Author's Playlist Pick:

Lucifers' Angel - The Rasmus

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Chapter 2:

Lucifer's Angel

"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Nietzche

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The shadow darted over Lucia, who spun to keep it in her sights. A girl stood with one hand plunged into the center of a pile of purple goo with six bulbous eyes.

Lucia's eyes widened. Sumire didn't smell it?

The creature dissolved around her hand, revealing the slim blade clutched in a white-knuckled grip. All was silent, a scene in a play watched by inhuman eyes.

Sumire's eyes reflected horror, Lucia noted, thought she wasn't quite sure why.

Lucia's mind raced, trying to draw every scrap of information from the scene. The she-virus was about Sumire's height, with a slender, rangy build that brought up the mental image of some jungle cat. Her dusty brown hair hung to mid back in a loose braid. A few strands of hair framed an oval face, with slightly wide-spaced olive green eyes and broad lips. Despite the chilly air, she wore only a black tank top and some faded, ratty jeans. She didn't even have shoes. Her skin had the faintest cast of blue – perhaps from the cold? A contradiction was the (expensive looking) pair of headphones she was wearing. They encased her ears fully, and appeared to be made of some kind of dark grey metal with a matte finish.

The girl wiped the knife on her jeans and sheathed it; she dialed a few buttons on the side of the headphones, and reached to put pressure on her bleeding side. Her movements had the same careless, drunken imprecision that Sumire's did when she was in Berserker mode. From the neck down thin, pale white scars spider-webbed delicately up her arms and over every bit of visible skin. Her arms up to the elbows were mottled faintly red and black, like she had briefly plunged her arms into a fire. A smoking furrow resembling an acid burn had been blasted across her left side.

"Who are you?" Sumire gave Lucia a startled glance – she wasn't sure how long the three of them had been standing there, just... looking.

The girl remained silent, completely still, but her eyes moved a fraction to look at Cassidy. The movement seemed to break Cassidy out of her stupor.

"Meri, pareo!"

The girl – virus – edged closer to Cassidy with all the caution of a feral animal, her blank eyes with their plus shaped pupils staring at everything and nothing. Finally the girl settled at Cassidy's left exactly two steps behind, like a dog at heel.

Cassidy eyed the virus' wounded arm. "Gahhh! Did'ya have to damage her Lucia?" She moaned. "Yamada is gonna skin me."

She addressed the virus. "Purgo, Meri."

Silently, the virus pulled an autoinjector from her belt, emptied the contents into the large vein her arm, and the flesh stopped sizzling. The virus surveyed her charred arms and dripping side with detached interest.

Lucia narrowed her eye at the clumsy hunter. "I was only doing my job. You couldn't say the same." She replied coolly.

Cassidy flushed and absorbed herself in studying the damage to the virus' arms. "My apologies."

"So this is it?" Sumire asked, hoping to distract them both from a potential awkward silence.

"Yeah, she's a Parti' model. Only for higher-ups…" she said distractedly. "Ah, tempero, Meri." She murmured as the virus shifted restlessly. The virus stilled.

"We need to get back quick; the AI (autoinjectior) will only last for a few hours. Yamada'll be pissed if we have to rebuild the whole side."

"Rebuild the… side?" Sumire asked under her breath, unsure if she had heard correctly, but Cassidy was already heading back to the car.

"Sumire?"

Sumire snapped back to attention. "Coming, Lucia-san!"

Cassidy was standing before the car with a puzzled expression.

"So who wants to sit where?"

Lucia arched a brow. "Does it matter?"

"Not really, but I just thought… well, you know…?" Cassidy gestured helplessly at the bleeding, blank eyed virus at her side. "I didn't really think either of you would want to sit by her… and I'm the only one who can drive."

Lucia and Sumire both looked at her blankly. The featureless black van had five seats – three in the back, two in the front – so there was more than enough room.

"I need someone to monitor her condition – I really can't afford a Parti' death on my record."

"She can sit between us." Lucia said.

Cassidy smiled gratefully. "Thanks; Protelo, Mari." She gestured towards the car, and the virus slid into the center seat. "Just keep an eye on her… and make sure she doesn't bleed on the seats."

*************One very awkward car ride later *************

"Please tell me you're not serious."

The girls (and virus) stood in front of an ornate wrought iron gate, inset into a huge brick wall that encircled equally massive buildings. A bell cut into the air with a shriek; clamor and laughter issued from the other side.

Cassidy grimaced "I know, sounds like a bad Shojo manga doesn't it?"

"Yeah… but a boarding school?" Sumire was floored. This stuff actually happens in real life?

Lucia looked askance at her astounded partner. Perhaps she should consider getting Sumire's head checked. All the things she had seen and this surprised her?

Cassidy huffed indignantly. "I didn' have anythin' to do with coming up with this crackpot story! Talk to the fat cats up top."

"Cassie-chan… is that you?" The voice came high pitched and tinny over the speaker hanging on the wall. An engraved brass sign above it proclaimed 'Lady Rei's Acadamy for the Gifted.'

"Yeah, it's me Naoko-san." Cassidy

"What's the password?"

"…"

"You forgot it again, didn't you?" The voice – "Naoko-san"- giggled. "Well, I guess that's proof enough that it's really you…"

"No, I remember. It's something like 'let me the hell in before I sick the virus on you.'" The girl growled, but the accompanying flush betrayed her.

Another voice spoke, but unlike Naoko's voice the cool, soft nuances translated well.

"Now, now, Agent Byrne. No need to threaten Miss Himura."

Cassidy turned grey. "Yes, Morimoto-sama."

"You may enter." The gates opened without a sound.

Cassidy lead them into the three buildings were about six, five and seven stories high respectively, constructed of red brick in an institutional western style. The buildings were clustered in the center of the enclosure and were connected by multiple pathways. Men and women of all ages strolled around the manicured grounds – ages ranging from six-year-olds shepherded by old women to giggling twenty-somethings flirting with well dressed young men. Lucia noticed that the uniform Cassidy sported was about the same type the other girls her age wore, though none were as brightly colored. The skirts ranged from dark olive to navy blue, matched with either a white blouse or polo shirt. The boys uniform was even simpler than that, the only options a white collared shirt, black or blue jeans, and a tie. Something was off though. Groups were divided by the color armband they wore, and there were only a few stragglers that moved between groups.

"Who was that?" Sumire hurried ahead to get a better look at their usually talkative host. The girl's face was still shocked.

"Ace Morimoto," she said quietly, leading the way towards the largest building. The sidewalk was framed on either side by bright beds of flowers, lending a sweet perfume to the air. "You really don't want to draw her attention…"She lead them to a downward leading path, down a flight of water-slick steps and stopped before a heavy metal door set into the base of the school. Cassidy pressed her thumb to a gel pad, and the door swung open with an audible hiss.

"Then you shouldn't bring such interesting people to visit, Cassie-chan." Cassidy's face reddened and drained of blood in turns. Her brown eyes focused nervously on the young woman who stood at the base of the stairs.

Ace, Lucia thought. There was no doubt it was the same voice, but the girl wasn't what she expected. Ace was shorter than Cassidy and Lucia, easily taller than Sumire but with a more slender, delicate build that brought Lola to mind. Her shoulder length copper-blonde mane framed a pixyish face; the inky blue gaze moved without pause, settling only for a moment before moving on. The uniform she wore was a crisp white shirt, and knee length black skirt. A scarlet arm band with one brown line and one white was on her right upper arm. A graying white arm band circled by one red line and one blue was tied around her left wrist. The aura emanating from her was enough to make the hairs on the back of Lucia's neck stand on end. Ace continued politely. "Would you care to introduce me to your friends Agent Byrne?"

"Umm… you see – I-"

"I'm afraid that we have some pressing matters to attend to, Morimoto-san." Lucia cut in. Her eye focused sharply on the blonde. She gestured towards the virus, which was standing meekly behind Cassidy.

Ace glanced briefly at the virus, then turned on one heel. "I just remembered; I have a meeting that I cannot miss." She laughed softly. "Another time then."

Cassidy leaned shakily against the door, and fell on her rear when it flew open. Lucia leaned over the trembling agent. "She was creepy, but not enough to get that worked up."

The blonde eyed Lucia incredulously. "If you know everything I do, she is." She stood up and shook herself. "Let's go, before some o'the other creepers round here decide to show up."

The network of halls that Cassidy lead them down was unbelievably complex, the tap of their feet echoed with a dry sound like clacking bones. The still air smelled stale, with just a hint of mold. Lucia kept a close eye on her surroundings. Lord knew Sumire couldn't be trusted to remember the way back.

"Yamada-sensei is a leading professor in virus-taming research, and he designs most of the weapons we use here." Cassidy said, obviously quoting some book or another. "He's a little...eccentric."

Sumire had to resist letting out a sigh of relief when the hall finally opened up into a small study, no bigger than Nanashi-san's at home.

There was a man that looked to be in his late forties sitting behind a cherry wood desk. He was so focused on what he was doing he didn't hear them come in. He had short, messy black hair, pale skin, and a surprisingly sturdy build. It was a wonder he could get to the desk at all, much less sit at it. Papers and books, boxes, string, kites, half-eaten sandwiches… it looked more like a teen aged boy's room than a renowned Doctor's office. It smelled like a teen aged boy's room.

"Yamada-sensei, I found her." Yamada turned unfocused, soft brown eyes on the young woman and smiled. He had laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, and a rumbling, deep voice. Lucia almost wished she could be put at ease. Almost.

"Well done Cassidy-kun. So this is the famous Venus Vanguard?." He glanced in their direction, then held out his hand to Meri. The virus put her hands in his; he examined her wounds, tutting. "You have my utmost thanks ladies, these aren't easy to replace." He grimaced at a particularly ugly burn. "And the paperwork!"

He straightened. "Show me, Meri." The virus looked away, crossing and recrossing her arms as the burns brushed against one another.

"Musume, what was it?"

Lucia looked on, something between disgust and irritation churning in her gut; Sumire only looked lost. Cassidy leaned forward eagerly.

Finally the virus moved toward a small door in the rear of the study that Lucia had previously missed. Meri waited until Yamada typed the proper code into yet another keypad, and then slipped into the shadows beyond.

Yamada flicked a switch, and fluorescent lights flickered into life on overhead. Sumire peered into the room, and nearly backed into Lucia and Cassidy in shock. The "room" was more like a large semi-circle, with small alcoves in the walls that served as cells of a sort. The niches were about five paces long and wide, and in the center of each niche was were circles of the symbols for earth, fire, water, air, and two sigils that Lucia did not recognize. In the center of each circle was a single virus. Every one of the viruses could have passed for a human, each in their own unique style of dress. The only unifying feature - for there were some of almost every age, sex and color - was the pair of light-swallowing headphones. The aura of power was electric: so many high class virus crammed into such a small space made Lucia's eye tingle.

Meri waited for them beside one of the few empty circles. The earth for a good two feet around was blackened by fire; the symbols almost unreadable. When her followers approached, the virus bent to scrape at some relatively untouched ground. The ash was dusted away to reveal a fire sigil, painted in some reddish substance.

"Ah… I see." The virus watched Yamada without emotion.

Even Cassidy seemed a little put off by her sensei's words. "Um… what do you see?"

"Pareo, Meri." He prepared to lead them to yet another location. "Meri is a water-element virus. Containing them within a field created with a fire sigil as keystone will make a much more powerful seal… but it causes them great pain."

"Then why did you use the fire sigil?"

Yamada paused. "That's just it Cassidy-kun. I didn't."

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keystone:

In a sealing circle there must be at least three symbols used: one "keystone" element and two "supporting" elements. A keystone is the main elemental power used as fuel. Air is rarely used as a keystone, The strongest circles are made up of all four elements; the very best use the opposing element of the sealed. - Yamada Kenta, Secret Seals (AKA: An Idiot's Guide to Sealing Circles)

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Authors Note:

I would like to thank silverflame63 and Repo for fav-ing me, and needtoknow for commenting.

A special shoutout to XredbaronessX for looking at the first chapter of CU and being so darn nice. I highly recommend her completed work Venus Unguarded and her in-progress piece Forever Kiss. (Haven't read her others yet, but I'm sure they're just as good. XD)

Edit: Hey guys, I AM still alive. I'm working on chapter four right now.