Swords
Ai woke up with a throbbing headache and things were different. When she had fallen into the mental framework intended to turn her into a puppet, she had been restrained to a chair. Now, she was lying on a bed. Careful movements showed her limbs were free and she felt something soft clinging to her face. Cold gas swept through whatever it was to soothe her throat that hurt as if she had been screaming.
"Back with us?" Yǎtíng spoke up from nearby and Ai tried to turn her head, but the cultist made a clucking noise and appeared in Ai's vision, her face worried. "No moving for a bit, okay? I repaired the damage to your head and shoulder, but the flesh is still tender and will be for a bit. You won't have scars." Her face fell. "Well, not ones on the outside anyway."
"What… happened?" Ai wasn't afraid. She should be! This was an evil member of the Cult of Sirius who had Ai prisoner! Why wasn't Ai afraid?
"You saw what happened in the mental framework. As to what happened here? I moved you as soon as I woke up. I needed you on the bed to tend your head properly. You will be very weak for a bit, but you are not restrained. Your injuries are bandaged to keep the closed wounds clean, no more. I have oxygen and saline going to help after all the abuse you suffered. Sorry about your hair, but it will grow back. Alley said your team are on the way, so I have locked down this room. My medical ward, such as it is." Yǎtíng said quietly. "You, me and your Chimera compatriot are all that is in here. She is asleep and likely will be for a bit. I stabilized her and sedated her but no more before I focused on you. You were more dangerous than her."
"You don't know much about Vipers, do you?" Where had Ai's sudden humor come from? This was insane! "They 'define' the word dangerous!"
"So do you." Yǎtíng heaved a sigh but then her face softened as Ai squinted. "Headache?"
"Yeah." Ai said slowly. Her head felt wrong. She wasn't programmed, was she? She just felt wrong, not obedient. Yǎtíng did something and the pain Ai felt faded. The Nightstalker relaxed, but not completely. "Why are you doing this?"
"My world just changed and I am at loose ends. I was made from your DNA to fight you. To kill you or turn you." Yǎtíng said slowly. "I was sent here to kill the Matron, to make sure she never became the overpowering threat that she was to the Cult and our masters. I failed." Ai stared as Yǎtíng smiled a bit oddly. Fond? "Utterly failed. I will say she was remarkably polite given the circumstances. Me trying so hard to kill her and all." Her smile morphed to a self deprecating grin!
"Yeah, she only got downright mean a few times that I saw and um… Don't push her to that. Just don't!' Ai shuddered in memory and Yǎtíng shared it.
"I only touched the fringes of her mind and I got that feeling loud and clear." Yǎtíng smiled again, but it was melancholy. "I… I don't know what to do now. I mean… Fighting, bringing people into my faith, making cyborgs is all I know how to do. But it is useless. From what she said and some of what she showed me, I can't kill Matron Alley. I don't think anyone can in this time. Thank whatever god you prefer that she isn't evil." Now her smile was sick and scared. Ai knew that feeling all too well.
"She never wanted to be so powerful." Ai said sadly. "She just wanted to live her life with her partner. But then, he died and she went on."
"Mark." Yǎtíng bowed her head. "The other agent that was sent with me tried to use his sacrifice to break Valere's resistance. You stopped him." Ai closed her eyes at the odd 'not quite but almost' pain in Yǎtíng's voice. "I do not know how I feel about that, to be honest. What he did was wrong. How he did it was worse. But he was like me. Made to do a job. Now, I am all that is left and what do I do?"
"I don't know. I don't know what to do myself." Ai admitted. "All I know is fighting. Jefferson and I hoped, and making the kids better helped but then, the last mission and I… I had to go."
"You had to stop us." Yǎtíng agreed. "Damn, we are both a mess, aren't we?"
"I can't stop fighting. I tried, but, it doesn't work!" Ai felt her eyes start to burn and Yǎtíng's face turned sympathetic. "Even in a different time and place, I can't!"
"We have to go on, Ai." Yǎtíng said gently as a hand gripped Ai's where it lay on the bed. "You will recover quickly from the physical injuries, but Ai… You can't keep fighting. Unending, unrelenting war has torn your mind and soul apart. What I feel of your mind is trying to fall apart even now."
"I can't fight myself, Yǎtíng." Ai was crying now and Yǎtíng's eyes shone with unshed tears. "I have tried, so many different ways. Meditation, exercise, drugs… None of it works!"
"You made yourself the ultimate soldier." Yǎtíng said quietly. "Unstoppable, even when facing impossible odds as you did on your last mission in Mega Primus. You won, but the cost to you..." Ai felt her hand squeezed. "You say we are not human and maybe you are right, but we share a number of similarities with humans. Brain chemistry among other things. I think I can help you."
"You." Ai stammered and then stared at the Cultist. "Wait… You work on brains!"
"I do and I am good at it." Yǎtíng acknowledged without shame. "Your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused a severe psychotic episode. From how you reacted in the mindscape, that was not your first one." Her words were sort of a question, sort of not.
"No." Ai admitted. Why was she being so open to this enemy? Was she brainwashed? "I um… I went off on one of our specialists during a debriefing, but they were worried about me and had guards ready to restrain me. I didn't hurt anyone, thank god."
"That is good." Yǎtíng smiled again but it held a tinge of anxiety. "I cannot guarantee anything, Ai. Healing minds is not what I trained for, but the basics are the same. The chemistry is the same. I want to try and help you, odd as that sounds to me and probably you too. I will need help and it will take time."
"Why help me?" Ai asked, confused. "I am your enemy."
"Are you?" Yǎtíng asked, then heaved another sigh. "I don't know. It was all so simple when all I had to do was obey orders, but the masters haven't spoken to me since I arrived here. I had no idea why but then the Matron said what she did and it makes sense. They are not from this dimension within this universe. They don't know about Earth yet. They have no way of communicating with me or commanding me and I have no way of communicating with them. Their orders I cannot fulfill and I am lost without their guidance, left to my own mind and its many uncertainties." She shook her head. "I find…. I do not want to fight you. I do like you, although I am not sure why. I am sure that I do not want the Matron mad at me." Now her expression was pure fear.
"Smart." Ai shuddered in memory of the Matron's glares. She had earned her share of those while fighting and then in the framework. They never got less than terrifying. "So… now? How badly am I hurt?"
"Not critical, but bad. You have a bullet wound in your shoulder that tore several ligaments. By some miracle, the armor piercing round missed the nerve, the bone and the artery there, but the soft tissue damage was extensive." Yǎtíng stated, fully professional. "I have repaired what I could and you will make a full recovery from that. You need rest now for that more than anything else. The head… You know what I did. You saw what my kind did to your sisters." Ai tried to nod, but she was too weak to move her head so she closed her eyes and opened them to show she understood. "I was careful not to cause any damage inside your brain, and I replaced the skull plates that I removed to gain access. There is no chance of infection and I have stimulated regeneration. When the nerves in your scalp reconnect, it will hurt. I cannot give you too much painkiller or it will act as a sedative."
"And then the Matron's Gift activates." Ai said flatly and Yǎtíng nodded. "I assume she briefed you on that."
"Some." Yǎtíng looked sick now. "I… I knew what happened to the force of cyborgs in the daycare, and I understand why you did it here. You didn't, couldn't, take the chance that you would lose your mind. That is why you set that up. But oh my god, Ai! To put that inside you?" Was she about to cry? "I cannot help you with that. It was designed expressly to keep me and my kind from being able to access it. Alley said she might be able to neutralize it, but it would be dangerous and she is stuck where she is for a while."
"As long as I do not get sedated or go nuts, it should be all right." Ai said with a frown. "Not that it is safe or anything to carry such around, but eh…" She made a noise of regret. "You might want to move away a bit."
"I can't. There is no space to do that." Yǎtíng smiled at Ai's stunned expression. "This is a utility closet I repurposed as a medical center. It has the bed you are lying in, a ledge where the Viper is sleeping and a chair that I am sitting in. Everywhere else is filled with medical gear, much of which is hooked up to you and your friend. I slept in here because I could lock the door and didn't trust Shrike. If your trap goes off in here? We are all goo. Let's not do goo, okay?" Yǎtíng's smile was bit sick, but it was heartfelt and Ai smiled back.
"Hope not to-" Ai broke off as familiar sounded came to her ears and Yǎtíng went utterly still. Shouts and gunfire. Close. A roar that was a familiar enraged Muton heralded screams and more gunfire. That was Axiom! Chimera had arrived! "Yǎtíng, if you have a weapon, get rid of it." Ai warned as something slammed into a wall nearby. Far too large to be a bullet and was that whimpering that was heard?
"I have a pistol, nothing more." Yǎtíng said uneasily as shots continued outside. A clang heralded something hitting the floor and then skittering away. "It is out of my reach under a bank of medical monitors. The walls are reinforced and shielded, but I don't know how much they can take."
"Very little will stop a fully pissed off Muton." Ai said softly. "So, when I tell you and not a moment before, unlock the door and put your hands on your head. I-" Ai went utterly still as something on a wall nearby fell off with a clang. A vent cover? Oh shit! "Freeze!" Ai called as Yǎtíng recoiled from the clang. "Hands! Head! Now!" Yǎtíng did not argue, slamming her hands onto her head, face pale. Ai gasped as her head hurt, but she looked at the vent and the sub-machine gun barrel that was barely visible in it. "She… I… I can't raise mine!" She called to the unknown gunner.
"Remain still." Came from the vent and Ai felt fear blossom even further. She knew that voice! Alley's nestmate Aroa! The Viper who had interrogated her. Ai knew that the Viper's weapon was aimed perfectly and off safe. It was what she did. What Ai had done. Sneak into places to kill people.
"Not a problem. I don't think I can move right now." Ai quipped and Yǎtíng made a noise of dismay. "Head hurts, but I can deal with it for now. She can unlock the door." She offered the unseen Viper.
"Do not move." The other commanded and Ai stilled.
Of course. Basic CQB. Close Quarters Battle tactics. The incoming team had no way of knowing what was going on. Less chance of knowing what had happened between Alley, Ai and Yǎtíng, so to them, Yǎtíng was a hostile. They likely had scans of the area, given Chimera's equipment, or whatever Alley's nest had, which was likely much better than the surplus resistance and X-Com gear that Chimera used. Even with that, the breach team had no real way to know who was an enemy or a friendly until the breach happened, so, they would treat everyone the same. Ai was known to Chimera but she might have been brainwashed or under mind control or something. Especially with a bandaged head. Still, basic CQB tactics were the same in Ai's time as they had been when she trained with Chimera. Anyone with a weapon was a target unless if they dropped it instantly. Anyone without a weapon was an unknown to be secured and removed from the scene to be scrutinized. Even VIPs or rescue targets could get that treatment if they did not do exactly what the team wanted when the breachers wanted it. Terrorists and other hostage takers had always been sneaky bastards and everyone who did CQB for a living learned fast or died.
"Yǎtíng. Do not move. Do not resist. Obey any instructions they give you." Ai ordered Yǎtíng who looked dubious but nodded, just a little, not moving her hands. "I…" Her eyes hurt and she shut them. "I am closing my eyes. They are hurting."
"Head or eyes?" Yǎtíng asked, worry rising.
"Eyes." Ai reassured her. "Just the stress and adrenaline again. I feel an ache rising on my scalp, but nothing inside. Then again, there are no nerve endings there." She was glad of that, all things considered.
"I didn't touch your eyes, but…" Yǎtíng heaved a sigh as she eyed the vent and its clear threat. "I want to help, but that would get me shot and I don't want to die. So, I hope they brought a medic."
"I am sure they did." Ai reassured the other as the sounds of fighting died away outside. "Just, let them do their jobs. I am a mess, but I don't want to see anyone else with my face die. Even a naive fool like you."
"Well, I don't want to see you die, you bloodthirsty witch." Yǎtíng retorted and Ai had to smile. "So, just lie there until a medic can get to you!"
"If you two are quite done..." Was Aroa snickering at that exchange? No! It couldn't be! Could it? "...I have a fairly important question."
"Go." Ai said before Yǎtíng could do more than sputter.
"Alley said there was weirdness in here and I see there is, so I will keep my question simple. The door. Is it trapped or not?" That was clearly to Yǎtíng since Ai had no way of knowing.
"No." The clone of Ai said flatly, still not moving. "Physically locked on the inside, and shielded but no traps."
"There better not be or you will make him mad. Madder." Aroa said flatly and Ai jerked in her bed and a horrible rending sound came and her eyes shot open to see light pour into the room she lay in. The door had been yanked right out of the wall! Ai felt her eyes bulge and she saw Yǎtíng's do the same as the door flew to the side and a huge armored form stared at them. Axiom's armor was pitted with fresh damage, and was that edge of one plate smoldering? Yes, that was a curl of smoke from it! He wasn't bleeding. If anything, he looked amused.
"Ai, you look like shit." The Muton said with a grunt as he stepped back and Terminal all but threw herself into the small room, the medic's Gremlin following as she took in Ai's bedraggled state with a wince.
"You are one to talk, 'Mr. I am on fire!'." Ai retorted. Axiom eyed her, looked at his armor, then licked a finger and put the wet appendage to the smoldering edge of his armor. A hiss sounded and all three females in the room made the same sick look as the Muton grinned at them.
"No more fire." Axiom countered and Ai had to grin at the massive Muton's stoic sense of humor. Yǎtíng stared from her to the Muton and back, her eyes even bigger. "Her?" He asked Ai, but was looking at Yǎtíng.
"Unsure. Not hostile, but not friendly." Ai said weakly. Yǎtíng nodded slowly, looking from the Muton to the vent where the gun was still aimed. "Weird. But, this is important! Terminal, I am haz-mat. Get everyone else clear!" Chimera had protocols for such, so why wasn't anyone moving?
"No can do, Eyes." Terminal was not happy, but she was a professional. "We have our orders and they come from the very top." Ai felt faint as Terminal did something, but the bedridden woman's eyes stopped hurting, so that was good, right? "We are to secure you and this one…" Her tone as she looked at Yǎtíng was as cold as her eyes. "...then get you both to a fully secure area. There you will stay until Alley gets here."
"What? No!" Yǎtíng of all people spoke up. "Alley can't come here! She will be in danger!" Ai agreed with her. With a cultist! What was the world coming to?
"I am not going to argue with orders that Director Kelly herself says came from Matron Alley." Terminal said flatly. "Neither should you." That was pure warning. "Torque?"
"The Viper sustained a gunshot wound to mid thorax." Yǎtíng said in a very soft, scared voice and who could blame her? "She has extensive tissue damage to her left lung along with two broken ribs. She lost a great deal of blood. I repaired the damage and have her on three units of Viper compatible plasma. I also gave her ten milli-units of Viper grade sedative to keep her unconscious."
"If you have lied to me, it will not end well for you. In a moment, you will get up out of your chair. You will keep your hands on your head." Terminal sounded calm, but her eyes were flashing, She was a medical professional herself and likely took her teammates' conditions as a personal insult. "You will walk out to stand in front of my Muton colleague. He will search you and then secure you. If you do anything else but comply with our commands, you will likely be dead before you hit the ground. Do I make myself clear?"
"You are clear." Yǎtíng replied, calming.
"Go." Terminal said flatly and Yǎtíng rose very slowly. The cultist walked very slowly and deliberately without moving her hands from her scalp to stand in front of Axiom who looked her over.
"Anything I should know?" The Muton asked as he reached up to take her hands in his. She wasn't going to break his grip any more than Ai had been able to when she had tried to fight him.
"Sharps on my belt. Needles and a set of scalpels in the pouch marked with the leaves." Yǎtíng said quietly and the Muton paused, looking at her. "I am not going to cross the Matron. I might make her mad."
"Smart." Came from several throats as Terminal moved closer to Ai and started working.
"I need to learn that. How not to fight." Ai said weakly as Terminal did something and she felt woozy. "Terminal! You shouldn't be this close!"
"We know, Eyes." The team medic reassured her. "I won't sedate you. We cannot help you, but the Matron and her people likely can." At that, Ai looked at the vent, but the gun barrel was gone. No sound, no nothing. Aroa was gone. She would have made a hell of a Nightstalker.
"I don't think anyone can help me, Terminal." Ai said sadly. "All I know is war, death and destruction. They say I have to put up my sword, but I have no idea how!"
"Then you need to find a way to do that." Terminal said gently as Ai relaxed fully for the first time since waking. "We all like you, but you need to do what is best for you. If we can help, we will. You know that. For now? Relax, teammate. I have you."
Ai did relax, but worry still sang through her. What was she to do if not fight?