I realize Clare is a bit oc in this story. My excuse for that is she didn't lose her foster mother like in the source material so she's nicer and less cold.
Rafaela didn't have to look to recognize who was behind her.
The girl was trying her best to hide her aura as Rafaela had taught her. It might have worked on another. But Rafaela was something else.
"Keep trying Galatea. There's still too much passion in you."
"Passion? What do you mean? I'm enjoying myself doing this?"
"When you express emotions, your yoki is active. Easier to detect. Maintain your calm. Keep your aura still."
"Funny you should mention that. Your aura doesn't appear to be flat. Come to think of it, I don't think it's been flat since you rejoined the organization."
Rafaela finally turned around to her cheeky companion. Galatea smiled a fair bit more than most of her kind. A strange fact considering she'd lost her eyes.
"Why are you still here anyway? Shouldn't you be out fighting monsters or something?"
The blind girl shrugged her shoulders.
"I probably should. But for some reasons they haven't given me any to hunt. Isn't that something? I think they don't want the blind girl getting others killed."
"I think that's a silly concern. I've worked with you. I've yet to see you put someone at risk."
"Well…. There was one time. I mistook a yoma's aura for a comrade's and….."
"We've all made mistakes. It's how we live. And learn."
"Well, in any case, they told me to stay here and aid you in waking up Luciela."
Rafaela turned forward again to her sister. Suspended in the large tube. She was still in her awakened form. A hideous brain upon a humanoid body.
"I assure you, I'm quite fine myself."
"If that were true, you'd have gotten through to her already."
That actually ticked Rafaela off. The nerve of this girl! Talking to a single digit! One who'd failed and gone into exile maybe, but still a single digit!
"And besides, I could use the talent. Reading yoki is apparently all I'm good for. Or so they seem to think. Might as well get some experience while I can, don't you think?"
Rafaela resigned herself to the blind girl's presence. She had nothing against her or any of her comrades personally. She just didn't think she was the best source of knowledge. Especially for one so young.
The other reason was well…. She was hoping for a little alone time between her and her….. sister.
"You could always kill her you know. Eat her up. Trust me. They're delicious."
"Sister, really."
….
"There it is. The GFS Sisterhood."
"Sisterhood," laughed Helen. "Really? Talk about irony! We're all pretty much sisters here! Except for number 5."
"Fine by me," muttered Ophelia. "I only need one sister here."
Jean frowned. This group was already close to tearing itself apart. How could she rely on them to keep it together.
"Ladies, we need to keep it together if we're- "
"Ladies? We're ladies? Never thought of myself as a lady. What do you think Deneve? Me a lady?"
"I can't even picture you in a dress, Helen. Now shut up and let Jean talk."
"Thank you Deneve. Now there were 4 of us and about 10 of them. We never saw exactly what attacked us. But I saw flames erupt along the wall. Some were set on fire and the flames separated me from the team."
"That doesn't sound like any yoma I've heard of."
"Nor I. We all realized we would require a special kind of weapon to fight. Yours," she nodded to Clare.
"Samus' armor."
"Technically, the organization's armor now but- "
"Samus' armor," Clare insisted. "It was gifted to her. She improved upon it. She showed the organization how to use it. It's hers."
"Fine. Samus'. I'm no expert with the armor. But I think given we're up against an entirely different kind of enemy, we need and entirely different kind of strategy. Wouldn't you agree?"
"You mean attack from a distance?" Ophelia scoffed. "Coward's tactic. So impersonal."
"Personal isn't the issue. Practicality is. That said, for once hunting the beast isn't our first priority. Finding survivors is. Remember. We're trying to show our unity with the federation. And on that note." She looked about.
"So far, I've gotten the distinct impression that you don't really get along that well with each other. There's a lot riding on this. So please. Keep your eyes focused on the goal."
"As long as I get dibs on apples!"
….
"Do you remember mother?"
Rafaela pondered that.
"Somewhat. It's hard. After all this time."
"What do you remember?"
"The bad mostly. I seem to recall she was fonder of you. You were more of a proper lady or something."
Her sister laughed.
It was somewhat comforting to hear her do so. Not in the monstrous voice she'd heard when she awakened before her eyes.
"True, she wasn't exactly all hugs and kisses towards you. But she had her moments. Do you remember the day you went swimming in the lake?"
"Swimming? I don't remember that at all!"
"You don't? I certainly do! I remember your giggles and splashes! It was the time of your life!"
Rafaela blinked her one eye.
"Why don't I remember that?"
"Well, as you said it's been some time. And we do have the tendency to focus on the bad don't we?"
"That's how all claymores think. We have to. We die or awaken. There's not too much else to it."
Her sister shrugged. In this pitch-black void within the subconsciousness where warriors who linked their yoki spoke, she had her former human shape with the hair curls. Her eyes and hair were their regular brown.
She never knew why the eye and hair color reverted back to normal after awakening. Or why their….. deformity vanished.
"That's such a human thing to do. Focus on the bad and ignore the good. Not like us. Not when we've stopped caring what old men in black and ungrateful humans think."
Rafaela shuddered. She'd heard that talk form other yoma before. A reminder that the sister she knew was gone.
"I'm not gone."
Rafaela almost jumped. What in the galaxy?
"Our minds are linked, remember? Nothing is hidden here."
"No. It's not. You're finding this all rather pleasant. Your awakening doesn't bother you at all."
"It doesn't. Not one bit. And that disgusts you. You think I'm lost to you."
The image of her sister moved towards her. Rafaela instinctually stepped back.
"But I'm not. I'm not lost to you. I never was. I simply had the blinds over my eyes removed. I can see clearly now for the first time since they took us from home. I am myself. Only free."
"You believe that. You truly believe that."
"I do. And I know you're pondering that even now."
Rafaela cursed this two-way link. Too easy to be read.
"I can remember your face you know. When I awoke. I see it every day. More than fear. Awe. Yearning."
"Yearning? Maybe yearning for my sister to come back."
"No. You were yearning to join me. You saw what I became. You saw what you could become. Our minds were still linked. I felt what you felt. And under the shock and despair above all else… You felt envy."
Rafaela remained silent.
"And you still feel it now."
"I think… I think that's enough for today. Sleep well sister."
….
"All right so I think we should- Sorry Jean. You're in charge,"
"No Clare. If you have something to add, fire away."
"Oh. Ok. Well, from what Samus told me about these ships, the main control center is at the top, rather than the middle like on the organization ships. From there, we could gain access to the cameras on the entire ship. Give us a huge advantage on finding anyone and anything."
"A good decision warrior. At the top, you say? In that case, we take the elevator shaft."
"Elevators? I'm not getting in one of those things! Makes us easy targets."
"Not elevator. Elevator shaft. We jump up it."
"Jump up that? Really? I don't know, I mean…. Maybe if someone had an apple I could…"
"Helen." Deneve placed her hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok? You look off."
"What? I'm fine! Totally fine! I just need some goddamn apples! Is that such a bad thing?"
Ophelia snickered.
"And people call me nuts. Mind if I proceed?"
"Hold on Ophelia. We stick together. Helen, can you make the jump?"
"I… Yeah. Totally! Without question! Just let me get myself ready and…. Away we go!"
And with that, she leaped high into the air, and bounded off from one wall of the shaft to another. They watched her continue leaping her way up. Jean sighed.
"I didn't technical give the order to go. But, fine. Follow."
The others followed Jean up. They leaped onto an edge, pushed their feet in and launched themselves outward. They were all pretty much out of sight form Clare who came last.
This was more difficult for her being only a quarter yoma. It weighed on her muscles more, tired her out quicker. And she had difficulty in the past making those same movements that quickly.
But she had something they didn't. Samus' power armor. And training from the best of them.
Rather than leaping up with quick bursts of speed, she jumped up onto the wall pushed off and curled her body into a ball.
The speed with which she curled generated a ring of energy around her and allowed to rebound from one wall to another all the way up. Not nearly as fast as her comrades, but certainly flashier.
"Nice," Ophelia grinned as Clare reached the top. "Your momma teach you that too? Not as fast as us. I'd say you should stick with regular claymore tactics."
"I admit, I find your technique… unique," said Jean. "But not unpleasant. I haven't had a chance to see the armor in action. I only saw it on Number 10 when she boarded the ship at the mines."
"The mines? Wait….. You were there! I thought you looked familiar!"
Jean smiled. "I wondered how long it would take you to notice. Yes. I was there and…"
Ophelia interjected.
"Sorry to interrupt this stroll down memory lane. But we've got work to do. The control room?"
"Right. Onward. And watch yourselves."
The next few minutes were spent mostly in silence. With the exception of Helen's moans and groans.
Deneve patted her on the back.
The ship was completely devoid of life. They saw no one else during their walk to the control room. They couldn't sense any yoki either. Clare could track something with her scanner.
"Huh. There's something here all right. No yoma as far as I can tell. It's signature keeps disappearing and reappearing."
"Sounds like something that nutty number 1 can do. Hide her aura and wake it up again when she needs it."
"This looks different. It's bouncing all around. It's on one place and then another. Even Priscilla can't do that."
"All the more reason to examine the control room then," said Jean. "If we have access to the whole ship, we can see how it's moving."
"Could we stop by the cafeteria first," groaned Helen.
A few minutes later, they heard a strange noise. It sounded almost like…..
"A whale?"
"Seriously, apple nerd? That's what comes to mind. A whale?"
"No. She's right. It does sound like a whale. I think."
"A whale in space?" Ophelia grinned. "I'm all for fighting new things."
"It looks like it's getting closer…"
Everyone gripped their swords. It wasn't a comforting experience. They couldn't sense anything, except for Clare. And even she couldn't get a good reading.
The target got closer.
"It's right on us. Moving all around."
Ophelia's grin grew even wider. Her eyes flashed yellow.
The signature stopped for a moment. Then it disappeared again.
"It… It's gone."
"Ha! Coward! Come out and face me!"
Jean sighed.
"At least that shows it's scared of Ophelia. That means we've got a chance. Come on then. Let's find the control room.
Ophelia growled and her eyes went grey once more. Clare rubbed her back.
"Patience. You'll have your chance."
….
"Update?"
"She's functioning. Her subconsciousness is alive and kicking. A lot of kicking."
"She tried to seduce you?"
Rafaela raised an eyebrow.
"Seduce me? She's my sister!"
Rubel laughed.
"Not that kind of seduction. I mean did she try to tempt you over to her side."
"Yes. She argued I want it."
"Do you? Do you want to awaken?"
"If I wanted to, do you think I would have run away for over a century, hid my yoki and avoided conflict?"
Rubel pondered that for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"True, I suppose. Yes, all too true. Still, I can't imagine it was all bad. Seeing your sister again. Even in light of what she's become."
Rafaela didn't respond.
"It's… strange. I made a vow to myself once. That I would live long enough. Not to save her. No chance of that. But to kill her, set her free. Now that she's here in front of me…"
"I respect the difficulty of your situation. Truly. That's why we gave you this assignment. If there were any way to reach beneath the surface and get at her heart…. Why that would be a huge boon! Not just to you. But to anyone else who awakens!"
That would be a huge boon. Assuming that was what the organization truly wanted.
"And I'm going to call her back? Make her give up her form?"
"Doubtful. But perhaps you can restore some of her humanity. It's a hard sell, but…. Worth the effort, wouldn't you say?"
She was afraid to find out the answer to that.
….
"Here we are. The control room. I think I can get the cameras working. Give me a second."
While she flipped through the cameras, Deneve pulled Helen aside.
"What's up with you? Apple withdrawal?"
"Withdrawal? Come on! That's for losers! Wimps! Not me!"
"Then all that stuff back there was…. What exactly? What happened?"
"I dunno…. I just… you know…"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking."
"I'm low on energy. You know how it is."
"Not with you. Low on energy? I've never heard that."
"It can happen!"
"Except it doesn't to you. Not at the start of a mission anyway. You have more energy than any of us."
Helen mumbled.
"Well, it wouldn't be a problem if I just had a goddamn apple. Just one."
"Exactly my point. Withdrawal."
"I do not have withdrawal! "
Deneve continued staring until Helen relented.
"Ok, so I might have some withdrawal. I don't know apples…. They just…."
"Remind you of home?"
"Well, yeah! And isn't that a good thing! I mean we're human! We should have some happiness!"
"Happiness is for true humans. Not me."
"Don't say that. Don't ever say- "
"Quiet you two. We've found someone."
On the screen, a claymore and federation soldier lay huddled up against a wall. They were panting and the claymore was bleeding..
"That's them! Number 11 Flora and…. Don't remember the soldier, but where are they?"
"Looking at the map," said Clare. "I uh… I think…"
"Trouble momma's girl? Need me to hold your hand?"
"Yes, actually. In that, I don't think I can memorize the path there."
"You won't have to," said Jean before turning to Helen and Deneve.
"Stay here with her and watch the cameras. Tell us how to reach there and let us know if anything else comes up. Let's go."
"Hey, why not lil Clare," asked Helen. "She's the lowest number here, isn't she?"
"She has unique skills; we hope to use."
"Unique skills? I have unique skills!"
"Yeah. Losing friends," grinned Ophelia. "Oh wait. You don't have any, do you?"
"Enough Ophelia. Watch after her Deneve."
"Like I always do," Deneve sighed.
"Stop by the cafeteria," shouted Helen.
….
"Why didn't you heal your eye? Surely you could have."
Rafaela fidgeted with said eye. For some reason, her sister's question made it twitch.
"I left it as a reminder. Of my failure. And my promise."
"Promise? What promise?"
Rafaela paused. She'd made a mistake letting her question the eye.
"Oh," said Luciela. She sounded disappointed.
"What?"
"I can read you. Have you forgotten? You promised yourself to kill me."
Both stared at each other. Hard to read. But they knew what the other was thinking.
"So why haven't you? Or is this the test to determine that? Where you determine whether I can be saved?"
"In a way, yes. You could say that."
"And what is your analysis so far? Oh, wait. You don't have to answer that. Your analysis so far is…. Disappointment. Am I right?"
"Not entirely. It is…. It's good to see you. I just wish… I guess I wanted to see some remorse."
Luciela smiled.
"Remorse? For what? I didn't mean to awaken. But I did. Nothing can change that. So I might as well enjoy it."
"And you do enjoy it? You don't ever regret it?"
"I used to. But regret doesn't build you a life. It holds you down. Keeps you from moving on. So I did. I moved on. All in all, it's not too bad. Sure, I would've liked a prettier form. But the power makes up for it. Freedom's a nice taste to. And no second guessing. No wondering if I did the right thing. Can you say the same?"
Rafaela sighed.
"You know what's going to happen don't you? If I can't prove you can be saved, they're not going to see a reason to keep you alive."
Luciela laughed.
"Saved? I don't have to be saved. Not me. It's you. All of you."
"Oh, really? How do you figure?"
"Look inside yourself!"
"What?"
"Your aura! Feel your aura! Feel how uneven it is! Always questioning yourself! Always questioning if you're living your life to the fullest. You never get that with us. We always know who we are. No doubt."
"How unfortunate for you. Because doubt is part of humanity. If we don't doubt ourselves, we continued to make mistakes. Never learn. Never grow."
"Why grow, when I'm already perfect?"
She really meant it. She saw no reason to change.
"I'm… disappointed. But not surprised. Somehow, I always knew it would turn out this way."
"Yes. I imagine so. Does that mean you've reached your decision little sister, about what to do with me? If I'm not tamable, they'll tell you to kill me. I guess the question is, who do you value more? Those old perverts in black, or me?"
….
"Ophelia, are you all right?"
Ophelia turned to her girlfriend with raised eyebrows.
"You wouldn't ask that if you thought I was all right. Why do you ask?"
"Your aura feels… unstable. And you look kind of…. Pale."
"Pale? Isn't that the case with all of us?"
"Not that pale."
Ophelia looked annoyed. But she wasn't annoyed. She was afraid. The difference was subtle, but Clare had spent enough time with her to notice.
"I'm just concerned. Is that such a terrible thing?"
"It is if keeps your distracted. Stay focused on the job."
Jean couldn't help looking over her shoulder at them, her eyebrow raised.
"Is there a problem…. Boss?"
"Oh, no. Is there a problem with you two?"
"Excuse me? A problem with us? What, do we look like we have mental problems?"
Jean bit her lip, resisting the urge to say yes. Clare intervened.
"I think she meant is there some disagreement between us. No Jean. There is none."
"I see. Well, that's good to hear. I need you both focused. I can feel Flora's aura nearby."
True to her word, a few corners later and they found the long-haired blonde woman leaning up against the wall. Her mouth was leaking blood and she had a major burn on her face.
"Jean… You made it back…"
"I told you I would. Your face… Let me help."
"That would… be nice…."
Jean placed a hand on her friend and worked to heal her.
"This is going to be hard. I may not be able to fix the entire face."
Flora placed her hand on hers.
"Do your best. Nothing else can be done. We must find it and kill it."
Ophelia grinned.
"Right. It. I almost forgot we were here to hunt with all this dancing about!"
"Ophelia be nice," Clare insisted.
"Ophelia," Flora said with subtle fear. "So you're Ophelia."
"You've heard of me? Oh, good! I've worked hard to earn my reputation!"
"Reputation works both ways, number 5. I've heard some…. Troubling things about you to put it mildly."
Ophelia just shrugged.
"Hey, dirty business. If you wanna be known for kindness and all that shit, go into flowering."
"Is that a jest on my name?"
"Stop. Both of you," said Jean. "Where are the others?"
Flore placed her hand on her face, feeling Jean's handiwork. Traces of the burn remained. A permanent reminder of her failure.
"Dead. All dead, as far as I know. I…. I couldn't…"
"One's still alive. We think. We saw him on the camera."
"Him? I see. One of the soldiers survived. The rest… They did their best, but…."
"Never should have brought them," said Ophelia. "It was a mistake. All for the sake of cooperation."
"Not that we did much better," responded Flora. "This was… I've never encountered anything like this…"
"What was this exactly," asked Jean. "I've never known any encounter with yoma or awakened beings to result in burns."
"I don't think this was an awakened. Fireballs came out from nowhere. Hovered in the air. And I sensed no yoki. I have no idea what we're up against."
"I think we're about to find out," interjected Clare.
The scanner was going crazy again. Appearing all around them.
"Flora, stay down," Jean ordered.
"How can you tell," asked Flora. "I can't sense anything."
"This armor comes with its own scanner. It can sense anything. Even if it's not yoki."
Flora stared.
"Ah. You must be the infamous hunter I've heard so much about."
"Actually, you've probably heard of my adoptive mother. Stay sharp. It's almost upon us."
"Tell us what you can 11," urged Ophelia. "Come on! Any weaknesses? Does it scream in pain? I do so love that!"
"I truly don't know. We never saw it. Just the flames."
Speak of the devil. Flames hovered in the air, readying themselves to launch at the claymores.
….
"Number 2. Ridley."
Galatea nodded. The great draconic creature lay suspended within a tube just like Luciela. His eyes were closed, but Rafaela could tell just by sensing that he was still conscious.
"I've been trying to do with him what you've tried with Luciela. I guess I'm just not that good with manipulation."
Rafaela placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're amazing with manipulation. Probably better than me. You just don't have the connection with him that I have with her."
Galatea chuckled.
"True that. He has no interest in conversing. Unless it's about number 10."
"The hunter? They have some kind of history?"
"He killed her parents. Made her what she is."
They both paused to take that in.
"Well, we should thank him then. If not for him, I never would have encountered you. Never would have come back."
"And I never would have escaped that ship. I'd be one of them."
She looked the dragon over. Still as dangerous as the day they brought him onboard.
"I'm starting to think this isn't working. He's too content with himself. He resists all attempts to change."
Rafaela stared at the dragon herself.
"I'm getting the same feeling I think. She has her old memories. Of before and after we turned into claymores. But her spirit is gone. She only exists for pleasure.
Galatea didn't turn to her. Wouldn't matter if she did. Nothing to see with her eyes.
"Then it's a failure?"
"I don't want to say that but if we can't get through to them, they'll be considered a failure."
"And failures are disposed of."
They both paused again.
"I suppose the question then is, are you ready to give up on her?"
Rafaela thought that over. A difficult decision. One she thought she'd made years ago. Now that she had to do it though….
"No. Not yet."
Galatea smiled.
"Then that's all you need to know."
"Galatea. It's time to go."
A man in black stood at the entrance to the lab. Galatea nodded at him. Rafaela looked at her confused.
"They want me on Aether. Apparently something has happened with the hunter. They want to see if my manipulation extends to other things."
"Quite a feat they're asking of you."
"If it's for Samus, I really can't refuse, can I?"
"I don't think you can refuse anyway."
"Let's go Galatea."
"Coming! Goddess. Men. No patience. No wonder they can't be warriors."
Not that we're better, thought Rafaela. Well, I'm not anyway.
….
"Clare? Are you ok?"
"I think so… Damn. Those flames took down the wall."
"I feel both Ophelia and Flora. They're alive. And close to each other."
"I think I saw Ophelia pull Flora out of the way."
Jean raised her eyebrow.
"She did that? For someone else? Didn't think she had it in her."
Clare scanned again.
"It's moving away again. Damn this thing! Why won't it stay still? Wait… Hang on. I'm detecting someone else. Human!"
Jean pulled out her communicator.
"Helen? Deneve? Can you confirm if there are any humans near us?"
"Affirmative," Deneve replied in her monotone voice. "I can guide you to him."
"Do that, then come down here and help Flora. We'll need Ophelia to bring this thing down."
"Aw man," Helen complained. "You mean we gotta find our own way there? We won't remember!"
"Come on Helen," they heard Deneve say. Jean turned to Clare.
"Follow their instructions and check on him. Bring him back if you can. I'm going to help Ophelia bring this rubble out of the way."
Clare immediately ran following the directions told over the speakers. Soon, she found the injured man. A hole was torn in his blue federation armor. His spiky brown hair was caked with blood.
He looked in shock at the approaching warrior clad in red and yellow armor. He actually rubbed his eyes a bit to make sure he wasn't out of it.
"What….. What?"
"Number 30. Clare. We've been sent to assist. Are you injured?"
He continued staring.
"Err, right. Stupid question. Hold on. Let me see if I can help."
She placed her hand on his chest. She felt nothing happen.
"Oh. I forgot. I can't heal with the armor covering the hands. One second."
She tried to feel the energy in her hands and use it to remove that bit. But she found herself removing the entire armor.
"Shoot. I can't remove only a bit. Have to remove it all."
She moved her now bare hands over the man's wound while he continued to stare. With no small amount of shock she could tell.
"You have…. Grey eyes… but your suit….. what are you?"
"I'm a warrior. Like all the rest. I simply wear this Chozo armor to give me advantages I otherwise wouldn't have."
The man smirked.
"I think I prefer the regular suit. It shows…."
His face flushed red and he stopped. Clare ignored it.
"Can you stand?"
"I think… Maybe a bit… I'd like to leave before…. That thing…."
He trailed off and stared behind. Clare turned to.
It was then that she realized she should have kept an eye on her scanner which was currently beeping like crazy. And for good reason.
A….. head hung in the air before her. A head at least 4 meters tall. No hands. No legs. Just a leathery head.
Blue flames appeared in the air around it and flew at the two. Clare pulled the man out of the way.
"It's in here! Jean! Ophelia!"
The man tried to pull his gun out, but he grimaced from the pain in his arm.
Clare leaped at the beast with her sword, but it beast vanished from sight before she could hit it.
"Shit. What am I doing? Don't waste time with swords."
She tried to reform her armor, but she couldn't focus with the flames coming at her.
Jean launched herself at the thing from behind. Her arm appeared to have been twisted all up into a corkscrew and was unraveling itself at incredible speed. She went right through the monster with no effect.
"What the hell? It didn't even touch it!"
"Nothing can hurt it," the man shouted in despair. "We've tried everything! It all passes through it!"
Clare activated her scanner.
Morphology: Phantoon
Spectral Being
Little information known about this-
Clare had to dodge more fireballs. One almost got her.
"It's like it's not there! There's nothing to hit!"
Clare checked her information again.
Little information known about this entity. It is sighted in abandoned ships with some trace of power left. No other body part is noted beyond the head. Several theories have arisen from its scant sightings. The most recurring theory is that its true body is located in another dimension.
At that moment, Ophelia came barreling out through the wall, screaming with energy, and flying towards the creature…. Only to pass through it likewise.
"What the….? Where's the blood? The anguish? It's no fun if you don't scream!"
The creature launched flames. Ophelia managed to dodge them but couldn't hit back.
At that moment, the center of the head opened up. Instead of a throat however she saw an eye.
"An eye," said the man. "I've never seen that. Never seen anything like that in my life…."
The one time any pain is noted within the beast is any attack upon its eye within its mouth. No idea exists as to how it survives but the eye whether by connection to some other vital organ or some other unexplained phenomenon appears to be the sole weak point-
She'd read enough.
"Target the eye!"
She fired a power blast at the eye just as it turned towards her.
An inhuman roar emanated from the creature and it launched a whole swarm of flames at her.
She dodged and pulled the still shocked man out of the way.
The creature vanished again. Samus scanned.
"Ophelia, behind you!"
Number 5 dodged the flames and swung at the creature again.
It vanished and appeared behind her again to attack.
The man shot into the eye. It roared and disappeared again.
It didn't immediately reappear. They looked all around.
"Nice shot soldier," said Jean. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."
"I… It's understandable. But where is it?"
"Hey guys! I think we've got Flora healed up and… Woah! Holy shit! What the fuck is that!?"
Jean and Ophelia looked at each other and ran on ahead while Clare looked the man over.
"I'm tempted to tell you to wait here. But that thing might attack you while we're gone."
"Take me. I owe that thing for a couple friends."
She carried him through the door and came face to face with a wall of fire.
"Hang on! I've got this!"
The man fired an ice gun at the fire, creating a gap for Clare to jump through.
"You have ice beams too? I thought only Samus had that."
"Who?"
"Samus My- Later."
They herded the creature to a conference room filled with chairs on fire and rolling all around. Helen was also rolling around on the ground covered in flames screaming with Deneve chasing after her.
"Helen, that doesn't work! Hold still!"
Flora was on her feet, but contrary to Helen's claims not well enough to fight. Jean was struggling a bit herself. Only Ophelia was still going at it. With tons of yoki energy being released.
"Ophelia," Clare shouted. "Ophelia! You're going too far! Pull back!"
She ran over to Jean to help her.
"Ophelia's going too far. I think she's released over 60% yoki. We need to take that thing down before she awakens."
"If we could…. Just get the eye. I think I have a way to… Take it out. But I need it to stay still. Keep its attention away for a moment."
"Perhaps I can help there." Flora placed her hand on her sword hilt.
"No. You're still hurt."
"Number 11. I can take pain."
Ophelia saw swinging at the beast, but it was continuously moving and not opening its eye.
"It seems it only reveals its weakness when it stays still."
Suddenly slashes appeared out of thin air and the creature turned to her.
Clare's eyes widened. Just like Ilena/Irene's quicksword.
That got the thing's attention. Ophelia launched herself at it again though it managed to dodge. The bastard!
Ophelia had worked on a special technique for some time though. She vibrated her hand and bent the blade of her sword into the creature's eye.
It roared again and seemingly tried to vanish. But it couldn't. Not with Ophelia's sword in its eye. She cackled.
"Oh no you don't! I own you bitch! Squirm and scream all you want! I just love it!"
Flora frowned. She couldn't attack with Ophelia in the way.
"Flora! Stand aside! Clare, pull Ophelia out of there!"
Flora jumped aside while Clare launched her grapple at Ophelia. She didn't let go.
"Don't bother me! I want to savor this"
The man got involved and helped her pull Ophelia out of the way just as Jean came rushing at it.
"Hey! That was mine!"
Jean's arm came unraveled in a great spiral. She moved forward at breathtaking speed right through the creature's eye and out the other side.
The creature hung there in midair for a moment and began to fade out of sight. No blood. No sound. Just gone.
Deneve ran over and helped Jean up.
"Incredible. You're worthy of number 9 all right."
Jean rubbed her arm groaning to herself.
Ophelia also lay on the ground with her yoki slowly running down.
"Ophi? You hanging in there? Ophi?"
Ophelia breathed heavily but nodded.
"Wow, that….." The man was having trouble. "You ladies live up to your reputation."
….
"So have you made up your mind? I don't imagine they're going to give you much more time to decide."
Rafaela stared at her sister. She couldn't hide her emotions this time.
"I know what they want me to do. What I'm expected to do."
"So why don't you?"
"You know why."
"I want to hear it."
Rafaela took a deep breath.
"You're my sister and I love you."
She grimaced at how her voice broke. Luciela didn't seem to notice though.
"I- Thank you, sister. It's good to hear that. For what it's worth, I love you too."
Rafaela stared at her.
"I mean it. My awakening has changed many things about me. But not how I feel about you."
Rafaela poured through Luciela's thoughts. She didn't appear to be lying.
"Yes, that's it. Look through my mind. I've nothing to hide. I mourned for you. Waited for you."
"I- I wanted to see you. I truly did. I just didn't know if I'd truly see you. Or if it would be something else. Something I didn't recognize."
"I worried what you would think. What you would do. Would you try to kill me on sight? Would you see me as your sister anymore?"
They stared at each other for another minute. Finally Rafaela broke and ran over to embrace her sister.
They both hugged and cried for what felt like an hour. For the first time in over a century they allowed themselves to be vulnerable.
"We can't stay here. If you can't turn me back, they'll kill me."
"I won't let them. I won't."
Luciela stared at her.
"You… You wouldn't…. Would you?"
Rafaela paused. Would she?
"If you do this. They'll hunt you too. Try to kill you. You'd give that up for me?"
"I already did, remember?"
"Yes, and it cost you an eye. What will it cost you this time?"
Rafaela bit her lip.
"Everything."