Arc I : Nagazora
Chapter 1: Familiar faces
-Ω-
Theresa stared at her computer screen, a sharp frown marring her features. A pair of golden-yellow eyes stared back, a nest of black hair and white coat covering the person in the frame. With a sigh, she looked away massaging her temples. At this rate she was going to go insane.
It had been a month since the incident. A confused secretary from St. Freya Academy had received a call from a seemingly random town in the middle of nowhere. They had then reported they had met a Valkyrja claiming to have been their student, and had been worried that he needed help. The key word being 'he.' The last Theresa heard, her school had been exclusively female.
The call had eventually been transferred to her, where she got the full story. Apparently a male Valkyrja going by the name Adam Fountaine had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the city. He had been brought to the police station and upon speaking with him, he stated that his equipment was damaged and he needed help getting in contact with the academy. The police chief had gone to get his phone but upon returning the male had acted strangely. First he practically sprinted out of the police station and then, despite just asking for help, turned down the offer to call.
When Theresa had asked for more details about the individual, the man had sent some video camera footage from the station. It was these tapes she was reviewing now, not for the first time. She had never seen this boy before, of that much she was sure. But who was he? She could tell his name was fake, at least his last one. What were the chances that a random person who appeared out of nowhere just happened to have a similar name of the city they were in?
They had put forth several searches trying to find any connection to "Adam Fountaine." The results came up negative. There was no trace of the young man anywhere. It was both beyond frustrating and immensely intriguing. Why had he tried to contact her school? Where had he come from? What was his purpose in St. Fountain? The questions swirled endlessly within her mind, and no matter what she did an answer never seemed to come.
"Still knocking your head against that brick wall?" Himiko's voice startled Theresa to attention. She hadn't even heard the woman walk in. The red haired teacher wore a knowing smirk as she looked down at the principal. "I keep telling you, it was probably a prank by some kid. Caught with a sword, and lied his way to get out of trouble. Case closed."
"So you don't think it's suspicious we can't find a single file on this person anywhere?" Theresa snapped back. "Despite all the files and databases we have access to? It should have come back with something, at least a relative."
"That's if the punk used his real name," Himiko snorted. "Seriously, what kind of name is Adam Fountaine? Sounds like a lame comic book villain." Himiko collapsed into one of the guest chairs, boldly laying the folders she had been carrying onto Theresa's otherwise pristine desk. "Or is there another reason you want to find him so badly? I mean he is pretty cute, and you have always had a thing for taller men." Theresa only rolled her eyes, ignoring the jab at her diminutive height.
"I think he needs our help." The smaller girl stated. "Or at least wanted to catch our attention." Himiko gave a small huff of disbelief, but Theresa continued. "Think about it, a random stranger appears out of nowhere, waving a sword around in public. Once he is brought to the police station, he asks for aid only to retract his statement a minute later. Yet he specifically called out our academy instead of a larger organization like Schicksal. Doesn't that at least seem noteworthy?"
"Well…" Himiko sighed. "Ok, you may have a point. But if he desperately wanted our attention, why not make the call? It's not like we would rat him out and our phone number isn't that difficult to find. Why go about getting our attention in such a roundabout way, then not leave us anyway to contact him?"
"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" Why call attention to himself in the first place if he wanted to stay hidden? Perhaps he was being followed or tracked. Organizations like Schicksal or Anti-Entropy had always been very secretive of their property. A rogue agent from one of those organizations would be tracked down quickly and terminated. The academy was part of Schicksal but only minutely. Perhaps it would be an ideal place to find sanctuary. Sometimes the best place to hide from someone was right beneath their nose.
"I still think you're making a mountain out of a molehill." Himiko exclaimed, exasperation clear in her voice.
"I'm not." Theresa stated with certainty. The terror in his eyes had been unmistakable. People could fake happiness or sadness. But the raw terror and fear on Adam's face when he tore out of the police station had been genuine. He looked like he had been told the world had ended. What was he afraid of? Or maybe the more accurate question was who was he afraid of?
"It's been a month, give it a rest." Himiko declared. "I already promised we'll revive the investigation if we find any more leads." Here she tapped the folders stacked on the desk. "In the meantime you can do all the work you've been slacking on. I need the supplies listed here signed for before I take my class out for survival training." With one last wave Himiko left, leaving Theresa to stew in her thoughts. Perhaps she was right, a break would do her some good. Despite this however her eyes wandered to her screen, the golden eyes still staring back at her.
"Adam Fountaine...who are you?"
-Ω-
They were following her again. Raiden Mei picked up her pace, clutching her schoolbag a little tighter to her body. Predictably her pursuers followed suit, increasing their pace to match hers. She had already tried to lose them in the crowd, but they had been persistent, pushing their way through the waves of people to keep track of her. She briefly thought about asking for help but shot it down. No one wanted to help "that demon's" daughter.
Her only hope was to outrun them. She turned down a random street, finding it nearly deserted. She accelerated towards a nearby alley and as soon as she turned the corner began to book it. From the excited shouts behind her, it seems that her stalkers had realized her plan. Still she had a good head start, all she needed to do was-
"AH!" Pavement turned to gravel and due to her inattentiveness the uneven footing tripped her. She hit the ground hard, giving a scream of pain as the gravel greedily tore at her skin. She finally skid to a stop and let out a whimper at the pain of her wounds. It only grew worse when she heard the footsteps behind her, followed by muttered laughter.
"Oh did the princess slip and fall?" One jeered to the amusement of the others. "Shit fellas, should one of us help her up?"
"I don't see any princesses here." another scoffed. "Just a bitch who tried to steal our families' money."
"Here, I've got something else she can take." She watched as the boy picked a rock from the ground and threw it. The projectile went wide but she curled into a ball nevertheless. Soon more rocks joined the first as a veritable rain flew at her. Not all of them missed…
"What the hell are you doing?" The voice cut through the group's amusement. Their laughter stopped and they turned, allowing a gap which Mei could look through. A boy, practically her age stood there, golden eyes watching each of the teenagers in turn. Soon they locked onto her and she saw them widen. She saw the recognition in his eyes, the surprise on his face. And then his lips twisted into an all too familiar snarl. Was he going to abandon her just like everyone else? "I asked you a question." The young man spoke again, though the disgust in his voice was easy to hear.
"What's it to you?" One of her tormentors stepped forward, confidence boosted by the number of his companions. "Why don't you stay out of our business?" The golden eyed stranger responded by reaching to his back and revealing a sword. That alone got the group to tense.
"I'm a Valkyrja, it's my job to help people in trouble."
"She's a monster," one of the other boy's screamed, gesturing wildly at Mei. "Don't you know what her father did?"
"I am aware," the Valkyrja responded evenly, causing some of the boys to nod in relief. "But how does that relate to how you are treating her? Her father is already behind bars, paying for his crimes. What does that have to do with you attacking her?" The silence was deafening as each of the boys tried to find an excuse. Without another word the young man stepped forward, the group breaking apart to give him a wide berth. Once he was past them all he stopped and looked back.
"Leave. And if any of you do this again, I will hunt you down." The group continued to stare in terror watching the stranger. "GO!" He barked and the tension broke, each of the boys pushing each other to get away the fastest. Once the alley was clear, he returned his attention to Mei who stared at him with a mixture of fear and awe. He stopped a few feet from her and knelt, mostly likely to get a closer examination of her.
"Several abrasions," he intoned as he gave her a once over. "Mostly on the arms and legs, as well as multiple bruises. You're going to need first aid, but first we'll need to wash your wounds to get the dirt out. Can you walk?" His eyes rose to meet hers, and she stared into his face. It was surprisingly devoid of the hate and ridicule she had become accustomed to. In fact, he had a small smile on his lips and his expression was a peaceful one, maybe even friendly. However it was his golden orbs that captured her. There was a yearning there, a flicker of desperate hope. As if he had a million things to say to her, but was holding himself back.
"Who are you?" she managed instead. Upon her words the flicker died, supplanted by a deep sadness. Even his smile wavered a little. The expression was heart wrenching and she was almost tempted to ask if he was alright, despite being the injured one.
"My name is Adam…" He trailed off as if expecting her to say something. At her continued silence he sighed before standing again. He offered a hand with the same sad smile. "Adam Fountaine."
"Neko Paw!" The moment was broken as a white streak flew down the alley. Adam barely had time to turn before a foot planted itself squarely in the center of his chest. He was tossed back, releasing a sharp exhale as he impacted the ground. A new figure with blindingly white twin braids stood protectively before her. Mei knew only one person who fit the description.
"Kiana-chan..." Mei gasped. "Why?"
"Don't worry Mei-senpai," The younger girl beamed. "I'll protect you." With that declaration she stood tall ready to face her opponent.
"No Kiana-chan," Mei repeated. "Why did you do that? He was trying to help me." It took the overly energetic girl a few seconds to process her statement before realization finally hit. She looked to the injured Mei, then to the angry Adam, who was clutching his stomach, then back to Mei. Kiana's very intelligent response to the situation was quite simple.
"Eh?"
-Ω-
Mei winced as her last wound was wrapped up tightly. Adam gave her a once over before nodding his approval. Once the misunderstanding in the alley had been cleared up, Adam had invited her back to his home to be treated. He had heard her scream when she fell and rushed to the alley where he had come to her defense. Thankfully his home was only a block down and with Kiana's help Mei had made it there with little trouble. True to his word, he had cleaned and disinfected her wounds, binding them shortly after.
"Most of the injuries were superficial." Adam said as he packed up his medical kit. "You should be able to walk normally, but here are some painkillers if you think you need them," He added, sliding a small packet across the table. Mei almost declined, but the throbbing in her wounds persisted and she accepted the tablets gratefully. The boy left to return the medical kit, leaving Mei a chance to examine the house she was in.
The layout was nothing out of the ordinary, at least from what she could see. She was seated in his dining room, which only had four chairs around a small round table. A small kitchen was attached, holding basic amenities like a fridge and stove. To her right, she could see a living room with a couch and other seating. Oh her left was a hallway with a pair of closed doors on each side probably leading to bedrooms. The door at the end of the hallway was clearly the bathroom, as Adam had gone there to retrieve the first aid kit in the first place.
However the house felt strange. Stagnant, or perhaps sterilized. There was a distinct lack of personal items anywhere to be seen. There were no trinkets decorating the shelves and no pictures adorning the walls. It was as if no one lived here at all. Kiana had picked up on this as well as said as much to Adam when he returned.
"I only moved in recently," came his response. "When I was still a Valkyrja I didn't have many personal effects." That explained why the place had felt so barren. But that only brought up another question.
"I thought you said you were a Valkyrja." Mei asked with narrowed eyes. She had heard him say as much when he had chased off her attackers. At that he gave an uneasy smile.
"Ah, I guess you caught me. I was in the Valkyrja program, but I dropped out. The last mission I was on ended quite badly, leaving me as the only survivor." His expression grew solemn and Mei knew enough to drop that line of questioning.
"So why didn't you move back in with your parents?" Kiana, perhaps sensing the heavy mood, changed the topic. "I'm sure it would have been easier to move back in with them instead of moving into a new home."
"That's…" A wince "I don't have parents anymore and well... let's leave it at that." He shook his head before giving them a sad smile. "Fortunately, I made quite a bit of money during my stint as a Valkyrja. I am set, at least for a few years." The conversation trailed off into an awkward silence, prompting Mei to speak.
"Well, thank you again for helping me." Mei said. "But I would hate to impose on you any longer." She quickly rose to make good on her words but a wave of dizziness struck her. At the same time her wounds throbbed painfully and she collapsed back into her chair. Kiana was at her side in an instant, while Adam gave a small frown.
"While your wounds are bandaged up, you still lost quite a bit of blood. You're going to feel dizzy if you don't get some more fluid in you. Besides those painkillers won't kick in for a little while." He made several valid points. "I assure you that you're not a bother. Just stay until you feel well enough to move."
"Yeah senpai," Kiana urged. "Just rest, no need to rush." Once the pair were sure that Mei wouldn't try to move again, their host served them drinks before retreating to the kitchen saying was going to make himself dinner.
"Sorry Kiana," Mei sighed. "I know you don't want to be stuck here waiting for me." The cheerful girl only laughed.
"It's no problem." She smiled. "I'm just happy you're ok. I don't mind waiting."
"But what about your homework?" Mei recalled Kiana had been complaining about the assignment at lunch. "Don't you need time to finish it?"
"Easy, I just have to do the work here." With confidence Kiana withdrew the necessary papers from her bag. Said confidence quickly faded as the white haired girl stared blankly at her homework. Ten minutes of intense staring did little for Kiana who collapsed with a huff. "Why do they make these practice problems so hard?" She whined.
"Kiana, it can't be that difficult." Mei gently encouraged. "Read it out loud and maybe it will come to you."
" 54x + 9y - 72 = 0. Solve for y." Kiana recited with a frown. After a few seconds of silence, Kiana threw her hands in the air. "That didn't help at all. This is impossible."
"Y is equal to -6x + 8," the voice from the kitchen startled them both. They turned to Adam who was still focused on chopping some vegetables on a cutting board. Feeling their gaze he looked up. "What? Isn't that the answer?" Mei quickly grabbed Kaina's sheet and after a little mental math she nodded. He was correct.
"How did you figure that out so quickly?" Kiana questioned. Adam only rolled his eyes.
"It wasn't that difficult." he responded easily. "I'm sure Mei could have done the same." When Kiana's astonished eyes turned to her, she nodded. Adam was right, the problem wasn't remotely difficult. A bit of mental calculation was all that was needed.
"Then what about 0 = 27x + 3y - 63?" Kiana asked, looking at the next problem.
"Y = -9x +21," his response was followed by Kiana's rapid scribbling.
"And 0 = -8y + 64x + 56?"
"I think you should do your own homework." Adam's response caused Kiana to give a cry of dismay, while Mei smiled.
"It's really not that hard Kiana-chan." Mei giggled.
"I don't have any brain food." The girl complained. "These problems would be a cinch if I had a snack."
"Catch," Moments later a red blur was flung from the kitchen before landing in Kiana's waiting hand. The projectile turned out to be a box of pocky. "That should be enough 'brain food' for you. Now focus." The remainder of the hour was spent between Kiana trying to get Adam to help with her homework or get more snack food. Adam on the other hand kept telling her to focus and Mei all the while was playing peacekeeper between them, making sure nothing got out of hand. Eventually Adam returned to the table, a steaming plate in hand.
"Well seeing as you're still here, would I be able to interest you in dinner?" Adam asked, presenting the plate to her. The plate had rice, laden with curry. Atop was a crispy piece of breaded chicken and an assortment of vegetables. The smell alone had Mei's mouth watering but her formal training kicked in. She had already taken so much of his medical supplies and time, it would be unforgivable to take more. She opened her mouth to do just that, but her stomach growled. The moment of silence that followed had Mei's face lighting up brighter than a Christmas tree.
"I'll take that as a yes," Adam smiled, holding back his laughter. Kiana has no such modesty, cackling loudly. "Eat up, I'm not much of a cook but this dish is one of my specialties." He returned to the kitchen and Mei hesitantly dug in. The flavor immediately overwhelmed her senses. The curry was smooth, coating each rice grain with savory perfection. The breaded chicken was next, a satisfyingly crunchy exterior followed by the succulent meat hidden within.
"I'm glad you like it." Adam said, having seen her expression.
'It's delicious!" Mei exclaimed. "Where did you learn the recipe?" At that Adam froze for a moment before continuing to make his own plate.
"A close friend of mine taught me," He answered. "She said it was a great meal to cook when you are meeting someone for the first time." He returned to the table and sat but was interrupted before he could start.
"Hey, where's my plate?" Kiana objected. Adam raised a brow.
"Sorry did you get attacked in an alley?"
"Well no… but," Kiana began but was cut off.
"And didn't you just eat like four boxes of Pocky?"
"It was only three!"
"And who kicked me in the stomach without a second thought?"
"That happened forever ago!"
"That was earlier today." Adam shot back. The laughter came to Mei suddenly. Perhaps it was the childish argument before her, or the warm and satisfying curry in her stomach. However the laughter bubbled up, at first slowly and then so quickly that she couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst out laughing, causing both arguers to stop. Soon Kiana joined in, and even Adam added his own chuckle. It felt good to laugh so openly, for a smile to come so freely to her lips. It had been a while since she felt so happy, the first time in a very long time.
-Ω-
Eventually dinner concluded, with both Mei and Kiana having been fed. Adam stood in the entrance way of his house watching them go.
"Mei-senpai, I'll race you to the station!" Kiana called already sprinting ahead. Mei shook her head ruefully and began to follow albeit at a more sedated pace.
"Mei," Adam hadn't meant for his voice to carry but it caused her to turn all the same. His eyes widened, panic briefly taking hold.
"Yes?" She smiled, tilting her head a little. She must have seen his hesitation, but didn't call him out. How kind-hearted of her, just like her future self. Suddenly he felt like it was their first meeting again. The make 'prodigy' from the academy and the captain of the investigation team. Him, nervous and trying to make a good impression and she, smiling along despite Adam making a complete fool of himself.
"If you need an open ear or even just a place to relax… my door is always open." The offer felt crude, even to his ears. The idea of him offering to open his home to someone he had met only a few hours ago was ludicrous. As was the idea of anyone accepting such an offer. He felt like a fool for even saying it, but the offer was out now. He had to hope that luck was on his side.
"I'll... keep that in mind." Mei eventually replied after a few moments of silence. Response given, she quickly left to catch up with her wayward friend. Adam watched her depart before shutting the door and letting out a breath.
"What the hell am I doing?" He whispered as he ran his fingers through his hair. So much for carefully constructed plans. No plan survives first contact. That was a common phrase Carole had always chirped, but that was more because she had disregarded the strategy instead of following it to the letter. Still it was good advice.
Adam had known Mei was in the city, and even what school she attended. He knew he would have to get in contact with her eventually. To stop the ugly jealousy and hatred festering in her heart that would ignite the 3rd Honkai Eruption. But despite knowing all this, he hadn't been prepared to meet her.
"I need to let go." Adam muttered. Despite being younger, Adam could still see his Raiden Mei, the captain of the 3rd Schicksal Investigation Team. And it was blinding him, causing to act in ways that were detrimental to his mission. This Mei didn't know him, not in the way that he knew her. In a way he felt he was too invested. He was treating her like his captain, but it was these actions that would chase her away. He was ruining everything and he only had himself to blame.
Adam shook his head, clearing the negative thoughts. What was done, was done. He had to keep moving forward. Befriending Mei wasn't his only objective. Even if he failed one part of his mission he could still succeed in other areas. He needed to plan his strategy. With that he departed to his room, locking the door behind him. He took a seat at his desk and withdrew paper and pen.
It had been little over a month since his arrival to this timeline and he had done what he could.
The first concern, money, was quickly taken care of. It was amazing how much one could make with a phone from fifteen years in the future. Once his pockets had been filled he had moveto Nagazora, to enact the next step of his plan.
He wrote the words "Third Honkai Eruption" on the paper and circled it. He then drew lines from it and made two more circles. One contained the name Mei and the other Cocolia. Herrscher's needed two things, a core and a host. To stop the oncoming eruption Adam could try and counter either part.
He began his focus on Mei, the host of the Herrscher of Thunder for his timeline. Like other Herrscher's, Mei confirmed that she heard a voice in her head. In the vulnerable state she was, Mei had given in to the honey whispers of the Herrscher and caused the eruption. Her mental state after her father's incarceration had been in shambles and the constant hatred and contempt from her peers had only pushed her off the edge. A friend or close confidant could counteract that. He had planned to be that but…
The name 'Kiana?' was quickly jotted down. Mei never mentioned the name Kiana, though she had spoken of a 'close friend' she had met in Nagazora. Was this the same girl? Their friendship certainly seemed close and if Mei had such a trusted comrade, why did the explosion happen in the first place? Did he even need to intervene? Adam shook his head. He could worry about this later. There was another rogue element to eliminate.
Cocolia, the woman who pulled the strings and manufactured the events leading up to the eruption. Not only was she the person who falsely accused Mei's father of fraud but she also energized the Herrscher core enough for it to possess Mei. He knew why she had done so, but the ends did not justify the means. She needed to be stopped.
Unfortunately, Adam didn't know how Cocolia had generated enough energy (over 2000 HW if he remembered correctly) to properly energize the core. But he wasn't completely in the dark. Several history files mentioned a 'black box' in their texts. It was even what the famous Valkyrja, Kallen Kaslana, had been executed over. It had been tracked until the Third Honkai Eruption where it had promptly vanished. Perhaps it had been a power source...
He crouched below his dresser and pried up three floorboards. Reaching inside, he uncovered a safe inside and withdrew it. Adam quickly set it onto his desk and quickly pressed his finger to the scanner. A single beep later and the door cracked open. It might have been a little overkill, but Adam wasn't taking any chances. The papers inside weren't obtained legally after all. The floor plans for the headquarters of Massive Electric cooperation laid before him, even the basement level.
If Cocolia's actions were the same as this timeline, the black box was certainly being housed in the depths of the corporate headquarters. Befriending Mei was not a surefire strategy, so he was going to need to get a little creative. With one last check of his surroundings, Adam quickly got to work. He had a small black box to steal after all.
-Ω-
Files from the future
The weapon, Labor of Olympus, is the crown jewel of Schicksal R&D. The main material in its creation was soulium, the only known material that can store Honkai energy. Due to the final Honkai event eight years ago, ninety-nine percent of all Honkai energy has been sealed on the moon. Thus another way was needed to harness this energy. The solution was to gather and store what little ambient Honkai energy was left in the environment. The Labor of Olympus is the pinnacle of this technology.
The weapon has three unique features. One is the ability to gather and store ambient Honkai energy. The second is to release the energy in coordination with attacks. The last is the ability to inject stored energy into the weapon wielder. This will give them the strength benefits of Honkai energy without risk. This is of course as long as the user does not exceed their Honkai adaptability threshold.
Due to the limited energy left on earth, the sword had never filled more than 10% of its maximum capacity. Thus the use of the sword is largely negated by the pitiful amount of energy it can gather. However an optimal user has been found. The subject is able to utilize Honkai energy at much lower concentrations than others. The subject will need to be tested to see if compatibility is optimal.
-Notes by Dr. Frederica Nikola Tesla
-Ω-
Fun fact. There are actually two 'canon' versions for how Mei and Kiana's met.
One version states that Kiana met Mei before the eruption and protected her from the bullies in her class. They soon became friends and when the impact happened Kiana was able to draw Mei out of her hatred. The second version is that Mei only meets Kiana after she becomes a Herrscher.
Instead of choosing one, I decided it would be more interesting to use both. In Adam's original timeline, Mei did not have Kiana support and became a Herrscher. In this timeline Kiana met up with Mei earlier.
Really excited to keep this story going. Unlike my usual pace, I already have the first arc planned and the second arc is in the development stage. A shame I can't say the same for my writing speed.
For those curious the ending sections (Files from the future in this chapter's case) will be serving two purposes. I am aware that not everyone reading this story will dive too deep into the lore of this world. The end sections will be both an informational piece for those who are interested in learning more or adding in additional info that couldn't fit neatly into the dialogue.
A huge thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed. Helps to know that people actually enjoy reading my work.
As always If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or send me a private message. I will answer them as soon as I can.