Chapter 22
"Thrill of the hunt (part 3)"
Virginia, Liberion... Late Afternoon... May 18, 1945...
The sun made the sky orange as the wide field in Virginia was fresh with the green grass and some life as butterflies rarely flew around the grass and more on the flowers that lay in groups.
Now the house that seemed to be simple that it was the only one surrounded by a few trees, and quite a neatly trimmed and large patch of grass around the house was there as the lawn that nobody even knew.
The girl, with yellowish blonde hair reaching to her upper back while tied with a clip, owned the lawn. She was kneeling as she was cutting the excess length of some grass just outside her usual length and width for the day. This was her hobby: Cutting grass in her lawn.
And her thought: 'It rather helps tells others that someone owns the damn property. Seriously... They just want to get this like it's a common piece of land. My bastard uncle owns this, and he's given it to me. I might hate him, but I at least have to humor him and live with good reason.'
At this, she knew that her involvement in the military will never be. Her uncle was a Colonel in the Liberion army, but she had no right to believe the army was a better place for a witch like her. She was a witch, who refused to fight in a war with chaos. What would she gain? Her parents died because of the Neuroi. She might not have the heart, but she's saving herself the effort that might be a waste.
Up on the clouds afar, a set of eyes using binoculars was looking from above at the old teen from below, finishing her trimming and finally walking back. Janeth takes away the binoculars as she smiled while seated on the clouds. "So you're that girl, huh? Interesting."
Carla was inside her house as she was gulping down her water from the cup supposedly for her coffee. The kitchen seemed clean, which was because of her maintaining it. And it was the same with the living room, her bedroom, the bathroom, and everything else. All there was needed to be done was be praised, but had no one to do so. She only had education to help her out as well as a decent job from town.
As she puts down her cup after one last gulp, she heads to the sink to try washing it but...
"It's too common for things to be done around inside this good house by just one person." A 14 year old girl's voice emanated from behind Carla. "You got a nice lawn out there. Impressive on the trimming."
Carla knew the girl shouldn't be inside her house. But she was no fool. This girl wasn't as she seems to know, so she kept her body and head facing the sink while gently putting the cup down and responded: "Thanks. I rarely get visitors around here. Mind if you tell me why you're here without knocking?"
"Oh, I'm here... to make a friend... and... an offer. It's that simple."
"Why do I have a feeling the offer would require something too big in exchange?" And with no doubt, Carla felt her hand as she activated her magic, letting butterfly antennae grow from her forehead as her palm suddenly had a pistol appear before she turned around and aimed at the 14 year old who seemed to be in a white-themed costume of sorts. 'She looks terrible. What's with that attire?' "Normally, girls like you won't make offers unless there's a catch."
Janeth winced and smiled at Carla. "I wouldn't say it has a catch, but the result of you accepting the offer is good."
"How do you know I'd listen to you?"
"How? Well, first... I know you. Second. I know why you're at this empty space in Virginia. And third... I know that handgun didn't just appear in your hand by fate, since you used magic for it. You're a witch, with no doubt."
"And what do you want? Should you give me a reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger, or are you just going to leave like the good girl you always are, if you value your life?" Carla was accurate on her statement, as well as her aim. She wasn't joking. Her finger is on the trigger, and the sights are trailed on the girl in front of her. "You better tell me, or you should get out of my property."
"No. I'd rather try to speak out than leave. First off, you have to understand that meeting you here wasn't by chance. It wasn't coincidence."
"I've heard better."
"But it's true. I really came here for a reason. You already are aware it's because of an offer. But this offer, is unlike any other, Ms. Stanz." Janeth smirks at Carla. "Yes. I know your name, obviously."
"Really?" Carla then walked towards the girl who seemed to be interesting and stopped just as the nose of her handgun touched the girl's forehead. "You're not afraid. You're not normal. And you're most definitely not someone I'd take for granted."
"Good observation."
"But why? Why come to me?"
"It's because I'm giving you a chance... for redemption. You felt like you were living without purpose. And that's because of your past, Carla." Janeth then sees Carla lower her weapon. "Good girl."
"How much do you know?" Carla asked while her familiar features recede. "It's better you know me inside out."
"I know all of it... and the emotions you felt. Because of that, you refused to fight for the world you knew was in war."
"I refused to fight because everything around me the times my parents died always involved the Neuroi. If I joined, would I have made a difference and let light shine on those who get hurt more or worse die in the war? I stayed away from it... all of it. I don't want to make mistakes that I think would be the last. Moments, critical to me and to anyone is important enough. It's something I cannot change."
"Your parents didn't die for nothing. They raised you well. But with the way you are right now, you're smarter."
"Am I? I am a witch. Aren't they curses to the society?"
"That's where you're wrong. Witches around are helping the military, not for their sake but for their own. It might not apply to some, knowing a living has to be made in their career. You had a fruitful childhood. You reached your elder age without seeing fault in every breath you took. Witches might live for the war and miss their childhood or teenage years, but it's always temporary."
"...for the war?"
"You didn't know that witches, in general, is the only reason why the military is winning. They pushed forward and kept pushing the Neuroi back." Janeth's words seem to surprise Carla.
"That's... in entirety? Impossible."
"You can live just as a witch if you like, with no fighting against an alien species involved. But you have the blood of an official as well."
"Tch... My uncle."
"James Stanz may have not found witches to be the most of a solution against the Neuroi, but he's started to think otherwise after some time."
"And?"
"He wanted to try..." Janeth then summons a piece of paper in her hand. "...giving you a chance." She then hands it over to Carla, who was curious to know what the paper was for. And it seemed to be a letter.
Carla then read the letter that read: 'Recommendation for enlistment.' She widened her eyes and kept reading. And after she finished reading, she looked straight at Janeth. "He sent this?"
"I saved James' life when an anti-witch party goon tried to assassinate him. They've known his belief was wavering and he wanted to get rid of him. I made no mistake and just sliced up the assassins' arm, and made him see his own fault. I healed his arm, but he just ran from me. He didn't come back afterwards. So I asked if James was okay. First question he asked me is what I am. I told him who I was, and made him even realize I have a more mature nature than what this body usually exhibits." Janeth chuckled before continuing. "The first thing he told me was that he would do whatever it takes to repay me. Then I told him of what I know about you. He seemed suspicious at that.
"But I assured him that you'll be fine... because I want you, with me, as an agent. The intelligence community will have a note that you're an official witch who fights against the Neuroi. But... that's the only consolation they get because I want you to see something else: How do you know your life is a curse when there are others out there just thinking of doing their best? They might be witches, but they acknowledge that they are. Maybe at first you thought of having powers as a curse."
"It just..." Carla hesitated to speak for a while and then continued. "...I thought if I really DID fight, I'd see my own darkness be my only death."
"I lived in darkness myself, Carla. I've seen worse and more things than what you could have possibly imagined. Death, is one of them. Your death isn't your darkness even if it surrounded you. It's only if you try doing something for yourself would you really determine what your true darkness is. No one could see it immediately."
"Then how do you know I'd be able to do so well as a witch for the military, or even be an agent for you? I don't even know you."
Janeth smiled at Carla. "Then it's time I DID tell you. My name, is Janeth Maria Ferrano. At this time, what I am doesn't exist in this world yet. And right now, I'm a Magical Girl. It's not the same as what a witch is as you know of. But you'll find me pretty much amazing... since I can open instant doorways everywhere and anytime."
"Doorways?"
"I call them rifts. And right now... you're crossing one." Janeth smirks before she snaps her fingers as a rift opens directly below Carla's feet, making the girl fall in. "Hehe..." She then followed into the rift.
Meanwhile...
Tyler – And I thought I'd never be able to survive this. Taking down the Triad Core starting with their shipment will be big. This might be the biggest takedown there is in the history of League Intelligence and the United Nations Intelligence Agency. The big shipment is a big movement of both supplies and major equipment. Let's just say... Even the HQ lieutenants are also here to be transported to someplace else. Mr. Jian was our contact in Xing, after all.
And now it comes down to this.
The docks... Beijing, Xing... 1912 hours...
The big ship was docked. People were moving big crates from different sides to the ship. Guards were walking, with some armed and others unarmed. The docks was a busy place, and it seems that the Triad Core had been making sure of it themselves, as every member had their roles.
Unknown to them. Junie who was in her bat-familiar form was flying over the docks in the darkness of the night, scanning the docks from the skies. "So far... I'm only seeing light weapons on the ground. Guards are patrolling, and they're consistent on their movements and awareness."
"What about the sensitive cargo?" Tyler asked.
"All of them are being loaded as we speak. There are crates still not loaded, but the goons are taking care of it now."
"Alright... Come back down to us." Tyler's order got Junie to obey, even if it's a little unusual.
Eventually, Junie with her nude body is putting on a body holster for the pistols and machineguns she will be using. Part of her body's still morphed with her bat familiar while her arms are normally human with her nails lengthened and sharpened to a point. She'll be fighting with speed and high jumping in the docks, while using guns at a distance and her familiar, probably at her lustrous time for feeding on her future victims.
Tyler looked away from this while holding an MP40 in his hand. "Damn it, she always finds a way to get me turned on, but it shouldn't be like this. Kel, you're fixing this when we're done."
"I'm fixing it?" Kelvin asked, while loading a magazine at one of his two handguns before holstering it. His body had holsters all over his clothes, giving spots. "I think she's coming with us after this is all over. The Triad Core is only the least of our problems, if you recall."
"Yeah, yeah. Jane Kennedy gave us a heads up on others. Anti-Monarch Rebels are making their small moves on Orussia and some parts of Europe, when the Allied Forces don't have any time with them."
"Then there are Nazi System Revolutionaries. We can't forget those two are our top priority."
"Damn right," Tyler replied, just before he blushed, feeling his crotch was touched. He looked down, and saw soft fair complexioned hands grip his crotch. He looked behind her and saw Junie with a blush. It seems she was in heat. "J-Junie?!"
"So how do you feel when you're being touched like this?"
"What the fuck?!" Tyler then moved away from Junie while he took her hand away from him. "Hell no, Junie! See here... It's my personal property." And he blushed while Junie giggled in front of him.
"You should relax yourself, Tyler Fray. I know your brother is a serious man, but even he doesn't mind I'm doing this to you."
"What?!"
"I'm serious. He doesn't mind. So... I'm not exclusive to just him."
"I told you, I'm not about to have a slave with us after we finish the damn job."
"And how would you make that happen?" Junie glared at him. "Would you separate us? Well... I won't allow that unless your limbs are removed, by my own hands."
"Why don't we see if you can really do that?" Tyler glared back before he saw her hiss and lets her fangs out. He stepped once while she attempted to sprint, but Kelvin already got in between before he pushed them back.
"BACK THE FUCK OFF! I'm not gonna have two kids fighting before we even started this. Now... are we doing this, or not?!" Kelvin looked at this situation cautiously, watching Tyler and feeling out Junie thanks to his knowledge of her nature. "If you two aren't up for it, I'll be glad to do this by myself, without any fuck ups. I can do fine without the two of you."
"Sure about that?" Tyler asked rhetorically before continuing. "See... I don't really believe you'd do this by yourself. You need both of us."
"You heard him," Junie said, while keeping her glare at Tyler. "He can do this by himself. Or he should be helped. Though... I feel your involvement would mess things up until the end."
"You're one to talk for a witch not in the military, doesn't know about discipline, and how tactics work here."
"Yes... But I'm one of a kind. And I'm sure without my intervention, you couldn't have been warned about whoever's in the docks. Maybe some point there would be good judgment in your decisions when you enter? Whatever little I can provide..."
"...Assistance, yes. What about a full-on package of thinking like a soldier?"
"Is this all I am to you? Should I be used like a pawn?!" Junie made it a little louder than usual.
"That's enough." Kelvin pushed the two gently back. "We're hitting this place. It's enough the two of you would have simple terms to work this out. As for you, Junie, you're not like a pawn. Well... perhaps..."
"It's okay," Junie replied. "I'll allow him to use me whenever or wherever. But I won't be allowed on being used unless there's good reason. And since this is a war, I don't think I could have bad judgments on whose side I'll be on. For me? I'd rather be in the side for both of you."
"Then it's settled. Junie, take care of the guards on the exterior. Once done, Tyler and I will move in. We'll be quiet on the approach so they don't expect us first. We might be compromised once we get closer to the ship, but it'll be worth it. Let's move." Kelvin ends the meeting, and Junie goes on ahead...
Heading into docks interior...
The exterior guards only had a few flashlights on. Those in the darkness know there's enough lights from the ones with flashlights, but none of them know they could be snuck from behind, like as one guard was zipping his pants on. He had a submachine gun with him that time, and had to get back to his post when a set of bat eyes glowed from the darkness behind him. "Wǒ de dì yī gè xiǎochī. (My first snack.)" She muttered it just before she put her hands to the guard's mouth and his chest before pulling him with him trying to resist, just before she sunk her fangs into his neck. He kept moving, so she forced him on his belly on the ground still in the darkness. Briefly, her mouth left his neck before she whispered: "Please... be at peace. Your life is still worth it... but cut short..." She giggled before she hissed and sunk her fangs in his neck again, draining him of his life.
Another guard standing inside a wooden laddered tower was looking at the men below with flashlights when his mouth was covered and his neck felt a sharpness like a blade, before it was slit. Junie kept her sharp nail on his neck was bleeding from the hole she made before putting her mouth furiously at the hole while moaned. "Hmm..." Lustfully, she felt her body energized at this as she drained his life from him.
"Junie? Still there?" Kelvin's voice came through Junie's earpiece worn on her bat ears. "If you're not too busy, take out the ones with flashlights. You can get compromised, but it's worth it."
Junie then leaves her victim lying on the floor before she shifted her arms before they changed with some muffled grunts of pain from her. The arms morphed later into her bat wings, hissing as the last crack of change in her form was made. Licking a lip, she then responded. "You know how I'm glad to hear that... Master."
"Don't call me that."
"I want to. You're my love... and my life. Ufufufu..." Junie then got into a fighting stance before she spun and slashed the tower supports. She flew off the platform and strafed the tower legs later. The tower came crashing down. And as she expected, the guards below were suspicious, pointing the lights towards the crashed tower. She was already flying up and above them. "Time to die... fuckers." Smirking, she flew down at the unsuspecting men before she stabilized at a low altitude and swooped in before grabbing a man and pulling up then biting him. Furiously sucking his life away, she throws him away as he falls to the earth. Later, she found the other men below questioning whatever happened and pointed to where she was flying last. 'They don't know where I am. This is my chance.' She then dives then points herself to their direction as her wings are spread and the tips are exposed. She swooped in and stabilized herself before her sharp wing tips suddenly slashed two men in half, then another, and then another before automatic fire came at them. "Showtime!" She spun before morphing her wings into her arms while she is making all bullets miss her. She then grabbed pistols from her holsters with her hands before she started shooting. She finally got her feet on the ground before she expertly evaded projected bullet paths while she kept on firing. In a result, she danced and fired around her opponents.
Tyler and Kelvin began to move in when they saw some men with higher calibre machine guns closed in, and they engaged them. Kelvin commands: "Flank left!" And Tyler does so as he advanced and engaged goons towards that direction while Kelvin takes the other direction. They both charged at the men with shields up first, then started shooting while they're close. They even used some of the men as human shields.
"Kel! Rifle guys!" Tyler was about to aim at the ones with rifles from afar, but used his shield while blocking automatic fire. Pressure was put on him as he tried to move left, but was seeing a rocket almost hitting his next step while his shield was up, resulting him to jump back seeing the explosion. "Damn it! Rocket launchers too... Junie, think you could side step over to the rocket guys? Automatics are shredding our shields!"
"I'm on it." Junie then danced before she backflipped and loaded a magazine to one pistol. Time slowed down as she took aim in mid-air towards a man holding a rocket launcher, in a group 4. Pulling the trigger and letting time flow normally again, the man was hit. Once she lands on her feet, she starts running at the group. Smirking, hissing, and showing her fangs, she morphed her arms into razor wings again before she finally got to the group and started swinging, seeing and hearing meat torn while they screamed in fear of her. "Rejoice! This is your destiny!" Once she gorily cuts a man in half, she saw the last man drop his rocket launcher before she wasted no time as she sprinted, tightly hugged him and sunk her teeth to his neck. "Mmm..." Moaning, she drained his blood into her.
Kelvin was shooting men with a shotgun he stole just before someone attempted to stab him with a knife, before Tyler pulls the trigger and kills Kelvin's supposed killer with a headshot.
"Uh..." Kelvin wasn't sure of what to say.
"Exactly. You owe me," Tyler said before moving on ahead. "Come on! The ones near the ship might want us dead."
"...not with Junie around," Kelvin said with confidence.
Docks area...
A group of Xingiet suited men were walking just off the ship together with a hooded figure.
"If I must help you," the hooded figure said with a distorted voice. "...you must give me access to the very last bank and storage account you have. I'll be doing the rest there. Note that you will be dead either by my hand, or the attackers either way."
The leading man from the group gulped at it before he browsed a pocket and gave the hooded figure a piece of paper. "If you know how to access it through my hidden assets there, you should be able to find it easily as you say you could."
"I see. Then I'll leave immediately." He surprised the men, who wanted to beg him to stay and protect them. But the hooded figure jumped high and forward towards the waters and let his dark figure be covered by the night sky. Blitz-Jäger had done his objective. "Now they'll just have to kill them for all I care. Hehehe..." He chuckled as he saw the water before he landed feet first splashing into the water before he started swimming away from the docks...
Combat was becoming one-sided between the two sides. Junie had the advantage of switching between her razor wings to her arms such time that she's able to make time in shoot and slashing men coming her way. She was inching closer to the ships, and she's enjoying and every slash, every shot and every bite she makes.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Kelvin were wise to take cover nearby crates to conserve energy if they're in a gunfight against heavily armed hostiles on the ground. Tyler, however, chooses to move more often since he's got some agility for fighting. He uses his submachine gun to get past riflemen and snipers. Soon, the men were breaking formation thanks to him, and Kelvin advanced from cover, taking on some men carrying launchers. Releasing a burst, one of the men holding the launchers dropped backwards to the ground and accidentally loosed a rocket upwards. Some more tangos with machineguns suddenly came in and delivered a burst for the two of them, forcing them to use shields in full. The rocket that was launched to the sky earlier made one of the men look in fear as it headed down on them. An explosion replaced his fearful scream, taking the machinegun group with it.
But as soon as the shooting died down afterwards...
"This is madness!" A man from a group of suits was walking together with them. His group including himself counted 7. "You come here to just kill my men?! What for?! We are operating in peace here! These are hired men to protect the docks even without my permission! Look... If you want to talk to my boss..."
"Boss?" Tyler asked then looked at his brother who nods back at him. He then approaches the man and did a quick punch to his face. The man falls back to the ground unconscious. "That's for almost killing us and operating without legal notice."
Kelvin looked around, seeing corpses upon corpses of men with the weapons they once used beside them. 'They were all using smuggled firearms. Some are Fusojin, and some Karlslander weapons too. Some of them even got some Xingiet prototype launchers almost used against us.' His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Junie land beside him, winged and bloodied. He even witnessed her smile as she licked her own lips, and her eyes trailed to his showing innocence. "What are you looking at?"
"I'm just admiring how much you liked my work."
"It's messy, and always will be since there's a lot of blood on the ground. When they look around this place, it's gonna be hellish. Those guys from Beijing are gonna have a lot of paperwork to deal with. We owe them in this case."
"It's fine with me... as long as it doesn't involve the Triad Core anymore. Plus... aren't we going to destroy every stock they have?"
"And that'll include the Neuroi keys. Yeah."
"So what about them?" Junie turned her head to the other suits who were with the Triad's operating boss in the docks. They were scared and were standing in place in fear. "How are we gonna deal with them?"
"You know... Their actions involved lives. A lot of their countrymen died just for these Triads to get around." Kelvin glared at one of the suits and pointed a finger at him. "Him. Do your worst in front of them. Then lecture them."
"And I know just how," said Junie while smirking at the man pointed by her master. She sees Tyler suddenly pull the man forward, separating him from his group before she zipped forward and pounced on him. She growled and laughed as she neared her fangs to his neck before sinking them in him. Blood seeped into mouth while she pulled him to a seating position as he screamed and struggled, but couldn't get loose from her stronger grip. 'Rejoice, dear one.' She said this telepathically for him. 'You shall join the darkness. My parents are there. Please... Say hi to them for me. You've done your job.' And she growled before holding the victim's head tight with one hand. She bit further until his head was slowly coming off. And everyone saw how she ripped off his head with her hand before raising it above her head and drank the dripping blood falling at her. Dropping the head to the floor, she snapped her head suddenly at the other suits who feared her. "Look at the end result. My master and his brother are merciful enough for your types. I have a piece of advice for you: Don't go into this life again. You've been warned." And she hissed, showing her fangs at them to spook them into running away, not caring as they passed the brothers and left the docks together in fear of the three.
Tyler shook his head and turned it to Kelvin who made this possible. "Seriously, Kel? That's not necessary."
"...over the lives they stole? They'll find time to learn." Kelvin then glanced towards the remaining ship docked. "We're gonna need to blow up the ship. Most of the hardware and ammunition is in there. Think you could plant the key structural points?"
"It'll sink." Tyler smiles before getting a bag full of explosives nearby. "These guys have a knack for keeping explosives."
"It'll be enough to..." Kelvin stopped as a darting rod of a sort attached itself to the explosives past the open zipper of the bag. He saw the other end was lit and was about to burn from the inside. "BOMB!" Kelvin's shout didn't make a difference as Tyler already threw it away from them before the three ran away. The rod lost its spark before an explosion was made from the explosives, pushing them all thanks to the force but didn't make any serious injuries. The brothers got on their feet before they suddenly put their shields blocking bullets coming from the ship. They didn't expect it. There were men shooting from the ship. It's not over yet. "SHIT! THEY PLAYED US!"
Junie had her shield up as well. "Their bullets are worthless. I'll advance on them, master!"
"GO!" Kelvin's order didn't let Junie hesitate as she spreads her wings and flapped strongly, flying up. She flew up, then straight at the men on the ship before her eyes widened in horror. She didn't make out what the men first took out, but it was realized as three beam emitters shaped into hexagons were Neurified. "Emitters?!" She flapped back to hover, but it was too late as the emitters the men held exhibited a bright red color before beams which split had homed towards her. She used her shield and blocked her most of the beams. "They're using beams?!"
Tyler then noticed the neurified hexagon plates the men were using. "What in the fuck?! HOW IN THE...?"
"The keys!" Kelvin interrupts Tyler. "They know it too well on how to use them!"
Junie kept blocking beams that she decided to fly around the beams, but it kept hitting her. She found an opening to which the beams can't pursue her and flew there, but got cut off as she didn't realize a rocket aimed for her was already near her. It exploded. "GAAAAH!" It pushed her back and even let her lose her consciousness there as she landed on the ground rolling near Tyler and Kelvin who were shielding themselves from the beams. She easily found her consciousness again and shook her head, later smelling something burning. She realized she was blackened from the explosion. "Crap...!"
"Are you okay?!" Tyler asked this out of concern for Junie while covering her behind his shield.
"Are you asking me?"
"Yeah... Cause I'm about to run out of options blocking beams from their emitters. We can't move unless we have a suicide move, which I could do."
"Ty, NO!" Kelvin demanded this from his brother. "Those beams are giving quite a kick, so no thanks! We're not breaking formation!"
"We can't even push forward?!"
"What's that gonna help us with?! They're too damn strong!"
"THEN WE ARE FUCKING SCREWED, ARE WE?!" Tyler cursed while telling this to his brother, making the situation look as if it will never get to their favour...
Meanwhile at a place where time never meant a thing...
Carla was in a big chamber. She was being trained by Janeth, and given the training that tests her physically and mentally. Janeth had it to herself to be a strict drill instructor instead of being easy on Carla. She taught her some philosophy, and later some chemical techniques. Then the core of their training was in her fighting. Janeth even gave Carla rules in combat that she knew would come in handy. She was trained in mind, body, and soul. Heck, Carla didn't even know she was recently practicing Yoga.
The same girl then panted deeply as she was on the ground, not caring if it was made of tiles. She was tired... dead tired. 'The military had it worse had it worse than this, right?'
"Exhausted?" Janeth asked this while standing over Carla's head. "Maybe you deserve it."
"Damn you, Janeth."
"What did you say?"
"I won't tell you twice." Carla even glared at her drill instructor who trained her.
"Good." Janeth then offered a hand to the trainee. "Because it's the only thing I'm expecting from you." And she saw Carla wince in surprise. How long was Janeth supposed to see Carla do that with conviction? She eventually felt Carla grab her hand and she pulled the trainee up. "You're probably asking how long you were here."
"I don't know... I lost track of time ever since you told me to be here. You just... stole me from my home after home."
"But it's worth it."
"...even if it's against my will? I never even used magic here."
"How long did you think you were here?"
"3 months."
"Wrong," said Janeth with a smirk. "You were here for 8 gruelling months, idiot."
"W-What?! Eight... months?!"
"It's true. I gave you the military training... the education... and even the philosophy and everything you will be, Carla. Plus... that little motivation that you're here in the first place helped you too."
And Carla remembered the words Janeth said: 'Your mother and father's spirit are possible to be seen again. Their deaths are untimely, but not for you. You know you can go at all lengths in this. Just know... That it will take time. It won't just do with a few jobs, since I will be assigning you to jobs not just in the agenda of the world's military. They set your name already, and it had been thought of for a while.'
Carla then made her say: "That name... What did they decide to call me as an alias?"
"I'll tell you: Your uncle, Colonel James Stanz decided you would be called 'Falcon' when you were seen using the SR-X Sonicbird for the first time during their flight test evaluation. Instead, he decides, along with some leaders who know her, that you be called 'Black Star the Rebel.' It's mainly because he's your uncle, and you hated him back then. Then you got this opportunity to be in the military."
"It's not for him, certainly. It's for me, and my parents who I'd wanna see. That's personal and it lifts my spirit enough. They can call me by my alias if they want to. I just want to make sure to do this right..."
"...so you'd see your parents? I only said that for you to get motivated, but I never told you it's a guarantee. I warned you before."
"Everything else became a cross to me after doing everything, Janeth. I think you'll find I'm well aware of the warning you gave. I've been here for eight months straight. Can't you give me a reward?"
"Perhaps I will. Follow me. I wanna show you something." Janeth then led Carla towards the white tiled walled before pressing on one of them. The wall shifted and slid and opened like a door in opposite directions horizontally. The contents of what's in the wall, revealed a black clothing. (Think... Winter Soldier outfit, but it's based for a female.) The lower garment was shortened to a point that it only has a length of up to half her thigh. "I know you're looking at it. It's definitely to make sure your magic output isn't interrupted from your legs. After all, striker units are flown by witches, and their best magic output is exhibited through their legs."
"At least you know the mechanics."
"I've seen and done trials with the SR-X from a friend of mine who's also a witch like you. She was glad to fly it herself. She recommended for you to wear this so cold temperatures won't easily be a problem. See... The Sonicbird as you noticed has a quite a top speed you don't know of. Its maximum speed, is Mach 7."
"Excuse me?!" Carla was surprised by the top speed that Janeth mentioned. "What in the...?"
"See... I put it at my best effort to find the best current tech materials that can hold dilithium crystals at its early stages. When that didn't work, I had to change the shape of the interiors, which was no problem, as long as the power of the crystals was contained to a certain working condition. I had to put the rest of the parts in and evaluate their performance. An overload of every part isn't right, so I put a filter to regulate the power of the crystals."
"Those crystals... how powerful are they?"
"How powerful? Think... lightspeed multiplied at its best. By your lessons in sciences I gave you, you could have an idea."
"Oh... hell..."
"But since this is a striker unit, I only took a small amount of dilithium crystals and matched it with its current performance. The highest you could count on is Mach 7."
"But I went as fast as I could back at the flight test."
"That's because I made sure that a filter is applied to let them think your performance is more than satisfactory. Your max speed back then was Mach 1.6 and it's known as an etherjet striker. It's still an etherjet striker unit now, but without the filter."
"You're... kidding."
Janeth smirks at Carla. "I never joke about the equipment and hardware I make. So I'm telling you now: Don't show them your full speed. Show them your full potential as a combatant out there, both as Liberion's little trump card, and my agent. Is that understood?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Oh?"
"You're showing me around so much more and taught me a lot. I don't mind if I call you just as a superior as many things: teacher, drill instructor, and someone who knocks heads for me." Carla smiles. "Maybe I owe you."
"You don't. All you just owe me is the best you can do out there. Alright?" Janeth then snaps two fingers together before a piece of the wall just near them opens with a sliding door in a horizontal direction splitting from the middle. Eventually, a striker unit rack was slowly pushed out by machine hands, along with the black-colored beauty of a dilithium-powered etherjet striker, the SR-X Sonicbird. "Carla, I modified it just before I told you about the removed filter. I know you're wise. So use it well. The Sonicbird was always yours to begin with."
"I guess I should thank you for that."
"Don't mention it. You're not taking it back. Hehe..." Janeth then 'fisted' Carla's shoulder. "The time chamber is yours to handle. And... I monitor wherever it goes, so don't think I don't know your stuff. You can go anywhere. Just... don't make unnecessary changes in the timeline. It's not yours or mine to do. There are always consequences to each change, little or big. Anyway... You've got your first task... to test out. Think you can handle it?"
Carla smirks. "I'm game."
"Good. Suit up." And in Janeth's order, Carla immediately walks to her Black suit. Once she touched it and took it off its rack, she knew this was the beginning... 'Your future is bright... It will be bright, even if you're alone...'
Back at the docks in Xing...
Junie was doing the best she can in flying past the continuous beam blasts made from the slowly added number of beam emitters being used. She realized they were neurifying more hexagonal plates. Those hexagonal plates were actually thick layers of iron combined, and it makes a great beam emitter for each once Neurified by Neuroi keys. At this rate, there were too many beams and she can't get through without getting shot for one more time. She had no choice but to land and take cover with her shield like the brothers.
"It's no use! The beam emitters are too many! I can't fly past the damn beams without getting hit!" Junie said this in desperation as she was getting exhausted.
"Stay in formation!" Kelvin commanded this. "As long as we're in formation we can do this!"
"Yeah?" Tyler asked.
"We ARE NOT letting them go!" Kelvin said this as a final word before they fell silent and focused. But he knew all too well: 'We're exhausted... I don't know if I could even keep up with this many beams coming at us at the same time. Without the speed, we can't make a fast attack at them...'
"I admire all of you." An echoed voice of an old female teen was heard from above before an electric sonic-boom effect came from the sky. Two RPG rounds came from above and made explosions at the line of men firing the beams. The beams were cut off, and the men spread out. "You could all use a hand." And a dark figure from the sky heard with jet sounds came. And they saw it: A blonde-haired beauty with a striker unit came down just near them, hovering while holding two launchers and even let them go.
Kelvin noticed the launchers empty, and knew they were the launchers she used to fire. Eventually, he lowered his shield, and Tyler and Junie followed, looking at the hovering beauty facing the armed combatants from the ship. "Who are you?"
The blonde beauty slowly turned and eased her eyes to Kelvin. She was wearing a mask over her mouth, but her copper-colored eyes are seen. "Don't ask right now. I suggest you take cover."
"What are you going to do?"
"...your objective. You can trust me, Kelvin Fray. Code Double-X, Authorization Six-Six-Dash-Five-One. Black Star reporting for duty. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She then turned towards the men now ready to shoot again. "...I have some tangos to eliminate." And out came from her arms what seemed to be assault rifles of sorts, black in color. As soon as she held the proper grips to both of them, the men loosened bullets at her, but she flew up, letting her etherjet strikers roar with the purest of blue afterburners leave her unit. The men tried to follow where she was, but she was faster than how they shoot. Eventually, she flew and charged at them before aiming her assault rifles at them and fired on her own. Bullets came like a hailstorm to a group as they were shredded.
Kelvin was surprised of this and remained to stare at Black Star, defending her own like it's a breeze as she killed men on the ship. But that didn't matter to him. He knew his imagination was making him think more. 'Could it really be her?'
"HEY!" Tyler called out his brother and finally snapped him out of it. "What the hell did you let your guard down for?!"
"Tyler... This girl..."
"What about her?! Who is she?!"
"Ty... There's something you don't know about her... She's... Well... She's a legend."
"A legend?"
"Yeah. You see... Black Star... She was said to be a harbinger of moments in time... a hidden agent for events set to be made solid, and what could be connecting events to make the current timeline as it should be. She's otherwise known to only a chosen few, as 'Black Star the Rebel.'"
"A chosen few...?"
"And when you said moments in time..." Junie was later interrupted.
"That's right," Kelvin replied. "She goes around time, but doesn't really tell at when she goes. And yeah... I'm one of those chosen few. I just didn't know I'd meet agent Double-X. That's another alias for certain agents in the UNIA."
"Just... who is she?"
"Good question, Ty. She's a mystery, and classified. Even I don't know who she is, but at times, she can assist and leave a scene clean from evidence."
"And UNIA knows this?"
"Only a certain channel in the UNIA knows. I even bet her own channel is stated in UNIA and she's the author of it. I can't eliminate that possibility."
"Whoa... She's deep..." Tyler spoke this still in disbelief.
The men were getting afraid of her.
"Who is she...?! GAAAH!" A man shouted for getting shout.
"She is everywhere! No! There!" And he got interrupted as his head was blown off.
And it falls as one man emptied his clip, making him panicky. He then stopped to look around: All the men in the ship were dead, and bodies were everywhere. He threw his weapon and knew he was the only one on the deck. "HAH! SHE'S A DEVIL! SHE'S DEATH!" And he shouted more once he turned around and saw the hovering beauty with emptied assault rifles dropped on the deck and her eyes focusing on his. With so much fear, he fell backwards and crawled backwards. He didn't know what to do. He was unarmed and is like a scared sheep. "YOU ARE... YOU HAVE NO MERCY!" Then, she took an AR-15 from her Pocket Sync and aimed it at him.
"Only for you... I would never have."
"Please... don't kill me."
"Impossible. You signed up for it. You just didn't know this is the price you pay. You are aware of sins made against the back of another. You shall pay, ultimately..." And Black Star pulls the trigger, letting rounds of lethal class enter the man's body, shredding his meat from the inside. Once she stopped firing and was aware the clip from inside her magazine is empty, she lets go of it and the weapon hits the ground. "They make mistakes. They know their fate."
Later, Black Star was already hovering just distant from the ship when she presses a button on a certain detonator. A cluster of systematic explosions were heard from within and seen outside of the ship. Structural points were demolished, and the ship easily feel apart in flames and slowly sank while it was still on fire.
Kelvin sighed in relief that this happened. At least the last of the Triad Core was finally taken cared of, and knew this was the last they'll hear of their worst deeds.
Tyler then wondered of Black Star's familiar and looked at her butterfly antennae. "Butterfly?"
"Monarch Butterfly." Black Star turned to Tyler Fray. "They say in reality, they actually last only two years. Lucky for me, I didn't get to use my familiar until two years later. So it's like nothing happened much. That's one thing you need to know about me."
"Black Star..." Kelvin called her out. "You arrived to help us?"
"...not in full. But I did assist you for the least."
"Is it true about what I hear about you? You first showed up in a Karlslander's house, and he was the first one who theorized that time was another dimension not fully known in quantum physics. That was in the 1900's."
"You're correct. In order for my existence to be possible and to be generally accepted, I had to visit his home."
"What about your origin?"
"Let it be unknown for now, Kelvin Fray. Know this: It will not be the last time you see me. One day, you'll know."
Junie giggled as she finished dressing up. "Still playing 'Mystery Girl,' are you?"
"Junie Valenskiy. It was said you were never part of the military."
"And not for a second."
"What about if the Triad Core has been disposed of?"
"Oh... Um... I never thought beyond that." Junie was in thought because of this. 'Oh yeah... My mind was always focused on the Triad Core and myself...'
"You should know that you are always a critical part of the agendas for Kelvin Fray in the future. He won't leave you. That... I assure you." She then glances at Kelvin. "I know you have a conscience for keeping her like a pet. But treat her well anyway. She's still loyal to you. Try to respect her loyalty by giving back little by little."
Kelvin sighed. "You know a little past personal things, Black Star."
"That's because I get around plenty." She made a smile beneath her mask and winked. "Kelvin... you're given this honor to see me. Your brother and Junie now know. Tell no one else about me. As for the evidence of my presence, I'll clear it up. That, is my word. As for the rest..."
"...we improvise. We got it." Kelvin looked around, knowing there are corpses around, and the launchers that are on the ground were later picked up by Black Star. "And how do we know you'll be around?"
"You don't." Black Star then ascended higher with the empty launchers in hand. "You won't find me, but I'll find you. You won't know which events I will drop in, but I will assist you in them. Until then, don't hope for my arrival. I'll see you three again..." And without delay, Black Star flew forward, then flipped back before her etherjet engines were heard so loudly from afar.
Kelvin knew about a recent sonic boom heard in a distance just before electricity was seen as she was approaching again. As soon as she flew above them, time slowed down. Kelvin was seeing her body surrounded by electricity that was in sync to her motion. As time flew normally, a loud sonic boom was made before all three of them tumbled thanks to the force of it. They easily got on their feet after seeing electricity fade from above them. "There she goes," Kelvin muttered. "We won't know for sure, huh?"
"So I guess we should go back to New York to report what happened?" Tyler asked this, getting Kelvin's plan of action.
"Yeah. We got two more parties to go... the Nazi Revolutionaries and the Orussian Anti-Monarch Resistance. Stay sharp. We're gonna be going past army scouts so stay hidden."
"Staying hidden is my middle name," Junie said with a smile before following the two.
"Fun night, huh?" Tyler asked Junie.
"Blood was spilt, Tyler. And she's right about something... I never joined the military just because of my anger against the Triad Core. Maybe I should reconsider now?"
"Maybe, if it's better," Tyler commented. "Thing is, you're gonna be whipped into fucking shape."
"Oh... Whipped... huh? Maybe I'll be more... appealing."
"Uhh..."
"What? Oh, I see." She naughtily smirked at him. "Pervert, I see!"
"JUNIE!" Tyler seemed nervous at the point...
All three of them left the docks without anyone seeing them. The army scouts who came in found the bloody scene and started to secure it. Finding it was the end of the Triad Core in the days the followed, Xing had been relieved of a crime organization so vast and destructive that they only focused on the war ensuing...
Meanwhile at a storage room...
The door was opened and the light was switched as the hooded figure came in walking. He saw crates of bottles stored as he opened them. He searched thoroughly much more and he found the only crate that had none in it except something wrapped in a piece of cloth. The shape of the rectangular object he held was too familiar as he smiled, slowly unwrapping the cloth around it, and seeing the Neuroi key.
"I found it," Adam said.
In a hotel room...
"Excellent," said Arthur Anderson, talking from the other line on the phone with Adam holding the handset. "We'll take this one as an insurance for us."
"Then they'll probably waste their time trying to deliver their portions to their respective lockups."
"The rebels and revolutionaries are nothing but baits. No one will see the Neuroi key being handled delicately. But look now: We have to make sure THAT Neuroi key doesn't fall in the wrong hands. Make sure it gets back to my hands and we'll see what we can do from there."
"Of course."
"Get back to Liberion as soon as possible, Adam. We have a lot of work to do."
"Of course, brother. Goodbye." And Adam puts the handset down before sitting on the bed. He looked at the Neuroi key beside him, still wrapped in the cloth.
Meanwhile... things in Pinasis are not going so well...
TO BE CONTINUED...
[Carla Stanz]
Birthday / Age: February 20, 1926 (Introduced 17 turning 18 years old)
Manifests as a witch at: Year 1943
Height: 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)
Hair: Yellowish-Blonde, curly, upper-back lengthened (usually tied with a hair clip to make a single tail)
Eye color: Copper
Skin: Fair Complexion to White
Body Shape: Average
Rank: Unknown
Nationality: Britannian-Liberion
Affiliation: Codenamed "Black Star the Rebel"
Aircraft / Striker: SR-X Sonicbird (Custom-built by Janeth Maria Ferrano)
Familiar: Danaus Plexippus (Monarch Butterfly)
Weapons: Assault Rifle pack (Britannian and Liberion made assault rifles)
Intrinsic Ability: Pocket Sync (Pocket Sync is a pocket-dimension magic ability. Thanks to the size of the pocket dimension she's able to make for objects she could access by the palm of her hand as her magic is activated. Since she uses an Assault Rifle pack from the WWII era to the 21st century, she's able to store a total of 500 units of varying weapons, with weapon stocks and ammo involved.)
Backstory: Carla Stanz is an only child of a Britannian banker and a Liberion housewife, who lived together in Wales. By the start of the war, they started to move around Britannia to avoid conflicts from reaching their doorstep. However, that stopped when the father died due to a sudden Neuroi attack. This forced Carla and her mother to move underground while awaiting rescue. They got out of it alive and was rescued by the Britannian army.
At 1943, Carla had manifested as a witch, with a butterfly familiar. This was happening during a riot at a countryside town in Britannia. Knowing she was a witch, she needed to protect what needed to be protected. And in her case: Her mother.
But in result of the riots that were made from the impatient citizens awaiting justice against the Neuroi, even her mother's house was torched. Carla found out later that her mother wanted to stop the movement made by the rioters to demand their return to their homes. That got her locked in her own house, and was torched. Carla got there too late, as the house was already in ashes. She told herself: "Even as a witch, I couldn't protect her." This made her upset, and she battled her own conscience in fighting against the Neuroi, choosing never to.
Asking favors and getting somewhere else in desperation, she comes in contact with her uncle names James Stanz, who was an army official in Liberion, acting as a Colonel for a contingency group there. Knowing he's a bad influence to her, she just gets straight to the point: She wanted safe passage out of the country. Knowing he has a side of hating witches as well, he easily agrees, in the terms that she won't participate in the war. He already knew about her manifestation, but it doesn't change anything: She wouldn't want to fight a war that involved lives taking another. Aliens? They were just living beings. It was the same, and it got her to a point of never seeing combat.
Fate changed her as Janeth, a magical girl who travels through dimensions and time, arrived in her life to save her the trouble of living a life of no meaning. Carla already had the idea that she was cursed instead of being given a gift. For a long time, she never knew how witches were helping out in the war. It first didn't matter to her. But then it changed when Janeth offered her something: Carla was to become Janeth's right hand, acting as an agent for her in Earth while being given the necessities needed for herself. Carla asked what the catch was. And the catch that Janeth answered: She knows how to contact spirits, though it takes some of her energy in exchange. Though with Carla, it would be easier. Janeth offers that Carla could see her mother again. And without hesitation, Carla accepts as she was trained first before her true fighting begins.
Carla experienced harsh training from Janeth, and later became known to be a hard flyer of Janeth's custom-built striker unit, the SR-X Sonicbird. This was how Carla made a codename for herself, the first time she saw the black colored striker unit she knew would be hers: "Black Star." Janeth made sure to stamp a name for some to know in the Earth she hoped Carla would fight in for her sake, as "Black Star the Rebel."