Chapter 12: Arc Intermission

(Travel)

Rin looked over at the remains of what was the member of Tarot known as Tower to see Joseph crouching down next to it. He had turned the dial on the briefcase to 16 and was using a syringe to extract some of the blood that was spilled on the stone wall. He then gave the syringe a shake, which turned the blood into a dark brown color, which was possibly the remnants of Tower's serum.

"Well, guess I have to find a new Tower now." Rin overheard his superior say. He then began to stand up with a bit of trouble, to ask him a question.

"So, how many others have been before me?" It took Joseph a while to understand what Rin was talking about.

"Don't worry. You're the first iteration of The Fool." Rin felt a sigh of relief when he heard that. "In fact, everyone is in their first iteration. I try my best to keep everyone alive. Yet, I was always afraid that someone would turn traitor and I would have to kill them. Like with what just happened with Tower." Joseph had then put his syringe back into the briefcase and walked away from the mess of blood that was Tower.

The two had rendezvoused with the other Tarot members, who were getting treated for their battle wounds. Judgment especially, considering his battle with Marcus from before. "Is our vehicle here yet?" Joseph asked.

"It will most likely be here in about 10 minutes." Empress replied looking back at one of her subordinates.

Once the medic had finished putting the bandages around Magician's body. He looked at Rin and nodded "Think you might need a checkup?" He asked.

Rin looked down at his ally and replied. "N-no. I'm good." Magician shrugged and began to stand up.

Truth be told, he took quite a bit of damage from Izumo. Though it was mainly a few cuts along his arms and legs. His mind was mainly focused on Izumo know. Trying to still take in the fact that Izumo was a chosen member of Tarot.

'I guess I should have expected it.' He thought to himself. Suddenly there was a large gust of wind as the group looked up to see a Cessna land on the wall and out came two suited men from it and they approached Joseph.

"Mr. Oswell, your ride is here." The two bowed to Joseph as he thanked them and approached the small plane.

"Alright everyone, hop in! We're going now!" Joseph called out to his subordinates. The other members of Tarot walked towards the Cessna unquestioningly.

"Where are we going?" Rin asked as they got into the vehicle.

"Our next stop is India. We've got another member there." Magician replied. "We'll pretty much be stopping at a place where a member is until we get to the US., c'mon. I'll tell you the flight plan along the way."

Rin got in the plane with the rest and shut the door behind him. Joseph and Judgment were sitting in the front, with Nemu, Magician, and Rin sat in the back. "Hey, where's Empress?" Rin asked looking around.

"I will not be coming along with you." The regal-looking woman said calmly. "This country needs to be fixed after what the last ruler did to it. And I intend to do just that. Also, remember this Fool, you must not be discouraged. I know you'll get your friend back."

Empress leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, except it was filled with a motherly intent rather than a romantic one. Though Rin still blushed from it.

And with that, Joseph then started up the plane and took off from the Great Wall and headed down Southwest to India.

~~~|X|~~~

(Illuminati)

Vega and his party had returned from the Great Wall to their base in New York. The prosthetic man opened up a door leading to a room filled with machines and a plethora of vials filled with what could be described as horrible chemicals, and in the center of the room was a very fat man with a devilish grin on his face

"Ah! General Vega! Glad to have you back here." Michael said, the tone in his voice no one could tell if he was condescending or not.

"Where is the Commander? I wish to ask him some questions. Mainly why he summoned me to not only rescue you all but also to stop my mission." Vega began to fidget with his prosthetic. the clanging of metal as he repeatedly opened and closed his hand as if he was clenching a stress toy.

The pink-haired spy then spoke up. "That reminds me, what were you doing out in Afgan?" Vega turned to see him leaning against a wall nonchalant.

"I was dueling with True Cross' Paladin." He muttered. "He would have been mine if I was never called back."

Michael began to chuckle in response to Vega. "Oh. Is the trusted general talking back to Lord Lucifer?"

Vega gave Michael a death stare. "First off, no I wasn't. And Second, how many times must we repeat ourselves. You are to refer to him as 'Commander' Michael. Just because you have a personal connection to him, doesn't mean you get exempt from regulations."

Homare stepped in to change the conversation before a fight broke out. "Why has the Commander summoned us, Michael? You should know why."

"Ah yes! Lord Lucifer has called you all back here because he's made me the head of the counterattack against the approaching insects." The announcement made Vega clench his prosthetic so hard, that he almost crushed the metal that made up his palm.

"What? Why?! You have no battle experience whatsoever. What makes you so qualified to lead the counterattack?" Vega began his interrogation of Michael due to the choice by Lucifer was mind-boggling to him.

"I'll show you…" The scientist snapped his fingers as a wall opened up to show a group of men all giving the Illuminati's signature salute, though they lacked the uniform. "These are all Mercenaries that offered to take care of our problem." I've outfitted all these men with different demons that they are currently possessed by. They should definitely be enough to take them down easily!"

Vega was still skeptical of what Michael's strategy was. He glanced back at the fat man and begin his questioning. "What makes you think these guys will act the way you think they will? Last time you used a savior mask, the supposed raging demon you were hyping up turned docile over the years." He said pointing to Izumo.

"Do you question my decision, Vega?" Lucifer then appeared from the top of a balcony on the other side of the room. The four Illuminati members fell to one knee as he entered.

"N-no, sir. It's just that his motives are questionable…"

Vega stared up to look at the gaze Lucifer gave past his mask. "Then what is there to worry about? I have known Michael ever since the Illuminati was first founded. I have the utmost certainty that his soldiers will not fail."

"Then what should I do Commander?"

Michael then cleared his throat allowing Lucifer to pass on the speaking role to him. "I was thinking that you'd be better stationed at Fort Sumter."

Vega's eyes grew wide at his suggestion. "You're putting me on guard duty?"

Michael then gave a hearty, yet sinister, chuckle. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'Babysitting'. You'll be guarding her mother. Making sure that no one lays a finger on her."

Vega's anger began to flare up. He really wanted to punch Michael's smug look off his face. "Why does she even needed to be kept around? We can just let her go. It's not like anyone will take her story seriously. She'd be locked away in a mental asylum and then we can get back to focusing on Tarot and True Cross."

While this was mainly a debate between Vega and Michael, Shima ordered Izumo to come closer to him, and then he spoke up. "You gotta remember, the mask on Izumo is a prototype. So in case, the process fails we can just hold her mother at gunpoint until she joins us."

Vega realizing that nothing he'd say would change the minds of his allies, he walked away. Presumably to take a copter to Fort Sumter. Lucifer had walked away from the Balcony back to his chambers with Homare following suit.

"So, Shima. How do you like Izumo?" Michael said with a smirk. "A lot less stubborn. Don't you think?"

"Well, I'll admit. The stubbornness makes her kind of cute…" Shima replied wrapping a finger around Izumo's hair.

"Don't worry. Once the mask has completed the brainwashing, she'll be both stubborn and totally in love with you." Michael said the thought he mentioned gave Shima a grin that matched Michael's creepiness. He then left the room with his arm wrapped around Izumo.

~~~|X|~~~

(Izumo's Mind)

The currently mind-controlled girl opened up a door that just lead into a pitch-black room, with the light from where she was standing being her only source of seeing what's behind each door.

"Nothing here…" Izumo said in a frustrated tone. She then slammed the door and began to storm off in the pure white hallway. She had been scouring this place for the past month trying to see if she could escape the mask's intent on brain-washing her by herself. Though all she had for leads were these pure white hallways with doors evenly symmetrical on each side that seemed to just lead to pitch-black rooms.

Following just behind her was someone who looked to be an adult. Though she had fox ears and nine fox tails that dragged across the floor as she followed Izumo. "Why haven't you checked any of the previous rooms in detail?" The Nine-Tailed Fox asked her.

Izumo tried her best to ignore her mind's unwanted visitor as she checked another room. She remembered how the Spirit spoke before when she was little. How could she forget? Back then it sounded cruel and almost feral. But now it just sounded completely depressed and bored. If it hadn't torn her family apart, she would probably feel sorry for it.

After a while of checking rooms, she asked the Nine-Tailed Fox a question. "Hey, is that… thing… still following us?" She looked back to see a collection of shadowy tendrils crawling along the floor, walls, and ceiling slowly getting closer to them.

"Yes, it is."

Izumo let out a sigh as she closed another door. She didn't know what that thing that was chasing them was, but she guessed that if it ever caught up to them. It would be bad. She had signaled the Nine-Tailed Fox over as they continued their search for a way out, though at a quickened pace.

'The sooner I get out, the sooner I can look for Tsukumo'