【12 - Triple Meteorburn! Coming Face-to-Face with a Big Baddie!】


It was the next day and Heidi was sitting on a stool while Narciel explained to her the extra-dimensional nature of energy from the creature world. His lessons were often part practical skills about the game of Duel Masters and part theory about the lore and their mysterious enemies. The bearded man had told her off twice already for daydreaming. Heidi had seen Timothy at breakfast and both of them had been rather shy but spoken to each other, speaking more softly than they ever had before. She hadn't needed to say anything but he knew she was interested. Heidi started pondering the features of his face and Narciel stopped talking, now he watched her incredulously.

"What is up with you? Why are you so moony?"

Heidi blinked at the grey-flecked man and tried diverting the conversation "You said Urusai regained consciousness last night, right? It reminded me… do you think you could teach me about cross gears?"

Narciel itched his grey-flecked beard "…I don't know. There's not a lot to say."

"They stay in the battle-zone even when the creature they're attached to is destroyed. The controller can keep re-equipping it to creature after creature after creature."

"Yes, well, it's called 'crossing'. That is the proper game terminology. I can tell you what we do know about them. Cross Gears are introduced in the DM-14, they are a separate game abstraction to creatures and spells. You pay their cost to generate them, and then you must pay their cost again to cross them to another creature. And when the crossed creature is destroyed the cross gear remains in play, that is correct. There is no limit to the number of cross gears that can be crossed to any one creature. Only spells or effects that specifically destroy cross gears will work on them. We've only seen them being played by two of the lieutenants, we've never studied one in detail."

"Wow…" Heidi stared out through the window, wondering again how long it'd take before Supernova Mars Disaster was ready to reveal the next set to her.

"Now anyway, back to what I was saying-" Narcial was interrupted by the ringing of his mobile. He reached into his robe and struggled before pulling out the silver device "Hello? Ah yes, Principal Engyo… what? Yes, she is." He listened on the phone while Heidi waited. "Okay, I'll be there soon." He hung up "The interrogation of Urusai Torcan was a success. She spilled everything. We're having a meeting now to discuss it."

"Interrogation…?" Heidi was still bothered by it for some reason. They wouldn't have the lieutenant if it weren't for her. She knew Urusai was one of the bad guys but she still didn't want to be complicit in torture. Human rights should apply to all sentient beings in all dimensions and not just Aurellia. "I guess class is cancelled then?"

"You're coming with me."

"Oh."

"Come on, let's go."

They walked the halls until finding an obscure office on the top level. The polished double-doors opened to reveal a long mahogany table and seated around it were smartly dressed adults that Heidi could only assume were the teaching staff. Also black-uniformed military men, pilots of the starships they owned. The walls were wooden; white stone busts were evenly spaced upon little pillars. Principal Engyo sat at the head of the table with his hands knotted, his wrinkled face smiled in welcome. The twinkle of his eyes was gone and it was ominous. A crew-member indicated to the two seats that'd been reserved for them. The chair spun and smelt of fresh leather, molding comfortably to Heidi's back while also propping her upright.

"Good, Narciel and the chosen fire duelist are here. We can begin."

"What did you find?" A squat man with a walrus moustache was brimming with urgency.

"Yes Principle Engyo, what in the hell are they?" A skeletal woman clutched at the pearls around her neck.

"The total number of lieutenants is thirteen, she gave us their names and physical descriptions. They form a battalion that answers to a general known as Urobach. She was asked how many generals there are… she said hundreds."

"Impossible!" walrus-moustache guy rebuked; Heidi felt her guts sinking into the chair.

"However, she said Urobach's battalion is the only one on Aurellia. She was asked why are they here… she said they came to conquer the planet and use it as a conduit to absorb even more raw power from the creature world. She was asked who the generals are working for… she said, the Gatekeepers of the Outer Path."

Several of the listeners clasped their mouths in dismay. Nobody had heard of them but it sounded ominous enough. Engyo continued "She could not identify any of them or provide any information, and after a while… it was shown she was not lying. All she knew was that they are beings of 'unfathomable power'. She said the underlings are a race of humanoid aliens and that the select few of them with the ability to channel a portion of the gatekeepers' power were given the rank of general and made to work on the gatekeepers' behalf."

"This is ludicrous!" Narciel snapped.

"This is…" Heidi lowered her eyes to the shining, mahogany table and was barely able to process.

"Heidi," Principal Engyo caused her to lift her head and meet his eyes "This is beyond anything we could ever hope to prepare you for. You and the other chosens combined. The gatekeepers aren't focused on Aurellia at all, otherwise they would've sent more forces. By the sounds of things this planet is just one of many, many others that they are destroying or enslaving. Our planet Aurellia is just a side-goal, one stalk of wheat-chaff amidst an entire field of realities they're reaping."

"Then… what do we do?" Heidi mumbled "Surrender on terms? We can't do that… even if we managed to defeat General Urobach would they just send more generals?"

"That's a strong possibility."

"Then we have to fight them all!" Heidi yelled, instantly riled up. "Whatever we do, we can't sit back and do nothing!" She jumped to her feet, banging the table with her fist. A few of the teachers looked at the short girl with surprise. Principal Engyo dipped his head.

"…This last bit of information is especially terrifying, I have to admit. I don't want to alarm any of you…" he looked up at them "This is what Urusai believes, she says she's never met one of the gatekeepers so it's not impossible this was just a lie fed to her but… while they would rather turn Aurellia into a conduit it isn't necessary for them to do it, at all. Urusai said… that were a gatekeeper inclined they could teleport to our dimension and destroy our planet in seconds."

There was a long, ominous silence. Heidi couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't even imagine that much power. It was like a doomsday prophecy. Eventually she was the first one to speak up after over a minute of grim silence passed.

"So in other words… as soon as we become more trouble than we're worth… and we're not worth much… they could pop in and annihilate us…"

Another moment of silence.

"Billions of years of evolution. Gone in a matter of seconds." The walrus-moustache man said and the pearl-necklaced lady was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"What Heidi said before makes sense." Principal Engyo finally continued speaking, no wonder his eyes had looked so dark "This is most definitely what Urusai Torcan believes. Is it true? Maybe, maybe not. We must continue trying to capture or eliminate General Urobach and his lieutenants as they are involved in terrorist activities. We can't do nothing, and we'll figure this out as we go. It's only logical."

The meeting divulged into the individual lieutenants and where they were believed to be. Mostly they had no idea, but everyone was filled in with the information they did get from Urusai.

"Are the authorities aware?" Heidi thought to ask at the end, just as everyone around the table was getting to their feet.

"There's not much they'll be able to do. And we're not quite finished getting everything we can from Urusai."

Heidi clenched her teeth. She didn't like anything about their situation.

That day Heidi couldn't focus and Narciel also thought it was best they finally have a day off. Was training so hard, all her effort these past two weeks come to nothing? She found Timothy and because she was far too bleak and lifeless to hide it from him, she let the boy take her aside and sit her down, then she told him everything.

"This is also something we can't tell Soroban or Iwate because it'll do no good to make them depressed. I'm sorry to have to burden you with it… but I really need your support now." Heidi wrapped her arms around the similarly haunted-looking boy. He held on and hugged her close.

The two of them tried acting normal for everyone else that day. When night came Heidi tossed and turned in bed, jumping with a start when she heard a noise. Reaching over she flicked the lamp on and saw from the clock that it was half-past eleven. She kept breathing in the solitude and there came the noise again, a gentle knocking at her door. If she'd been sleeping with her usual amount of heaviness she would've never heard it. Who the hell would be knocking on her door in the middle of the night? Timothy? Narciel?

Throwing her blankets off Heidi put her bare feet into slippers, she was wearing her pale-green pajama set again. She stepped uncertainly toward her door and hesitated before unlocking it.

"Who's out there?" she hissed through the gap.

"It's Penelope!"

Heidi was taken aback. Penelope was probably the last person she expected to be up in the middle of the night on a Sunday. She had class early tomorrow. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack, the freckled girl's chocolate eyes were visible in the dull lamplight "Hey…"

"What are you doing here?" Heidi whispered.

"I have to show you something. There's something Principal Engyo and the others aren't telling you…"

"They told me everything." Heidi couldn't fathom how Penelope could know more than her about anything, though she had been a student here for longer.

"Trust me. They didn't." Penelope seemed completely sure of herself.

"Where are you taking me?" Heidi asked, exasperated.

"Just to the main hall. We gotta go now. Bring your deck and your bag – the rucksack. Trust me, Heidi."

Annoyed, the short girl turned and did as she was told. Grabbing her deck and slipping it into her rucksack, slinging it over her shoulder. She opened the door and noticed Penelope was fully dressed in her uniform, white top and skirt. The two cat-ear bundles of hair atop her head.

"Won't you get in trouble if we get caught walking the halls after lockout?"

"They have motion sensors at each corner at ankle-height, so you got to step around them very carefully or it'll trigger an alarm."

"Oh yeah, what about the cameras?" Heidi asked as she stepped out and closed the door behind her, darkness swallowing them.

"They don't monitor the footage overnight. Come on!" Penelope started walking and Heidi followed.

So they won't catch her in the act, they'll still catch her later when they review the footage. Heidi didn't get it. If Penelope was so stressed about graduating why was she risking suspension? This must be pretty important…

Heidi followed Penelope's lead, stepping carefully around the corners, sliding carefully down the stairway rails. On the bottom level she opened a huge arched door to reveal the assembly room – it looked akin to a church. Heidi had never been inside here before, she looked out at all the wooden seat-rows in the dark, lit by regular floor-lights. The two girls made their way to the podium through the centre isle, Penelope again checking the time on her phone and glancing at the huge antique clock that hung from the far wall.

"Okay…" Penelope slowed and they both stepped onto the podium. It was pretty cool to be doing this, even though Heidi was more concerned with what it was Penelope wanted to show her. It was almost midnight. They stopped in the centre "…here we are."

"Okay." Heidi looked around and back to her friend, raised her hands and let her arms drop to her sides. "What is it?"

Penelope kept her eyes on her phone, the seconds were moving closer to twelve o'clock. She didn't speak for a while.

"You know it's funny… ever since I was a kid all I ever wanted was to be a student here. I worked so hard for that scholarship. And now I'm about to get kicked out…"

"You're not going to get kicked out, Penelope."

Again she checked her phone. Then suddenly she ran at Heidi and wrapped her in a big hug. Heidi stood awkwardly with her arms out, Penelope held on like she was clinging for dear life. Heidi had to ask "ah… are you okay, Penelope?"

"Sorry for this…" she whispered. The clock struck midnight and everything in sight ignited with black fire. Heidi's vision went dark and she felt cold, ice-cold. Squeezed through a tunnel of void.

When the black fire cleared both girls flew away from each other, hitting bare concrete and grunting. They were no longer in the school hall, or inside the DMA for that matter. Currently they were in some kind of warehouse. Both of them coughed dust, Penelope getting to her feet and dusting herself off. Heidi was still in too much shock to move, both her slippers had flung off and she was barefoot in her pajamas.

"It worked…" Penelope stated, facing the other way.

"What the hell just happened?"

"The very first time we met… it wasn't your deck or your wallet I was after… I placed a tracking beacon inside your bag."

Heidi scrambled up onto her hands and knees, immediately she spilled out the contents of her bag. She never emptied it, lint and broken keychains and her cards scattered atop the concrete. A button-sized piece of plastic hit the ground and bounced away from her. Heidi stared and then slowly turned to face the girl she'd thought was her friend.

"You… you…" she couldn't finish that sentence, instead she weakly rebutted with "How could you?"

"He knew about my Grandma's condition, that's why he came to me. The samurai, Lieutenant Dojo. It's really interesting how General Urobach's teleportation powers work… he can transport himself anywhere on the planet, though it takes time. And as long as he knows exactly where someone or something is he can transport it to his location."

Heidi straightened with fright, she looked around the dark, dusty warehouse. Eyed the elevated walkway around the edge of the room. She couldn't see anyone else. Chains hung from the ceiling and there were stationary turbines behind slats of metal. Quickly Heidi gathered up her cards and stood, turning to face the girl she'd thought was her friend. Penelope had been a spy all along.

"You really had me fooled." Heidi said spitefully.

"I know… sorry…" Penelope turned, her eyes were very sad but she'd completely resolved herself "It's reprehensible… but I'd do anything for my only family… I'd do anything to not be alone."

"Even risk the safety of the world!?"

"Yes." The red-head raised her deck, hand glowing with purple energy. A darkness duelist, appropriate for this gloomy setting. "When I beat you they'll save Grandma."

"You've made a big mistake, Penelope!" Heidi's hand burst with red energy. Penelope walked backwards and Heidi did the same. When they were far enough apart their tables manifested in front of them.

"Kettou da!"

"Yoshi!"

"Ikuzo!"

"Koi!"

The ten teal panels activated and Heidi tried to get a grip on her emotions. The warehouse was huge and empty, for all she knew she was on the other side of Augus, smack-dab in the middle of their base. She probably wouldn't be able to get away but she'd be damned if Penelope wasn't going to pay for this betrayal.

"I charge darkness mana, your turn!" an eerie purple glow.

"I charge fire mana!" Heidi's familiar burning red.

"I charge water mana and summon Lupa, Poison-Tipped Doll!" the 1000-power death puppet leered at Heidi, its many skeletal limbs scuttling awkwardly forward.

"I charge and summon Mini Titan Gett!" the roller-bladed humanoid skidded into view, reaching up to adjust its goggles. A 2000 power-attacker.

"I charge fire mana and summon Pierr, Psycho Doll!" A malevolent top-hatted figure walked crookedly forward while brandishing a saw.

"You use three civilizations? And I'm dealing with slayers again, Pierr's also a blocker…"

"My deck's had all kinds of upgrades." Penelope gave a mean grin Heidi had never seen her wear before.

"Well it's still not enough to beat me!" Heidi whipped out a card "I cast the spell Relentless Blitz! You didn't attack with Lupa because you wanted to use its tap effect to make other creatures slayers. Well it's not happening! Now humanoids can attack untapped creatures and can't be blocked this turn! Mini Titan Gett ike!" The kid-fighter skated out, flipping up and kicking Lupa's head with enough force to snap it from its body. "Yes!"

"Impressive as always… I charge and summon Jenny, the Dismantling Puppet!" A white-haired girl doll in red-and-black Lolita fashion stepped out with a sharp sword, wicked grin beneath demonic eyes. "Now you got to show me your hand and I discard a card from it!" Penelope pointed.

"I'm guessing that's one of the future cards they gave you…" Heidi showed her hand and Penelope squinted at the cards.

"Discard Burst Shot."

Heidi put the spell in her graveyard then started her turn "I charge and summon Muramasa's Knife! Mini Titan Gett ike!" the bouncing pocket-knife fanned several blades while its companion wheeled forward with quick leg strokes.

"Pierr, Psycho Doll block!" It was annoying to see her 1000-point doll wipe out Heidi's superior humanoid with its slayer effect, but Heidi had to get rid of it somehow. Its blade whirred as Gett skated over; a slash, a scream and a spray of blood before both creatures faded.

"Awesome!" Penelope jumped with delight at the sight of the card she drew "I got a cross gear! I tap two to generate Spiral Aura!" A glimmering liquid cape weaved itself upward and swayed "I tap another two to cross it with Jenny the Dismantling Puppet!" It flexed, springing toward her creature and warping to wrap its body with a watery covering. "Whenever a creature crossed with Spiral Aura is destroyed it returns to my hand instead!"

"And since cross gears don't go to the graveyard in most circumstances…" Heidi lowered her face while glaring forward "she's never going to run out of creatures to summon."

"Jenny the Dismantling Puppet ike! Break Heidi's shield!" the death puppet giggled, leaping forward and cutting through glass, shards bouncing dangerously against the concrete. A facedown card popped off the table and Heidi caught it.

"I charge and summon Choya, the Unheeding!" the orange-armored fighter on spring shoes bounced up and down on the spot. "Muramasa's Knife ike, attack Jenny!" The xenoparts sparked and whirred before flying at the 1000-point doll. She grunted as she was impaled. The card flipped up for Penelope to catch. Without a host the liquid cloak flexed back to its original shape and waited.

Penelope only had two cards in her hand, she decided to use Jenny for mana and then five cards tapped "I summon Burial Doll Shamamba!" A purple tiki-face with arms and a rock body leaned back into view. It was a 3000 blocker that couldn't attack. She didn't have enough mana left over to cross it so Heidi had a chance to take it down first.

She drew "I summon Brawyler Zyler! Choya the Unheeding ike!"

"Burial Doll Shamamba block!" It extended its body to meet the springing fighter but Choya raised his foot and sprung away, landing back beside the cannon-armed mummy. Penelope didn't understand.

"Battle doesn't happen when Choya gets blocked, or did you forget? Now Muramasa's Knife ike! Break her shield!" It bounced itself up before flying over and stabbing through a panel. The shards reconnected and Penelope reached out to take her floating card.

"Alright, it's a shield trigger X!"

"Shield trigger X?"

"A shield trigger cross gear, I get to both generate and cross it for free! I play Powered Mask! Attach yourself to Burial Doll Shamamba!" a terrifying red-skull mask with horns strapped itself to the menacing tiki. "It now gets an extra 1000 power for every tapped creature on the field!"

"Dammit! Now she has two cross gears in play!"

Penelope laughed as she started her turn. She drew and studied her only card "Okay, I tap six and summon Screwhead Lizard!" A reptile made of glowing lava crawled into play with 5000 power. "Your move!"

Heidi drew and studied her only card "I tap three and summon Wild Racer Chief Garan!" the motorcyclist with the three-pronged claws skid around to face the enemy. "Choya the Unheeding ike!" This time Penelope let the springing creature go and he kicked forward through a left panel. "Muramasa's Knife ike! Break a shield!" The xenoparts bounced and this time Penelope turned her card to block "Stop it Shamamba!" Her purple red-masked tiki caught and crushed the gadget against its body. "Brawyler Zyler…" Heidi paused with her hand on the card. She'd meant for it to suicide with her blocker seeing as it was a power-attacker, but due to its cross gear the puppet was now on 5000 power. That was unfeasible, Heidi picked a different target "Ike! Break her shield!" the cannon-armed zombie fired an array of bullets that shattered another shield, Penelope having to turn away from the falling glass.

"Alright… I summon another Lupa, Poison-Tipped Doll! Then I cross Screwhead Lizard with Spiral Aura!" the watery cloak leapt over, stretching to cover the lizard's body and steam rose from the resultant combination. "Screwhead Lizard ike! Take out Choya the Unheeding!" Flinging itself into the fray, the melt warrior pounced upon and melted through Heidi's poor humanoid; its card flicked off the table.

If I lose here it's over for me, Heidi thought with growing despair. I'll never get away if I'm injured after a Kaijudo duel. I'll be their prisoner! Heidi drew and looked at the only card in her hand. Supernova Mars Disaster. Her fire was back, looking up she surveyed her field. Two humanoids in the game, but it was a lot better than none.

"I end my turn."

"Aw don't you have enough mana? That's a shame…" Penelope drew "I summon Trixo, Wicked Doll!" A pumpkin-headed thespian whipped its rapier maniacally. "Screwhead Lizard ike! Lupa Poison-Tipped Doll ike! Break her shields!" The water-lava lizard and spidery doll took apart a shield each, Heidi felt the glass bouncing off her body but she didn't get cut. She looked up again and drew from her deck. Both of them now had two shields each.

"You're still a student at the DMA, Penelope. I'm seeing a lot of great card effects but no real strategy."

"Strategy?" she laughed again "With cards like these who needs strategy!?" The laughing continued and Heidi charged mana then began her turn.

"I summon another Brawler Zyler! Then I evolve it with my first one and Wild Racer Chief Garan to summon Supernova Mars Disaster! Evolution GV!"

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Penelope looked scared.

A red aura covered Heidi's body as she raised the glowing card overhead. She slammed it down and fire erupted, twirling upwards. Immediately the warehouse became unstable, shaking on its foundations. Heidi remembered Narciel's warning from last week: Never play a Kaijudo duel indoors. Suddenly metal beams crashed down between them, Penelope clutching her ears and screaming. Metal tore and sheets of steel toppled down, spewing dust. Burning fire blazed like a maelstrom furnace and suddenly moonlight illuminated both girls. Mars had torn a wide hole through the roof. As the destruction settled Heidi looked up at her divine red-orange phoenix. Smiling in appreciation and then narrowing her eyes at her opponent under the ghostly full moon, the field now swathed in red light.

"Supernova Mars Disaster break her last shields! And meteorburn! Ike!" The phoenix released a songbird screech, burning hotter and flying forward. The heatwave rippling off its body seared apart Lupa the Poison-Tipped Doll and Trixo Wicked Doll. Burial Doll Shamamba and Screwhead Lizard survived. Penelope screamed again when her shields burst into dust. The edges of her tabletop singed and smoking as the phoenix returned to Heidi with a screech.

The orange-haired girl's hand was shaking as she reached for her deck, looking at the three cards she held with hopeless confusion. Being in the presence of such an awesome being was psyching her out.

"Penelope!" Heidi called. "You don't have to do this! Let's get out of here and then we can get your grandma the help she needs, I swear!"

"Shut up!" the girl was almost crying, setting a card in her mana zone "I s-summon Pierr Psycho Doll!" the blocker-slayer landed in a crooked hunch with its top-hat and saw-blade.

"You're not seeing reason! Your monster will be gone the moment I use meteorburn again!"

"S-Screwhead Lizard break her shield, ike!" she squealed and her fire-water melt warrior scrambled forward. Pathetically small in comparison to Heidi's giant phoenix whose burning white eyes followed its approach. The lizard slashed one of Heidi's remaining shields and she took the card to her hand.

Heidi drew and examined her two cards: Armored Cannon Balbaro and Rumble Gate. If Penelope absolutely refused to listen to reason Heidi would have to finish her off, but she refused to do it with her 13,000 phoenix. That would undoubtedly kill her. Penelope wasn't a bad person; her tears and the friendship had been real. They'd naturally connected and understood what it was like to not have parents. It killed Heidi, but she knew she'd have to attack directly if given no other choice. She used Balbaro for mana. "Supernova Mars Disaster attack Screwhead Lizard and use Meteorburn! Ike!"

Another tyrannical fiery assault. Pierr Psycho Doll was reduced to cinders. Screwhead Lizard was bounced back into Penelope's hand, the empty Spiral Aura warping back into a cape. Death Doll Shamamba survived another meteorburn because of its cross gear, the tapped creatures had its power safely on 5000. As the racing flames receded Penelope was swatting the sleeve of her uniform top, it'd caught alight.

Afterwards Penelope took a shaky breath and drew with a shaky hand.

"Please Penelope!" Heidi begged as tears ran down her face. "Please don't make me do this! I know you're not a bad person!"

"Quit lecturing me!" the redhead screamed furiously, the edges of her eyes glistening with tears not yet overflowing. "I summon Screwhead Lizard and cross it with Spiral Aura!" the liquid cape fused with her lava lizard again.

Heidi closed her eyes sadly, internally praying before drawing a card. It was Baby Zoppe. Stronger than she would've liked, but 4000 wasn't 13,000. At least Baby Zoppe wouldn't kill her. From the tabletop Heidi's phoenix card was glowing bright red.

"I summon Baby Zoppe!" the eager chicklet broke out of its blue egg, the bottom-half still attached as it excitedly jumped up and down. "Now I cast Rumble Gate! My creatures gain 1000 power and can attacked untapped creatures. This is the last little mercy I can give you Penelope… Supernova Mars Disaster attack Screwhead Lizard and meteorburn! Ike!" Red light and the final bottom card flew out from under Mars, beneath Heidi's fingers the tapped card superheated and glowed its brightest once more.

A third time fire engulfed the space, another metal beam falling to the ground behind Penelope with a crash, splitting the cement. Heidi squinted through the fire and heatwaves, watching Penelope as she cowered against the hellish intensity. Since her phoenix was the only tapped card Burial Doll Shamamba was only on 4000 power. The meteorburn wiped her blocker away and Screwhead Lizard once more bounced back to her hand. As the inferno cleared all that was left were Penelope's two cross gears. The empty water-cloak of Spiral Aura and the horned red skull of Powered Mask floating suspended.

Penelope was quivering like a leaf. Still she reached for her deck and added mana, the card almost dropping off the table. Still was single-mindedly focused on saving her grandmother.

"…I s-summon Screwhead Lizard… I cross him with both Spiral Aura and P-Powered Mask." Ten cards tapped and the molten lizard was sheathed in water and steam, the skeletal mask attaching to cover its head.

"You're not alone…" Heidi murmured.

"Yes I am."

Amidst the red flow of Mars's churning power Heidi tapped her card "Baby Zoppe… ike todomeda."

The fire bird jumped with a squawk, little legs racing it forward with blinding speed. Penelope's eyes widened and then she scrunched them shut, screaming before the creature even hit her. She went quiet when it did, the desperate girl flung back against concrete with a sickening break. Supernova Mars Disaster reared its head and spread fiery wings holding celestial spheres, calling out to the starry sky before fizzling out with the other creatures. It was dark again, moonlight coating the scene from the huge hole in the warehouse roof, a steel slat swaying in the night breeze and wires sparking. The concrete was littered with steel beams and chains. Heidi ran over, jumping over the debris. She slowed to a stop as she noticed Penelope lying motionless, her leg bent at a sickening angle.

And then there was a slow round of applause. Heidi turned and directed wide eyes at the upper railing. A dark-haired man with a scarred face, black uniform with white trimming and monochromatic amber eyes. General Urobach gave her an eager smile.


AN: Well aren't I just plain silly? Nobody has reviewed! ...cause it's been a matter of hours since my last update. What can I say, I have my writing mojo coming full flair. I can't ask acumashindorballomu about how he feels over Penelope's downfall... because we've yet to have a single talk about Penelope and he doesn't even know who she is yet. Le sigh ~ Anyway shit has well and truly hit the fan. The gatekeepers are unbeatable gods? Huh. Penelope was a spy and got her leg fucked up? Oof. General Urobach now has Heidi away from the academy and exactly where he wants her? Ee gad. What's next? Stay tuned!