Nova woke up absolutely exhausted, when she woke up, she realized that her phone had an emergency call message. Usually, she would just jump out of the bed and gear up, but two hours had already passed. She just wanted to have a little nap. But ended up falling into a coma. Honestly? This is the first time that she felt so relaxed for some reason. For years, she has never taken sick leave or even gone on holiday.
The migraine is honestly killing her, she gently rubs the side of her head and turns on the hot water in the hot tub. She looks at herself in the mirror, she glances from up to down and lets out a sigh, she is getting sloppy, she hasn't done proper workout for a while and her abs are barely visible at this point, she just looks like almost every girl her age. For this, she clenched her fist and hit the mirror. It didn't break, or honestly made any crack. She stopped her punch at the very last inch of hitting. She doesn't want to hurt her hand after all.
Nova then stepped into the water and emerged herself except the head, Nova took a really long deep breath, every bit of her muscle was relaxed and there was nothing in her mind that was bothering her. Nova then emerges her head inside of the water, under the bathtub there is more noise than she thought, she can hear the people under her conversation, and she can even hear her own heartbeat. Suddenly she realized how little life she had experienced except being a soldier.
A normal life? Nova chuckles as this idea crosses her mind. When you are a Terra, there is no normal life, hell, as if she ever had a choice. It was either joining the army or eventually emptying their savings and sleeping on the street. Those who tell her that she had a choice never even try to understand how much pressure she was put under when she was young. Now, she has finally arrived at the point of life where she can live comfortably. However, she wonders, is it the right choice to give up everything until this point and start a quiet and comfortable life so that her children will never need to go through the hardship that she had to?
Nova shakes her head; this is something only people like Monika would think about. But after all, they are the same, she honestly at some point hated herself for this, even now Nova still thinks that she is better than Monika in everything. But at the end of the day, Monika is the one that is happy about her life.
The more she thinks about this, the quicker she breathes. Soon, the shampoo bottle next to her fell into the tub. She honestly didn't want to do any damage to property, so she held back when the bottle inevitably made a hole in the wall and killed someone: "Mav…" She mutters: "I will get everyone back… and you." Nova then stood up and washed herself. She spent quite a while drying her hair and making it as perfect as it got, then left the bathroom.
She takes out her spare clothes from the drawer and puts them on in a rather quick fashion. It's not like she's careless about her looks, Nova is just really fast when it comes to gearing up. In the end Nova didn't forget to braid her hair. Today it's the few occasions where she just doesn't just do a ponytail and be done with it. Maybe she is feeling unusually nice even without being able to tell. She checks her phone, no one has called except Trazyn. Honestly? She couldn't care less. But out of a promise she made many moons ago, Nova decided to call up Trazyn just to be sure.
"What do you want?" Nova sounded already annoyed.
"Nova? Help please!" Trazyn sounded terrified.
"My, I suddenly dropped my pen on the ground. Hold on, I need to pick it up." Nova sounded really enjoying this little conversation. In fact, the very idea that Trazyn was suffering already made her day.
"Nova! Please! Minka is going crazy!"
Nova suddenly has a grin of comfort on her face. Now she knows that Trazyn is not in actual danger at all: "Oops, i accidentally shared this conversation to Minka~"
"Nova-" Trazyn's voice suddenly got cut off by Minka.
"Aunt Nova! How are you doing?" Minka is cheerful as usual.
"Hey Minka, I was about to call you~ I miss you a lot." Nova softened her tone, completely different when she was talking to Trazyn.
While they are talking, Trazyn is unable to reach anyone for help, because Minka cut off any direct line of communication with anyone but her.
After exchanging everything that has happened so far, Nova hangs up the call. She glanced at the mirror and realized that she had a grin on her face the entire time.
Nova really likes Minka, it is hard to find someone that can know what you are thinking without reading each other's mind. When Minka was 'dead', Nova did not even eat for two days straight. She didn't look like she was in grief but for those two days, no living being dared to knock on that door or even converse with her. Monika tried to say something but when she saw Nova break the mug while firmly holding it, maybe it is a good idea to just leave her alone.
Nova then puts on some casual clothes and heads out; she doesn't have any mission on her mind. But seeing the city before getting corrupted before the phyrexian, she couldn't help but take a long deep relaxing breath. Upon a glance she sees a store that she is very familiar with. She has done something that she felt regretful for. After pausing to think for a good five minutes, Nova went in with a clear look of hesitation.
"Hi, dear customer. How may I help you?" A quiet looking black-haired girl greeted Nova while she was cleaning the shelf.
"Hi." Nova greeted her as well. But for some reason she sounded very… unconfident.
"Oh, hi. Major. Didn't expect you to be here." The black-haired girl dropped what she was doing and saluted in front of Nova: "How have you been?" This girl for some reason looks rather like Kira, but instead of a pair of marble blue eyes, this person has brown eyes and looks less like a soldier.
"I am fine. How is your shop doing?" Nova asks, this conversation is way too casual for her. She honestly doesn't know what to say.
"Thank you for asking! My store is finally starting to make money! Baby steps, but i am finally doing something I am enjoying doing." The girl suddenly realized she said something wrong: "Of course… This job is not as fun and valuable as working with Major!"
Nova chuckles, when she had this conversation the first time, she was actually mad about the response from her: "It's fine, working in the army is really not as great. At least you are having fun. Layla."
"Major…?" Layla seemingly is a bit surprised with the calmness in Nova's voice: "Are you feeling well?"
"Yea, I am doing fine. It's just that a lot has happened. Especially after you are gone." Nova scratches the back of her head: "I am just glad to see you again."
Layla blinks in confusion: "Major? We just saw each other last week. You know, when I was in the armory picking up my stuff. What is going on?"
"Really, it's nothing. I just… slip them out of my mind?" Nova realized that she said something she shouldn't have.
"Major?" Layla let out a sigh: "You know you can tell me about everything. Right? Just like before."
"You choose to live a quiet life, not me." Nova raised her voice a bit: "I cannot decide everything for you. Nor could you be by my side forever. Maybe, this was for the best."
"I am not in the army doesn't mean we can't be friends? You know, like Monika and Noel!" Layla actually likes it when Nova decide to open herself up: "I know you always thought Noel is stupid but she actually would be a great example for how to be a decent friend."
"Friend….?" Nova paused for a second, is Minka Nova's friend? Yes? Maybe… Nova doesn't know about the answer, Nova never mentioned Layla's existence because she doesn't like when Monika will constantly bother her for meeting Layla. Or simply she is just embarrassed.
"Yes! We never said that to each other, but we are friends." Layla puts her hands at the back, something Monika always does: "So, now. Why don't you tell me the real reason you came?" She has a light smirk on her face, it is quite an achievement to let herself open up. Well, if that is the Nova in her world
"I just wanted to apologize, really. I should've kept you in the army."
"Oh… well… I don't really know if not keeping me in the army is worth apologizing for but thanks!" Layla beams in happiness.
Seeing this, Nova didn't say more. They shared a bit of conversation and bid farewell.
The moment Nova stepped outside, she let out a sigh and headed to a valley: "Yes? Is it fun to observe yourself?" Nova sounded rather annoyed.
"What are you doing?" The Nova of this world decloaked herself: "Why are you being so regretful towards Layla?"
"None of your damn business." Nova pulls out her revolver.
"It is my world, don't stick your nose in where you shouldn't have." The other Nova also pulled out her auto pistol.
"I am not trying to change anything." Nova puts back her revolver in the holster: "Layla died in a war in the near future. If she stayed in the army. She could've lived. I honestly thought it was my decision that killed her."
"..." The other Nova pulled back her auto pistol and headed out of the valley. She didn't react until she reached a place where no one could find her. She takes out a small jug of hard liquor and pours it down her throat. Nova at this phase did not know how to handle things like this. All of those emotions came up to her like a flood but all she could do was swallow them and keep her visage cool.
Nova is kind of glad that she has grown out of this phase, keeping everything to herself and not being able to express them seriously got her into trouble even with her sister. After talking to Layla, a stone dropped from her heart. Layla is possibly someone that is closest to Nova. Which is exactly the reason Nova has never mentioned this to anyone. For one is to protect Layla, and also, she doesn't want Monika to know and eventually causes various issues which exist only in Nova's mind.
This is the first time Nova actually felt light in her mind. She sat at a coffee shop and ordered a drink. When Nova is not in her uniform and that fierce look is on her face, she really is just another girl on the street. Nova lightly sips her coffee and leans back on the seat. If only Monika was here to chat with her, this afternoon would be perfect, she thought.
Some old memories flooded back to her mind; she remembered on a similar afternoon. Monika told Nova that she had decided to join the army. But instead of congratulating Monika. Nova replied in a very taunting tone: "You? Army? You sure you don't want to stay in your little art club?" This was the first time their relationship had some cracks. Eventually leading to years later, Monika wouldn't even speak with Nova. Honestly? Nova did feel regretful right after she said that, but her pride eventually stopped her from apologizing to Monika.
Her train of thought snapped when the waiter brought her the cookies she ordered. She couldn't help it but have a light smile on her face, this is something she missed a lot after her world had gone to crap.
"Wait… is that Nova Terra?" Some people seemingly recognized her.
Nova almost forgot that at this point she had already become the face of the recruitment poster for the army.
Nova purposely spilled her coffee all over the table, but none spilled on her clothes. Then she cleans the table while looking apologetically. This little show is enough to fool some commoners on the street, after all Nova is rumored to never even make any public appearances.
Except someone who knew Nova beforehand. And sneaked in a picture. After Nova had gone on the street, she could feel the annoyance coming out of her just by this person approaching: "What do you want?" Nova sounded like she was already getting pissed off.
"My, after all we've been through. You just can't change your attitude towards me, can't you? But~" Trazyn projected the holographic photo in his palm: "Never knew you'd look so nice and helpful."
"What are you trying to achieve? Antagonizing me? Can you transfer me the picture, I haven't seen myself look like this for a while as well." Nova replied rather calmly: "Now, tell me why did you come?"
"How can you know if I didn't come just for the sake of annoying you?"
"Trazyn, I have known you for quite a while now. You speak like this to cover up the hollowness in your soul. I dislike you not because you took my sister away but because of your constant condescending way of talking to others. And god complex." Nova then let out a sigh: "Do you have some good news?"
"Depends on what type of good news you are talking about. How about we found a way to get your power back?" Trazyn has a smirk on his face:"We found out that the M.1.N.K.A unit might be able to reactivate your ability."
"You mean Minka? She can?"
"Not our Minka, but we have to make a new M.1.N.K.A unit and… squeeze the juice out of it."
"No thanks, I am doing just fine. Also, stay the hell away from me for the rest of the day." Nova is pissed. Not only because of the ridiculousness of this idea but also the idea that Minka participated and agreed upon this.
"But your power."
"I don't give a damn about my power, like I said, stay the hell out from my face." Nova left while she had no idea where to go, but after she came back to her senses. She has arrived at where Minka is. Nova held her hand back while trying to knock on the door, she just sat at the front. The sun is setting, and the last light of the day lightens up her face. If there's people walking by at the moment, they might mistake her for one of the living saints.
"Aunt Nova?" Minka opened the door: "What happened? Oh…." Without needing Nova to answer, Minka already knew about what had just happened. After all, she was the one that gave Trazyn the idea.
Minka sat next to Nova and gave her a small bottle of strong liquor: "I was in your place at some point. Grasp of power was in front of me and I had a choice."
"And you took it. Did you ever regret your choice?"
"I didn't." Minka opened up another bottle and gulped the whole thing. She took a few deep breaths afterwards and let out a long sigh: "I declined it because I still want to be a human."
"Because of juicing babies?"
"Wait what? No one ever said anything about juicing babies. Did…Oh! That man!" Minka stomps her feet: "He lied to you! Of course, it won't involve juicing babies!"
Nova took a deep breath, she suddenly realized that she had lost her skepticism attitude towards every single word Trazyn had said. Instead of rage coming out of her, she took a sip of that liquor and put it aside. Honestly, she couldn't help herself but let out a small chuckle.
"It is more about changing your genetic structures… After the alternation you are superior in every single sense in combat power and intellect. But I'd say that is closer to being a marine than being a member of the Astra Militarum." Minka also chuckles in silliness afterwards. Trazyn somehow got Nova good with this one.
"That does sound tempting… But I trust your judgment on this." Nova then stood up and stretched her arms: "We will find a way, how's your progress with Trazyn?"
"Well… after running into grandma, we kinda realized that the weapon that could create a reality rift did not exist…" Minka scratches the back of her head.
"Did you try to ask her?"
"Lynine?"
"No, Maria."
"Ehhh…." Minka did not think of this possibility, Afterall she almost fried her brain: "I didn't think about this…"
"Lynine would not give you false information for the fun of it. Why would she?" Nova analyzes: "Maybe she did point you to the right path, Noel also said something about a tool, not a weapon. We Terra has always been referred to as the tools of the imperium. It does make some sense."
"But…"
"I know you are scared to talk to her, but this time. I'll go with you." Nova puts her hand on top of Minka's head and rubs it.
"Fine… But you will do the talking." Minka is seemingly terrified of Maria, probably because both times the encounter did not go well.
Nova agreed and they went off to the place where they held Maria captive. Before they wanted to wake her up from an induced coma, Minka hesitated: "Do we really need to do this?"
"You literally destroyed worlds, and this is the thing you hesitate about?"
"Those are different! I mean, none of them were personal, I am terrible at dealing with an awkward situation." Minka pouts.
Nova let out a sigh, she's like Minka. If she's ever good at dealing with personal relationships, then she and Monika would never have been in a fight before.
Minka then snapped her finger, suddenly Maria opened her eyes and sat up immediately: "You…" She stares at Minka and about to touch her holsters, but it is all empty. She then glanced at Nova: "You are not my Nova, aren't you?"
"How can you tell?" asked Minka.
"Because my daughter would not ever be friends with someone like you." Maria sounded very annoyed by the mere presence of Minka.
Minka felt like someone said similar things to her before. Holding back the urge to slap Maria on the face, Minka squeezed out a grin: "Well, as it happens, we kind of need your help to save YOUR daughter." She emphasizes the word 'your'.
"I will break your face!" Maria got up but suddenly she knelt on the ground as if her body was not able to control herself.
Minka's eyes lightly glowed in golden light: "Don't even bother, I left a back door in your brain. If i want i can let yourself suicide on the spot." She does a finger gun and points it towards her temple: "Now, we are out of the way out of our differences. Can you open a reality rift?"
"..." Maria remained quiet.
"Look, the faster we get through this. The earlier i will free you from the mind shackle." Minka crosses her arms.
"What will you do to this world afterwards?"
"None of your damn concern. Give us a rift to this coordinate or I will blow your head off." Minka threw the paper on the floor and sounded impatient.
Nova is quietly observing this, she wants to see how Maria would react. All they need to actually know is whether she can open it or not.
"If my life would save the entire world, then so be it. Do what you must." Maria closes her eyes.
Minka pulls out her pistol and sticks it on Maria's forehead: "Then so be it…" Just when Minka is about to pull the trigger. Nova stopped her.
"Minka, this is enough." Nova understands that nothing will break a soldier with a noble soul. But a noble soul is also idiotic in some sense. She could tell because Monika is something like this: "Mom, we really need you for this… our world is dying, if we cannot find Monika…and your daughter. We are all doomed…" Suddenly a few drops of tears came out of her eyes.
Minka's jaw almost dropped. This is the first time Minka has seen Nova to have anything coming out of her eyes other than laser or energy-based weapons.
Maria froze as well, even if she knows that this Nova isn't from this world. But she still hesitated. Maybe because she also misses her girls after all of those years of isolation. Nova then seemingly collapsed on the ground: "I left someone I liked in my old world… if i don't save them… I will lose him forever…" Nova starts sobbing uncontrollably.
Maria remained silent and looked away. Seeing this, Minka has an evil grin on her face: "Oh no, I remember that you two were about to announce that you're bearing a child. Now you won't have a family because of…" She then looks at Maria.
Maria could not take it anymore, she stood up and threw her imperial officer hat on the floor: "Screw this, if I can't protect my own family. Then what's the point of saving the world!" She then pulls out a sword from her back holster: "This is the blade that is able to cut through realities. Take this."
Nova takes the sword and swings it proficiently then puts it back in the holster: "What will you do?" She asks Maria.
"Save the world in my own way." Maria then stormed out of the house without even looking back.
Minka blinks a few times and scoffs: "Well, that was something, at least we got the sw-" When she turned, Nova was staring at her eyes. Seemingly almost trying to tear her apart from the simple stares. Minka is trying to flee but Nova suddenly grabs Minka by the shoulder and pushes her against the wall.
"If you speak to anyone about what happened here." Nova puts her face real close to Minka. They could even feel the heat from each other's cheek.
"I won't! I promise!" Minka honestly is terrified. Then Nova let her go: "You know… i won't tell anyone anyways…"
"I know, but I just love to intimidate people." Nova winks while having a sly grin on her face.
"Weirdo…"
"?"
"Nothing!" Minka then left the house to buy something to eat. She's hungry after all of those things had happened
Nova pulls out the sword again, it looks nothing different than a power sword but somehow it has some strange glow to it. She slashes the air to get the wrist feel but suddenly she notices a small crack in the air. As if it is floating but it is more like a glitch in the matrix.
Nova then concentrates her strength and does another slash, this time, the crack is larger, and she somehow can see a tunnel. When she puts the sword back to the holster, the cracks are all gone. Nova then closes her eyes; in her mind she pictures her kitchen. A slash happened. On the other side is her kitchen. Just when she was about to enter, Maverick looked into it from other side of the rift: "Nova?"
"Maverick? "Nova is dead confused: "Wait, are you the Maverick that has his world corrupted by Phyrexian infection?"
"Yeah, and my Nova just went away on a mission-" Maverick realized something: "Did you guys succeed?"
"No, not yet. In fact, things have gone wrong…" Nova let out a sigh: "I did not think that this rift can go back to my own reality… How are things there?"
"Nothing really has changed, Glissa is still ruling the world." Maverick puts his hand in the rift.
"What are you doing?!" Nova tries to stop him because no one knows what kind of effect it would have on the human body.
Maverick's hand passed through, and there hasn't been any difference on the surface: "Can you touch it?" He asks.
Nova held his hand; she felt the warmth and more. Seeing this, Nova pulls him through the rift with force. And eventually he went past the rift and seemingly was unharmed at all.
"Woah. That was weir-" Just when he was about to comment on the rift, Nova's lips pressed on to his. He is very surprised because Nova is not the type of person that would act like this. He then hugs Nova tightly at the back because he knows that she has gone through something traumatic and gently smothers her feelings.
Nova buries her head in Maverick's chest: "I miss you so much…."
"My, aren't you finally becoming more like red than you realize?" Maverick chuckles a bit and caresses her hair.
Monika's disappearance is doing more damage to Nova than she originally anticipated, she thought Monika would be strong enough to protect herself but in reality, every single minute she was thinking about how to find her.
"So… what is this?" Maverick asks.
"A sword that can create rifts between different realities." Nova remained silent, she knows that this weapon is beyond powerful, the longer they possess this the more other people will know. Everyone will come and possess this weapon for their own usage: "We need to find Minka and Trazyn right now. The longer we wait, the more complicated the matter is going to be."
Just when Nova's sentence was finished, Trazyn entered the house with Minka. They seemingly were having a feast while Nova was busy testing the blade.
"Hmmm. Someone is studying the art of blades. What was the saying again? I was about to use that joke on Monika or something." Trazyn sounds rather sarcastically.
"While you are busy smoking pots, I was studying the art of blades?" Minka chuckles then hits Trazyn on the back: "Don't say that to mom! She'll be sad!" Minka then turns her head at Maverick: "Wait a minute….it worked?"
"Yeah, rather easily. A bit too easy if i had to say." Nova blinks.
"..." Minka pouts: "When i was holding similar weapons, it never worked for me! Not fair."
"Does this have a user restriction function….?" Maverick asks.
"No, but it takes talent and even gifts to be able to wield this weapon." Minka then gives Nova some takeout they bought for her: "Well, at least this means that we can start preparing to enter the archivist's realm."
"You don't seem to be very happy about that." Trazyn asks Minka.
"No, I'm not happy at all… He's my dad… Even though I hate him, I still can't really… kill him." Minka is still kind at heart: "I know it is impossible but if we can convince him to give up…It would be nice."
"No, I can't allow this." Trazyn for once sounded dead serious: "He has done too much harm to everything I care for."
Minka remained silent and left the house. Her eyes are red as if he is on the verge of crying out loud.
Nova stares at Trazyn as if she will shred him into pieces. But then Trazyn is right, the archivist cannot be kept alive. If they don't give out everything they have, they will not be able to bring him down and even risk lives in countless universes.
But this still doesn't justify that Trazyn's tone is a bit too harsh towards Minka. Thinking about this, Nova went out of the building and found Minka sitting on the ground while burying her head in her knees.
Nova sits beside Minka and puts her hand on Minka's shoulder: "If my father was like this… i would ask for the same thing…"
"Everything I knew was a lie… Everything I've done was simply being a pawn by that man… When I am finally free, he is again at my doorsteps. But this time, I have to end him by myself…" Minka clenches her fist.
"Minka…" Nova gently pats Minka on the back: "I don't want to see yourself consumed by hatred. You deserve better. Why don't you disappear after all of this? Away from the Archivist, away from Trazyn, and away from everyone. Do what you always wanted. Be whoever you want to become. No one has to know, bring the man you always loved and go to a world where you can be happy. " Nova points at the sword on her back.
"But…" Minka was about to say more but then she stopped herself: "I will think about this…"