03/01/20

Two updates in a row? Yes well, File 05 took too long to finalize. As recompense, this one was far easier so here you go! The final chapter of The Investigation.

File 00: Steven Harper, The Archer

One week after the Lawless Incident

"Ivan Birtwhistle."

"Councillor Ethos, this is quite the hour to call me at."

"I'm aware…"

Ivan sat up in bed, bringing a hand to his face he tried to rub the weariness away.

"What is it?"

"I'm sure you know about the Lawless and everything."

"Yes sir, of course."

"Those of us in power at the Coalition gave the armed forces a direct order to apprehend and bring Lao Huang in for questioning."

Ivan nodded.

"And?"

"It's come to our attention that he was killed by Corporal Jaynix Copeland."

Ivan continued to nod.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Lao and Jaynix's paths crossed once back in 2041. We need to find some connection between both these incidents to understand how and why Corporal Copeland was allowed on such a vital mission and why the outcome was not what we wanted."

Ivan glanced over at the other person in bed who was undisturbed by his discussion.

"From what I understand, Lao was a reprehensible man."

"Regardless, we required his arrest. Information vital to the security of Noah's Cradle died with him and we can't allow that misuse of power...Corporal Copeland acted unilaterally. We trust you can handle this."

Ivan sighed before nodding.

"Yes sir."

Two months after the Lawless Incident

"This is the last time I'm going to say this Ivan so pay attention."

The man crossed his arms as Elma stepped closer to him.

"Kriss, Nagi, Kumon, Lyla and especially Jaynix are not to be confronted by your people. Not while in ECP care."

"I appreciate your dedication to your friends-"

"They're my family."

Ivan nodded slowly.

"Be that as it may, the investigation I've been ordered to conduct is of vital importance to the security of Noah's Cradle. The answers I seek-"

"You're seeking answers from those who've barely woken up and are still recovering from their injuries!"

Ivan sighed.

"That I understand...but you see, I-"

"No more excuses, Ivan! Don't make me come here again."

Turning away, Elma left his office, slamming the door shut behind her. Ivan shook his head. He never thought he'd see the day when the Colonel would form such powerful personal attachments that caused her to put her duty and position, second.

Returning to his desk, he sat and poured himself a drink. Taking hold of the full glass, his eyes wandered to a wall covered in various achievements and recognition of his dedication to his work.

Taking a sip, he sighed in relief. His eyes passed by a stray photograph of himself, Rosa and Hector. They were all so young.

Shaking his head, he looked away from it when his phone rang. He waited, allowing it to ring a few more times, wanting nothing more than for it to stop so he could enjoy his drink.

With a sigh he answered the call.

"Birtwhistle."

"Detective. This is Steven Harper."

Ivan raised an eyebrow, placing his glass down.

"Harper? I didn't expect to get a call from you...Elma has already chastised me enough I-"

"I'm not calling you to chastise you."

Ivan sighed, leaning back in his seat as Steven continued.

"I'm calling to ask if you'd be interested in adding me to your list of suspects."

"I have no suspects. Merely people I need to question."

"Then question me."

Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"You? Why?"

"You'll want to hear what I have to say."

Ivan thought about this for a few moments, unsure about what Harper was planning.

"Very well...when can we do this?"

"From what I understand, the General is awake. There is something I must discuss with him once he's well enough. After that, I'll drop by."

"Alright. I look forward to it, Harper."

Hanging up, Birtwhistle took his glass back into his hands and drank the rest of the contents. Placing the now empty glass back down he thought about the call.

It's true that Steven Harper was at the Massacre over a decade ago but the man was questioned after the events and said that he couldn't recall anything of value. It was a desperate fight that he lost.

So if not related to that, what information could he possibly have? Ivan couldn't fight off his curiosity, a smirk forming on his face as he poured himself another drink.

Three months after the Lawless Incident

Steven sat in a room within the Coalition's headquarters. The Investigative team was based out of this wing of the building. He introduced himself to the detectives near the entrance and they directed him to a room.

Steven wanted to come sooner but his talk with Kumon left him in a very foul mood. As far as he was concerned, the General was stomping all over their bond for his new connection with the Corporal. It made no sense to Steven no matter how hard he tried to understand it.

Closing his eyes, he moved one of his hands to his side where Jaynix had torn her blade out of, the searing pain returned in that instant. Clenching his teeth he remembered the young woman as she turned her blade on him. Her hair whipping about as she shot through the clearing, rage in her wild eyes, blood staining her face giving her a ghastly appearance.

He could swear she was smiling.

"Mr. Harper."

Opening his eyes, he looked to see Ivan Birtwhistle standing before him. He didn't even hear the man enter the room and so he chose not to comment as Ivan sat himself down.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"I'm the one who should be saying that...I've actually been busier these last few months than I expected."

Birtwhistle shrugged.

"Aren't we all?"

Pulling out his datapad, Ivan typed in a few commands before a holographic keyboard popped up.

"You said you wanted it to be just the two of us...so I'll have to handle the transcribing too."

"I apologize if it's an inconvenience."

Birtwhistle shook his head.

"No worries. So. If it's alright with you I'd like to ask. Why are we meeting here today?"

Steven took a deep breath.

"The 2041 Massacre. We all know that there were only two survivors. Jaynix and myself."

"Yes. Everyone else, the academy officers, the Devoted and Sonja Copeland were all dead on arrival."

Steven nodded.

"My debrief after being treated and released from the hospital, my comments which are on public record. You remember what I said?"

Birtwhistle thought back before nodding.

"Yes. Due to the trauma of the event and the injuries you sustained, you weren't able to recall much if anything that happened that day. The only thing you were sure of was that Jaynix was somewhere on the field and so you directed the General to her."

"Yes...but that was a lie."

Ivan stopped typing and looked up at Steven, confused.

"What was a lie?"

"I remember everything. I could never and will never forget what happened that day."

Ivan shook his head.

"Mr. Harper...if what you're saying is that you lied in your debrief about the Massacre...then-"

"I was instructed to."

There was a long silence, Ivan took his hands away from the keyboard.

"Mr. Harper...what is your aim here?"

Steven smiled.

"I'm not here to get myself arrested though I know that I may be giving off that impression, no...I'm just a cog in the machine. There is much more to this story…"

Ivan watched the man closely before his hands returned to the keyboard.

"Alright then. Carry on."

"After the explosion that tore through Rhadamanthus Academy, another went off and destroyed a portion of the perimeter wall. I was out in the training field with the Devoted who were practicing their shooting. Lao and Torrez were also present, as was Sonja who seemed to be in the middle of a discussion with Lao."

Steven thought back to that day.

"There was a lot of confusion after the explosions...I'm not sure who made the decision, it was so loud but there was an immediate concern that the breach in our defenses would let the enemy in...or let them out. So we went to find out which it was and stop whoever was behind the attack."

Ivan nodded.

"That was the most sensible theory...no one could have predicted the betrayal."

Steven remembered running with the Devoted and the academy officers out into the Uncontrolled Districts. He remembered his desire to bring those responsible to justice as the General had taught him.

"Once we were far enough away from the perimeter wall, we slowed our pace. Lao and Sonja seemed to be talking about something else...so I moved closer to get a better listen. Torrez didn't seem to like that so I hung back."

"Did you hear anything?"

"Pieces. Lao was talking about Project Exodus. About the Lifehold. He didn't sound happy."

"Why do you think that is?"

Steven shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Another common theory is that the Devoted were loyal to the Coalition...but Lao flipped them. How and when we'll never know given that the man himself is dead...based on the after action reports filed by Colonel Elma and the debriefings we've recently received from Agent Lyla and General Kumon we know that the people who made up the Lawless were also brought in by Lao. Whatever he was selling, a lot of people were buying."

Ivan tapped his chin.

"You believe that what Lao was doing that day...was trying to recruit Sonja to his cause?"

"I do."

"Why would he believe that would work? Sonja is a well regarded hero of the Coalition. He'd have better luck turning anyone else."

Steven closed his eyes. Remembering the last words Lao said to Sonja before the fight broke out.

"...will you let that happen to your daughters?"

"Sonja had children...that was the connection he sought to exploit. It didn't work."

"And so?"

Steven cleared his throat.

"Jaynix appeared, calling for her mother and then the fight started. Sonja and I engaged Torrez and Lao while the Academy Officers fought with the Devoted."

Ivan nodded.

"I assume the rest is as you reported...chaos."

"It is. Lao led us into a sniper trap so I disengaged from the battle to take out the snipers while Sonja fought Lao. It was while my back was turned that she was fatally shot in the spine…"

Steven looked away, he always considered that moment his greatest failure. The honorable soldier he wanted to be. The protector. The image he chased after in the General. At that moment, he bid farewell to all his dreams.

"The look on Jaynix's face when her mother died right in front of her…"

Steven narrowed his eyes.

"She picked up her mother's blade and began fighting once more...but she was different."

"How so?"

"She was faster. Wilder. Her attack patterns...her movements...they looked nothing like anything she did during training. Her only goal was to get in close...and kill. Which she did. She ripped people apart."

Ivan watched the look in Steven's eyes.

"They tried crawling away from her...so she hacked their legs off. Leaving them to drag their stumps before sliding the blade in through the backs of their heads...she tackled one man to the ground and beat his skull in with the hilt of her sword…"

Slowly, Steven looked to Ivan.

"Then there was a group of officers surrounded by Devoted, outnumbered. Jaynix shot into the group and killed them all."

"...all of...the Devoted?"

Steven shook his head.

"Everyone. The officers pleaded for her to stop as she cut them down without mercy...there was no reason behind her violence, just a need to expel the storm of emotions within...anyone who crossed her path was damned."

"...does that include you, Mr. Harper?"

Steven nodded.

"I tried to stop her, snap some sense back into her...she stabbed me, slashed the side of my body open...I nearly bled out…"

Steven felt the searing pain in his side once more.

"I never recovered from that injury...it's one reason why I retired…"

Ivan crossed his arms and took a deep breath.

"You're telling me that Jaynix killed scores of her own comrades and nearly killed you?"

"She did."

"...do you have any proof?"

"Unfortunately, I only have my word."

Ivan sighed.

"I can't do much with only your word."

Steven cleared his throat.

"Maybe not...but there is one last important detail to all of this."

"Steven...I need you to do something for me…"

"Sir...anything…"

Kumon looked down on the injured Archer, kneeling at his bedside he spoke.

"I need you to help me protect her."

"...you mean...Jaynix?"

The man nodded.

"...sir...she killed her friends...you're seeing what she did to me. Why would...you want to protect her?"

Kumon sighed.

"Aside from her sister...I'm all she has now...getting back to how she was before...how any of us were before this is an impossibility...we all have to settle for good enough. Jaynix still has dreams she needs to achieve and she can't if the truth comes out and she's dismissed from duty or worse...committed."

"She can't run...from what she is...sir."

Kumon shook his head.

"She's not...she's a young woman who watched her mother die. I brought her back to the Academy to find her heartbroken, inconsolable younger sister...she had to stand there and listen to people tell her that her father was gone too...what could you expect from her?"

"She's uncontrollable, sir...I saw it with my own eyes…"

Kumon bowed his head.

"Please Steven. Help me."

The Archer remained silent, minutes ticked by before the General stood.

"I had hoped that you'd understand...I've already…"

"What did you do, sir?"

Kumon sighed.

"Nothing of value can be retrieved from her blade. I made sure of it…"

Steven tried to sit up but couldn't.

"You...interfered with the evidence?"

"I had to...either that or risk them finding the blood of innocents on that blade. Either Jaynix did it or Sonja did and I can't stand the thought of-"

"But Jaynix did do it!"

Kumon stood up.

"Please Steven...it's already done…"

The Archer closed his eyes.

"Why? You know that if I come clean now...they'll come for you as well as her..."

"I know...I'm prepared to go down for this...anything to protect Sonja and Maxwell's daughters."

"...you're going to keep putting her first, aren't you? Until the day you die for it…"

"I don't intend to...but she and Flame are my foremost priority. I'm asking you once more, Steven. Please."

There was silence in the room, Ivan removing his glasses and rubbing his forehead.

"You're telling me...General Hideo Kumon, celebrated Coalition General and soldier is responsible for tampering with evidence to one of the Coalition's most critical and infamous cases? One of this government's greatest failures?"

"Yes."

Ivan stood up and walked away, shaking his head.

"I'm telling the truth. For the first time in over a decade, I'm finally able to say that…"

Ivan looked back at Steven.

"Why now?"

There was more silence as Ivan connected the dots.

"Jaynix. You're after her."

"I'm doing what's right...whether this leads to Jaynix being ousted from the military or being sent to prison...I'll be satisfied knowing I finally did the right thing."

Ivan took a deep breath, thinking to himself. Walking back to the table he retrieved his glasses, putting them on and adjusting his tie before sitting down once more.

"Tell me. Mr. Harper. What do you want me to do with this information?"

Steven leaned in and whispered.

"Your job."

Later that night, Steven found himself at one of the Skell maintenance facilities in Noah's Cradle. These installations were built all over the megacity for repairs when Skells returned from missions. It was also here that most pilots customized their Skells and discussed their loadouts with one another. To many, it was a fun pastime.

"Harper? That you?"

Steven looked as a large, intimidating man approached. Shaved head and a wide smile as he slammed his hand into Steven's shoulder.

"Long time no see Archer. To what do I owe this visit to my humble temple."

Steven chuckled.

"Hardly a temple, Boze."

"Your temple is that which you dedicate yourself to, be it in protection or life...and so...this is my temple."

Steven nodded.

"Can't argue with that…"

Boze followed Steven's gaze to the Skell.

"Ah. Interested in him? This one is mine, Sentinel."

"I thought I saw this one flying overhead during the battle against the Lawless."

Boze nodded.

"Nasty business that was...but we got it done. Delivered those traitors to the hell they deserved."

"Indeed."

There was a comfortable silence before Boze asked once more.

"Why are you here? Perhaps the time for you to take the Skell certification exam has come?"

Steven laughed.

"Maybe? Never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks...before that...would you mind giving me a rundown on Skells?"

Boze crossed his arms.

"I can do it...but we have plenty of manuals and guides available on the network that are far more detailed."

"That's true...but I'd prefer to hear from someone who's worked firsthand with one of these machines...and for a long time."

Steven smiled.

"Know anyone like that?"

The Archer watched a proud smirk form on Boze's face.

"I may know a few...anything specific you want to know?"

Steven took a deep breath.

"Weaknesses."

Boze raised an eyebrow.

"That's an odd choice."

"I'm an odd man."

Boze shrugged.

"No denying that. In our age of firearms and advancing technology...you wield a hunter's pride and joy. What a world."

Boze struck Steven's arm once more and began walking towards Sentinel.

"Very well Archer. Let's begin."

Steven nodded his head and followed the Mad Monk.

"Yes. Let's."