Hope everybody's having a great winter holiday. Despite all the parties and gatherings throughout the last few days, I still managed to squeeze in enough time for another chapter. Thanks to Poet Bucky, Mandrakefunnyjuice, and I.K.A Valian for your wonderful reviews. For that, you get to be one step closer to the climax of our story. Hang on to your hats, this will be a wild ride!
But before we start, some of you are asking: "Since this is a modern version, will there be Tales of Phantasia references?" The answer is no, because this is an AU fic, meaning these events exist exclusively from TOP events. That being said, I'm open to including Tales of Symphonia: Knights of Ratatosk references in here. I'll have to see more of that game before I make my decisions. But until then, enjoy!
Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. Martin Scorsese owns The Departed. Felix Chong and Siu Fai Mak own Infernal Affairs.
"Sheena, you have to stop Volt," Mark called, "Summon his opposite, Undine. Heck, summon all the spirits! Subdue Volt with force if you have to!" And as Sheena whipped out the mana case, Mark was busy trying to disable as many Cruxis machines as possible. Knowing the mana in the chamber was still unstable, the other summon spirits could also let loose, causing an even bigger disaster.
Kuchinawa slowly got up as his eyes trailed his brother. Mark had just gotten his hands on the first machine, and began the process of disabling it. Meanwhile, Sheena had already summoned Undine, getting Volt's attention away from the instability, although Undine also seemed a bit uncomfortable with the surroundings. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Kuchinawa stepped forward to attack Mark again. His brother had just finished disabling the second machine, and nothing would stop Kuchinawa from getting revenge. "Stop right there, Orochi," he roared, trying to pry the machine away from Mark, "That's as far as you'll go."
Fortunately for Mark, he had the positional advantage, and managed to shut down the third machine before Kuchinawa could pry it loose. "It's a disaster waiting to happen here, and there are still machines left. If you want to get out of this place alive, I suggest you cooperate with me," Mark retorted. Above, Undine barely held her ground, as the reckless Volt was overpowering her. Sheena frantically searched through the cases, trying to find any of the other mana pieces that might be of use.
Kuchinawa merely replied to Mark's statement with a sucker-punch to Mark's face. The fist connected on the bridge of Mark's nose, right between his eyes. Mark dropped the machine and covered his face. Sneering at his brother, who staggered and fell out of the chamber, Kuchinawa gathered all the remaining operational machines together.
And as if right on cue, Volt did turn his attention back to Kuchinawa, unleashing another shot of mana. The blue electric ray seemed to move in slow motion as it rumbled it way through the chamber, and again, straight at Kuchinawa. This time, the mana was weaker, but without Mark to tackle him, Kuchinawa ended up taking the brunt of the hit. The Mizuho native was spun through the air, dropping the destroyed machines onto the floor. Amidst sparks and flashes of the broken electronics, Kuchinawa was badly burnt.
From the top, Sheena could only gape in shock. Glaring at Volt, she no longer cared about her own safety. Inside her mind, the only thing that mattered was to stop the electric summon spirit from destroying everything. Taking all the mana pieces, she scattered them around the pedestal and summoned all the spirits at once. "I want your help. Please stop Volt's rampage!" Sheena ordered.
As the spirits held down Volt, Mark returned to the chamber, and saw Kuchinawa badly burnt and unconscious. Immediately, he put a hand under Kuchinawa's nose and the other hand on his neck. "Sheena, Kuchinawa still has a pulse, but he isn't breathing well at all," he shouted, "We have to seek a medic at once!"
Kuchinawa had trouble opening his eyes, as the bright glares above him made his head pound even harder. "Ugh, where am I?" he murmured, shielding his eyes. He tried to move off, but realized that he had been pretty much strapped onto his back, with tubes and wires hanging all around him. He began feeling around his body, and realized that he had bandages covering his arms and side. Then, it dawned upon him: he was hospitalized.
Just as he lied back down, a familiar face hovered above him. "You were out for an entire day, all the way from last evening," Mark reported. He too sported a bandage, going up his nose and ending right between his eyes, "Volt got you really good, and we were lucky that the military plane got us back to Mizuho in time. It didn't hurt that the Temple of Lightning is just slightly north of here, so we didn't have to fly far."
Kuchinawa could only shake his head, realizing that he had his brush with death. But that did not deter Mark from interrogating him. "Now that I've found you again, and you're too injured to escape, I might as well get the answers I want," he began, taking a seat next to the bed, "When did you join Cruxis? For what purpose? And what are they trying to do now?" he demanded, glaring at his brother.
Kuchinawa turned away in disgust. "I have no need to explain myself to a traitor. Now where did Sheena go? I still have unsettled business with her," he retorted.
Then, Mark did something out of his nature, even in his days as Orochi. His fist shot out and connected with Kuchinawa's unburned cheek. Kuchinawa cried out in pain, rubbing his face as Mark glared at him mercilessly. "Traitor? How dare you say that about me! I helped you when we were orphaned, I protected you from the bullying, and I even convinced the Owens to adopt you!" Mark berated his brother.
"You and the Owens abandoned me! You had a chance to adopt me and you didn't do it!" Kuchinawa retorted, his volume raising.
"Abandon you? It's more like you abandoned yourself! We made it clear that we would come pick you up a few months later, only to find that you've become a troubled child, picking fights everywhere and running away. Remember what I told you before I left? Hang on tight, never give in, and bright things will come to those who persevere. What did you do? You gave up on those words, and became a little street urchin, and now you're part of Cruxis thanks to your crazy revenge plan. So who's the traitor now?" Mark shouted, jabbing his finger at Kuchinawa's face.
Kuchinawa was speechless, but Mark did not relent. "Not only that, you kept mentioning how the Fujibyashis did you wrong, and that they killed our parents. You think I didn't feel anger when I first got the news? But the Owens taught me one thing, and that is to have faith in justice and let it take its course. Igaguri was investigated by the army, and they cleared him of any wrongdoing. Why? Because the main factor for that incident was the thunderstorm, not negligence by Sheena's grandfather!"
Then, all colour from Kuchinawa's face drained, his cold, heartless façade wiped out all in an instant. All those years of him putting up the act, becoming the merciless agent for Cruxis, all to get revenge on his brother and Sheena, came to a thunderous halt by the revelation. "So, you mean, Sheena, and Igaguri, and…" he stuttered.
"That's right. Sheena and I are bent on correcting the mistakes of the past. That's why a couple of years ago, when I found out that Sheena was recruited by the Tethe'alla military to help them in preventing a disaster, mainly regarding Cruxis hijacking summon spirits, I didn't hesitate in offering my help. Both her grandfather and our parents failed to harness the spirits, so the least we could do is prevent the spirits from falling into the wrong hands," Mark explained, "Right now, Sheena's on the way to the last area, the Tower of Mana next to Luin in Sylvarant, to summon the last spirit. And seeing how she never gave up on her quest, I say that makes her a much more courageous person than you are, even if you feel she was a coward due to what her grandfather did!"
Kuchinawa closed his eyes, ashamed of himself. He betrayed all that he believed in just to go in this blind quest, and it proved to be fruitless. What's more, Cruxis did not come to his aide, but the one that had been helping him throughout his childhood, his brother, did. "Orochi, please forgive me for all that I've done," he pleaded, sobbing.
"It's no longer up to me to forgive you anymore," Mark replied, "It's up to the justice system. You've probably broken your fair share of laws by joining Cruxis and aiding their activities, so only a judge can decide on that. If you turn around right now, and return to the side of law, then I can conceive them giving you leniency."
"I can't turn back. I can't be a regular citizen anymore. I've been the other side for too long, and I'll no longer have anything if I turn around. There's nowhere for me to go," Kuchinawa insisted, tears still streaming down his face.
Mark shook his head. "You always had a choice. You chose to disobey me at the orphanage, you chose to join the street gangs, and now you're in the midst of making yet another choice. Abandon Cruxis and fight these extremists, or keep going with them and be a fugitive." Mark refused to compromise as he laid out the options, "I'm stepping out for now, but I hope you can truly think this one over," he warned.
Mark mulled over what he did to his brother as he left the room and stepped into a waiting elevator. Never in his life was he that harsh to a loved one, but he felt he did the right thing. "Kuchinawa did bad things in the past, but I'm sure he'll battle through this," he mumbled to himself. And since Kuchinawa was in the same hospital as Colette and Lynn, he thought maybe he should go pay them a visit while he was still here.
When the elevator doors opened, it revealed sheer pandemonium. Mark raced out, dodging staff members as he tried to get to Lynn and Colette. But the second he entered the room, there was a sight he did not expect. Instead of seeing the old woman and blond teenager, he saw two large, marine-scaled creatures. Their faces were featureless, but he did not need confirmation to know that they were ready to attack. Quickly, Mark pulled out his cell phone and dialled for Sheena. "Sheena, I don't know where you are, but remember when we were discussing that cure, and Raine said we're a mana piece short? I think you better get that piece as soon as possible. We have a situation here in Mizuho."
"I've just called George, and he's on his way to Mizuho with the parts of the cure right now," Regal reported. Ever since they were told the conditions for Lynn and Colette worsened, they realized they needed to hurry onto Mizuho to apply the cure. While Regal waited for Ellis to prepare the herbs, Raine had decided to check out the rumours of Virginia. "We've been to almost all those addresses, and she's at none of them. I suggest we get moving and save your grandmother," Regal insisted.
"This is the last address, so we'll just check it out before we leave. It shouldn't take too long," Raine replied. They were outside a low-cost apartment building, and Raine checked her list one last time. Most people working at the other places she visited could confirm the address was correct, and one even gave a unit number. Raine knew she had enough evidence, and could end the mystery behind her mother once and for all
The old building had no elevator, meaning they had to climb the stairs all the way to the top floor. Slowly moving to the sixth floor, they navigated around the narrow stairs while feeling their way around the moist, mouldy walls. "Why would Virginia want to live here? Given your family's background, it's so unnatural for her," Lloyd pointed out.
Raine did not reply, opting to proceed forward instead. Finally, she reached the unit written on the page. She took a deep breath, while glancing back at Lloyd and Regal. Her companions were somewhat sceptical of the actions she took, but they realized they had to be responsible to her. After all, if that was her mother inside, they should be there to offer Raine any emotional support, if necessary. Nodding, Raine pressed the door bell.
Then, there was silence. The only sound that could be heard in the halls was the dripping of leaky water pipes in the far end of the hallway. Lloyd and Regal continued to have nervous expressions on their faces as Raine persisted, staring intently at the door. Finally, some muffled footsteps could be heard behind the door, and with a low-pitched creek, the door slowly pulled open. "Who is it?" an elderly voice called. Lloyd and Regal could see from the small opening that the woman was indeed an elf, with the trademark long, pointy ears. Like Raine, she had silver hair, and that same determined look in her eyes, although it was somewhat hidden behind her older face.
But Raine's expression was a combination of shock, anger, and even fear. She remembered the elf before her like it was yesterday, even though the last time Raine had seen her was ten years ago. "You're my mother," she stuttered.
Virginia could only stare back at the female half-elf standing before her. Was this truly the daughter that she left behind in Iselia ten years ago? "Raine? Is that you?" she pulled the door wider and looked closely at Raine, "Last time I saw you, you weren't even a teenager yet." The two continued their strange staring match, creating an awkward situation. Stepping near the door, Regal loudly cleared his throat. That seemed to break the silence, as Virginia opened the door fully and let the threesome into the unit.
The interior of the unit was no different than the aisles; mouldy walls, leaky pipes, and dimly lit. Virginia sat at a chair on what resembled a dining room table while the three gathered around her. "Well, I guess I owe Raine an explanation, don't I?" she asked sheepishly, "I haven't been the same since that incident, and I haven't gone back since."
"You abandoned us," Raine sputtered, "Everyone thought you were dead for the last ten years. And now here you are, hiding in some slum and sneaking around Exire, harassing people left and right? Since when did my mother sink this low?"
Virginia shook her head vehemently. "It was the others that made me like this," she replied, staring at Raine angrily, "When I returned to Heimdall ten years ago, little did I know those isolationists on the council would betray a fellow elf by siding with Cruxis. Cruxis bribed some Heimdall security members to allow them in, all because of revenge. Well, they got what they wanted, and I was captured by Cruxis."
"Wait, revenge? What are you talking about?" Raine asked, "Heimdall's elves let you back in, even though we had…oh no! Do you mean Grandpa and Dad?"
Virginia nodded. "They still never forgave John for his intrusion into Heimdall, and me for marrying your father. And now, with Cruxis in the act, they handed me over and allowed them to do all sorts of strange experiments to me. For years, I was nothing but their prisoner, enduring their torture for years here in Exire," she spat spitefully.
"And when John and Kloitz got wind of Cruxis activities six years ago, they came to find you," Regal interrogated the elf, "It was in that incident that their plane crashed. You took it as an opportunity to escape Cruxis, and ended up with my friend Ellis."
Virginia smirked at Regal. "Did they tell you that the plane crash involving John and Kloitz was also courtesy of Cruxis?" she retorted, staring daggers into the Lezareno CEO, "They found the underground prisoners' hold in Cruxis headquarters. Fortunately, years of experiments on me made me more sensitive to mana and mana manipulation. I could have gotten out myself by casting mana spells, but to ensure that John and Kloitz weren't caught, I chose to let them go back out to get help first. While Cruxis searched around for John and Kloitz, I escaped and planned to meet them later. But Cruxis had developed a type of mana gun, and the second their plane took off, they shot it down. None of the three on board, the pilot, John, and Kloitz survived."
The threesome could only look on as they heard the sad tale, but Raine remained undaunted. Wiping her tears, she questioned her mother again. "That still doesn't explain why you haven't come back. You could have returned and let the military deal with this, but why have you misled us about your death? Do you know what pain we went through back in Iselia? Genis thought he lost both his parents for good!" Raine snapped.
"No one seems to be successful at defeating Cruxis at the time, so I had to stay and fight. But it was Cruxis' own inventions that would be their downfall. You see, they experimented with that Exsphere thing, and I managed to gain mana spells for battle and healing from it. And I swore that until Cruxis is defeated here, I won't go back to Iselia yet." Virginia moved her face closer to Raine's, her tone almost murderous, "They killed our family in cold blood, Raine. I can't sit passively and watch them proceed with their sick acts. I must put an end to this, and since you're here, you should help me."
Just as this was said, Raine's cell phone rang. She left the table and headed to a corner. Although they could not hear, Lloyd and Regal realized whatever news Raine had received, it could not possibly be good. It was only confirmed when Raine returned to them. "I got news from Mizuho. Grandma and Colette had been transformed into some monsters, and require the cure immediately. Let's go pick the herbs up," she informed them.
Lloyd and Regal nodded as they headed for the door. Raine looked at her mother one last time, angry at her selfish actions. "You can still come with us," she told the elf, "I'm sure Grandma would like to see your face one last time before she dies."
Virginia shook her head vehemently. "My job is here, and I'll fight Cruxis to the death. But if you want, there is something I want to teach you," Virginia offered, "Even when you were little, you were interested in healing mana. If you're still interested in it, I wish to transfer this skill to you. This will only take a few minutes. Do you accept?"
Sheena tried to catch her breath as she finally arrived onto the roof of the Tower of Mana, just outside of Luin. The military plane had just landed in Luin, and she was in a vehicle to get her to the tower when Mark called to inform her of the deteriorating conditions of Lynn and Colette. Knowing that they had little time left, Sheena hurried her way to the tower, and bolted up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her.
Now, standing before the last summon spirit's pedestal, she knew this would be her last mission. All eight major summon spirits in charge of the stability of the world's mana are now at hand, Sheena thought, with their pieces, we can withstand any Cruxis attack, but I just hope Luna and Aska would give me an extra piece.
Taking another deep breath, she stepped up to the pedestal and summoned the spirits. With a brilliant flash, a maiden sitting on a crescent shape and a two-headed bird stood before her. "You must be Luna," Sheena stated, pointing to the maiden, "and this bird must be Aska. My name is Sheena, and I require your help."
"Yes, I can sense it," Luna replied, "The mana at other areas of summon spirits had been quite unstable. I can only imagine some disturbances were happening." Luna looked closely at Sheena, trying to read her expression before continuing on, "It seems thou art worried over something other than the state of the world."
Sheena swallowed. Since when did Luna gain the ability to read minds? But nonetheless, she needed to raise the important issues with her. "Not only is our world in danger, but the group causing the threat also plans to endanger the lives of two of my close friends. They require a cure to remove an Exsphere implanted into their bodies, and only a piece of mana can activate it. Please, since there are two of you, give me an extra piece of mana," she pleaded, hoping for a positive response.
Luna glanced over at Aska, who seemed more uncomfortable than Sheena in discussing this topic. "Normally, it's Luna who gives out mana pieces. She'll test all those who request to see whether they're worthy or not before making a decision on it. I only stick around to help her out," the large bird replied sheepishly, "I really don't have any special abilities of my own. I don't see how any of my mana can help you."
"Do not speak ill of thyself, Aska," Luna tried comforting her companion, "Thou art worthy of being my companion. Thou hast many abilities to make thyself strong!"
"But if she's so desperate to save the world and her friends at the same time, why not just send her to Maxwell or Corrine or someone like that?" Aska whispered back.
"Maxwell and Corrine have never been part of the original pact to manage the world's mana. Maxwell was the one who, under the original summoner's orders, put Exire back to the ground, and Corrine did not return to the group until shortly before the Reunification. Thou art the only hope for her," Luna explained, urging Aska to help.
Sheena looked on anxiously as the large bird pondered over his options. Time slowly ticked by as the threats became larger, both to the world, and to the health of Lynn and Colette. Finally, after some gentle coaxing from Luna, Aska agreed to cooperate with Sheena. "But if you want cures against mana diseases, you should check out a book by Dr. Boltzmann," Aska told Sheena, "Last time a summoner came, I remembered it was at the main floor bookcase, but I'm not sure if a healer in that group returned it afterwards."
"So, Sheena," Luna continued, turning to face the Mizuho native, "What had thou brought to us to prove thy worthiness?" she asked.
As Lloyd, Raine and Regal sped into the hospital at Mizuho, they could see a state of pure panic as hospital staff and police officers gathered around the area. Just outside of the main entrance was George, who waved them over as they exited the vehicle. "I've brought the ingredients from Flanoir, so all we need is to mix them with your herbs and the cure will be almost complete," he informed the group.
"But we still require a mana piece, and Sheena's not here yet," Lloyd observed as the police checked them to ensure they were safe to let into the hospital, "By the way, has Genis been informed of this yet? And where's Dr. Brunel?"
"Both Dr. Brunel and Dr. Owen were inside earlier, and the young half-elf has been notified of this matter, and should arrive shortly. Ever since the patients transformed into monsters, there's been difficulty trying to hold them down. I've heard they broke out of their floor, and now police is surrounding the area," George explained, "I got here not long ago, so I don't know too much more than you do."
Just as this was said, Genis and Ricardo charged up to them. "I heard the news," Genis panted, "Where's Grandma? Is she okay? What happened to her?"
Just as this was said, a loud explosion rocked the lobby area. The group standing outside of the entrance were nearly thrown off their feet. But both Genis and Ricardo could feel that the explosion was mana based, and was caused by a mana projectile. Nodding to each other, they sprung into action. "That might be one of Lynn or Colette, we'll investigate it right now," Ricardo called out as they charged into the building, "Look around the area and see if you can find the other one."
Lloyd and Raine charged off to find the other patient while Regal and George slipped aside to somewhere safe. "We'll put together the cure, and I'll come find you later on," he announced, "Don't try to subdue them. They may be dangerous."
As Lloyd and Raine stepped around George and Regal, they could see one of the patients in monster form just ahead. Somehow, she managed to jump out of the floor she was on, and onto the courtyard. Police already gathered around it, with most officers having already drawn their firearms. The officers were confused with how to properly handle this situation. The monster posed a threat to public safety, but inside, it was also a normal human being: a seventeen-year-old girl, to be exact.
But as the monster flailed its arms and beat back a few officers, what was left of the hospital gown flapped open, revealing the top half of the sternum. A bright glittering reflection of light flashed towards Lloyd, and he knew who this was. "It's Colette!" he exclaimed, grabbing Raine's arm, "We can't let her get shot!" And before Raine could even react, Lloyd burst through the plants and jumped into the courtyard. "Stop, don't shoot! That's my friend!" he yelled to the police, waving his arms. Officers on the frontlines froze as a human bystander blocked their path.
Finally, Raine took action. Instead of jumping right in, she stepped out to the side of the courtyard and waved at Lloyd to get out of the way. "Colette can't hear you right now, she's in her mana monster form," Raine called to Lloyd, "If you don't get out now, she might hurt you, and the police would be forced to shoot. Please, be reasonable."
But Lloyd stood his ground, positioning himself in front of what was supposed to be Colette. The mana monster was a bit dazed, swaying back and forth. One look at those arms and everyone knew Lloyd was risking his life. But nonetheless, the hard-headed teen refused to leave his friend. "That's my friend, I've known her for ten years," he informed the crowd, "When I was little and my father's out of town, I would stay at the Brunels, and she was my true friend throughout this time. We grew up with the tightest of bonds, and I won't let anything bad happen to her. She's going to live, and I'll be by her side when she recovers. So please, I beg of you, don't shoot her," he pleaded to the police.
The police, along with everyone else, were surprised at Lloyd's actions. Was he truly prepared to sacrifice his own life just to save the patient? Some officers eased up their stances, but kept their guns trained on the mana monster, just in case it attacked. Seeing the situation had calmed somewhat, Lloyd turned around to face Colette. "I know you're in there, and I know you're struggling to keep the Exsphere from controlling you. But we have a cure, and we want to help you. Please, Colette, hang on for a bit longer." And as this was said, Lloyd gently gripped Colette's hand and held it in his own.
Raine was amazed at the scene before her. Lloyd was truly going to stick to his goal of curing Colette, and would risk being attacked by the transformed teenager. As more thoughts and emotions poured through her head, George and Regal finally stepped up with a partially completed cure. "We mixed the herbs in with the solution of zircon and mana leaf herb, so it should at least dampen the Exsphere's effects," Regal explained.
Raine nodded as George stepped through the bushes to apply the cure onto Colette. The police inched forward to ensure Colette could not escape while George did his work. "Don't worry, it'll be fine," Lloyd stated soothingly, still holding onto her hand.
But while things were going well with Lloyd and Colette, Genis and Ricardo did not have such luck with Lynn. Instead of falling outside the building, Lynn was at the centre of the lobby, and like Colette, she was doing much damage to the surroundings. But this situation was even more precarious, as just down the hall was the Intensive Care Unit, which housed severely injured patients that were in difficulty of evacuating. Any wrong moves by Lynn in the lobby, and all those lives could be endangered.
Ricardo did an earth spell, changing the ground around Lynn as he tried to contain the mana monster. Genis, meanwhile, cast a lightning spell, using electricity to paralyze Lynn so the cure could be brought to them. They had some success for the moment, as Lynn staggered around blindly and confused. But soon enough, Lynn released a blast of mana and blew apart the surrounding area, including her temporary prison. "Genis, if we let her continue blasting away, those ICU people will die for sure," Ricardo called over, "We have to use more force to subdue her as quickly as we can."
"Hey, that's my grandma you're talking about," Genis snapped back, annoyed at Ricardo's attitude towards Lynn, "What if we go too far and end up killing her?"
Just as Ricardo was about to reply, Lynn swiped the elf elder hard. As Ricardo tried to regain balance, Lynn swung at him again, sending him right into the wall. "No, Ricardo!" Genis shouted. But it was no use, as Ricardo was knocked out cold.
Turning to Lynn, Genis cast yet another spell. This time, icicles appeared from the ground and froze onto Lynn's feet. Genis then combined that with a stone blast spell, forcing boulders to bury her up to her knees. "Grandma, I'm sorry for doing this," Genis muttered, tears swelling from his eyes. Lifting his hand into the air, he returned to using the electric spell to paralyze her grandmother. The lightning hit squarely on Lynn's head, travelling through her body before paralyzing her, causing her to fall to the floor.
"Grandma!" Genis yelled, dashing forward to catch her as she tumbled. Ricardo was starting to stir as Genis felt around Lynn's neck. Fortunately, there was a pulse, but it was so weak and irregular that without the cure or medical attention, he would be sure to lose her. "Grandma, don't die, what will I do without you?" Genis sobbed, holding Lynn tight. He was so intent on preventing the loss of the only person that was his provider that he did not notice Regal and George barge in, cure in hand to use on Lynn.
At Exire military headquarters, both Lieutenant Tiga, who had arrived in the city a few days ago, and Captain Noishe, who was asked to accompany the military in this operation, spoke frantically on their phones. Tiga was informed by the military mole that Cruxis' operations would begin tonight, and that the military should best get prepared. "This is a map of the area, and here's where the mole told us that Rodyle would pay least attention to," he put his mole on hold as he poured over the details with the commanders. Knowing he was part of the action as well, he wanted this executed to perfection.
Meanwhile, Captain Noishe was not having as much luck with his call. He was communicating with his SIU counterpart in Iselia, Captain Burton, telling him of Gil's clues of the Cruxis mole in Iselia. "What do you mean you put her on leave? The entire intent is to keep everyone in the unit until the identity is revealed!" Noishe sputtered.
"Her parents may be hurt by the attacks on Ozette, Arthur," Burton retorted on the other side, "You have to show some compassion towards that, given her situation."
Noishe was unimpressed by the response, and warned Burton to keep an eye on things in the unit, but especially for Presea's return. "If she manages to help Cruxis in the operations in the days ahead, and Cruxis takes a big lead against us, you'll be solely responsible," Noishe threatened his counterpart, slapping his phone shut. Shaking his head, he approached the military personnel and listened in on their plans. Inside, Noishe was worried for Gil's safety, as he might be caught in the line of fire of not just regular police, but the military. "We might be alright for tonight, no?" he asked Tiga.
"As long as something unexpected, like a breakdown of the systems, doesn't happen, I think we'll be fine," Tiga replied, "With time, we should take out their main weapon, and send a crew into the back to take out the prisoners in no time at all."
But as Noishe and Tiga discussed this matter, a potential breakdown of the system was inevitable. Across town, a pink-haired young woman had her laptop open, pouring through the commands of Cruxis' computer systems. Presea Combatir had been an expert at computer technology, and hacking through Rodyle's system was nothing special. "I'm into his mainframe now," Presea said into her phone, reporting the details to Forcystus in Iselia, "All I have to do is deactivate his codes and transfer them over to you."
After being informed, Forcystus put her on hold to relay orders his men. Presea slowly put her phone back down, rubbing her temples as she pondered her options. She did not like this type of activity, and would want no more than to exit Cruxis and regain her identity. With Burton and her SIU colleagues showing her that trust and compassion, she felt she was betraying them by doing this. But nonetheless, with Cruxis controlling the Exsphere and no cure in sight, she had no choice. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the computer and continued hacking away.
Please note that Genis' spells are all elementary basic spells you see in the game (Stone Blast, Lightning, Icicle, etc). This is because I want him to actually learn the harder spells by years of training, rather than go Gary-Stu on everyone and blast Lynn to bits after one week of work with Ricardo. Have a happy new year, and we'll see you all in 2008!
