Chapter 3: Together, As One
Night had fallen on Berlin as it was being repaired. Lady Saber's ruthless assault had damaged the city severely, and when the workers found the remnants of Red Skull's body… it was the stuff of nightmares. It was a miracle no one else had been killed during the assault. Lady Saber struck fear into the hearts of many a villain after that incident.
Of course, such a destructive attack earned her a thorough scolding from S.H.I.E.L.D., but in all honesty, there wasn't much they could do to really punish her. She was strong, and skilled with her powers. It wasn't until the Widow herself told a summary of her past that the swordswoman finally listened to anything the Agents had to say. The two heroes bore their souls to each other, and it was settled that the ex-Russian spy would almost always be her "check-in", almost always being referred to as "Scarlet" or "Red" by the L'Cie.
The work continued, even through the rise of the dark and jewelled sky. Unknown to any of the Agents out in the field overseeing the repairs or to any of the repair workers, a figure was watching. The figure was surveying the area, using the night to hide her presence.
"Incredible…"
"Yes, truly. The humans have been working day and night to repair the damage wrought by the furious L'Cie's assault."
The figure raised an eyebrow.
"Ummm…"
"Yes, Alex?"
"Partner, I know you know a lot… but what's a L'Cie?"
"Hmmm… How to explain it to you… Do you remember the stories I told you of the War of Transgression?"
"The one that was between two neighboring worlds? The one with robot gods and all of that? How could I forget? It was one of the most radical stories you've ever told me!"
"Yes, indeed, it is a dark tale. But the Fal'Cie did not truly do much on the front lines in the war."
"But you said that it was a devastating war…"
"They tricked and tried humans, and used them as soldiers, assigning them tasks."
"That's…"
"They did not care for humanity. For all intents and purposes, humans were nothing more than tools in their eyes. If a human defeated a Fal'Cie, it brought them before the god it was subjugated to. The god would brand them a L'Cie."
"Brand them? You mean basically make them targets for their enemies!"
"If the brand could be sighted. At the time of the War of Transgression, the Fal'Cie's lies led many humans to actually volunteer for such savagery."
"That's even more disgusting…"
"It is. After the war ended, the world of Gran Pulse was left devoid of human life, and the citizens of Cocoon were constantly pampered, taught to believe that a Pulse L'Cie was another term for a monster in human disguise. It is obvious to me that those times are passed, but what disturbs me is that there is a L'Cie on this fragile planet."
Alex chuckled.
"I remember a time when you couldn't have cared less."
"And I remember a time when you had no qualms about ending lives."
"But that's the past."
"And we are in the present."
Alex stood up.
"Come on, let's get the hell outta here before we're spotted."
"Agreed, Alex."
Alex turned, and with a flourish of red-and-black, she disappeared from her perch in Berlin. She reappeared in the heart of the New Orleans bayou, her base of operations and home. Amongst the wandering sawgrass and hanging mangroves, there was a small patch that, to most, would just seem like another section of the swampland.
Alex smiled as she raised her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them. The moment she opened them, they had turned from complete heterochromia to pure, glowing red. Her hand became surrounded by an unholy red glow, matching her eyes. A dark wind surged from the ground, blowing up the flap of hair concealing her right eye.
"Barrier, dispel! Fling open, gates! Unveil yourself to your master, home of the Master of Reality, Temple Aether!"
As both Alex and her mysterious partner spoke, the voice came out with a resounding echo. The earth rumbled a bit. A large, pyramid-shaped temple came into vision. It gave off a dark feel, and its color scheme was themed invariably around black and red. There were no visible openings in the massive, dark, and perfect shape, but Alex walked in without a problem. The moment she walked in, the barrier reformed, concealing the large structure once again.
Within the vast, ominous-looking temple, there was a surprising amount of content. A vast library was in one section, and held books of every topic imaginable, yet most remained concealed to the world because of the magic barrier. Another was the living quarters of its one occupant, Alex. This was defined as the kitchen, bathing area, bedroom, bathroom, entertainment room, and all things related. Alex walked into a room that was dark, but with a wave of her hand, it came to life.
Magic symbols suddenly lit up all over the floors and walls, thus summoning a series of screens. Similar symbols either bordered the screens or were all over them, depending on what kind of screen that she was looking at. She levitated herself in mid-air, crossing her legs. Alex watched as clips from various cameras placed all Berlin played on her multitude of screens. Her eyes widened upon seeing Lady Saber blaze through the German city.
"Is that-"
"There she is. That girl is the Pulse L'Cie!"
"My God… She and that… thing… caused all of that?!"
"I told you this already. Pulse L'Cie possess incredible destructive power, even if they have already completed their Focus and have awoken from crystal stasis."
"I mean, thank God that it was just Red Skull and his army… but…"
"There is no doubt that if she not only has that caliber of experience with her power but also possesses her Eidolon and fights in such a way… finding her will be no easy task."
"But we can't let someone like her run wild."
"Indeed. Lest the fate of some unfortunate human who was in the wrong place at the wrong time be wrought unintentionally by her hands…"
"And we still have to be just as careful."
"This is true, for there are those who would hunt us…"
"Yea… I'd rather not dance with gods or men…"