Chapter 9 - War Council
Ursula's brain was twisting into an ouroboros. Her work was simultaneously completely absorbing and impossible to focus on, drawing her in with its urgency and then skittering from her mind whenever she looked at it. Her worry over Akko and friends had squashed everything else out. You said you'd let them handle it, she reminded herself. They know they can come to you if they need to.
"CAW!" Alcor cried, shocking her from her fifth attempt at a coherent explanation of Guido Bonatti's use of stellar midpoints in magical astrology, and how it was refined by witches into… bleh.
"What is it, Alcor?" Ursula asked tiredly.
"CAW!" he insisted, hopping up and down on his stand.
Ursula stood and flicked her wand up, summoning her projector from the floor. It hovered into place above her head and cast its star map over the room's bare walls. Most of the stars glowed with steady, reassuring light; no disturbances in the magic of the forest tonight, nor in town… one, however, pulsed an ominous red. Her instruments were detecting an unusual surge of magic of a particular type that Ursula had hoped never to see again.
Fuel Spirit. Ursula's blood ran cold. She's still using it.
She'd promised not to interfere in Akko's ritual business, but she couldn't let this pass. With a cold, steady mien that none of her students would have recognized, Ursula prepared her gear. Alcor watched her silently, beady eyes gleaming in the gentle light. There was something like satisfaction in his gaze, but Chariot didn't notice as she set out.
Halfway across the school, Barbara realized that she'd forgotten Yellow Team's room number. Thankfully, the giant homemade sign that read LNN HEADQUARTERS! was impossible to miss. She rapped on the door above and below the sign, a four-beat rhythm from a half-remembered episode of some corny TV show. She heard Kimberly ask something in a concerned voice and Wangari respond, then Kim called, "Enter!"
Barbara wasn't sure what she expected to find, but this wasn't it. All three beds were lofted, clearing the floor for a loveseat and an extra desk. Wangari sat curled into a ball in one corner of the loveseat, eyes shut, smiling through glistening tear streaks. She'd shed the sport coat, which honestly made her outfit hang together better. Kimberly sat next to her working in a large notepad, and Joanna was at her desk on the other side, using her wand to conjure a tiny darkroom for her developing photos. Both hovered close to Wangari, not quite touching, but peacefully in her space. It was a cozy scene, in a feline sort of way.
"Parker, right?" Kimberly said without looking up. "One of Diana's cronies? What can we do for you?"
"Cronies," Barbara scoffed, then considered further. "Well, that's fair, maybe."
Joanna smiled apologetically over her shoulder. "I'd try to be nicer about it, but your coven does have a pretty clear hierarchy."
"Well, I'm working on something with Wangari. Uh, it might be a bad time, but you were talking about how you might know about…" She glanced between the others. Were they in on the secret?
"Dimension stuff, yes," Wangari said, unfolding. Seeing her now, Barbara wondered how she hadn't noticed the stress and worry devouring her before. "What do you have for me?"
"Diana's notes for the counter ritual." Barbara slapped them down into Wangari's hands. "I tried looking at them and got totally lost. Your turn!"
"I don't know if I'll do any better, but… ah. Ah! Perfect!"
"What?"
Wangari strode across the room to the extra desk and spread the notes out in a fan. "Looks like she didn't get too far before she, you know, conked out, but she set up a whole research program anyone can follow! Uh, no offense." She pointed to a set of loosely sketched diagrams. "She has rough drafts for multiple versions, even! As expected of the Pride of Luna Nova, eh? But she didn't know which would work best, because the witches' knowledge of other dimensional planes is so limited."
"But you…" Barbara started thoughtfully.
"But me!" Wangari agreed. "Just gotta take all the stuff one me knows about dimensions and mush it into what the other me knows about magic! This is gonna be simpler than I thought. No offense, again."
Barbara shrugged. "You're one of our top students. I'm not ashamed I can't keep up with you."
"Uh, sure," Wangari said, briefly discomfited. "And, hey, what's with all these flowers and butterflies?"
"Hm? Oh, Diana doodles sometimes." Barbara leaned closer. "That's interesting, though. The butterflies usually mean she's feeling guilty about something. Wonder what was on her mind."
Wangari frowned for a moment, then shrugged, then her smile returned. "Since I'm basically hacking my own brain to do this, I can't really give you an estimate, but I should be able to pick one of these circles out and get it up to code pretty quick. You know that paintball spell, right? That they use to make magic circles instantly?"
"Yeah, all three of us do. I don't know about the other covens."
"Good! I could never get the hang of that one. Man, we're almost out of this!"
"If only the ritual were our main problem."
"It isn't?"
"My idiot girlfriend just went up to the new professor's lab with Lotte, and now we're worried that—oh no!"
"Oh no what!?" Wangari cried frantically, but Barbara was already gone.
Memory – The World of the Phantom Thief Dasher
"Ah," Dasher said, regaining her cool. (Her, again? Inconvenient time to shift. No time to change her outfit.) "Hey, there. Didn't think you could take me alone?"
The Silver Sentry hovered before her, resplendent in gleaming armor. The silvery mass of alien cybermatter she'd bonded with hovered behind her like an angel's wings, casting weird reflections all over the warehouse. Beyond, two other heroes had slipped in to fly in a delta with her – Cold Fusion, a tall, dignified Indian woman in black and blue, and Solar, the Amazing Exploding Girl, a tiny Icelandic redhead in an eye-watering yellow costume.
"It's Lunopolis League standard procedure," Cold Fusion explained. "When a member's friend or romantic partner is kidnapped, we never let them mount the rescue mission alone. We don't want anyone getting… carried away."
"In other words," the Silver Sentry said, with deadly calm. "They're here to protect you."
"Ooh, I'm shaking in my—!" Dasher dodged a volley of forked spears that wound about and raced after her like grasping hands. A quicksilver lattice formed a fence before her, but she flashed through it. Dasher hit the ground in a roll, wove around another cluster of spears, confidently vaulted, and flashed towards the Sentry – then took a jackhammer punch to the face the instant she reappeared. Stars exploded through her skull and a giant metallic claw scooped her from the air before she regained her senses (or hit the concrete floor, thankfully.)
"Are you done?" the Sentry growled, turning slowly. Silvery veins pulsed down her arm, pauldron to gauntlet. "Believe it or not, I'd rather not brutalize you any further."
"After just one punch? What kind of superhero are you? We should be at this all—!" Dasher flashed from the claw's grasp and reappeared in a spinning kick. "—night!"
The Silver Sentry reeled back, fragments of her helmet flying wide, and landed in a crouch. Golden hair fell free, and a furious blue eye glared across the battlefield as Dasher came down in a handsome three-point landing.
"Wait, you're Diana Cavendish?" Dasher cried, stumbling out of the pose and falling on her butt. "I've robbed your house like three times! Why aren't you hunting me?"
Diana didn't respond, just shaking her head and tossing aside the remaining half of her helmet.
"What a waste! You're supposed to be some kind of genius inventor, and you can't think of anything better to do with that cyber stuff than punch bank robbers?"
"Ah, yes," Diana replied acidly. "Next time Chronolord McIntyre invades from the future, I'll just tell her that—no." The metal twisted around her in a helix, intercepting Dasher's handful of smoke pellets and dispersing their clouds instantly. Dasher had already flown into a jump kick and just had time to lock eyes with her foe and regret all of her life choices before—
—she was gently swept from the air and restrained? The cybermatter hardened into solid loops around her limbs and torso but stayed soft and fluid on their inner surfaces. More tendrils spread all around her, making a flower of wicked spikes to discourage flashing out. As she struggled experimentally, one last tendril nudged up behind her neck to give her a headrest.
"What was that?" Dasher squawked. This wasn't the time to complain, but she couldn't help but take offense at the kid-gloves treatment.
"I won't insult you by apologizing for the punch," Diana replied. "But there was never any need for us to fight. Now: where is Atsuko?"
"I let her go," Dasher said. "Her editor came along and got her."
"Her editor?" Diana frowned in confusion. "I don't believe you. How would Ms. Muthiga even know to come here? Your challenge was encrypted. Did you tell the press, as well? That would be brazen even for you."
It was making her life more difficult at the moment, but Dasher enjoyed having that bit of knowledge over her. As she considered what to say, Diana's Lunopolis League communicator chirped. The superhero snatched it up with a snarl of "Who could be—?", then gasped and slammed it to her face.
"Akko? Where are—?" Diana was interrupted by blast of tinny chipmunk chatter that Dasher could almost make out. "What? You went with her? Did you cook this up between you, or—? No? Then she did kidnap—Akko? Akko! Akko!" She paused. "I'm sorry for yelling. I won't hurt her. I promise. Yes, I promise." She listened for a few moments longer. "I understand, I think. We can talk more about this later. I need to finish things here. Yes, you too." She turned her communicator off and looked up at Amanda with a bemused expression.
In a rare moment of prudence, Dasher didn't stick her tongue out.
"A waste, then?" Diana asked.
"I used to give you a pass 'cause you're so hot, but I really hate superheroes like you," Dasher said. "You have those crazy powers, you can just – you can do anything, and then you spend all night running around getting into fights. That's stupid, right? I can tell you, if I had amazing, do-anything powers, I'd find better uses for them than that! Muthiga's using her crazy cosmic powers to run a newspaper! You ever think of that?"
"You hardly know how I spend my…" Diana broke off. "Is that really what you wanted to tell me, with all those callout videos?"
"No," Dasher admitted. "There was something else. But I think that's done with."
Diana nodded. "And you have interesting powers of your own. I read your file on the way here. Why do you go sneaking around stealing things from celebrities? If your goals were activist, you could surely work more effectively in other ways."
"I zip around all quick and stealthy, and I don't want to hurt anyone. What else am I gonna do?"
"Search and rescue?" Diana suggested.
"Working in dangerous environments," Cold Fusion offered.
"You could put on shows!" Solar added, spreading a rainbow of tiny explosions from her hands.
Amanda almost made a sarcastic comment but held off when Cold Fusion caught her eye. Yeah, there was no reason to pick on Solar, was there? She was nice enough, as super-narcs went. "Maybe so," she said grudgingly.
"I'm going to release you," Diana said, raising a hand. "But first, I need to know what you're going to do. Are we done fighting now?"
"You'll have to do it and find out," Amanda replied.
"Are you… really being difficult? Now?"
"Ha! Well, yeah! We're not friends all of a sudden. Why would I make this easy for you?"
"Because instead of letting you out, I could just call the authorities and have you charged with kidnapping. I'd hate putting Atsuko in that position, but…"
"If you'd hate putting her in that position, then don't! Roll the dice! What's the worst that could happen?"
Diana cast an uncertain glance back to her teammates and hissed under her breath.
The strands of cybermatter around Amanda loosened and started to uncoil. In turn, her limbs tensed, ready for action. Amanda honestly had no idea what her next move was. It seemed like she didn't have any good options – slink away, chastened? Get her ass kicked by a premier superhero and go to jail? Alienate her best friend by somehow beating up that superhero?
She didn't know how she wanted this encounter to end, but Amanda was determined to—
Luna Nova
Amanda woke with a roar of, "What do you want? Some of us are trying to have nightmares, here!"
Barbara was floating by the side of her bed, thrusting a broom towards her. "Go! Now!"
Impulses from both Amandas collided and flung her into the cold night air. Barbara, clinging weightlessly to her back, pointed towards the New Moon Tower. There she saw Hannah in freefall, trailed by a glittering cloud of broken glass and two sorcery units deploying glowing nets.
How in the hell—? Amanda cast her wand up and barked out a half-remembered incantation. Sure enough, a rippling green kite appeared, sweeping the glass from overhead as she slammed into Hannah. "Gotcha!" she snarled as they went into a spin.
Hannah screamed; annoying, but she had a point. They were certainly going to crash.
Barbara sprang free of the broom and thrust her wand towards the pursuing sorcery units. A bolt of deep red flame speared out and reduced one to a ball of slag that pasted the other from the air. They tumbled together and blasted a smoldering circle into the school lawn's growing carpet of snow. Barbara turned lazily to say something cocky but saw that her friends had left her far behind and hadn't fared much better than the sorcery units. "C-crap!"
She touched down and surveyed the scene. They'd made it well into the forest, mostly hidden from the tower. Amanda was sprawled in the snow in a half-circle around Hannah, having mostly caught her as they were flung from the broom. Her back was pressed against a tree, but it didn't look like she'd hit it too hard. The broom was long gone. No blood or obvious broken bones, at least, and nobody was screaming. Maybe the crash hadn't been so bad?
"Are-are you dead?" Barbara asked, barely stopping herself from adding 'too.'
"It'll take more than that to take me out," Amanda growled, pushing Hannah to sit up and scooting away. "You're welcome, by the way."
"Thank you," Barbara agreed. "For the catch, if not the crash."
"Yeah," Hannah said, subdued. "Thanks."
Amanda's glower faded. "You, uh, didn't take a hit to the head, did you, Hannah? You okay?"
When Hannah didn't answer, Barbara passed her wand over her.
"She did, but it's not too bad," Barbara said, gently cupping a hand behind Hannah's head and helping her into a more comfortable position. "I'm more worried about that bruised rib. Do you think we can risk a fire?"
"I don't see any more of those flying saucer things," Amanda reported, scanning the sky from the tree line. "But we're not gonna stick around long enough to need one, are we?"
Barbara had already gathered a pile of tinder with a sweep of her wand and ignited it with a sharp flick. "She's injured, Amanda. I'm getting ready to fix her up – and maybe we can find out what happened where there's no teachers or staff in earshot?"
"Okay, I'll leave ya to it," the Forest Ranger Goblin said behind her, and skulked off into the woods.
"That guy's awesome," Amanda said, then her tone grew more urgent. "Okay. Hannah, what happened up there? Is Lotte okay?"
"She," Hannah started, then winced and clutched at her side. "I don't know. Croix didn't want to hurt me, but she was taking power from Lotte, like how she did with the fairies. She called it Noir Fuel Spirit."
"Is she trying to be a supervillain?" Amanda asked. "And… how did you get all messed up?"
"Hang on," Barbara said. "Hannah, can you hold your breath for me? I'm gonna use that healing spell Diana taught us. Look away, Aman… oh, who cares at this point? Amabarreg Suavus." Green and gold ribbons of magic fell from her wand in great loops that settled over Hannah's body, then gently constricted on her injuries. Rib, ankle, shoulder, something in her head… "Okay, you can breathe again! You did good, Hannah. I know how weird that spell feels."
Hannah gave her a bedraggled smile. "Thanks, Barb."
"What was that?" Amanda asked, eyes wide. The healing magic practiced in the Luna Nova infirmary was bright and impersonal, like a sterilized scalpel, and Lotte's little trick with the fairies… didn't bear thinking about. This was something different. A watchful, loving presence had settled over them. A gentle touch from another time…
"That face!" Barbara sighed. "You look like a Disney Princess!" She continued as Amanda angrily composed herself. "It's a secret Cavendish family spell Diana taught us. They gave stronger spells to the world, and easier, but I'm really good at this one for some reason. Diana got worried after our run-in with Lukić's prize for the broom race…"
Hannah shivered. "All those snakes."
"D-don't move!' Barbara cried. "You have to hold still while it's working!"
"Can she—?" Amanda tripped over her words and tried again. "Can you tell us what happened, or do you have to seriously not-move not-move?"
"Slow and easy," Barbara murmured, with a cautioning hand on Hannah's shoulder.
"Okay," Hannah replied softly, then raised her voice. "I don't remember too clearly, but it was something like…"
"Luna Lana!" This time, Hannah's spell lashed against the shield and broke without even making it flicker. She turned on her heel as the door locked and blew it off its hinges with a blast of lightning. The sorcery units deployed tiny zappers and opened fire, but their bolts didn't fall anywhere near their ominous laser sights. Hannah slammed stomach first into the balcony rail outside and desperately stumbled in a half-circle, sprinting for the stairs.
"No, no, no!" Croix roared. "Don't shoot her, you numbskulls! Capture protocol! Capture! Don't hurt her!"
Somehow, that wasn't reassuring. Hannah hit the top of the stairs at a dead run and threw herself into the air, plastering against the wall halfway down and using the impact to reverse momentum. Pain speared through her ankle as she hit the bottom of the next flight and stumbled back onto the balcony. It was too soon to be tired, but her whole body felt like an overstretched balloon, pounding to her heartbeat. She sagged against the rail and cast about for the way out.
"Containment protocol engaged," a computer voice intoned, somehow softly filling every corner of the lab. Overhead, red light poured in through the open doors on the top floor and oozed downward like a nightmare sunset, emerging on the next floor down even as Hannah watched. A glowing barrier was slowly descending around the outside of the tower. Diana told us about that! The idea was to protect the school from her experiments, not…
On the bottom floor of the lab, a giant slab of a security door slammed into place.
Four sorcery units were swooping from above. Back to the stairs? With a sinking feeling, Hannah realized there was nowhere to flee to that way. Her escape route had just been closed off. Tearing up, she limped into an open examination room and braced herself in the doorway, taking aim. The first two sorcery units were blown spinning away by lightning bolts, one, two, but the other two retreated behind the balcony above.
"Now what?" Hannah hobbled into the room and cast a sealing spell on the door behind her. No telling how long it would hold. Outside, the barrier had reached the floor above. In another minute or so, the lab would be completely sealed off.
There was only one thing to do. "About to fall from the tower! Someone catch me!" she yelled into her wand, then slammed it into the window. Maybe she overdid her crystal harmonic spell, because it exploded, casting glittering fragments amid the snow.
As black claws punched through the door behind her and started to peel it away, she leapt into space and emptied her mind. She could only trust, now.
"Pretty badass," Amanda admitted. "We never got your call for help, though."
"I panicked," Hannah said, blushing. "I muffed the sending spell."
"Good thing it was that one, and not the lightning, huh? Wait, then how did Barbara know to…?"
"I'm not sure. I just suddenly got really scared and knew where to be. It might be a ghost thing." Barbara ran her wand over Hannah again and nodded. "Five minutes, and you'll be good to go."
"I can go now!" Hannah insisted. "We have to…"
"Five minutes." Barbara gently pressed her hand to Hannah's forehead. "Don't move, try not to talk, now – try not to think too hard, if you can help it. Relax and let the spell do its work, okay? Then you can tear around all you want!"
Hannah huffed and closed her eyes.
"By the way, where'd you learn that shield spell, that you stopped all the glass with?" Barbara asked over her shoulder.
"Uh, picked it up," Amanda said carelessly. "Saw Finneran use it earlier, when she showed me the tunnel."
"You can just do that? Most people can't learn spells that way. Why are you failing half your classes, if you're that talented?"
"Well, maybe you think magic is so wonderful, but what good is it these days?"
There was a deep well of frustration and pain behind those words. Barbara's fool instincts flared, urging her to pick at a weakness presented, but she also didn't want Amanda to punch her in front of Hannah. That would end badly for everyone. She could finish the punching experiment later. "Then why are you here?" she asked carefully.
"Family shit. They want me to learn divining so I can save the family business." Amanda threaded her hands behind her head and turned her nose up. "I say, if it goes under, it goes under. Just 'cause I popped out of one of 'em doesn't mean they get to say what my life's gonna be."
"You're like a reverse-Diana," Barbara observed, watching the snow drift down. "She's all wrapped up in her family name and the work they do, and this whole twisted old world of magic, but she tries to be the best she can in it. As if she can make it all better by giving herself to it and doing everything right. But here you are, saying 'screw the whole thing!' instead. I think your way might be smarter, especially if more people did it."
Fleetingly, Hannah thought of a Diana dealing drugs to fund hospitals and social workers in a desperately corrupt city, and Amanda pictured the gleaming Paragon of Lunopolis wasting her time on a daily grind of supervillains, but both had more immediate concerns.
"Might be," Amanda said carelessly. "But forget being smart. I just wanna be me."
Barbara snorted. "I'll let that one go."
"But doesn't her family do hospitals and stuff? Ours is just an oil company. Maybe I'd feel different if we actually helped people…" Amanda's thoughtful expression fell back into a sneer. "But anyway, if they just want to use me as a dowsing rod, I've got no use for magic."
"I just thought someone like you would be more interested in learning how tell the laws of physics to take a hike," Barbara said. "You don't have to learn the things they want you to here."
"Yeah… I've been thinking about that. And other things."
"You're carrying yourself a little differently," Hannah observed. "It's your shoulders."
"What are you, a cop?"
"Not really. Private eye. Okay." Hannah sat up with a pained groan. "Look, this is urgent. We've gotta help Lotte. Can I at least tell everyone what's going on, so they can get ready?"
"Just don't breathe too deep, or you'll mess up your rib before it finishes healing," Barbara said. "I know how you gulp air when you get excited." She wheeled about, boots leaving the ground. "Speaking of, I just noticed something really odd. What is she doing out here? Oh, I just have to check this out! I'll catch up with you guys later!" With that, she vanished into the snow, plunk.
"Wait, what?" Hannah twitched after her, but then settled back into the healing spell. "What was that? She just ditched me!"
"Probably just her ghost half messing with her," Amanda said bracingly. "We'll sort that out. You wanna make your announcement?"
Hannah nodded and steeled herself. "Okay, listen up," she said into her wand.
"Well," Sucy observed dryly, gazing up at the lab's impenetrable outer security door, an ominous obsidian block etched with angular red lines. It looked like nothing that belonged in Luna Nova. But then Sucy, swathed in a writhing black aura that protected her from the light of the Sorcerer's Stone, wasn't one to talk. "This is disappointing."
Next to her, Akko let out a shrill yell and resumed beating on the door with her sword. After a few strokes, the blade dented and she fell back, panting. With a few flicks of her wrist, she dismissed the sword and started absently wringing her hand.
She's scary strong when she wants to be, Sucy noted. "Doesn't that hurt?"
"No, it—" Akko started, then held out her hand and realized it was quivering. "Owww! Why'd you have to go and point it out to meee?"
"Oh, quit whining and drink this." Sucy thrust a small bottle into her hands. Akko immediately pulled the cork and tossed it back; while she used to enjoy that trusting quality, it was starting to make Sucy feel bad about pranking her. "It's just a painkiller, so take it easy on that hand for a little while."
"Sure," Akko said, dispirited. "What do we do now?"
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
Sucy turned away and let her eyes relax, losing sight of the physical world in favor of the blood-red network of human hearts stitching Luna Nova together. It almost made her smile to see dozens of distinct, vivid triangles flaring out of the darkness, crisscrossed with fainter lines from other connections. Whoever assigned the student covens really knew their business. One of those triangles was stretched out painfully – Conz in her workshop, Amanda out in the woods for some reason, and Jasna beyond. If I'd figured this out sooner, finding her would've been easy.
Her enjoyment faded as she turned back and saw the bright line connecting Akko and Lotte up above, tauntingly close, and no lines connecting them to her. She knew that not seeing her own lines was normal, but it gave her an awful, gnawing feeling she'd never experienced before. Would she complete the triangle? What did her bonds look like? Did they really exist?
"You okay?" Akko asked.
"Peachy," Sucy growled. She looked back up, searching for some path through the darkness around this barrier, and saw something that sent a tingle down her spine. A faint bond had just leapt between Lotte and the other heart up there, presumably Croix. It was a purely instrumental relationship, she saw, and belled a bit, bending in an arc towards… Akko? What the hell is going on up there?
Akko groaned impatiently and summoned another sword, gripping it in her off-hand and eyeing the door. "Maybe if I can wedge it in those grooves…"
"Okay, listen up," Hannah said from their wands. "I just broke out of Croix's lab, but Lotte is still up there, and she's in danger."
A stanbot chimed in. "MS. CONSTANZE TOLD YOU—"
"Yes, yes, Constanze is very smart," Hannah snapped. "Shut up!" She gave a clipped report of the situation she'd left Lotte in, Croix's likely goal, and what she knew about the barrier now sealing the top floors of the tower. "We have to get back in there and rescue Lotte! If we can't figure out a way through that barrier, then we'll have to go to the teachers."
"What?" Amanda yelled in the background.
"Sorry, but what do you want me to say? Can we do it? Or do I have to march to the headmistress's office right now?"
"Hey, Conz, what analysis spell do you use?" Sucy sent. "I'm right outside the lab with Akko."
"MS. CONSTANZE IS BEST AT PARSING MANGAOGON."
Sucy grimaced. "I'm terrible at that one. Mangaogon!" Following the course of her wand, a dozen green orbs winked into being behind her and manifested unnerving yellow eyes that rolled about to take in the whole door, then popped like soap bubbles. Sucy raised her wand to send the data. "Here it comes now."
"MS. CONSTANZE CAN BREAK THE DOOR," the stanbot announced. "EVERYONE WHO CAN, COME TO GREEN TEAM'S ROOM."
"That means you," Sucy said to Akko. "That spell showed me something else about the door."
"What's tha—? Hey!" Akko yelped as Sucy slipped into the archway's shadow and vanished. "Are you kidding? Sucyyy!" She hauled back to throw her sword at the shadows, realized how dangerous that would be, and dismissed it. All she could do was grouse to herself as she started down the stairs.
Memory – The World of Lotte "Jan" Jansson, the Pride of Regulus Academy
It was far too early in the morning to sing. Really, it was too early to do anything, but Regulus Academy didn't care for its students' petty human sleep schedules, so cramming an activity in before class started meant rising in the cold and dark. Jan forced herself to sparkle and bounce as she directed her special chorale group in the small, stuffy room she'd managed to reserve, guiding them through a piece that none of them quite had a handle on yet.
It was honestly painful, but better than the last meeting. And the next meeting would be better still!
"Good job everyone," Jan called as they finished. "I'll see you on Thursday, but if anyone needs help with their parts, be sure to ask on the group Discord, okay?"
As always, a few members lined up at the front, either to ask questions, or just wanting to chat. Jan always closed a few minutes early for these little socials. She was the chubby little spider at the center of a dozen social webs, but sometimes it was nice to just chill with people she liked. A few of her classmates were discreetly making eyes at her; ironically, it seemed like she'd picked up even more admirers since she'd started dating Barbara. Must be a confidence thing.
The chorale members filtered away, leaving a tall, looming figure who'd no doubt come on business. Sayaka Kanamori pulled up one of the chairs and sat across from her, fixing her with a look that she'd once thought was bitter annoyance, but now understood to be contemplative.
Jan couldn't hold in a resigned sigh. "What's on your mind, Sayaka?"
"You have a habit of collecting strays." Kanamori started cracking her fingers one by one. "Are we still planning to make an album of the chorale group's music at the end of the year?"
Jan pinched the bridge of her nose. She could see exactly where Kanamori was going and didn't like it. "You'll have to explain the connection between those two points."
"I might be missing something, but it seems strange that you're assigning parts to people on the basis of what they can't do. You're giving every major part in your songs to people who struggle to perform them. It's good that you're helping the ones who are having trouble, but the music you get from it…"
"Everyone in my chorale group is also a member of the main chorus," Jan replied. "They're here for something that they can't get out of their normal classes. If I didn't push them, they'd have no reason to get up at 5am."
"You can push them without choosing songs that are completely beyond their abilities."
"I have faith in them. The parts won't be beyond their abilities for long." Jan's expression hardened a little. "And sorry, but we're all here to learn, not stamp out profitable albums."
"Be that as it may," Kanamori said. "Please keep the quality of the final recording in mind. We may all be learning, but your classmates are working hard to create something they can be proud of."
"Understood." Jan wanted to argue more, but Kanamori had a point, much as she hated to admit it. And she had that infuriating polite-but-blunt way of delivering it… as they stepped out into the hall, her tone lightened. "I'll see you after school, if you're still coming to the production meeting."
Kanamori gave her a nod and strode off. Not too far down the hall, a girl in a bucket hat ambushed her with a jab to the ribs and they fell into an easy slapstick routine. Before they could really get going, another girl ran up and excitedly thrust a sheaf of drawings into her hands. Kanamori started thumbing through them as the trio continued down the hall. You've got some strays of your own, I see. Oddly, that made her feel better about Kanamori's motives, and the whole conversation.
Running the chorale meetings felt like a full day's work, but now Jan had to actually start her day. She paused outside of her first period calculus class to make sure no hall monitors were looking and wolf down a granola bar. And that was breakfast. I really have to start taking better care of myself. She drew a deep breath, centered herself, and entered the classroom.
And stepped right into a kiss.
"Pfwah!" Jan reeled back in a haze of violets and amber. "Wha—who—criminal!" she hollered after the fleeing Barbara, shaking her fist. She plopped into her desk, struggling to catch her breath and keep a stupid smile off her face. They'd agreed to give each other more space during the school day, but that didn't preclude a little kiss now and again, did it? Maybe it should. But then she made eye contact with Barbara across the room and her smile finally broke through, and Barbara smirked back in her unbearably cocky way, and…
Jan dropped her head onto her desk in joyful despair. Maybe someday Barbara would lose the power to disintegrate her into a blushing puddle at will, but it sure seemed a long way off.
"Good morning, everyone," Professor Babcock said. "I know you're all just itching to get into our lesson for the day, but before that, we have a new student to introduce. Atsuko?"
Jan reluctantly lifted her head. While the new girl towered over Babcock, she was still short and whip-slender, bent sideways by the weight of an overstuffed backpack. Brown hair closed around her face, but parted as Atsuko stepped forward and her eyes caught the morning sunlight, washing them deep red.
"H-hello! My name is Atsuko Kagari, but you can call me Akko!" she said in a thin, over-bright voice. "I'm an animation student, here to make cartoons just like Chariot du Nord! I like all kinds of shows, though, so I'll be happy to work with you!" She bowed sharply. "I'm very pleased to meet you all!"
Nobody reacted, unless blank stares counted. The silence wasn't because she'd done anything wrong; it was just too early to process new information, let alone a whole new person to meet. Akko wilted in the dead air and Jan felt a sympathetic sting.
"Yes, good to meet you," Babcock said. "Go ahead and pick out a seat."
Jan realized with a start that there were only two open desks. One was in front of her, and the other was next to Sucy Manbavaran. Sucy was a bully, a mistress of cruel and inventive pranks with very few scruples about who she targeted, and even less concern about retaliation. The idea of this new girl at her mercy was horrifying. Jan quickly threw on a smile and beckoned to the seat in front of her.
Akko scurried over and sat down, giving her a shy, grateful smile. Oh, right – that was the first positive reaction she'd gotten, wasn't it? Before Jan could think of how to respond, Babcock launched into the lesson and Akko whipped around anxiously, fumbling through her pack for her textbook.
She's like a nervous little mouse! Jan felt her heart melting and sighed in defeat. I just adopted another one, didn't I?
Luna Nova
Examination room 12 was unnervingly quiet, especially now that Croix had shut down the Noir Rod. She waited patiently, arms crossed, as her subject slowly recovered and stirred. Without the ritual keeping her under, Lotte would be springing back any moment.
"Whuh… where am—?" Lotte made to rise and banged her face on the scanning bed's rings. "Agh! That's right! Professor Meridies, what's happening?"
"We had a bit of a misadventure," Croix admitted. "Hannah got suspicious of my intentions – rightly, it happens – and fought her way out of the lab. She's probably running to gather your friends now. She didn't want to leave you, obviously, but I outmatched her so severely that she had no choice."
"You really are up to something…" Lotte said, pushing the ring aside so she could sit up. Her expression was more wary than afraid. "But why would you admit to all of that?"
"I suppose I'm having an attack of conscience," Croix said. "I'm going to say my piece, and if you want to leave after you've heard me out, I'll let you."
"Wh-why should I listen to anything you have to say?"
"Because on top of everything else, I'm trying to protect you and your friends." Croix threw an angry hand towards the Shiny Rod. "From that thing."
Lotte stopped herself on the edge of retorting. She remembered Akko's fears that this could be another of the Rod's tests, and what it could mean for the future. A familiar feeling prickled at her heart; not pity, exactly, but anxiety for a vulnerable friend. "What do you mean?"
"Because I worked alongside Chariot du Nord as she tried to awaken the Seven Words. I've seen firsthand what this 'Shiny Rod' does to its bearers – and everyone around them. Let's see, how far along is Akko?" Croix made a show of looking the Rod up and down. "Ahh, the fourth word. I remember that one! I was trapped in the Iron Casket of Asteria for seven hours, all so Chariot could learn a cute little life lesson about patience. And when she got me out, I was the one who had to comfort her!" She stopped and drew a deep breath. "No. No, I won't be bitter about that. It wasn't Chariot's fault, and she saved me. But I don't know how the Rod will test Akko. I can tell you that, as her friend, you're in the line of fire. Even if this mess you're in now isn't a test, the next one could be something that hurts you."
"I'm… I'm ready for that."
"I remember that devotion! But if your own pain won't convince you, what about Akko's? How do you think she'd feel if you got trapped in that casket, or struck down by some illness? What if she had to see you wasting away, and running off to learn some asinine moral lesson was the only way she could help you? What would it take to teach her patience?"
"Would you stop insulting Akko?" Lotte snapped. "You're being so backhanded; I hate it! She's not stupid! And I-I trust her to see this through!"
"You're right," Croix said quickly, covering her face with one hand. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm… letting my memories get the best of me. Akko's a wonderful girl, and she might have a better chance to do this than Chariot did – but I'm telling you she doesn't have to. You girls don't deserve to suffer like we did! Do you understand how absurd all of this is? Did Akko tell you about the second test? I assume it was the same as Chariot's."
"A-a little. It's the reason we did our ritual; she wanted to meet the other Akko that the spirit showed her."
"And if Akko had failed the test, if she had stepped through that door to become her dream… what do you think would have happened to the girl we know?"
Lotte shook her head, wide-eyed.
"I don't know either," Croix admitted. "And we never learned. Perhaps the spirit was just bluffing, but she was offering to obliterate Akko from this world and erase her soul. Taking that offer would scar you even if it didn't happen. As I get older, the fact that it subjects kids to that choice enrages me more and more."
"What do you want to do instead?" Lotte asked.
Croix stood tall and jerked a thumb towards her chest. "I'm going to bypass the Shiny Rod's nonsense and use my Noir Rod to smash through the seal on the Grand Triskelion with raw strength. As you saw, I've developed a way to gather magical power from emotions – as long as I don't draw too much from a single person, it doesn't hurt them at all. In fact, it may even have some benefits! My original plan was to develop a way for people to offer me little sips of power here and there, a phone app or something similar, and rely on a large mass of users to gather the power I need. Your situation offers us the opportunity for something faster, though."
"Us?"
"Us. I won't proceed without your say-so, of course! Now that you're linked to another world, the Noir Rod can reach out along your beam to other versions of you… and across all of the worlds we can reach, there are more Lottes out there than humans on this planet. You see? There's no need to risk drawing too much from any one person! I've done the calculations and–" Croix clapped her hands loudly and Lotte winced. "That moment of surprise? That was you expending a bit of emotional energy and immediately growing it back. That's how much we'd need from each Lotte. None of them would even notice!"
"I'm not sure… I don't know if it's right to draw from them without asking. And I want to trust Akko…"
"You can trust in Akko and still recognize when she's being unjustly hurt. I'll just ask you to consider one more thing. I worked with Chariot as she unlocked each Word of Arcturus, but we never managed to reach the seventh Word. Who knows what horrors she'd have faced… and in the meantime, I got to watch the tests chew Chariot up and spit her out, and turn her into someone I barely recognized. Maybe they did the same to me – who can say?"
Lotte struggled to find a polite reply to that.
"Yes, I know. I am keenly aware of my faults, thank you. But listen: Akko wants to be just like Shiny Chariot, doesn't she? Well, where did Shiny Chariot end up? If this continues, she's going to get her wish, and find out that it's nothing like what she wanted. You and I, here, now – we can save her from that." Croix offered her hand. "What do you say?"
Lotte hesitated for a few seconds, trembling as her selves went to war. Finally, she slowly, reluctantly reached out and clasped Croix's hand.
"Atta girl," Croix said. "You won't regret this!"
Constanze had emerged into Green Team's room to plan the rescue mission. Diana helped her set up a flatscreen monitor as some stanbots brought a set of chairs up from below. With Lotte captive, Wangari finishing the ritual, Jasminka in hiding, and their pet ghost and vampire swimming around at random, they were only expecting three attendees.
Amanda swaggered in right on time and held the door for Hannah, who seemed distracted and worried.
"Barbara hared off after something," Hannah said. "Said she'd catch up with us."
Diana nodded gravely. "Then we'll have to trust her."
"I trust our Barbara," Hannah replied. "The loopy ghost, though? Sorry, this is just… starting to get to me."
"Oh, it's starting to," Amanda said.
Akko burst in with a "Sorry I'm late!" then stood leaning on her knees and panting. "I had to run all the way down the New Moon Tower! I couldn't get into the lab, but Sucy hopped right in!"
"Do we need to hurry, then?" Diana asked.
"I—I dunno." Some of the panic faded from Akko's voice. She picked out a chair and sat heavily. "Sucy's pretty smart, and… kind of sneaky, too, right? And she doesn't get caught up in things like me. I think she'll be okay in there, probably?"
"Nevertheless, we'll try to be ready in good time. I will be speaking on Constanze's behalf for this meeting," Diana announced. "She's communicating with me via cybernetic headset."
"How's that?" Akko asked, squinting at her. "Did she turn you into a stanbot?"
Constanze abruptly whirled and threw the marker she was using full force into Akko's forehead, knocking her flat onto her back. Amanda laughed out loud and offered her a hand up. Hannah smiled reflexively, but then returned her worried gaze to the door.
"That would be a no," Diana translated calmly, sitting from her own offer to help.
Conz had been winding up with another marker, but then glanced to Diana and snorted.
"More seriously," Diana continued. "Speaking for myself, I will ask you to show more care. The androids of Diana Bar's world are people, so comparing me to a robot or computer is insensitive at best. I'm quite sure that Constanze didn't appreciate the implication that she would try to take control of me, as well."
"Right, right, sorry," Akko said. She reset her chair and plopped back into it. "You too, Conz."
Constanze nodded sternly and got back to work.
"Where's Barb?" Hannah suddenly asked. "Why's it taking her so long?"
"Allow me to access Croix's surveillance netw… ah, I've found her. She's just outside of the New Moon Tower talking with a teacher; it looks like Professor Callistis, but… oh, I see." Diana opened one eye. "And before you can ask, Akko, cameras can't pick up Sucy, so I won't be able to find her."
"The ghost but not the vampire?" Amanda asked. "That's weird."
"Spectral photography has long been a respectable…" Diana started, but broke off when Constanze cleared her throat. "Ah, yes. Ms. von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger is calling us to order. I'll bring up the first visual aid."
A 2D diagram of the New Moon Tower appeared in bright, simple blocks of color on one of the monitors, alongside a smaller silhouette of Luna Nova proper. A tiny sprite of Constanze scowled from a box labeled "MISSION CONTROL" under it, while Akko, Amanda, Hannah, and Diana had lined up at the base of the tower. They were all walking in place, like the characters in a 16-bit Final Fantasy game.
"What's with the Atari look? Do you need a new graphics card, or—?" Amanda broke off. "Shit, sorry. No robot jokes."
Diana ignored her, tilting her head towards Conz. "Are you certain?" she asked softly, and at Constanze's firm nod, said, "The weakest point of Croix's barrier is a door built into the structure of the tower, on the floor below her lab. You would have passed through its arch on your way in the first time, Hannah." The arch was highlighted by a red square, and the little sprites scampered up to it.
"Wasn't really an arch, but like this big weird square?" Hannah asked. "Looked out of place with everything else, like she'd cut it out with a buzz saw. But after the elevator, we had to go through it, like deeper into the tower, and then the stairs the rest of the way up were in there. Guess it was security for the Sorcerer's Stone?"
"That's it. Croix redesigned the security doorway to her… aesthetic when she built her lab. Constanze believes that she can create a shaped charge that will breach it. Once we're through, we'll divide into groups of two – Akko and Amanda, myself and Hannah – and advance towards the lab by broom." The figures paired off and started squirreling around in the space below the lab. "Constanze will monitor our progress from here, and, if Wangari finishes the counter-ritual in time to take part in this mission, she will join her as a more stable communications link. We don't have a specific place in our plan for Sucy, but if you should encounter her, Akko, we will trust you to incorporate her in any way you see fit."
"Why those groups?" Hannah asked.
Diana gave her a confused look. "Akko is unable to fly a broom and it's… unclear if I can, currently. Would you prefer a different arrangement?"
"Huh? Oh." Hannah looked at her feet. "I guess not."
"The pixels will be a problem," Akko added.
"I'm doing my best, Akko."
"No, I don't mean on the screen!" Akko flapped her arms. "That's what Croix calls those little cube things she sends flying around. They can form together into bigger stuff – monsters, sometimes! Me and Lotte and Sucy saw them turn into a big snake on the day of the riot."
"Then there's no telling what we may have to fight once we're in. Look, here." The screens changed to a few security camera views of an M.C. Escher-esque maze of stone walkways with glistening obsidian walls. Some of the paths were lined with awful gargoyles or towering adonises; the ornate statuary was eerily out of place in such a stark environment. "This is the feed we can get from the floor below Croix's laboratory. When her barrier went up, it unfolded into a 6-dimensional labyrinth – using primitive technology by Diana Bar's standards, if I may editorialize – and it's likely that we'll be attacked as we traverse it." Conz poked her arm and she added, "Constanze is designing weapons for this eventuality, of course."
The map returned. Now there was a Wangari happily marching along with Constanze in MISSION CONTROL, and a Sucy darting and blurring around the map. Showing surprising detail in her sprite, she gnawed on the edges of the room Lotte was in. "Owing to your experience as a burglar, Amanda, we will ask you to retrieve the Claiomh Solais and remove it from Croix's reach." The Amanda sprite darted up and snagged a tiny Rod icon, then burst out of the tower, laughing. The Akko sprite looked distraught to be left behind. "Meanwhile, Hannah and I…"
"Wait, why do we care about the Rod?" Amanda interrupted.
"Akko still needs to unlock the Grand Triskelion and reverse the decline of magic."
"I what?" Akko yelped. "Is that what I'm doing?"
"She—she what?" Amanda agreed, then shook her head and said, "But that's not what we're doing. I'm here to save Lotte."
"Ursula didn't tell you what you were…?" Diana started, aghast, then focused back on Amanda. "It's a powerful artifact, in any case. Would you prefer to leave it in Croix's hands?"
Onscreen, the Hannah and Diana sprites paused in carting Lotte away to watch the argument.
Amanda stood. "Look, maybe you want to save magic, but when our friend's strapped to a mad scientist's operating table, I don't give a damn what happens to it!"
"Oh?" Diana rose more slowly. "Would you care to explain your perspective to the fairies? How long do you think they have?"
"You can't seriously be asking me to fly past Lotte and grab some stupid stick!"
"I beg your pardon for having compassion for people who aren't right in front of me."
"Guys, stop fighting!" Akko cried, pushing between them. "Just knock it off!"
They both turned on her but held off when they saw that she was tearing up.
"Listen, Diana… if I don't wake all of the words, the next person will get a chance. It… it doesn't have to be me." Akko blinked a few times and rubbed her hand across her eyes. "And besides, it's not about numbers. The Rod has a heart, and it'd never accept someone who passed over rescuing a friend to grab it."
Diana realized that she wasn't in tears because of the fight. She could be giving up her quest, and her hope of ever meeting Shiny Chariot. "You're right, Akko," she said softly, and sat down.
Akko opened her mouth angrily and then actually processed what she'd said. "I am?"
"You are. As with the pappiliodya, as with Vajarois, as with the strike." Diana cradled her forehead in one hand, leaning to the side. "I don't think that I'm necessarily wrong, in this case, but I've been fixated on the goal of reawakening magic for so long that I suppose I lost sight of…" she made eye-contact with Hannah and blinked. "…what?"
"Nothing," Hannah said quickly.
"Didn't you say you weren't, uh, redoing your values or whatever?" Akko asked.
"I didn't understand my android side, then. Also, for everyone's information, Constanze would like you to know that she sided with Amanda 100%, and thought that I was being an ass." She exchanged a dry look with the inventor. "Thank you. That's just what I needed. Oh, weapons? Yes, good idea; that should get everyone in a better mood."
A stream of stanbots came clambering up the chute and emerged from Conz's bed with a set of heavy cases. The last pair brought a folding worktable, which forced the witches to spread out so that they could set it up.
"I really thought you'd be happier I was asking you to steal something," Diana said.
Amanda barked out a laugh. "You've got a lot to learn about me, lettuce head."
"I hope that you'll give me the opportunity." Diana straightened. "It looks like we're ready to begin. Stanbots, open the first two cases please." They did, revealing bracers much like the ones Akko and Amanda had worn into the tunnel, but decorated with gleaming tracery in purple. "Serendipitously, Constanze was able to use the crystal samples you collected to design anti-magitronic weaponry, though we did not expect to need it so soon. Each sword that these auto—" She glanced to Constanze uncertainly. "Autofabs? create will be treated with fine crystal channels that should make them more effective against sorcery units and, hopefully, the pixel creatures Akko described. The one on the left is Amanda's."
Crack! Amanda summoned her saber over the table, and everyone flinched back.
"Test it outside!" Diana snapped.
"Was that you or Conz?" Amanda asked, whirling the sword idly with her wrist. It was nowhere near anyone, but they all watched it apprehensively.
"Me, but…" Diana started, but Constanze had already thrown the marker. As Amanda stumbled back, she added, "Constanze asks that you be more careful in summoning these, as she has a limited reserve of crystal to treat them with. This is not for the sake of her supply – she would gladly spend it all to save Lotte – but rather so that you don't summon a blade and find it less effective. Now, then, for Hannah…"
"A gun?" Hannah asked nervously. The third case held what looked like a revolver, though it had an ungainly, blocky casing around the barrel.
"Specifically, a gun that fires magitronic-disrupting bolts," Diana said. "They should be completely harmless to humans… and myself, incidentally, so long as you don't shoot me through the heart." She tapped the power converter.
Hannah flinched. "O-okay."
"The revolver action gives the crystals time to cool between shots; you won't need to worry about running out of ammunition. As for…" Diana trailed off and listened for a few moments. "Constanze, that's all fascinating, but perhaps we don't need a full technical briefing at this moment?"
Constanze crossed her arms and grumbled.
"Won't be much use against Croix herself, will it?" Amanda asked. "That gun."
"You all still have your wands, of course," Diana replied. "And do you plan to stab her?"
"Depends on what she's doing to Lotte, doesn't it?"
Silence fell for a beat.
"I mean, probably not!" Amanda cried, dismissing the sword. "Come on, guys, I'm not an axe murderer! Gotta leave open the possibility, in case she's sucking Lotte's soul out or brain damaging her or something, right?"
"Of-of course," Diana said. "Finally, the fourth case has a weapon for Sucy. Akko, if you would…"
"Hey, so," Akko said as she leaned across the table for it. "I keep seeing little flashes of Lotte on the screens, now and again. Are you doing that?"
"Not deliberately," Diana said. "Diana Prime is not practiced in using this sort of interface, so my worries are bleeding through, somewhat. My apologies."
Akko got a sentimental look, but thankfully didn't comment. Instead, she clipped Sucy's case to her belt and said, "We'd better get moving. How long until that bomb—?"
Constanze snapped her fingers and a quartet of stanbots popped into the air above her bed, then let themselves land on it as it settled back into place. They carried a metal blister a half-meter across between them. With a swish of her wand, Constanze collapsed it into a credit card-sized wafer and offered it to Diana.
"How…? Ah. Constanze is telling me that it's inert in this form, and she'll be able to turn it back into a shaped charge remotely. Personally, I'm grateful that you're not making us carry a bomb through the school." Diana frowned. "Really, it's a troubling feeling. This isn't what witches should be, arming up like we're some sort of SWAT Team…"
"I dunno," Amanda said, casually whirling a new sword. Despite being well clear, Hannah hopped back. "I'm looking forward to kicking some ass. C'mon, Akko."
"I hope you have fun, then," Diana said tartly, but smiled grudgingly as the two set out. She turned to Conz, who was directing the stanbots in carting everything back downstairs. "Wangari will be joining you in your workshop to act as mission control?"
Constanze nodded distractedly.
"I must confess, the idea makes me feel strangely jealous."
Constanze looked up at her in surprise, then patted her arm and gave her a thumbs-up.
Diana blinked after her as she hopped down the chute. "I'm sorry for holding us up, Hannah. Ah, shall we?"
"Sure," Hannah said dully. "Let's go."
Professor Callistis paced around the New Moon Tower in the blustering snow, pausing every few steps to cast a scanning or barrier spell, slowly building an invisible cage. Her grim expression suggested that she would only go in when she'd ensured that there was no escape. Maybe that tension was why it took Barbara so long to get bored, hovering silently in her wake. "Hey," she said.
Ursula whirled and a glowing blade sprang from her wand, stopping a centimeter short of Barbara's neck. In the flare of magic, light rippled across her hair like a controlled burn and left it red. When her harsh eyes registered a student, the blade vanished and her expression flattened out, then settled into a soft mask. "I'm so sorry! Barbara, is it? Wh-what brings you out here?"
"You look familiar, with the hair," Barbara said. "Aren't you that performer who did those awful shows when I was a kid? I can't believe I never noticed! Must be how Superman does it."
Ursula fell away and Chariot gave a bitter half-smile. "Performer? That's a kinder word than most would use."
"As a fool, I can hardly fault a fellow show-woman!" Barbara shrugged. "There are lots of other things to mock you over, if I need to. I'll get to them."
"You must be one of Akko's friends," Chariot said.
"I wouldn't say that," Barbara replied with a laugh. "Let's say an ally, for now."
Chariot gestured up to the barrier encasing the top floors of the New Moon Tower, vivid against the dark sky. "Does that have anything to do with you?"
"Sort of," Barbara confirmed. "Croix has Lotte captive, and she's drawing power from her. We don't know all the details, but Hannah saw her using beams like she did with the rioting fairies and thought that they were reaching out through her to other Lottes. There was something about a Grand Triskelion, but I couldn't make that part out. Had to keep the volume low because I was sneaking up on you!"
"She plans to draw enough energy to – Croix, you idiot!" Chariot hissed. "Doesn't she realize what being a conduit for all that power can do to a person? Why is she so short-sighted?"
"What are you gonna do?"
Chariot dropped her wand onto her belt. "As teachers, we were supposed to keep you girls safe. We've clearly fallen short in that…"
"Clearly."
"…so now it looks like my job is to go up there and get her."
"'Get her' as in rescue Lotte? Or 'get her' as in—" Barbara punched an open palm. "—get Croix?"
"Yes," Chariot said, and paused to hold the tower door open for Barbara, who splashed through the wall next to it.
The elevator doors opened onto the shattered remains of the car. Apparently, after reaching the security floor, Croix had just let it drop. "Sorry," Barbara said lightly. "That's my fault, kind of. Guess you'll have to take the stairs? Man, why do things keep reminding me of the 1984 classic—?"
"Vega Walras!" Chariot called, and started kicking up the walls of the elevator shaft like Super Mario, boots driving shallow cracks into the mortar with each leap.
Barbara floated into the shaft under her and gazed up, wondering if that was really more efficient than running up the stairs. "Okay," she said. "Let's try this. Tectumbrae!" A sparkling canopy bloomed over her, much like Lotte's – but more stable, having been cast with a calm, steady heart. She ascended as quickly as she dared, free arm stiff at her side, legs straight, toes pointed. The knuckles of her wand hand started to burn and blur as she neared the top of the shaft, but so far, so good. As long as she stayed perfectly under the canopy, maybe she'd be alright?
This is pants, Barbara decided. I can't do anything like this! I'll just find out what the professor is up to, and head back down.
Fortunately, Croix had blown the elevator door out at the top of the shaft, so she didn't have to figure out how to get her canopy through it. She landed lightly and padded up next to Chariot, who didn't seem to notice her. The security door hulked before them, coursing with red light.
A line of pixels descended from a tiny vent in the ceiling and assembled themselves into a hovering drone made up of a screen and a camera on a flexible hose. It drifted to Chariot's eye level and Croix appeared on it, sitting at a desk. Behind her, motes of rainbow light rushed past in a narrow stream.
"Hello, Croix," Chariot said coldly. "I'm here for our student."
"Ah, a daring rescue?" Croix asked. "You shouldn't be so worried! Lotte was a dear and agreed to help me."
Chariot raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then put her on."
"She's… indisposed."
"I can't take your word on this."
"Frankly, it doesn't matter whether you can or not. The whole faculty together couldn't break through my defenses! You can all just sit back and wait for me to do your job."
Chariot turned away and resumed inspecting the door.
"I was going to let you in to see how far you've fallen," Croix continued. "But sorry, I don't have time to flirt now. We've just made a major breakthrough up here. Head back home, Chariot – when you wake up tomorrow, magic will be saved!"
"Do you think this door can stop me?" Chariot asked.
"I think it can. What are you without the Claiomh Solais?"
Chariot responded with four broad whirls of her wand, each sweep conjuring a heavy metal spike that crunched deeply into the door in a perfect square, then she leapt into a flying kick as the spikes exploded into jets of magical fire. The square burst from its frame and hit the floor with a godly BOOM, and Chariot made a graceful landing in the chamber beyond was shrouded in darkness and smoke.
The screen drifted back down, and its attached camera swiveled to take in the devastation. Croix looked shocked for a moment, but quickly faded back into a harsh smile. "You're just determined to push Akko in front of that freight train, aren't you? Which of her little friends do you think the Rod will stuff into the casket? I'll bet that nice alchemist girl would even enjoy it!"
"You don't understand a thing," Chariot replied. "But I'll be up to explain it to you in a bit."
Croix gave a forced chuckle and let the drone crumble into inert pixels.
Chariot advanced into the darkness at a run, blade snapping from her wand. Titanic footsteps thundered and the piercing impact of stone on stone cracked out, but whatever was in there couldn't stop her.
Back in the hall, Barbara pulled a chunk of shrapnel out of her forehead and boggled at the bluish-gray ectoplasm oozing from it. She checked her head, but it had already healed. Ew, though. "Are you seeing this, Constanze?" she called up into her wand. It flashed to confirm it was sending. "Never mind whatever plan you're messing around with and get up here!"