A/N: Hello, fellow readers! Hard to imagine it's almost May. I hope everyone is doing well and following the lockdown procedures with the coronavirus pandemic still happening. Just remember: if you're sick or experiencing any symptoms of this virus, stay at home; only go out for essentials, and go to the hospital of severe emergencies. Above all, enjoy the new chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie. They belong to their respective creators.
*Translations from Japanese
The activities around the Global Corruption Force Headquarters never ceased. Soldiers continued with virtual reality training. Those focusing on networks worked inside the Control Room, assisting the Alliance if need be in missions. Doctors and nurses helped with the sick and injured in the hospital wing. For downtime, personnel either rested in the barracks or mingled in the leisure room, lined with computers, pool tables, a T.V., and other leisure activities.
Rita was amongst in the room, along with George and Sariel. Once at full health, General Wilson granted them asylum, protecting them from God's Crusaders should their agents sought for them, and refuge from the interdimensional threat. On the T.V. screen, the reporters continued their coverage on the crisis.
"These Mimics are no joke," George said.
Sariel sat on the floor with his arms raised slightly, and his fingers connecting to each other. "Those creatures are tame compared to what that cult did to us."
The door opened as Sue stepped inside the room, wearing a maternity hospital gown and wheeling a pole attached to her IV bag. Like Rita, George, and Sariel, General Wilson granted her asylum.
"What are you doing up? You should rest." Rita's voice had a motherly tone.
"I'll be fine. Besides, I need to stretch my legs after being in bed for two weeks," Sue ensured.
"As long as you don't overdo it," George said. "Tommy scolded me in my dreams on what had happened to you."
Sue almost chuckled at the thought of Tommy's ghost shouting at his best friend. The door opened as a medical assistant poked her head inside the room.
"Time for your checkup, Ms. Snell."
"Can it wait?"
"No. Dr. Hansen needs to do this today."
Sue was about to protest when Rita placed her hand on her shoulder. "Calm yourself. She's only doing her job. Once the crisis is over, we'll move somewhere new and start fresh."
Sue underwent the medical checkups from the blood work to the ultrasound, but once done and the medical team has gone, she lay on her bed. She grabbed a compact hand mirror from the nearest drawer, glancing upon the black circles around her eyes in the reflection. She almost jumped from the bed when a disturbing sight appeared on the glass behind her.
A familiar being appeared with her black hair concealing most of her face. She still wore the worn-out kimono and used the bladed pole to support herself as her body distorted with green flashes. Below her muddy-caked feet was the vanishing traces of a portal. Once the figure revealed her pale face, she smiled, exposing her pointed teeth.
"H-Hisako?" Sue hasn't seen the Onryō since the King's Memorial Park incident. This vengeful spirit was responsible for the death of two boys and scaring a third when they attempted to destroy Carrie's grave. As Hisako climbed on the bed, instinct told Sue to flee, but she couldn't with the IV and some wires attached to her.
*"Watashi o osoreru hitsuyō wa arimasen. Anata wa yoi hito no hitoridesu," Hisako said.
Despite not understanding the language, Sue remained on guard but kept her cool. She couldn't call for a nurse nor Sariel until a lightbulb popped in Sue's mind, enacting her to dig through the drawer beside her bed. Sue pulled out a handheld device—a present by Orchid. After a quick check of its functions, she handed it to Hisako. The Onryō tilted her head with her eyes narrowed, and her brows knitted.
"It's a translator," Sue explained. "What it does is that you speak to it, and depending on the language, it will translate to another. I'm not sure if it will work on ghosts, but it's worth a try."
Hisako examined it until she found a square and circle buttons at the bottom. On the screen, two flags appeared side by side: one white with a red circle, and the other filled with stars and stripes. She pushed the square button and spoke, "Kon'nichiwa?"
"Hello?" the device spoke in English.
Hisako dropped the gadget, screeching. "Kore wa dono yōna majutsudesu ka?!"*
"Don't worry," Sue said. "It only translated what you said."
Glancing at the translator, the Onryō scooped it with her cold, long-fingered hands. Hisako hated using a machine to help Sue understand her words, but went along with it. She pushed the square button and spoke through it.
"This feels weird, using this thing."
"Yeah, so what brings you here?"
"I told Sariel that we would meet again, although I didn't think it'd be a healing place. I also overheard from this Alliance that a cult attempted to kill you, the baby, and your friends."
"You mean God's Crusaders. If Orchid and her friends had not arrived to save us, we would be dead."
"They're kind souls, the Alliance...well, some of them since I don't trust those responsible for messing with my grave."
"The thieves you punished? Why are they with the Alliance?"
"They have their reasons."
"As long as they prevent these strange Mimics from wreaking havoc."
Hisako paused, debating if she should expose the truth. "I'm afraid the situation will become worse than Mimics. Gargos is coming."
"What's a Gargos?"
"Not a what, a who. Gargos is the monster born from the shadows. He's also the one that started the invasion."
"What does he want?"
"What most tyrants want: dominion. Although he's not strong enough to pass through here, he sent his minions to do his bidding. With enough corruption, he'll come through to enact his plan, leading to humanity's extinction."
Chills crept inside Sue as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, as though protecting her baby. She remembered the times when Margaret ranted how the world was going to Hell. Most people in Chamberlain ignored her, but now, she can't help if the psychotic woman predicted the future.
"Sariel mentioned that you're a gatekeeper or something. Can you stop him?"
"Regardless of what the Alliance or I do, Gargos will come to Earth, but it doesn't mean we can stop him." Hisako glanced at the door as she sensed something. "Someone is coming. We'll talk later." After she handed the translator to Sue, the Onryō formed a black portal from the floor and crawled through it. The portal shrunk until it vanished.
Sue rubbed her face with her hands. I pray the Alliance stop this Gargos because if they don't, then everything would be lost. Rita, George, Sariel, me...my baby... A knock on the door brought Sue to reality. "Come in."
The door opened as Orchid stepped inside the room. "Hey. You're doing okay?"
"What happened to your right shoulder?"
"Oh, this?" Orchid pressed the bandages gently. "There was trouble where we stayed, but we sorted it out. Also, those doctors at Ultratech wanted to try something new with nanites."
"Nanites, as in like those sci-fi movies?"
"Yes, but on a medical scale. At first, I refused, but the doctors insisted because it would help converse any healing items we would receive from every mission. Once injected in the human body, the nanites would kill the illness-caused virus or renew for injuries."
"That reminds me of that Jason X movie Tommy and I watched one Halloween night. The movie itself was lame, but the growing technology intrigued me."
Orchid sat on Sue's bed and held her hand. "You miss him, do you?"
Sue nodded. "Sometimes, I imagine what life would be like if Tommy and I stayed together after high school. We'd be living in a fancy house with decent jobs and raising our baby. Now, everything is shallow. I still have that stupid text Chris sent me on the night of prom."
Sue reached for her phone beside her drawer, which she was still grateful to have since her captivity with God's Crusaders. She scrolled through the messages until she found the one in specific.
June 22nd, 2013
Your girl looks good. Too bad it won't last. 9:33 P.M.
Orchid sighed and shook her head. "If I were you, I delete it."
"The thought had crossed my mind, but I kept it in case someone needs it—evidence wise. Maybe one day, I will. Since those doctors are done with the checkup, I want to return to Rita and the others."
After a quick call to the nurse, Sue and Orchid headed to the recreation room. She still reflected on what Hisako said regarding the events happening around the world. They arrived at the place where Rita, George, and Sariel remained, this time with TJ and Kim Wu.
"They've caught him?! Finally!" Rita yelled.
"Whose been caught?" Sue queried.
"TJ and Kim were telling us that Mr. Hargensen's been caught," George said.
"The guy was a douche," Kim said. "How he became a lawyer with that attitude is beyond me."
"I understand the feeling," Rita said. "I met him when he came to the school to restore the prom privileges for his daughter. She accused me of being 'abusive' because I was punishing her and her friends for bullying. I even warned them they'd be suspended if they stopped running, meaning they wouldn't go to prom.
"Chris thought she could get away with it by bringing her father into the mix until I mentioned the act recorded and posted on YouTube. You have no idea how much I celebrated when someone restored the memory chip from Chris's destroyed phone, enough to have John canned from his job. I don't know who did the deed, but I'd thank him or her if I met that person."
The T.V. blasted as a reporter announced the latest news. "This just in: a red portal has emerged in the remote parts of Asia!"
The corners of Orchid's mouth drooped, and her brows squeezed together. "Kim, TJ..."
"Already on it. Besides, Kimmy and I are in a contest on who kills the most Mimics, and I'm in the lead," TJ said.
"Quit lying!" Kim countered as she and the ex-boxer departed for the latest mission. "You know damn well I'm ahead! I have Yeo tallying the scores!"
Orchid chuckled lightly. Even in these hard times, there was healthy competition. A buzz from her earpiece grabbed her attention as she pressed the button. "Yes?"
"Can you come by quick?" Jago's voice spoke from the speaker.
"I'll be there soon." Orchid released the button. "Listen, Jago needs me for something, so I'll be back."
"I'm getting something to eat." Rita rose from her perch as Orchid departed. "Do you all need anything?"
"Whatever they're serving, we'll be cool with it, Ms. D," George said. Once Rita headed to the cafeteria, Sue's lips formed a thin line, her eyes shifting to her stomach as she placed her hand on it. "Is everything all right, Sue?"
"I was waiting for Rita to go. I must tell you and Sariel something."
The sun descended on the horizon as night prepared itself for its latest shift. Sue, George, and Sariel remained in the recreation room, informing the boys of Hisako's recent visit.
George rose from his chair, walking around while placing his hands above his head. "Let me get this straight: this 'Gargos' is sending these Mimics and spreading corruption around the planet so he could come through and turn it into an apocalypse? Why didn't Ms. Orchid tell us this when she and her friends first came here?"
"They would've had good reasons, mainly not to scare us," Sariel surmised.
"I'm already scared!" George drew a deep breath while letting the information simmer in his mind. "Can the Alliance stop this thing from coming to Earth?"
"No matter what they do, Gargos will come here, but it won't stop them from defeating this thing," Sue said. "Now, I'm debating if I should tell this to Rita."
"Not a good idea," Sariel advised.
The door opened as Rita returned with to-go plates, with her mouth partially opened, her eyes widened, and her breath shaky. Sue, George, and Sariel exchanged looks before they shifted their attention to the former gym teacher.
Did she overhear us? Sue approached the former gym teacher. "Rita, what's wrong?"
"I was returning from the cafeteria when I met with Orchid again, and...I need to show you something."
Sue raised an eyebrow before she, George, and Sariel followed the departing Rita. They found Orchid leaning against the wall next to a door leading to an interrogation room with one-way glass.
"Did you tell them?" Orchid asked.
"It'd be best if I show them instead," Rita replied.
Sue scrunched her brows, as did George and Sariel. What did Rita want to show them? The former teacher pointed to the glass as if telling Sue and her friends to peek. Slowly, they approached the glass. Instead of a table and three chairs, cushion and foamy seats sat snugly on the floor. A T.V. attached itself to the corner of a wall, with the remote sitting on the bolster. The fading sunlight rays shone through the windows, as the ceiling lights powered themselves on their own.
Once Sue peeked through the room, her eyes widened as she stepped back, covering her nose and mouth with her hands. By the time George and Sariel glanced, the former became stiff and gasped while the latter remained unfazed. Inside the playroom was Jago doing light training with Carrie by completing a Rubik's cube. After Sadira's attack, Orchid suggested moving Carrie to the GCF HQ base once she recovered from the stone spider poison.
"Oh, my God, is that...?" For Sue, there was no mistaking the red linings upon the girl's blonde hair and her shy expression. "How did she...?"
"My brother found her in the temple, deep in the Himalayas as he returned from a retreat. An elderly man brought her there, and after chatting with Jago, he entrusted Carrie to him. He's been looking after her since," Orchid said.
"Wait, you said the Himalayas...is that in Tibet? How did Carrie get there? Doesn't she need a passport, having up-to-date shots, and all that stuff to travel there?"
"Carrie informed me that after she escaped the town, she collapsed on a beach. When she woke up, she was on a bed inside a ship. I'm assuming the elderly man picked her up from there and possessed something to bypass security without issue."
"So, you knew Carrie was alive."
"Not at first, but once Jago arrived at my place and introduced me to her, I was at a loss of words."
Carrie continued her Rubik's Cube training until she glanced at the mirror and froze, as though she spotted the nervous group.
This also brought Jago's attention as he followed Carrie's line of sight. Jago arose from his perch and approached the door. He opened it, emerging halfway. "I'm guessing you want to speak with her."
Sue swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears. "Yes, more than anything."
Jago was silent before closing the door and conversed with Carrie. She glanced at the darkened area of the mirror before she nodded. He opened the door as he came outside this time.
"You can come inside, but keep in mind: whatever history you have with Carrie, leave it in the past."
Though uncertain what Jago meant by that, Sue and her friends obliged. Around that time, Orchid informed Jago that General Wilson is requesting their audience for an assembly today.
"Hey, Carrie, we'll stop for now and resume training tomorrow, okay?"
Carrie nodded, and once the half-siblings left, she was alone with the former residents of Chamberlain. Everything was silent in the playroom, with anyone unsure what to say.
"H-Hi." Carrie braced herself for any adverse reaction, but it never came as Rita embraced her, sobbing. Sue also let the tears flow while George and Sariel seemed unfazed—their way of composing themselves of the shock processing in their minds.
Rita released Carrie, her hands cupping her face. "How can this be? How did you survive?"
"I remember little, except holding my mother. The rocks that fell, along with the house, would've crushed me, but my powers formed a cocoon around me. At least, that's what Orchid theorized."
"Just knowing you're alive, even seeing you warms my heart. I'm sorry for not protecting you enough at prom. Had I been aware of what Tina and her friends planned to do to you on that night, I would've convinced Henry to add security. Hell, I would've expelled them all once that video got posted on YouTube."
"Principal Morton wouldn't let you. She succeeded what people wanted to see in me, and with that, they got their wish: for me to disappear."
Sue knitted her brows. "Wait, she? You mean Chris?"
"PLEASE..." Carrie's voice rose as the building trembled, but composed herself to ease her powers, "don't mention that name."
"Sorry." Quickly, Sue changed the subject. "So, you were in Tibet. How was it there? It must be cold."
"Freezing, but Jago showed me the beauty of that place. I even partook in a cultural event, which opened my eyes to a broader world."
"Has Jago been treating you well because he doesn't appear to be the friendly type," George said.
"Jago might be menacing for most people, but he's been helping me so much, especially with training," Carrie said. "He's aware of what I can do, and the potential danger it holds."
"So, he doesn't know what happened..."
"He believes a gas tank caused it, but what scares me is when he'll learn the truth."
Rita held Carrie's hand out of comfort. "It'll be all right. The truth may be hard to reveal, and it isn't simple, but I'm sure he'll understand that what had happened wasn't your fault. I still found it hard to believe that you've been alive all this time. I guess the Alliance wanted to keep that secret from everyone."
"They weren't the only ones." Sariel rubbed the back of his neck. "On that day, when the graveyard incident was still big news, I placed my hand on the tombstone because being a medium, I can sense spirits, but not Carrie's."
"There's a grave for me?" Carrie said.
"Yeah, since everyone in Chamberlain thinks you're dead, and they also defiled it."
"I'm not surprised. I was the least-liked person in town."
"What happened next, Sariel?" George inquired.
"No sooner had I touched that headstone, visions flashed in my mind—all connecting to Carrie and Jago. I didn't tell you or Sue because I planned to decipher what they mean until God's Crusaders kidnapped us."
God's Crusaders? Carrie remembered hearing about this group while recovering at the Ultratech hospital wing as if it was something familiar to her. "Mama's church..."
"Did you say something?" Sue said.
"Nothing."
"No, you said something. You said Mama's church. Carrie, was your mother involved in a cult?"
"I...I don't know. I was too afraid to ask her."
Sue, George, Rita, and Sariel glanced at each other. This question needed an answer.
Soldiers gathered inside an assembly room as General Wilson provided them up-to-date information on what's happening around the world, and adding plans on their current objectives. Orchid and Jago remained by the side of the stage. The opening door grabbed everyone's attention as Rita peeked her head.
"Oh, Ms. Desjardin, what brings you here?" General Wilson asked.
"Oh, are you in a meeting? I'm sorry. I can come back later."
"That won't be necessary. We're just about done. Give me a minute. If anyone doesn't have questions, you're dismissed." As everyone departed—minus those staying behind, General Wilson motioned Rita to come forward, which she did. "I take that seeing your favorite student was surprising."
"Yes, but...you, Jago, and Orchid should sit on this." Once the assembly was empty of people, Rita explained to them upon visiting Carrie in the playroom.
"Do you think Carrie's mother was involved with that cult?" Orchid asked.
"Carrie even uttered the words, 'Mama's church,' so it could be possible," Rita said.
General Wilson rubbed his chin. "This is disturbing, at the least. If the mother was a member, this means Carrie might have known about them at some point. I'll have one of my soldiers ask Carrie more questions. Perhaps she could give us insight that would allow us to stop them. Jago, will it be all right if I grant Carrie asylum?"
"That's fine. To me, Carrie's safety is important."
A/N: Well, it seems the meeting Carrie had gone better than expected and was granted asylum. However, more questions still arise, primarily upon her supposed knowledge of God's Crusaders. Time for my brain to rest, and I'll see you later.
*Translations from Japanese
*(No need to fear me. You're one of the good ones.)
*(What sorcery is this?!)