class. The other students had defended her, shouting obscenities at him that almost broke out into an all out fight. She had intervened, stating if she had done something she would take her rightful punishment after a court trail. The class had calmed down some, and she had forged on, with less enthusiasm and more care with her actions than she ever had before. She had been quiet for days, even worrying Fate, who had been really sweet, taking her out and trying to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong, that her student must be crazy. She had nodded and smiled as best she could, but she had wondered if, in her teaching, she had done something even by accident that could have been misconstrued as sexual. In court, she learned Fate had been right. Her student was extremely delusional. He had fabricated photos and a whole story, he actually believed to be true, about her being his girlfriend, and that he was forced to do this and that.
"You didn't have to go through with it you know. Someone of your standing could have gotten away it."
Nanoha glared at the shade. "Are you saying I harassed my student?" Her voice was hard, unforgiving.
"No. If you did or didn't, it doesn't matter, you didn't need to go to trial. Your student could say whatever he wanted and no one would have bothered you, an Ace of the bureau."
"It would bother me."
"Of course it would, because you are a Just person, Nanoha. I'm sure even if you did something wrong you would accept your punishment, right?"
She didn't answer.
"Maybe I should tell you my story. You'll judge it fairly." The shade took a seat, his voice turning retrospective. "For as long as I could remember I was living on the streets, going from place to place, with my older brother." There was fondness in his voice at the mention of his brother. It made him a bit more human than the cold harsh shade he presented himself to be.
"He was smart." The shade continued. "He always knew where to go, how to get food, how to stay warm in the cold winter months. We survived like that for years. Then, after my eight birthday, while we were eating some bread in an alley, an old man with big round glasses approached us. He offered us a place to stay that was warm and had food. My brother, who was only thirteen then, was skeptical; no one ever cared or was interested in us before. But, the man knew how to talk and didn't accept no for an answer. We followed him to a building. I didn't know how to read back then, but later I learned the place was called, 'Home for Lost Children.'"
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"Velcome to yourrrr new home, childrrren." The old man said with a flourish as he opened the door for us.
"We are only staying for tonight." My brother corrected.
"Yes of courrrrse." The man smiled, making even more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth.
Boys and girls from as young as five to as old as seventeen were there. One girl had blond hair and blue eyes. She carried a teddy bear in her hands as she walked up to me, looking like a doll in a frilly green dress. "Hi." She said. "I'm Flower. You want to play?"
"Okay." I said, although I didn't want to.
She was nice as were the other children, and we ended up staying more than a day. Two years later, when I was ten, three people came to the orphanage.
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His tone darkened at remembering. "They all wore white coats, one was a woman and two were men. The other children were on their best behavior, hoping to get adopted. I just stayed beside my brother. He had grown taller, now towering over me, and he tended to play with the older boys, but he'd always make time for me. The White Coats never adopted anyone, but they often stopped by, sometimes day after day, sometimes after a week. Every time they came, one of us would be taken somewhere. Nobody ever knew where, but they always came back grinning. Then, one day, they came and my brother was picked. I held onto his hand and begged him not to go."
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"Please." I begged, grasping his wrist.
"Don't worry nothing's going to happen." He reassured me, patting my head.
I shook my head. "You'll turn weird like everyone else!"
"Stop being a baby." He reprimanded. He must have called his friends, because the next thing I knew they pried me away from him, holding me back as I watched him leave with The White Coats- the name I had come to call them.
He came back later that day, grinning. But, like the rest something was off about him.
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"The White Coats would come take him again and again. Each time he left he seemed less of himself. He got stronger, but he was quick to anger, he didn't talk as much and he spent a lot of time by himself. Before I knew it, the brother I knew was gone. In his place was someone who barely understood me anymore."
Nanoha felt for him. "I'm sorry."
The cloaked man was silent. Then, after battling whatever was bothering him, he said. "My story isn't over." His voice was emotionless. "I had become good friends with Flower and three others. The five of us were never touched by the White Coats. We didn't know why. But, we were all grateful. We were able to watch over those who were taken. It was bad at night they'd scream in their sleep for no reason, or start walking around without knowing where they were going. We'd comfort them and kept them from going outside. They never remembered any of it." He paused, delving into his memories. "Eventually, the White Coats stopped coming. My brother and the others regained some of their senses their night screams and wandering had lessened, he talked more, and played with me again, but things were never the same. He wasn't as gentle and he was still quick to anger. I didn't mind as much, I learned how to deal with his mood swings, and could stay on his good side. Things were going back to normal, or as normal as they could be. Then one night while we were sleeping there was an explosion."
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"Wake up! Come on wake up!" Someone screamed into my ear.
I awoke groggy and disoriented. Smoke filled my nose and I coughed. "Flower?" I said between coughs. She covered my nose and mouth with her pink kerchief that I had gotten her last year for her birthday. She always wore it even in the hot summer days.
I got out of bed, her hands pulling me up. "The whole place is coming down. We have to go!" She cried as I heard this grating groan coming from above.
I immediately pushed her away. A burning timber came down where she once stood. Heat and tiny ashes blasted my face. I was thankful for the kerchief, protecting me from the brunt of it. "Flower!" I cried, worry eating away at me.
"I'm okay. I'll meet you outside!"
I heard her voice over the roaring flames separating us.
"Okay!" I yelled back and turned around, the only way out was a small window. I grabbed my bed and dragged it to the wall. Working quickly, I stood it up and began climbing the bed railings like a ladder and soon tumbled out the window, landing on soft grass. I joined the others standing across the street. Flower hugged me the moment she saw me. I was glad she made it out alright. I saw my brother too, he seemed upset. He wasn't the only one. Many of us had called the place home. I guess I had grown to think of it that way too. Now, we watched it burn to the ground where nothing of the former building remained.
With no place to go, we set back to the streets. It was me, my brother, Flower, and a few of the other children who had survived the burning.
My brother and a few of the older kids had found an abandoned apartment building. We moved in. The place was dirty, but it was like a palace to us. Each of us could have our own room we didn't have to share one like we did in the orphanage. We had kitchens. They were all dusty, the cabinets creaked, and some mice would scuttle around, but it had everything we needed, a fridge, a stove, and a place to eat. We each took a room. I naturally went with my brother to a two bedroom apartment. But, after the first night, we all just went up to the bigger suites and shared the place. We had grown too use to sleeping together that by ourselves everything just seemed scary.
It all worked out and we each performed duties. My brother had taken charge. He and the older kids would go out and bring back some stuff to furnish the suite while me and the younger kids would steal some food that Flower would end up cooking. It almost seemed like the days when it was just me and my brother out on the streets. Only we now had a much bigger family to look after. He was doing better now, he seemed more like himself anyway. But after a few weeks, when we were situated comfortably we had some run ins with local gangs. Apparently, we were trespassing. They offered us a deal: we could stay and pay them tribute or we could leave.
My brother and the others sat all night discussing what we should do. None of us wanted to leave, the question was with what or how were we going to pay to stay. My brother decided since we found the place and it was abandoned we didn't have to give them a dime. Many of the older kids agreed and went on, on how they would defend our home. From then on, walking alone had become dangerous. If we needed to go out, we went in groups one of the older kids always accompanying us. There were many fights. My brother and the older kids seemed to enjoy it too. They'd get this crazed look in their eyes. It reminded me of the time they'd return from their visit with the White Coats.
I think that they thought they were invincible. I saw my brother fight a mage with a canon type device. He'd get shot or punched, and my brother would laugh. It scared the mage and me too. You don't just laugh when someone breaks your arm, but my brother did. I don't think he felt or saw anything besides the fight. He'd win, coming out all bloody and bruised, but he didn't seem to care or notice. The following day his wounds would heal completely. I didn't know much about healing, but I knew that wasn't normal, even for a mage. I didn't say anything, only watched like I had done back in the orphanage. Many of the kids touched by the White Coats were the same.
The fighting eventually stopped. The gangs either respected us or were too afraid of my brother and the older kids. We had peaceful days at least for a while.
After two months, my brother and the others had become restless and twitchy. They began looking for fights. At first it was with the gangs, but they quickly retreated. Then, it was amongst themselves. There fights were never serious, more like play fighting and they'd calm down afterward. It was while one of them got caught stealing bread where they got into a fight with the cops that it became habit. They'd go into town, break windows, steal things we didn't need or want, the police would come, they'd fight, and after my brother and the others had their fill of fighting, they'd escape and start it all over again the next day. No one could stop them. Until they came, men and women in black.
Me and Flower had decided to spend some time together. It was one of those peaceful days. My brother and his friends hadn't caused much trouble lately. We were walking home from the park to find our home surrounded by people in black holding all kinds of weapons. I had only ever saw them in the news. I knew them to be heroes, people who protected people like us from bad rulers, lost logia, and other things that could harm us. I wondered why they were in front of my home.
It didn't take me long to find out. Crashing out of the top story window was my brother. He flew away followed by a gold trail.
I couldn't fly, but I was a good runner, faster than most anyway. I followed them, telling Flower to find the others and hide before I left. I ended up at a ship yard, miles away from home. I heard sounds of fighting and travelled through the maze of crates until I found my brother facing off a lady with blond hair and blood colored eyes wielding a golden sword.
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Nanoha listened calmly although her insides were twisting in knots. The shade was describing Fate. She was almost sure it was that mission too. Fate had come back deeply disturbed. She barely ate, or spoke to anyone in school even her, her best friend. Days afterward, sick of her brooding, Nanoha had cornered the enforcer and tried to get her to tell her what happened. Fate never said anything. She just broke down crying into her shoulder. Nanoha had held her rubbing her back and combing her fingers through her hair, wishing she could erase whatever pained her friend. She never did find out what happened even after they got married. It seemed that was about to change.
"My brother was unarmed. He only had his fists and skill in magic to defend himself, and she was fast. He was taking a beating. I saw him vomit blood before he rushed her, and she stabbed him straight through his stomach." He sat still as his memories played out behind his shadowed eyes.
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My brother collapsed as she pulled her sword free, a pool of blood dripping to the floor. I never saw so much red in my life.
"NNNOOOO!" I screamed, running over passed the enforcer. I took my brother's head into my lap. His skin was pale and he felt cold. He smiled up at me.
"Do-n't…. cry." He whispered in his last breath before his hand fell and his body grew stiff.
I did cry as I glared at the woman who disappeared into gold energy that trailed in the sky. "I'll get you for this!" I screamed.
#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~Stone Cell~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"I held my brother as he died in my arms and that enforcer escaped." Hatred dripped from the shade's voice.
Nanoha was too shocked to say anything, conflicted. Knowing by his voice he was telling the truth, but she also knew her enforcer, her gentle friend wouldn't kill someone if she could help it. Something more must have happened.
He stood up, his boots barely making a sound as he glided in front of her. "You know. I found out your bureau was responsible for everything." He whispered in her ear. Then the first assault came.
The chains rattled, clinking together as her feet lifted off the ground, a fist lying in her gut. Nanoha had long ago discovered everything that had transpired was real, but the pain that nearly made her vomit had cemented it in. He let go and she fell slack. The chains pulled at her arms, forcing her up on shaky legs. Another hit blind-sided her and pretty soon that was all she knew.
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The steel door of the cellar closed behind him. A woman stood in the hallway, waiting for him. She was delicate like a flower. Her hair was blond and went down her back in waves. Her eyes were an electrifying icy-blue that were really perceptive and piercing, even though she had an innocent appearance. To him, she was an old friend.
"I'm glad you're here." He walked up to her. "We need to raise the dosage. Her magic shouldn't be active, but every time she falls unconscious it flares up." Walking side by side, they traveled down the dimly lit hallway.
"Is that why your hand is burnt?" The blond woman asked as she cut in front him, making him stop in his tracks.
He hid his hand deeper in his cloak. "It's nothing."
"Then let me see." She demanded, waiting patiently for him to do as he was told.
He stuck out his fist, letting her keen eye examine it. "That's bad." She muttered. The glove he usually wore was in tatters. Visible around the bits and pieces of leather clinging to his hand was charcoal-like skin with rivers of red muscle running through the crevices.
"Just give me that potion you used last time and it will be fine." He had similar, although this time it was more severe, injuries the previous time he dealt with the unconscious Air-force Instructor.
"Mmm." She took out a pink vial, "You shouldn't make a habit of this, Barty," twisted off the top and poured it on his hand.
He hissed. The potion burning before its cooling effect kicked in. The red-black of his skin gradually faded, skin of pale white healing over muscle and dead skin. He fisted his hand a few times, testing it out. The pain of tearing flesh and the constant burn was gone. He brought it down to his side, his dark cloak concealing it. "Thank you, Flower."
"Anytime." She smiled.
