~~000~~

Tales of the Multiverse Bit 94

For the last time, Greg! You can't eat them!

After finding safety in the form of Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, the trio of Sunny Milk, Luna Child and Star Sapphire are still shivering in fear in the presence of Darius Greg, whom is eager to eat them all alive.

~~000~~

After goofing around for thirty minutes from a pizza parlor and a 7-11 branch, Marcus "The Kane" McGee, Eddy Skipper McGee, Rolf Yrmi, Taro Yamada and Nodoka Takehara, alongside Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, Hayate Yagami, Signum, Vita, Shamal and Zafira, are seen making their way towards the main entrance of Nodoka's courtyard when all of a sudden Nanoha's device spoke.

Master! High amount of energy has been detected!

Nanoha's group then began to look around in caution while searching for the source of energy that had been detected.

Marcus rolled his eyes in response, "Ease up you guys." he advised, "What the talking magical tool detected is just the defense barrier that we set up around the premises." he explained before taking a sip of his slurpee.

"Barrier?" Fate uttered, "But we don't see one." she pointed out.

"Of course, you don't see it!" Eddy squawked in annoyance, "Why would we set up a barrier that can be visible to other people's eyes?" he stated before taking a bite of his frankfurter, "We set up a barrier system to keep us obscure from the eyes of outsiders." he explained.

"People would get suspicious if they saw some strange bunch gathered around in a supposed abandoned mansion." Taro reasoned while carrying a box of pizzas.

Zafira nodded, "That's true." he uttered in understanding.

"What do you mean by 'supposed abandoned'?" Nanoha questioned out of curiosity.

Marcus and the boys didn't respond while Nodoka solemnly looks down before the blue-haired miserable lad spoke, "That's a bit of a sensitive subject for Nodoka." he pointed out, "Please don't ask until she's ready to tell it." he advised which made Nanoha's group wondering what he meant.

Marcus and the rest then walks past through the gate, Nanoha's group looks at each other for a minute before following them and upon entering the gate, they felt another high concentration of magic stability.

"Are there any barriers set up in this mansion?" Shamal inquired, "The amount of magic is overwhelming us." she stated.

"Nope! She who is asking." Rolf answered while taking a bite of a hamburger, "The sensation you are feeling right now belongs to our friends." he stated.

Vita raised an eyebrow, "Does he always talk like this?" she asked.

"Yep." Eddy answered with a blank look.

Outside the mansion, they saw Vaas Montenegro, Needless Kane, Geraldo Axel and Nadia "Ms." Fortune alongside Javelin, Panooki Zarrya and Mumbo hanging out at the lawn when Javelin took notice of their arrival.

"Everyone, welcome back!" Javelin greeted.

"Finally!" Vaas exclaimed before approaching the arrivals, "You guys discovered anything?" he asked before noticing the Nanoha's group, "Uhh... who are they?" he asked.

Before Marcus could answer, Panooki rushed forward and tackled Eddy to the ground while hugging him tightly, "I'm so worried about you, Eddy!" the pink-haired alien cried out, "Are you hurt? Are you injured? Did you lose a finger? Do you have an amnesia?" she bombarded him with questions.

Eddy grunted, "I'm okay, Panooki..." he reassured, "... nice for ya to ask..." he grumbled.

"Um... what's up with her?'' Signum questioned towards Panooki, "I can totally feel that she isn't an ordinary person." she pointed out.

"That's because she's an alien from the planet Desponica." Marcus answered rather bluntly.

"Alien!?" Hayate gasped in surprise.

"I'm surprised too when I first found that out." Nodoka admitted with a sheepish look.

"Anyway... these people are members of the Time-Space Administration Bureau or TSAB for short." Marcus introduced with a hand gestured at Nanoha's group, "And they're also part of the Dimensional Defense Union." he added, "We met them during our trip in the city and they're also investigating the Nightmares, and since our groups are on the same case, we decided to work together." he explained.

"I see." Vaas uttered, "Then please to meet your acquaintance." he greeted.

"Likewise." Nanoha greeted back before turning her attention at Needless, "Um... you wouldn't mind me asking about him?" she questioned.

"Oh... don't mind me, cupcake!" Needless chuckled, "I'm just creepy looking clown that makes ice cream." he reassured.

"Inside a creepy looking ice cream truck." Nadia added.

"Oi! I heard that!" Needles exclaimed in annoyance.

Marcus turns to Nanoha, "If you're wondering, yes, they're former criminals." he confirmed, "And they are currently working in the Heroes Coalitions to redeem themselves." he explained which surprised Nanoha's group.

"Are you sure that taking in criminals is all right?" Fate asked in concern.

"Don't worry." Taro reassured, "Despite their looks, they're working really hard in changing themselves into a better person." he explained before turning to Mumbo, "Here's the pizza you guys wanted." he presented.

"Finally!" Mumbo cheered while accepting box of pizzas, "The guys have been waiting for this." he stated.

Geraldo then spoke, "By the way, Nodoka..." he uttered which got the girl's attention, "... Yoshika decided to borrow your kitchen and she's currently preparing for tomorrow's breakfast." he revealed.

"Really? Then I should help her!" Nodoka declared before running inside the mansion.

"She's quite a responsible girl." Shamal commented with a smile.

Marcus chuckled, "She sure is." he said in agreement, "Come on, let's go inside and meet the rest of the miserable." he beckoned before entering the mansion.

"Why did he called the rest of your friends 'miserable'?" Hayate asked in confusion.

"Because we're a bunch of miserable people." Eddy answered with a blank look.

Later that night, the rest already met the Nanoha's group and got to know each other. Yoshika Miyafuji and Javelin, alongside Akane Isshiki, Aoi Futaba, Himawari Shinomiya and Wakaba Saegusa, already made friends with Fate, Hayate and Shamal while Nanoha gets along with Marcus despite his jerkass attitude. Signum finds herself getting along fine with Ichigo Kurosaki and Duncan Nelson while Zafira quickly become buddies with Jake Long.

Meanwhile, Vita still don't trust the guys but seems to acquaint herself with Xyrielle "XY Girl" Yona for some reason.

Everyone are currently gathered around the living room while having a conversation and eating some refreshments at the same time.

"So rather than being called magical girls and boy, you prefer to call yourselves as mages." Rex Salazar concluded, "I gotta agree with that because it's a lot more fitting name than the former." he admitted.

"Thank you." Shamal said in gratitude, "Though this is the first time I'm meeting an Evo!" she confessed, "I heard rumors about them but never get to see one until now." she stated.

"Well, after I fixed the Evo problem back in my world, less and less Evo have been appearing." Rex explained.

Hayate looks around, "Nodoka-san, I can't believe that you're living in a huge mansion like this..." she admitted in awe, "... but I was wondering where are your parents right now?" she asked.

The moment Hayate drops that question, the entire living room fell into deep silence with Nodoka hanging her head down, much to the confusion of Nanoha's group.

"Was it something I said?" Hayate uttered in confusion and worry.

"I think you just stumbled upon a very sensitive subject." Zafira pointed out with Eddy letting out a huge gulp.

"Nodoka..." Marcus uttered.

Nodoka shook her head, "It's fine Marcus..." she reassured, "I... I'll them..." she decided before taking a deep breath, "As you can see..." she uttered, "I live alone in this mansion because my parents are dead." she revealed.

Upon hearing this revelation, Nanoha's group gained a look of shock, Fate even had her hands covering her mouth in horror.

Hayate then realized that her question made Nodoka really uncomfortable, "I'm... I'm sorry..." she apologized, "I'm sorry for asking such insensitive question." she furthered.

"It's fine..." Nodoka reassured, "I believe it's better to share it rather than keep it to myself." she reasoned.

"Pardon me for asking but what happened?" Fate inquired with her maternal instincts getting the best of her.

Nodoka took another deep breath before speaking, "You see... my parents used to be great business entrepreneurs until my father was accused of poisoning a rival company's executive officer which led to his death and while on trial, my father is killed by a gunshot to the head by a relative of the deceased executive and after that, the blame was shifted towards my mother who many believes was involved in the incident, and while my mother tried to fight back those allegations but she was killed as well by the same person who killed my father." she recounted, "After that, everything fell apart as my other relatives want nothing to do with me anymore, our servants quit their jobs, I dropped out from school after getting mistreated by my school mates, and I've been all alone ever since." she furthered, "I'm still lucky that my parents had left enough money for me to use but I don't know how long it will last." she admitted, "Then I heard a rumor that the same person who killed my parents is after me as well, so I've been hiding in fear." she said, "And then I heard another rumor that I took my own life, so that's why people thought that this place was abandoned." she pointed out, "I would have taken my own life when suddenly a bright light came down onto me which gave me the ability to see the future and after that, I came across Marcus and his team." she concluded with a few tears in her eyes.

Fate then stood up from her seat, she walks towards Nodoka and then pulling the girl into a deep hug, "I'm so sorry that you have to go through all that." she apologized, "How could such things happen to you!?" she questioned in tears.

Nodoka is taken by surprise by the sudden hug before slowly smiling, "Thank you very much..." she uttered in gratitude, "But don't worry, I've moved on." she reassured, "Besides..." she trailed before turning towards Marcus and the rest, "I may have lost my family but I gained another." she declared.

Marcus nodded, "That's right." he said in agreement, "You're part of our family now." he certified.

Edwin "Ed" Horace Williams began to ball out in tears while burying his face on Duncan's shoulder whom is equally disrupted until Ed blows his nose on his shirt, much to the delinquent's disbelief, "Aaak! Ed!" he yelled while glaring at the smiling yellow skinned boy.

This made everyone burst into laughter, even Vita and XY Girl are chuckling, immediately dispelling the somber mood.

"That's one way to kill the mood." Ichigo mused.

Danny Fenton nodded, "I'll say." he said in agreement.

Nodoka took a deep breath, "It do feels good releasing my feelings as if the load of my shoulders was taken off." she admitted.

"You can put your past behind you, Nodoka." Marcus advised, "But you can also use it as a stepping stone and strength that you need to go on further in life." he added with a smile.

Nodoka smiled back, "Yeah." she said in agreement.

Later that evening where everyone are fast asleep, we see Nanoha walking around the halls in a nightgown lend to her by Nodoka. She just came from kitchen after getting a glass of drink and as she proceeds to make her way back to her room, she comes across Marcus staring at a window, illuminated by the moonlight.

Nanoha then walked towards him, "Marcus, why are you still awake?" she asked.

"I just got a lot of things in my mind." Marcus replied while not even bothering to look at her.

"Is it about the Nightmares?" Nanoha assumed.

Marcus shook his head, "No..." he uttered, "I was thinking about what to do to the people who made Nodoka's life a living hell." he shared.

Nanoha is taken a back by this response, "Marcus, are you planning on hunting those people?" she assumed while getting nervous all of a sudden. Truth to be told, Nanoha doesn't get scared that easily and in fact, there's nothing left for her to be scared of, however... the tone in Marcus' voice somewhat unnerved her.

Marcus turns to her with a cold look, "Yes... yes I am." he answered rather bluntly, "I'm going to make them pay for everything they did to her and her family." he declared.

Nanoha's eyes widen at his response and didn't say anything, the two just stood there in silence, mixed feelings broiling down within their minds.

bzzzttt...

Somewhere in Uminari City, we head towards a tall building and inside one office, we see Kenzo having a conversation with a young woman.

Despite her youthful physique, the young woman is in her mid-thirties. She had a short brown, frizzy hair and she had red eyes. She wears a blue uniform jacket over a white blouse with a red necktie, blue skirt over a brown pantyhose and black high heels. This is Mayaka Takehara, the current CEO of the Takehara Corporation.

Takehara Corporation CEO

Mayaka Takehara

"Kenzo!" Mayaka shouted, "How come you haven't dispose of her yet?" she demanded in anger.

"I'm sorry ma'am." Kenzo apologized, "But for two nights straight, I always find the mansion empty." he reasoned, "I think she might have left this city." he assumed.

"She hasn't!" Mayaka argued, "I had every personnel check on people coming in and out in this city and none saw her leaving, not even in a box, so she's still here in this city!" she exclaimed.

"But she could have taken her life already!" Kenzo reasoned.

"Did you always look at every nook and cranny of the mansion?" Mayaka inquired to which Kenzo nodded in response, "Have you found any corpse of that girl?" she furthered and Kenzo responded by shaking his head, "Then that means she's still alive!" she declared. "Return there tomorrow night and I expect a result!" she demanded.

Kenzo begrudgingly nodded his head in response before leaving the office with Mayaka turning her attention towards the window.

"We need to get rid of that girl soon or else we won't find the remaining treasures that her parents had hidden." Mayaka uttered

"Just what is it about that girl that you need her dead that badly?" a voice asked.

Mayaka then turns around to see Flirtare and Squall Meusel leaning against the wall with devious smiles on their faces, "Mind your own business!" she snarled at the two Dark Force members, "I agreed to let you people use this city to cause havoc with your little experiment but I didn't agree on letting you people getting involve with my plans." she stated.

Flirtare chuckled, "All right! All right!" he conceded, "Don't get all riled up." he mused, "Besides... this just the beginning of phase one of our little experiment." he said before taking flipping a coin, "Phase two... would be far more interesting." he declared with Squall chuckling in agreement.

bzzzttt...

Somewhere in the skies of Uminari City, we see a strange girl flying around aimlessly through the winds... very strong winds.

"Aiiiyeeee!" the girl shrieked, "Why does the wind needs to be this strong!?" she cried in panic while holding tight on her broom that she's riding on. Then she heard a beeping noise coming from the radar attached to her broom, "Oh! A signal!" she cheered, "Someone in this city had the same genes as me!" she assumed before gasping in realization, "Huh? Could it be... it could it be my big brother!" she exclaimed, "If that's true! Then my older sister is with him too!" she added, "Yosh! This is my chance to reunite with them after so long!" she proclaimed when suddenly she was blown away by the strong winds, "Aiiiyeeee! That is if I could get through past these strong winds!" she shouted.

A/N: Inspired from someonestupED, damnlastwords, Jamesdean5842, Hope the Victor and Ace Neptune. All OCs and concepts not created by moi were given permission for me to use by it's respected creators.