The echoing sound of a clock ticking with a loud clacking sound was heard in the endless darkness that was seen all around. In the sea of nothingness a large face of a clock was seen, the white glow coming from the surface while the elegant hands in the dial slowly moved around to each of the crimson lit roman numerals that adorned the face of the clockwork. Sitting in the middle of the clock on the glass was Complica, the girl lying on her legs while watching the second hand slowly move around her with a forlorn expression on her face. With one hand she held her bat at her side, the other gently holding her dress down on her legs as she sniffled and tried not to cry. The ominous glow of the clock gave little light to show anything else around her, the girl appearing to sit on a clock's face in the middle of empty space.
"Please, I have to do something," Complica said softly. She then shut her eyes as she showed a strained expression, a small grunt escaping her lips her body trembled slightly.
No.
"But I can't just watch them die, not again. That's all I've ever done, I always just watch as everyone I know and care about dies. I hate it," Complica pleaded as she shook her head.
No.
"Please, I can help them, I know I can. That world is my home, my real home, I came from that reality. Those are my real sisters, my real friends, not like the countless copies that exist out there, they're special to me," Complica begged as she held her hands together in a praying manner.
No.
Complica whimpered and looked down to the glass below her, seeing a faint reflection of herself in it as the second hand continued to move about with an echoing click.
"They're all I ever thought about, the only ones I truly wanted to see again after I came to be like this. It's not fair that I have to sit and do nothing while they fall, not when I can help them. Please, I can tell them what to do, what will be coming their way, how to survive, I can help them-"
NO.
Complica dropped down onto her side holding her head, struggling not to scream as her body convulsed uncontrollably. Blood dripped down from her ear and nose onto the glass of the clock, her voice echoing out in her mouth as she tried to speak but could not.
You will watch, nothing more.
"But why?" Complica coughed out as she slowly stopped shaking. She took a few deep breaths then looked up at the darkness above with weary eyes.
"What's the point of my existence if all I can do is watch?" she asked desperately. Slowly her eyes looked over to her bat, the stick's own clock still spinning silently as it rested near her.
"Must I really steal their lifeforce in order to say anything? To do anything? Why must I do something so cruel to the ones I love?" she whimpered.
Balance.
"Balance? There's nothing balanced about that. You're asking of me to kill those I wish to save, that's so horrible," Complica said as she slowly took hold of her bat and sat up, her eyes going over the object with remorse as she wiped the blood from her nose and cheek.
It is your law.
Complica slowly showed great anger to that, her hands clutching the bat tightly as she stood up on the face of the clock.
"My law? My law?" she growled with fury.
"My law is to kill those that I want to help? My law is to sit here and do nothing while others are suffering? My law is to turn a blind eye to those in need?" she demanded with frustration. With a loud yell she swung her bat down onto the clock, cracking the glass severely underneath her with a crackling sound.
"My law is to watch as my own sisters die, and do nothing about it?" she screamed out into the air.
Yes.
Complica's eyes widened with shock for a moment before they turned into a deep glare, the glass under her cracking more as a ripple of distorted air and torn space fluxed around the chronofly.
"For 6,789,241 years, 8 months, 22 days, 14 hours, and 16 seconds I've existed as I do now, having been separated from my friends and family without ever being allowed to talk to them, without ever being able to hug my sisters even though I can see them clear as day. It took me so long to find the reality that I came from, the world I once knew personally, the sisters that are truly my family, and now I'm being told to obey my stupid law and watch as they die, watch as they fall, watch as everything I loved and held dear is wiped out. To hell with my law! I can't just do nothing while they fade away into time, I can't just do nothing when I have the power to help them!" she yelled out with anger.
You will.
Complica screamed and swung her bat down, trailing a torn rift of space and stars before striking the clock's face again, the hit shattering the glass and cracking the clock apart with a violent crash. Fragments of glass and bits of the clockwork floated up gently around the chronofly as she hovered in place, her expression of anger as her wings fluttered slowly behind her.
"If I really must do nothing, then what was the point of me becoming like this? Why should I exist?" she demanded.
You shouldn't.
Complica slowly looked up at the darkness above with a cold glare, her expression seeming very different in comparison to how she was once known to be when she was alive.
"Well I do exist. I may be an anomaly, but I still exist, and as such I can still make a difference with others around me," she declared.
You cannot break your law.
Complica held in her growl as she knew that was true. No matter how much she desired to help those closest to her, it was impossible for her to go against her law. It simply could not be broken, no matter how hard she may try.
"You're right; I can't go against my law. I cannot change one's fate with my words or actions, I can only tell them what is already known or what cannot change their fate. I can only change their fate by taking their lifeforce in exchange, otherwise I cannot change a thing with their timeline," she acknowledged. After a few minutes a daring smile came across her face.
"But what if they don't have a timeline anymore?" she questioned aloud.
What?
Complica giggled then looked to the bat in her hands.
"What if they didn't exist anymore? That would mean they don't have a timeline anymore. And that would mean I could tell them anything I wanted to. But what if they then did exist in reality when they shouldn't and thus having a timeline that would mean that they could in fact make a difference even though they shouldn't exist because then they do and already know what I told them earlier and that would make it alright even with my law wouldn't it?" she said quickly.
What?
"That's it, that's how I can save them. I don't exist in that reality anymore, I have no timeline in that world, there is no Complica that exists now according to that reality even though there should be one. The way I left when I did wasn't natural, in fact it would even be considered breaking the laws of reality," Complica said with a growing smile.
What are you talking about?
Complica giggled then looked up at the darkness with a confident smile on her face, the bits of glass and broken clockwork around her floating by gently as she understood how she could still help those she cared about.
"My law is absolute, you're right, that's clear as day to me. However, there is still a way for me to help them, to warn them of what is coming their way, without breaking my law," she declared.
How?
Complica looked off into the distance as she swung her bat around in front of her, blasting all the debris away in a wide arc as a spatial tear in time ripped open before her.
"I'm going to fix what I broke in that world when I left it."
Inside her room in the HDA facility Moka was looking in her mirror, fully dressed in the Monster Coalition uniform as she slowly zipped up her combat vest up to her rosary. A focused expression remained on her face as she lightly fluffed her hair behind her to have it all flowing down behind her back along her vest. As she kept staring intently at her own reflection she tightened her fists, the gloves making a soft leather noise at her sides as she prepared her mind for what was ahead of her.
'One day we're arrested by the HDA, then we're talking to them about peace, and now we're fighting alongside them in the face of Babylon's invasion. I wonder what this week will bring us next.'
'No matter what comes our way we need to stay focused and ready for anything. This is our last chance at keeping the peace in this world, the last chance to keep a world still in one piece for our mate to return to.'
'Our world will not fall; I will not allow our one chance at having a future in this world be destroyed by anyone or anything. When Tsukune comes out of Paradise everything will be as it should.'
A knock came from her door, the vampire then glancing to her clock briefly before walking over and opening the door to seeing three others outside in the hall waiting for her.
"All set, big sis?" Kokoa asked with a daring smile on her face. She was dressed in the same uniform as her sister, along with having white bows in her hair instead of her normal red ones. Next to her Kyouko was glancing down to her firearm holstered at her hip, the human keeping a hand near it while she too was wearing her uniform along with yellow tinted shooting glasses over her eyes. And standing with them was Gin, who had the men's variant of the Monster Coalition uniform on with sleek black shoes, long legged blue pants, a black sleeveless combat vest worn over a long-sleeved blue shirt, black fingerless gloves, a white armband that had HDA written on it with red letters, and of course his wolf necklace and usual headband out of personal preference. Only Kyouko had a firearm with her, as the others had their own tricks and powers to fighting and were more inclined to use them rather than learn to use a gun themselves.
"Still kind of weird that we're doing this, I mean after they arrested and tried to kill us all so recently, wearing their clothes feels a bit strange," Gin commented while glancing to his armband.
"Not going to lie, I'm liking it more than my old school uniform," Kyouko mentioned with a shrug, her eyes still remaining locked onto her gun.
"I think you only like it because they actually gave you a loaded firearm," Gin reasoned while glancing to her with a smirk.
"Hey, I know how to use it now. Besides, it's not like I can walk out there and punch or kick something into submission like you three can. I need something to fight with too you know," Kyouko shot back at him.
"Is the safety on at least?" Moka asked as she walked out into the hall and closed the door behind her.
"Yes, I made sure before I put it on and after, it's not going to go off or anything," Kyouko sighed while rolling her eyes.
"You shoot any of us with that thing today, and I can promise you Tsukune will never hear the end of it," Gin added with a raised eyebrow at the girl. Kyouko merely muttered something to herself while crossing her arms. Moka looked around at the three newly appointed soldiers in the incoming war then looked off down the hall with a focused gaze.
"Alright, let's go," she ordered before the four quickly started running down the hall together. As they did Ruby's voice came on over the speakers throughout the complex.
"Attention, all Monster Coalition members, please report to the main hangar. Again, all Monster Coalition members, get to the main hanger on the double," she called out in a professional tone.
Inside the command room within the facility HDA personal were operating dozens of computer terminals set around the large room, with Ruby and Razico standing near a large table screen in the middle with a layout of a nearby human city seen on it. The two casters were dressed in their own preferred clothing style, however still wore the HDA armbands to show what side they stood on in this conflict. Next to them Ahakon and Yukari were also looking down at the large digital display for the city, seeing several red markers flashing about showing there were problems happening that needed immediate responses. The two young casters were dressed normally, while wearing supporting armbands like their friends were, and had downtrodden expressions on their faces as Razico tapped a few areas on the table to highlight them.
"How come we couldn't go out there too? We're just as capable of protecting the humans as the others are," Yukari whined while hopping up and down a bit.
"Because the HDA isn't about to send little kids out into a warzone, even if they are monsters capable of powerful magic," Ruby mentioned simply as she watched the digital screen carefully.
"They're letting Kyouko go out there though; we're certainly more combat ready than she is. I mean she just learned how to use a gun last night, she's probably going to shoot Gin in the foot or something," Ahakon complained while crossing his arms.
"I think outfitting a civilian with a firearm for use in this dangerous situation was about as lenient as the HDA was going to get, having you two step out there as well would be crossing the line," Razico reasoned with a shrug.
"Besides, you two can help us here just as well," Ruby added.
"Help here? How?" Yukari asked.
"Could you please find out if there's any coffee nearby and get me a cup?" Ruby asked, with Ahakon and Yukari staggering from that.
"Same here," Razico said before he covered his mouth to hide his yawn. Yukari grumbled and started walking away with Ahakon following after, the two reluctantly heading off to find their friends something to drink with heads held low. Ruby glanced around at seeing all the emergencies lighting up in the city and shook her head slowly.
"I can't believe all of these are rogue monster attacks, there's so many," she said worriedly.
"We really opened Pandora's Box freeing the others that night, that much is certain. We need to get a lid on this and fast otherwise humans are never going to trust us again," Razico said holding a hand to his chin with a careful eye on the screen. Ruby nodded and picked up her earpiece again, holding it to her head as she kept watching the display with growing concern of their situation.
"Attention, all Monster Coalition members, get moving! You're needed out there right now!" she ordered.
Inside his room Dark was finishing getting ready, the demon now dressed in the Monster Coalition uniform, having silenced pistols holstered at both his sides, and an mp3 player on his vest with earbuds set in his ears. As he put his gloves on and got a feel for them Arial was sitting on his bed looking down with a sorrowful expression on her face, the girl's wings shimmering slightly behind her from the light above them while the side of the bed she had slept on next to her demon had several cuts and tears seen on the mattress and covers from her wings. She was still dressed in her black night shirt and sleeping shorts while she held the blanket over her lap, using one hand to wipe her tears away before she looked over to Dark with a small smile on her face.
"Thank you for letting me sleep next to you last night, I didn't want to sleep alone," she said softly. Dark smiled and glanced back to her as the girl tried her best to show a smile on her face.
"Of course, Arial. I hope you were able to sleep better in my company despite my nature," he said with a small shrug.
"I did, thank you so much," Arial said before looking down with closed eyes and a frown on her face. Dark showed concern from seeing his angel feeling down then walked over and sat next to her on the bed, gently petting her head before leaning over and kissing her forehead.
"Please don't cry. You'll see Complica again someday, I still have faith you will," he said gently.
"I know she's out there, somewhere, somehow. But I can't help but miss her so much; it's still so painful to think that… that… I might never see her again," Arial whimpered before she broke down crying. Dark watched her with remorseful eyes then looked over to his door as a knock was heard.
"Dark? You ready?" Felucia called out.
"One moment," Dark replied before holding his angel close to him.
"I promise it will all be alright. For now all we can do is wait until she finds her way back to us, so don't lose hope that she will. You will see your friend again one day," he said softly. Arial nodded and held onto him tightly.
"Please hurry back to me, please, Dark. I don't want to be alone right now," she begged.
"I'll return as soon as I'm able, I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone if I can help it. And you know you're welcome to head to the observation room with the others if you like. You can keep an eye on me from there all day," he said with a calm smile. Arial looked up to him with watery eyes, the demon gently wiping her tears away with a simple nod.
"You'll be able to hear and see me while I do what you gave me the chance to do in this world," he said kindly.
"What's that?" she asked.
"To protect others from true evil in this world," Dark said before he stood up and winked at his angel. Arial smiled a little and nodded as Dark walked over to his door. He glanced back to her, seeing his angel watching him with caring eyes while her wings shimmered slightly behind her.
"Your player is charged and set on my table if you want to listen to it today. I'll be back soon, Arial," he said before walking out and closing the door behind him. Arial looked to her player and earbuds on the nearby table then up with longing eyes as she sighed quietly.
"Complica, please come back to me," she said softly.
Outside in the hall Dark leaned back against his door, knowing his angel would still be feeling sad during his absence. Standing in the hall with him Mizore and Felucia were seen, with only Mizore dressed in the Monster Coalition uniform as Felucia was dressed as she usually was. The doll demon however did at least have the HDA armband on, and had pistols holstered at her hips. Mizore had no firearms on her person while she wore the new uniform along with her choker as usual, the snow maiden rolling her lollipop around in her mouth with a quiet clicking sound as she watched her demon closing his eyes and slowly standing upright.
"Is she alright?" Felucia asked.
"She'll be fine, she just misses her friend," Dark said glancing to her. Mizore walked over to him as he switched on his player, starting up his music of heavy metal as he concentrated on his task. With a small smile on her face she removed her lollipop and stepped up close to him, the boy holding her chin and giving her a gentle kiss as Felucia smirked and glanced away. After the kiss ended Mizore looked to Dark's door then to him again.
"I don't mind you sleeping with her instead of me as things are now, but I hate sleeping by myself at night without you with me," she admitted.
"Hey, I slept with you last night. I shared my bed with you, you held my hair back while I was throwing up in the bathroom, we were together all night, remember?" Felucia pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Mizore merely kept her eyes on her demon while remaining silent. Dark nodded slowly and gently brushed her hair around her ear.
"I know, I don't like being parted with you either. It's just…" he said before looking down as he failed to form any more words.
"It's ok. Her wishes and feelings are important to you, I understand," Mizore said glancing to the door, holding back her sigh as she knew how her demon was in a very difficult situation with all this as well. She then looked at Dark with a slight smile on her face.
"Still, at least I get to spend the whole day with you, I can't complain about that. Even if we are playing the role of monster police in this world, it doesn't bother me knowing you'll be by my side," she said softly before putting her lollipop back in her mouth. Dark smiled a bit and nodded before Felucia glanced over behind her shoulder.
"Speaking of which, we should get going, sounds like everyone is mobilizing to leave now," she mentioned. Mizore nodded as her expression changed to a cool determined one, her gloved hand flexing slightly at her side as it frosted over briefly. Dark gave one last glance to his room where his angel was dealing with the loss of her dear friend then started running down the hall, with the two girls quickly following after him. As they made their way through the facility another member of their group stepped out of her room further ahead. Ran closed her door behind her while she seemed to be deep in thought, the girl wearing the Monster Coalition uniform except she had no combat vest on. Her shirt was open in the back, likely for her wings to sprout out from should she need them, and at her hip she had holstered not a gun but a wireless microphone, the sleek black and gray device seeming oddly placed in a war yet perfect for a siren to have on her. She had her lone curl of hair up on one side of her head and her trademark green ribbon on the other side, her eyes seeming to gaze into space from behind her glasses as she just stood before her door without moving.
"Ran," Mizore called out as she, Dark, and Felucia ran up to her. The siren blinked then looked to them before showing a small smile.
"Good morning," she said with a friendly wave.
"What are you doing with that?" Felucia asked pointing to the siren's microphone. Ran smirked and glanced down to it while holding a hand over it, as if in a showdown with another shooter.
"What better weapon for a siren to have than this?" she asked simply.
"A gun, or literally anything else," Felucia said dryly. Ran gave her a dull stare then shook her head.
"I assure you this will do much more damage than a mere gun would in my hands," she quipped.
"Somehow I don't doubt that. So are you flying with Kurumu's team?" Mizore asked. Ran shook her head before the four started running down the hall together.
"No, I'm being dispatched with my own team," she replied. Mizore and Felucia glanced to her then to each other curiously while Dark continued to show no real expression as usual, the demon focusing on his music and the role as a protector once again.
Elsewhere in the complex Kurumu and Rason exited their room together, both suited up in their uniforms and both locked into a kiss with each other as Rason stumbled slightly with his girlfriend hanging onto him. Like Ran they weren't wearing combat vests and their shirts had openings in the back for their wings, with Rason's being visible as they were tucked slightly behind him. After Kurumu finally broke from their kiss with a loving sigh Rason closed the door behind him before slumping back against it with an amused smile on his face.
"Easy there, dear, we haven't even left the building yet," he said in jest.
"Sorry, you just look so strapping in that uniform, I couldn't help myself," Kurumu replied with a coy smile, her eyes going up and down over her boyfriend as she felt the bond between them pull strongly from seeing him like this. Rason chuckled and rubbed the back of his head before he eyed his girl over with a daring grin.
"Well, I can't lie, you look really great in yours," he admitted. Kurumu giggled and turned around while holding her hands to the back of her head, giving her hips a little wiggle as she winked back at him.
"Thanks, I always love feeding those eyes of yours," she purred before giving her rear a little hump back towards him, in doing so causing her skirt to flutter and Rason's eyes to nearly bulge out of his head as he noticed something that she was so obviously trying to flaunt to him.
"Kurumu! You didn't put your underwear on!" he exclaimed as a blush formed on his face. Kurumu turned to smile at him innocently while holding her arms below her bust and perking her bosom up a bit.
"Oh, I thought I felt a draft out here, whoopsie," she giggled with a tilt of her head.
"Kurumu, you can't go out on duty not wearing any panties, everyone will see… you," Rason stuttered with a nervous smile.
"I don't mind, just so long as you see me," Kurumu purred at him with a seductive smile while slowly moving her hands down along her body to her hips.
"Kurumu, I really don't think that's such a good idea. I appreciate the thought, really, but-" Rason said before Kurumu ruffled her skirt again, with the boy catching a clear view of her underneath. Upon being teased with the girl's nearly exposed pussy Rason tried to gather his thoughts again, something he failed horribly in doing so as he remained silent with his eyes locked onto the girl's skirt.
"Ready to go, angel boy?" Kurumu asked coyly.
"Kurumu? Are you… sure you want to go out in public half naked?" Rason asked shakily, trying very hard to remember why that would indeed be a problem as he thought more about what he wanted to do with his girlfriend behind closed doors. After a minute Kurumu giggled and pulled out a pair of black panties from behind her, holding them up with one finger while winking at her angel.
"Relax, Rason, I was just teasing you. I wouldn't really go out on duty without these on, there are going to be kids watching when we're on the news after all," she admitted, with Rason breathing out in relief that his girlfriend wasn't that perverted. Kurumu laughed then smiled amusedly at him while hopping about in front of him, her skirt fluttering around her hips as Rason tried his very best to fight off a nosebleed.
"I just wanted to get you fired up, and it looks like I did," she mused playfully while bouncing her waist against his. Rason chuckled weakly and tried to push her back as the girl kept trying with what was almost an effort to dry hump him.
"Ha ha, ok, you had your fun, now get ready so we can go meet the others," Rason said shaking his head as he tried to move around her.
"Aw, don't be so blue, you'll get to see more of this tonight and much more," Kurumu said sweetly while watching him with a playful smile. With another hop she then tripped over his foot and dropped to the ground with a thud. Rason looked down to her with a weak smile then over to see Gabriel walking towards them in the hall. The redheaded angel was dressed the same as the other flyers, with his shirt opened in back exposing his wings that were tucked behind him as much as they could go.
"Hello, are you two about rea-" Gabriel started before freezing in place with wide eyes. He stared with a stunned expression at Kurumu who was face first down on the floor with her rear end sticking up in the air, offering clear visibility of her exposed flesh to the angel. Rason looked down to Kurumu with a jump then quickly darted over and turned Gabriel around by the shoulders, the redheaded angel staring ahead down the hall with a stunned face still while Kurumu groaned and slowly lifted herself up onto her hands and knees, which still offered a clear view of her private area to the boys all the same.
"Kurumu, finish getting dressed, right now!" Rason ordered, finding himself feeling strange about actually ordering his girlfriend to get dressed. Kurumu blinked, looked back to seeing Rason keeping Gabriel facing away, down to her exposed butt cheeks, back to Rason who was staring at her with a blush and disbelief that she was still showing off herself to them, back down to her butt, then screamed as she frantically turned around and started putting her panties on.
"Don't look!" she cried out.
"You were the one baiting me to look before!" Rason shouted out.
"Yeah, you, not him!" Kurumu shot back.
"And whose fault was it that he saw you like that?" Rason questioned.
"His! He looked!" Kurumu cried out with embarrassment as she stood up and held her skirt down to cover herself, even though she was now wearing her panties again. Rason sighed then looked to Gabriel as the boy glanced back to him carefully.
"What is going on here?" Gabriel asked shakily.
"Nothing, just… finishing with getting ready," Rason said as he let go of him and glanced back to his girlfriend. Kurumu looked to Gabriel then down with a whine as she held her arms around herself.
"Kurumu? Are you alright?" Rason asked. Kurumu huffed with a flustered expression then quickly marched past the two boys.
"I'm fine, let's just get going," she quickly replied as she made her way down the hall with a blush. The boys watched her head off then looked to each other, with Gabriel showing a weak smile and slowly rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, after seeing that this morning, I'm not quite sure what else to say here," he confessed.
"Nothing else to say," Rason said with a sigh. He glanced to where Kurumu had run off ahead for a moment then smiled proudly at Gabriel.
"Except that I'm tapping that," he added before heading after his girlfriend. Gabriel showed a puzzled expression to that then watched his friend running down the hall.
"What do you mean? Tapping what?" he called out confusedly before quickly running after him. As he did Ruby's voice again came on over the speakers.
"Attention, all Monster Coalition members, I said MOVE IT! C'mon, we haven't got all day!" she yelled out with growing frustration.
"Yukari? Ahakon? This is Razico. If you could please hurry up with the coffee that would be great, Ruby's a little on edge this morning," Razico said calmly over the speakers.
"Let's go, go, go, GO!" Ruby shouted out again.
Coming out of their room in the facility Astreal and Leon were seen together dressed in their uniforms, with Astreal's being the same as the other flyers in the group while Leon had the typical men's outfit on. Neither of them had any firearms, since Astreal had her magic and Leon would be copying any magic he saw that day; however both were showing slightly saddened smiles as the witch hugged her boyfriend again.
"I'm sorry I got roped into joining the flying team, I wish I could be riding with you today instead," Astreal said with a small pout.
"It's alright; you have a real talent for flying that would be put to waste with us on the ground. You belong up there in the air, flying gracefully above the earth with your beautiful wings like a real angel," Leon said dearly. Astreal trembled a bit then quickly kissed him, holding her arms around his neck as she felt her emotions running faster from his words. After the kiss broke she forced a caring smile to hide her frown.
"Thank you so much, though I'd still rather accompany you today, I did promise to be your sword in battle after all," she said softly.
"Don't worry about me, I'll manage just fine like I always do, I promise you. If any of those creeps try any fancy magic against me I'll be sure to throw it right back at them," Leon assured with a wink. Astreal nodded slowly before they started walking down the hall holding hands.
"Besides, you're needed up there to keep the peace, and I'm needed down here to keep Render from screwing up," Leon added, with Astreal giggling to that. Nearby Apoch and Render exited their room, both dressed in the standard Monster Coalition uniforms with Render's vest remaining unzipped down the middle. Apoch was looking down with a troubled frown and holding her arms around herself while Render was watching her with worried eyes and holding her by the shoulder.
"Morning you two. Hey, is she alright?" Leon asked as he and Astreal walked over to them.
"Sister?" Astreal asked worriedly. Apoch shut her eyes and shook her head a little.
"I'm fine, really," she said quickly. Leon and Astreal looked to Render questionably as the boy rubbed the back of his head with a small shrug.
"She didn't really sleep too well last night, had nightmares nonstop," he explained.
"First night sleeping next to her boyfriend and she has nightmares, that can't be a good sign," Leon said dryly. Apoch twitched at that then growled at him.
"It wasn't because of him, and Render sleeping next to me was the only thing that got me through the night, so watch your tongue!" she snapped. Leon stepped back with his hands held up defensively while Astreal watched her sister with concern still.
"What did you have nightmares about?" Astreal asked. Apoch breathed out and held a hand to her head.
"I don't want to talk about it, I-" she said before she shivered and rubbed her arms around herself.
"Astreal?" Leon asked.
"Again?" Render said worriedly, with Apoch nodding then holding onto his arm with a whimper.
"It's not going away, Render. I can still feel it," she said, almost sounding afraid.
"What's not going away?" Leon asked puzzled. Render held his girlfriend close then looked to the others with uncertainty.
"She says she keeps feeling a cold draft following her around, but I've never noticed anything like that lately," he explained.
"A cold draft?" Leon questioned. Astreal jumped a bit then showed a nervous expression.
"You feel it too?" she asked, with Apoch looking to her and nodding with a small shiver again.
"You as well?" Apoch asked. Astreal nodded and turned to Leon as the boys looked back and forth between the sisters with growing confusion.
"Leon, something isn't right. I can feel something cold behind me wherever I go, like something evil is following me," she said before quickly glancing over her shoulder.
"Apoch?" Render asked quickly. Leon and Astreal looked over to seeing Apoch breathing heavily while clinging to Render, almost as if for dear life, with a frightful expression.
"It's on my neck… I can feel it on my neck," she whimpered, feeling as if something cold was breathing on her skin. The others looked around the hall carefully, not seeing anything or anyone remotely close to them.
"I don't see anything behind you, or around here at all," Render said shaking his head.
"I don't feel anything cold in the air here, nor did I last night in our room. Are you sure you're not just imagining it?" Leon asked his girlfriend.
"I'm not imagining anything, I can feel it, it won't go away," Astreal said shaking a little.
"I think you two may just be a little nervous about going out and playing peacekeepers today. Don't worry, we'll be able to handle anything that comes our way no problem," Render assured while holding Apoch close. Astreal blinked then looked to him with annoyance.
"What? Excuse me, my sister and I stood against Alucard without fear of death, us going out into a human city to quell some monster riots is nothing we can't handle and certainly isn't something we would feel the least bit scared of," she asserted firmly.
"Thank you, Render, please don't let me go," Apoch said softly while holding onto her boyfriend tightly. Astreal stared at her with disbelief and slowly shook her head.
"Apoch, you can't be scared about going out there to protect the humans today, you've always been the first of us to draw your blade if needed without fear," she pointed out.
"I'm not scared about going out there today; I'm scared about whatever this horrible feeling is! For crying out loud, it feels like death is breathing down my neck!" Apoch snapped at her with frustration.
"Death?" Leon asked. Apoch shut her eyes and shook her head as she slowly stepped back from her boyfriend, taking a few deep breaths in an effort to calm her nerves.
"Make it stop, just make it stop," she said quietly to herself as she held her head with both hands. After a moment to regain her composure she looked to the others with a cautious expression.
"I don't know why I'm feeling like this, but I know something isn't right, I can feel it," she said carefully. Render looked back and forth between the sisters then smiled worriedly at Apoch.
"Did you two want to stay here today? If you're not feeling up for it you can hang out here and rest," he offered.
"No, I'm going with you and that's final. Being separated from you will just add more stress and anxiety for me to deal with. I'm not leaving your side today, no matter what," Apoch insisted. Astreal nodded then slowly breathed out to shake off the bad feeling she had in her chest and the cold sensation of something right behind her.
"She's right, we have a job to do, that's what we need to focus on. All of you are stepping up when needed, you all want to help however you can, we're no exception," she agreed. Leon nodded and took hold of her hand, the witch looking to him with a small smile as knowing he was near gave some small comfort against the lingering feeling of dread she still had.
"Alright, then let's get to it," he said kindly.
Render rested his hand on Apoch's shoulder, the witch looking to him with hopeful eyes as he smiled confidently at her.
"Just stay close to me, babe, I won't let anything even touch you out there," he boasted proudly. Astreal glanced to him with a dull expression and shook her head slightly.
"Again, my sister is not a weak, little witch. She was once the wife to a shadow demon and is a capable fighter in her own right," she assertively stated, then jumped and watched with surprise as Apoch was snuggling up against Render's chest with an innocent expression, the witch letting the battlemage hold her close in his arms as she sighed happily.
"You always make me feel so safe and sound, Render, I don't know what I would do without you," Apoch said dearly. Astreal stared at her sister as words failed to form in her mouth then looked down while shaking her head.
'Please tell me she's not going to go back to her old, shy self again. She has a fighting spirit within her, capable of being so strong for all those around her. Mr. Render had better not take that away from her.'
Render chuckled and kissed Apoch on the head, the witch quivering with delight from the gesture, then looked to the others with a daring smile on his face.
"Let's go, time to ride," he declared boldly before taking hold of Apoch's hand, leading her down the hall quickly with the witch smiling at him with a blush on her face as she ran with him. Leon and Astreal watched the two go with blank expressions then glanced to each other with shrugs before following after them. As the four made their way through the facility to meet up with their friends Ruby's voice came over the speaker system again.
"Attention, all Monster Coalition members, get your butts in gear! I'm not going to tell you again, now move your asses to the main hanger on the double!" she shouted out.
"Yukari? Ahakon? Where's that coffee? Things are getting bad in here, hurry up," Razico ordered through the speakers as well.
Inside a spacious living area in the compound Luna and Sun were seated at a table, both looking down at their tea with worried expressions while standing near both exits to the room were two armed guards each, the humans standing at attention as they watched over the two VIP monsters in the building. The two girls were dressed in their casual clothing, neither of them being expected to wear a Monster Coalition uniform since they wouldn't be leaving the compound to fight anytime soon. There was a large flat screen television on the side of the room showing a local news report and the weather, a small kitchen off to the side, a couple of couches and small tables near the other wall, and three ceiling fans spinning slowly above to keep the air circulated in the lounge.
Luna sighed and glanced to two of the guards behind her who were waiting by the door for whenever she decided to leave.
"I would feel flattered that I have an armed escort wherever I go now, but they wouldn't even let me sleep with Gabriel last night. I couldn't even go see him this morning either, it's like they're watching me as if I'm a criminal," she moped. Sun nodded and wrote down something on her sketchpad to show her.
I know how you feel. But it's for our own safety, I'm sure Gabriel understands that as well.
Luna groaned quietly and looked down to her tea with a pout as she gently spun it around in the cup.
"I finally find out I have a Destined One and I can't spend the night with him, I can't even see him until later tonight when he gets back from civic duty. I just want to kiss and hold him close and then have him fuck me so hard," she whined, then gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth with a jump. Sun looked at her with wonder as the chronofly shut her eyes and shook her head.
"I didn't mean to say that! Oh god, I still can't think straight like this, my mind isn't working like it used to," she said before holding her head and looking down with remorse. Sun showed a weak smile and wrote down something else to show her.
Don't worry, you'll be able to be with your angel tonight when he gets back, and we can even go to the observation room and watch as they all help stop the riots in the city.
Luna looked at her with worried eyes and nodded slowly before sighing and slumping back in her chair.
"If only I could wish him luck before he heads out, or at least hug him if only for a moment. This is so cruel, finally finding the one I'm meant to be with only to be separated from him right away," she sulked. Sun watched as Luna scoffed with annoyance and looked up at the ceiling with a dull glare.
"I should be out there with them, helping bring peace to this world, not hiding here like this. I hate that I can never help my friends out when they need me, I always have to watch from the sidelines as they do everything," she said with discontent. Sun nodded and wrote down something more to show her.
I too want to help, I feel so useless having to sit and wait here as well. But we can't go out in public or be seen by Babylon's forces; otherwise we'll bring even more trouble down upon everyone.
Luna read the pad then looked down with a distant gaze as she slowly breathed out.
"I know, if I use any of my magic I'm bringing down his monsters right on top of me, maybe even jumpstarting his invasion altogether in the process. Still, that doesn't change the fact that I want to be out there wearing a uniform and standing alongside my friends," she reasoned before taking a quiet sip of her drink. The two girls sat there in silence as they drank their tea, both wishing they could help even though they were in such great danger themselves. After a while Sun set down her empty cup and wrote down something on her pad again.
Shall we head over to the observation room then? Maybe we can watch as everyone heads out into the city.
She showed the pad to Luna then watched with wide eyes as Luna was staring off into space down towards the table while she nonchalantly started eating her empty teacup. Even the guards watched with bewilderment as the chronofly ate the cup with a loud crackling and crunching in her mouth, the girl then picking up her small plate and then taking a bite out of that as well while she seemed deep in thought about something. After a few more chews of the dishware in her mouth she froze in place, her eyes then snapping to Sun who stared at her with a stunned expression. Slowly she set down what remained of her plate before gulping loudly, swallowing the pieces of the cup and plate in her mouth without any signs of discomfort. She then glanced to the humans who were watching her with confusion as they weren't sure if what just happened was a normal thing for monsters or not.
"I am so sorry," she said softly.
"Are you… hungry, ma'am?" one of the men asked carefully.
"No, not really. I mean, I tend to eat a lot when I'm upset, but I didn't mean to… with these… never mind. I'm sorry, about eating those," Luna said looking down with remorse. She glanced to Sun as the siren was still holding her pad up to be seen while staring at the chronofly with wonder.
"Maybe we should, the sooner I can at least see my angel the better I'll feel," she reasoned. Sun nodded with a weak smile before the two girls then got up and walked out of the room together, the four armed soldiers following after them while questioning what they just saw. As they made their way towards the observation room they heard Yukari's voice on the announcement speakers.
"Ok, we found some coffee- why is she dressed like a drill sergeant?" Yukari asked bewilderedly.
"Let's move it, this is what you trained for, this is what we've all trained for! Onward to glory!" Ruby called out with perhaps too much enthusiasm.
"Where did she get those clothes?" Ahakon asked with confusion.
"Never mind that, just give me the coffee. Here, Ruby, take this, please, it'll help you calm down," Razico quickly insisted over the speakers.
"I don't need coffee, I'm wired on the sheer energy of our combined efforts readying to topple the brigade of evil knocking on our doors! I'm fueled by the love and passion of humans and monsters working side by side for the greater good! I'm riveted by the turning tides that are rolling before us towards a brighter future! I'm fucking psyched as hell for-"
"Hold her down!" a man's voice sounded out as a scuffle was heard over the speakers, with the sounds of Ruby screaming and being brought down onto the ground with a thump.
"Calm down, Ruby. Here, drink this and try to relax," Razico insisted as the sounds of him and Ruby struggling were heard.
"Hold her still!" a guard called out. The rattling of chains was heard as Ruby started grunting and yelling out wildly.
"Down, Ruby, bad girl!" Razico scolded.
"She doesn't need coffee, she needs a tranquilizer," Ahakon mentioned.
"We won't be stopped! We won't be denied! We shall persevere for peace between monsters and humans everywhere! For the dark lords! For humanity! For Akihisa Ikeda!" Ruby called out with energy.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Yukari asked.
"There, hold her mouth open," Razico ordered, followed by the sounds of Ruby sputtering and gulping down something as the warlock and soldiers struggled to hold the witch still.
"Drink the coffee and relax, please, you're freaking us out here," Ahakon urged somewhat nervously.
Luna and Sun looked up at the speakers with confusion then to each other before continuing on towards the observation room with their guards. After a short walk they arrived at the large room, where there was a large conference table in the middle across the room with comfortable office chairs set around the fine counter. The wall opposite the doors and across from the table had a several large flat screen TVs showing news reports along with a layout of the nearby city and the markers showing where the emergencies were taking place. Seated at the table were all the parents of the group that had been brought in for their own protection. Kasumi and Koji were watching the news reports with worried eyes, seeing that the HDA was still silencing the news stations from broadcasting any real details about what was really happening as the reporters were only claiming that there were 'civil disturbances' escalating in the city. Ageha was drumming her fingernails on the table while watching the reports with a cautious eye, feeling concerned that her daughter would be called upon to handle these problems very soon. Tsurara and Akio were watching as the number of emergencies in the city was growing as more and more red markers were appearing from where the HDA was reporting monster conflicts and riots. Tamanori and Fujiko were watching the screens with growing concern, both feeling relieved that their daughter wouldn't be called upon to deal with these issues today and also troubled knowing that Yukari could and likely should be out there helping since she was more than able to. And Hothorne Tamaka was seated at the head of the table next to a few of his commanding officers, all of them watching the reports carefully as they knew that if these problems weren't dealt with properly and quickly then humans would not be willing to give monsters another chance at peace, even with the HDA's reassurances.
"Ah, so nice of you two to join us. Please, have a seat wherever you wish," Hothorne said calmly while gesturing around the table, keeping his eyes on the screens still as the parents looked over to the two new arrivals.
"Thank you. Um, have they left yet?" Luna asked as she and Sun walked over and sat down next to Kasumi, with their four guards remaining near the doorway and looking around at the displays showing the havoc being caused in the nearby city.
"Not yet, I think they are just about to head out now," Kasumi said as one of the monitors switched to a camera feed inside the main hanger of the compound. Inside the spacious hall daylight was seen blooming in from the open bay doors while parked around the large hanger were HDA tanks, SUVs, armored trucks, motorcycles, and dozens of soldiers and personal moving about as many of their troops were getting ready to deploy for action. And near the side of the hanger the parents and spectators in the observation room saw Moka standing before a large group of monsters and humans that were about to leave and enforce the peace.
"Alright, listen up," Moka called out, with all eyes remaining on her as she slowly glanced around at seeing her friends and newfound support with HDA soldiers standing together. The camera feed for the observation room switched to another device closer to the group from behind Moka and off to the side, with Luna smiling at seeing Gabriel more clearly now along with everyone else.
"We've got rogue monsters running amok in the city near us, and as the newest division of the HDA, it's our responsibility to deal with all of them," Moka announced.
"You don't have to say anything more to get me fired up, I'm always ready for a fight," Render boasted with his hands at his hips.
"That's good for you, but we're not going out there to just fight, Render," Moka corrected, with Render looking at her puzzled as the vampire crossed her arms and slowly shook her head.
"Up until now all of these monster attacks and riots that have been happening since the prison breakout have been covered up by the HDA. There haven't been any official reports by the media, witnesses and victims have been paid to keep quiet, the world doesn't know monsters are attacking people like this, after all if they did then mankind wouldn't want to give peace between our worlds another chance. That's all going to change today. When we hit the streets all the newscasts and media will see us clear as day, and be free to broadcast everything that happens to the public. We're going to be seen by the whole world today, so we need to show them what side we're on," she informed.
"So we're going to be on TV too? Awesome!" Render cheered with a hop. Leon rolled his eyes then looked to Moka with a slight shrug.
"What you're saying is that we need to set an example for monsters who want peace, right?" he guessed, with Moka nodding to that.
"That's exactly it. We're going out there to put a stop to the riots, but we're going to do so peacefully. That means we need to talk these monsters down, get them to see reason and stop doing what they're doing. They're not our enemies, they're not mankind's enemies, they're just scared and angry at what's been happening to them. Use force only if you must, detain and disarm them should you have to, but don't kill anyone unless it's truly the only option left," Moka lectured. She glanced to the HDA soldiers that were nearby, all of them watching her and standing at attention.
"Also, keep this in mind. We're going out there with HDA escorts and backup, but they're not going to engage unless needed," she mentioned.
"What do you mean unless needed?" Gabriel asked raising his hand. Moka looked to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Just what I said. They're under orders to take us to where we need to go, but then it's our job to stop these monsters one way or another. Do not expect the HDA to start shooting unless they're being attacked personally, until then it's all on us to put a stop to these disturbances," she clarified.
"We're the only ones that need to get involved in these fights anyway," Felucia quipped while flicking her hair back behind her shoulder.
"Exactly. We're doing this to show humans that we're on their side, that we're not all evil. When you're out there today, remember that the world is watching you, so you'd better damn well be on your best behavior!" Moka shouted out, catching the group by surprise.
"I mean it, there is no room for mistakes here, if we strike out with this then it's all over. So whatever you do, keep your act together," Moka ordered sternly.
"Yes, ma'am," Dark said casually, the group glancing to him briefly as he stood there with a blank expression on his face and his music playing like always.
"Hey, what's that kid doing listening to music at a time like this? Take those damn things off, this is serious!" a soldier shouted out at him. Moka held up a hand to silence the man and glanced to him with a sharp eye.
"He can hear what he needs to just fine; he used to be one of Fairy Tale's top agents before he rebelled against them. If anything, he'll be the one issuing orders and leading his team out there today. We all have our own ways of fighting, so just let us do our job today, remember that," she ordered. The soldier looked at her bewilderedly then to Dark as the demon just continued to watch Moka without showing any reaction at all. Moka looked around at the group then made a quick gesture towards the vehicles parked nearby.
"Alright, that's all there is for me to say right now. Get into your assigned teams and show the world what good monsters are capable of. This is our last chance at forming peace between the monster and human realms, we cannot fail," she ordered. The group nodded as the soldiers nearby gave a quick salute to the vampire. Moka then looked off to the side and saw Ceal and Fang Fang walking towards an HDA motorcycle nearby. Ceal was dressed in his usual dark clothing along with his glove to hide his reptilian hand while Fang Fang chose to wear his preferred Chinese attire again.
"Ceal, Fang Fang," Moka called out, earning a small smile and friendly wave from Fang Fang and nothing from Ceal who had a focused expression on his face. The catalyst mage mounted the cycle and looked ahead towards the open bay doors while Fang Fang got on behind him. After Ceal turned the engine on and revved the cycle he glanced over to Moka, with everyone watching him and the yasha.
"If you two find out where Hex took Falla and my mother, please let us know," Moka requested. Fang Fang nodded with a thumbs up at her while Ceal remained silent.
"Of course, Moka, I'll be sure to contact you immediately," Fang Fang assured. Moka nodded once as she tried to hide her anger at the thought of Hex keeping her mother from her. Her eyes then turned to Ceal as the mage just stared at her for a moment before looking ahead again.
"Ceal," Moka called out again. After a pause Ceal looked to her with a cold glare, something that she knew wasn't resentment towards her but rather anger towards Hex.
"Should you find him, make sure to send my regards," Moka said with discontent.
"Should I find him, there will be nothing for you to send your regards to, vampire," Ceal said coldly before flooring the gas on the bike, the rear wheel squealing on the ground before the two sped off with a loud engine roar. Moka watched them take off in search of clues to where Hex was then turned back to her group with a determined expression and stance.
"Alright, let's move out!" she ordered. The group nodded then quickly started running out along with the group of soldiers, except for Gin, Kokoa, and Kyouko who walked over to her. Dark mounted a motorcycle and started it up while Mizore hopped on behind him.
"Ready, my little snow bunny?" Dark asked with a glance back to his maiden. Mizore nodded as she held onto him around the waist.
"Always with you," she answered with a small smile.
Felucia got her own motorcycle next to theirs and revved it with an eager grin on her face then waved to two nearby HDA SUVs that were loaded with soldiers.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Felucia called out before she and Dark took off together, both demons driving out of the hanger accompanied by their HDA support.
Ran walked over to an SUV and got into the front seat next to the female driver while three more soldiers got in the back, all of the HDA personal riding with the siren being women.
"Ok, I'm ready," Ran said, with the driver then taking off out of the hanger accompanied by another HDA SUV with female soldiers inside.
Rason, Kurumu, Gabriel, and Astreal walked out of the hanger towards a row of HDA helicopters, four of the vehicles spinning their rotors as their engines started up.
"Not looking forward to riding in these things again," Astreal commented as her magical wings appeared behind her with a shimmering glow.
"Are you going to be alright doing this?" Gabriel asked her with concern. Astreal nodded as she kept her eyes forward on the helicopters.
"Yes, I can handle it, don't worry," she tried to reassure with, her voice hinging between confident and uncertain. They approached one of the choppers together, the transport being open in both sides while having two soldiers seated in back and strapped in. The four flyers stepped into the vehicle and took hold of the bar above on the ceiling for support, all of them standing in the ride as its rotors started spinning faster with a loud thumping noise.
"Hey, at least you're not buckled into it this time," Rason reasoned with a weak smile and shrug.
"Yeah, not to mention you'll be jumping out of this thing long before it touches back down on the ground again," Kurumu added with a giggle. Astreal nodded slowly then shuddered as she felt a cold feeling running down her back, the others not noticing her uneasiness as they braced with the takeoff. The four helicopters flew up into the air then towards the city, with Astreal struggling to push away the horrible feeling that was poking into her mind.
Leon, Render, and Apoch made their way towards an HDA SUV as a driver stepped into it. Leon got into the front seat while Render and Apoch got in back, the three buckling up before Render pointed forward towards the open bay doors with a daring smile on his face.
"Alright, let's roll out!" he ordered. The soldier glanced back to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Wait a minute, are you unarmed?" he questioned.
"I won't be for long, just get us out there already. C'mon, I'm getting antsy here, drive!" Render urged while flicking his hands at his sides.
"Hold on, none of you have weapons of any sort," the man said looking around at them.
"We'll be fine, just go," Leon assured while keeping his eyes forward.
"C'mon! What are you waiting for, man? Let's go!" Render ordered.
"No way. Monsters or not, you're just kids still. I get that I'm supposed to let you do all the talking and deal with what's out there, but you're all-" the man started to argue with before Apoch formed her blade and held it out past his head, the glowing sword of light giving the man's surprised face a slight bloom as the witch kicked the back of his seat.
"We're all waiting for you to drive us out there so we can do our job. We're all combat ready, more than you are, so would you please do your job and drive?" she demanded before slowly dissolving her blade. The man looked back to her with wide eyes then to Render as the boy leaned back in his seat with his arms behind his head and a smug expression on his face.
"You heard the pretty lady, let's go," he said plainly. The soldier blinked then looked to Leon as the boy was glancing to him.
"Like I said, we'll be fine," he repeated. The man slowly nodded then started up the vehicle.
"Ok, shutting up now," he said quietly before driving off along with two more HDA SUVs towards the city.
Moka and her team watched them go then started walking towards an armored transport truck that was waiting for them, a few soldiers jumping into the ride while others were loading into two more support SUVs nearby.
"Kyouko, you're under the same orders as the other soldiers are, don't fire unless you absolutely have to," Moka reminded.
"I know, I know, I get it already," Kyouko complained while glancing away with a dull expression. Kokoa looked to her with a smirk then whistled loudly into the air.
"Hey, we're going, Kou! Get over here!" she called out. From nearby the bat quickly flew towards his mistress and landed on her shoulder, the girl glancing to him questionably as the familiar was panting.
"Where were you anyway?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Kokoa, I was trying to find you all this time. I got lost in the underground level and then I found myself trapped in the ventilation ducts, this place is so confusing to navigate through," Kou squeaked while holding onto Kokoa's shoulder. He tried to catch his breath then looked around with nervous eyes as he clung to the vampire's shirt.
"Not to mention the humans kept trying to swat at me like I was some kind of pest, one of them even used a rolled up magazine to swing at me. They were so rude," he mentioned. Kokoa merely rolled her eyes before the four got into the truck and took their seats. Moka took out her earpiece from her vest and put it in her ear along with the others doing the same.
"This time, we're ready," she said before the rear door closed shut. The truck and its two escorts took off out of the hanger towards the city. Moka held a hand to her earpiece as she got her mind set for the task at hand.
"Ruby was right, this is what we trained for in the past, time to show our worth with what we've learned," she reasoned.
"We intend to," Kurumu's voice said over the channel.
"We will not fail with this," Mizore added.
"I've confronted worse before, I can handle this," Ran reassured.
"We got this, no problem," Render boasted.
Moka lowered her hand from her earpiece and looked to the others in the truck with her. Kyouko nodded once at her with a determined expression, Kokoa had her usual arrogant smile on her face, and Gin was resting back against the wall while looking towards the front of the truck with a calm demeanor.
"Don't worry, big sis. Compared to what we've dealt with before this will be a piece of cake," Kokoa assured with a shrug.
"Here's hoping, it would be a nice change of pace for something to go right for us," Gin mentioned while keeping his eyes towards the front of the ride, watching as they drove out of the HDA compound and towards the city in the distance.
The group all headed off together, from both the ground and air, on a mission to put an end to the fighting, the fear, and the hatred that was plaguing both the human and monster worlds. Each member of the special unit knew the stakes were high, that every action they made would have consequences, and that failure was not an option for them.
What they didn't know was that they were being watched by an anomaly of time, one that was paying very close attention to the events in this timeline now more than ever as she had done something that would also have great consequences for this world. Complica stood on a cyan colored marble glass floor, the surface giving off a slight bloom where her feet touched while also having intricate swirling patterns etched into the glass. All around was a dark void that had countless floating clock faces floating about, all of the timepieces having their elegant hands moving with ticking sounds that echoed out into the darkness. The girl had her eyes closed as she stood there in silence, yet was watching the events in the current world play out as if seeing a memory in her mind. She watched as Moka and her friends set out from the HDA base towards a nearby human city to enforce the peace and stop the rogue monsters from causing more trouble.
"I hope this works," she said softly to herself.
You cheated.
A sly smile appeared on the girl's face as she cocked her head to the side.
"Not at all, after all I cannot go against my law, remember?" she quipped smugly.
What you did shouldn't have been done.
"Well, I did it. And I'm still here, the world's still spinning… well, that world is anyway. I've done nothing that's against my rules at all," Complica said with a giggle.
You will be under close watch for this.
"Go ahead, watch me for all eternity if you so desire, I don't care. I can't interact any further in the matter beyond what I've already done, all I'm going to be doing now is watching from here," Complica scoffed while shaking her head.
Do you really believe what you did will change anything?
Complica showed a worried expression as she looked down with closed eyes still.
"I hope so. The rest is up to them. Them, and her," she said distantly, watching with her unique power as Moka's group headed towards the city with their new allies. Within the busy metropolis humans were going about their day as usual, at least the ones that weren't aware of or near any monster attacks or outbreaks that were happening then. People were walking down the sidewalks as they went about their morning routine, motorists were getting stuck in traffic jams and honking at each other along with using colorful language to describe their frustrations, flashing lights and signs were seen everywhere along the avenues and towering buildings throughout the city.
And a little girl was slowly walking through a crowded sidewalk, being ignored by all the people as nothing seemed special about her. She was about Yukari's height, wore white tennis shoes, white jeans, a blue t-shirt, a pink jacket that was unzipped down the middle, and a white headband. The girl had short blue hair and green eyes, and a worried expression on her face as she held a sealed envelope in her hands which were shaking slightly.
"You can either fade away into time with this reality, or help save another, the choice is yours."
After a few more steps the girl stopped and looked around at the busy street as she tried to keep calm, seeming to be shaken up about something as she then slowly stepped off to the side next to a building. She looked to the envelope in her hands then around at the surrounding city with nervous eyes as she held the packet close to her chest, watching as people continued to walk on by as they minded their own business.
"Give that to her however you can. The fate of that world, that entire existence, rests on you now."
With a quiet sigh the girl looked up at the sky, hearing the faint echoes of sirens further away as she wondered a very important question.
"Sister, where are you?" Complica asked softly.