StrikerS: Pursuit of Perfection 22

Fate and Nanoha burst through the doors of the command center. "HAYATE!" Nanoha screamed, stunning everyone. She lifted her barrier jacket cuff up, the red light on its cufflink blinking brightly. "What happened to our backup?!"

"Teana lost the battle, and Soran's got Vivio too!" Fate fought back her tears.

Hayate's eyes went wide. She shared a look with Rein, and they both brought up terminals. "We've been monitoring all the warning channels the entire time. Our eyes never left the boards."

"Rein has zero records of any alerts incoming our outgoing ~desu." She gasped. "Shari-san! The Type 4 program!"

Shari gulped as she ran her fingers across the board as fast as possible. "Damn it! We've been compromised!" She brought up a virtual image of the building. "There's a feedback loop from the morphing field that's being repeated to our systems at the same interval as the emergency beacons. It's resetting the fields before we ever get an alert!"

"Soran!" Fate smashed her fist into the wall. "I can't believe he planned it back that far! He made the Type 4 program that attacked him, hiding a Trojan Horse inside just for this purpose!"

"Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, what happened out there?" Hayate met them at their level.

"There's no time to explain. We have to get Subaru and get home, now!" Nanoha dashed down the hall.

The lights flashed on in Caro's cell as the suspension field dropped and the bars slid aside. She squinted, trying to adjust to the light as a male figure walked in, holding a girl no bigger than she. He placed her down, placing a box with a cross on it by her head. He stood up and flung something at Caro. "Agh!" She cringed as she was hit, only to look down and find Kercleyon's gloves in her lap. "Eh?"

"Treat her. I've authorized the monitors to allow healing magic."

Her eyes finally adjusted, her eyes opening wide as she realized who it was. "Which one are you, Soran?"

"Both." Soran broke her gaze. "I'm sorry I made you think I was dead. But I did what was necessary. I promise I'll let you go once this is all over." He stepped back and let the bars slide back together. "I've given you everything you need for now. Hurry and treat her, or else she dies."

For the first time, Caro finally looked at the face of the one on the ground, and she choked on her own breath. "Vita-san!" The redhead was barely breathing, blood soaking both pads pressed to her front and back where she was rent through. Caro instinctively put on her gloves and went to her, forcing her healing energies into the wound. "How did she get like this?! Soran!" She looked up and he wasn't there. "Soran! I can't save her alone! She needs a professional!"

"I'll send Shamal to assist you once she wakes up." He said from down the hall.

"Soran! Soran, come back! Come back here and look at the damage you've done! Sor-!"

"SORAN!" GZAP. "Kgh!" Erio snarled as he recoiled from the suppression field. "I know you're out there, Soran! You listen to Caro and get back here! Face your sins like a man! SORAN!"

Vice's helio pushed to its limit, sacrificing comfort for speed. Nanoha and Fate couldn't care less about the bumpy ride, looking out the portals desperately. Subaru looked to Hayate, still not understanding what the emergency sortie was for, and where the others were, especially Tea. "We're clearing the forest now. Within visual… oh dear God." Vice swallowed.

"Vice. Vice, what is it?" Hayate called from the cargo bay.

"Kgh!" Nanoha slid open the hatch and leapt out.

"Nanoha-san!" Subaru gasped before following.

"Wing Road." Her rollerboots cast her specialized field and went after her.

Coasting together, they came to within sight of Nanoha's house. "That's not possible!" Subaru gaped. "It's… there's nothing left!"

"Mgh." The woman beside her swallowed as they landed where the front door was supposed to be. Before them was nothing but wooden splinters, shattered rock, twisted metal, and broken glass. The brunette went to the ground in a heap, Raging Heart's golden armor shattering against the pavement as she returned to necklace form. She wailed into the cement, losing control of every last shred of her composure.

Subaru knelt next to her, holding her tightly, showing her that she was there. The helicopter landed behind them, in the most open patch they could find. When Nanoha's sobbing had slowed, Subaru got up and scanned the area, aghast at the destruction. "Who could have done this?" She walked around the wreckage, confirming that not even the pool house and deck were intact. "This is beyond destruction."

Hayate left Rein to tend to the grieving women as she approached the Striker. "His name is Starwind, and he's out for revenge." She picked up a shingle from the roof and held it up. "This is how far he's willing to go." She tossed the debris back onto the pile. "He's the one responsible for everything, the Type 4 fight, Caro and Erio's disappearances, everything. Even in this very spot, he defeated all of my precious friends. Not even the combined teamwork of the entire Wolkenritter could prevent this wanton destruction. And now they're all gone, probably taken prisoner, just like all the others."

Subaru's eyes continued to widen as she was finally informed. "Vivio! What about Vivio?!"

"Taken, just like the others."

"Damn it…." Both of Subaru's fists were closed tightly shut. "Where's Tea?! Why isn't she here to see this?! This is what she wanted to know about all along!"

"She's not here because she was taken too." Fate rounded the bend, her eyes red and tired, but the tears had stopped for the time being. "By his accomplice, a sentient, fully-autonomous Intelligent Device."

Hayate whirled around, stunned by that information. "An autonomous ID?!"

She nodded. "We followed Tea to her meeting place with him. We laid a trap, he laid a better one. By the time we finally found the place, she was gone. But we do have the audio recordings. She went up against something that wouldn't die, a hollow armor with an intelligent device."

Hayate bit her lip. "Which explains how he managed to attack here simultaneously."

"Wait, time out!" Subaru rolled between them. "Why was Tea meeting with him if he's that dangerous?"

"She went there for your sake, Subaru." Nanoha rounded the corner, using Vice as a crutch. "She never told anyone about the meeting. It was sheer luck that we found out in time. She went there with the hopes of clearing everything up, so you wouldn't have to hear what I'm telling you right now." She stood up straight, nodding a thank to Vice. "You see, Subaru, you know this person, far more than we wish you did."

Nanoha threw an object in her hand at the girl, and she caught it on instinct. Opening her hand, she gasped at what was lying in her palm. "No." She looked at the golden casing with the number 5 inscribed in it. "No. You can't make me believe that!"

"Subaru, he defeated everyone. Even the combination of Vita, Zaphila, Signum, Shamal, and Akito couldn't bring him down. There's only one person who could do that." Fate turned back to the girl.

"Never! He's not that cruel! He's not a bad person!"

"Subaru, he took my baby!" Nanoha sobbed. "She begged for me to save her and I was too far away. I heard her. I saw her. And I could do nothing!"

"You don't know anything! I should know! I love him! You can't make me believe that this is him! He loved Section 6! He loved every one of you!"

"Soran was adopted by the Belt family, Subaru." Fate walked up to her as she tried to back away. "Berkt is the Persean spelling of Belt, and the adoption records show he's Persean. There was only one person on Perseus who knew how to use Casters properly other than Soran." She wrapped her arms around the girl and whispered into her ear. "His name is Starwind." Subaru's eye color changed to yellow. "I'm sorry, Subaru. His real name is Soran Starwind."

She didn't respond. She just stood there, her eyes wide. "Subaru?" Nanoha was the first who noticed something was off. "Hayate…."

The short-haired brunette took a closer look and gasped. "Fate, put her down, quickly! Rein, analyze her!"

The little sprite flew above the girl as Fate gently put her on the ground. Behind the golden color of her eyes was a pulsing red light. Doing a quick scan, she gulped. "Stretcher ~desu! She's in emergency shutdown ~desu!"

Soran sat in an interface chair and leaned his cheek on his good hand as he drummed the armrest with his left. He watched the monitors of all his captives carefully. "Well, now I know what it feels like to be a prison guard."

"Your human ability to find humor in such a situation does not cease to amaze me." The ID glowed from its maintenance chamber behind him, now only an arm.

"It's all I've got, Jor. If I didn't joke around, I'd probably puke from the guilt."

"Guilt. Another flawed human emotion I cannot comprehend."

"Jor, I may have made you sentient, but you still have a ways to go before you understand humans." He stood up and pointed at the screen. "Every last one of those people there had at one point or another considered me a friend. And every last one of them is in there because of me. Guilt is the feeling that you've done something you shouldn't have."

"Even if the ends justify the means?"

"That isn't even a factor. It happens regardless."

"Flawed."

"Human."

"Sometimes I believe that those words are synonymous."

"Jor…."

"Master."

"Quit pissing me off." He grumbled as he sat down again.

"Acknowledged."

Soran sighed again as he began cycling through the cameras. "Caro lu Rushe: Legs injured, but recoverable with therapy. Currently repairing Vita. Vita: Extreme injury. Probability of survival without treatment is zero. Another half inch to the right and I would have hit her heart."

"And this would have been a bad thing why?" Soran whirled around and glared at the armor. "Shutting up."

He turned back around. "We can only hope that Shamal wakes up soon, so she can help Caro. She's got enough field medical knowledge to act as a meatball surgeon." The device started whistling the M.A.S.H. theme. "Haha. Now you're getting the humor thing, Jor." He swiped his hand and changed the camera. Erio Mondial: Injured his arm by absorbing too much electricity, he's basically healed at this point though."

"His actions are erratic. He damaged himself again by attempting to reach through the suppression field."

"Let him do what he wants for now. If he gets too out of hand, we have other measures to control him." He flipped the camera again. "Teana Lanster: broken rib, bruised back, and shattered pride, all can heal with time. She's still unconscious. I must say, Jor, that was a very successful solo mission. I was worried you'd take it too far."

"Your specific parameters for the mission enabled that. Thank you for the compliment. In addition, I rectified a flaw in my recovery system that left me vulnerable during the battle."

"Good to know." He sighed as he stared at the Wolkenritter cameras. "Akito: She got caught in the Gravity Well. Most of her bones are broken."

"An unavoidable casualty. Her frame was not meant to withstand that many G forces. Some time in a maintenance chamber will repair her, as she is not human."

"Right. Zaphila and Signum: They both took a direct blow from my Element Crusher. Who knows how long they'll be out of the game."

"Much sooner than expected. Both have signs of very rapid healing abilities."

The video switched to Shamal. "Shamal-sensei… when are you going to get up?" As he said this, her head twitched a half inch. "Hmm? Jor, get me readings on Cell Eight."

"Scans show normal sleep cycle."

Soran smiled. "You little sneak. You're awake while still keeping your bodily and brain functions down."

"Should I go down and extract her?"

"No, I'll do it myself in a bit. There's just one more I need to check up on." He flipped he camera one last time. On the screen was the little girl, lying unconscious on the bed, a tear in her eye, and a large stuffed bear sitting next to her for when she woke up. "Are the AMF suppression fields in place?"

"Triple layered. The ancient Belkan DNA will not be able to activate." Soran nodded in satisfaction. "Why is that purposeless item in there with her?"

"Because I promised, Jor." Soran stood up and turned to the door. "I promised I'd get her a new bear, and that's exactly what I did." The door closed behind him.

"Such sentiments are a weakness."

Subaru lay on the exam table, stiff as a board, her eyes still wide open, the pulsing red light just behind her retina. Shari and Rein dashed around, taking readings and accessing terminals floating above her as the scanner passed back and forth above. Hayate gripped her elbows and shivered as she watched from the observation window. "Soran's managed to claim another victim without even trying."

"I doubt even he could have foreseen this outcome." Fate pressed her forehead against the glass. "Her love for him grew so deep that he became nearly vital to her systems. Soran, you've broken one heart too many."

"I really wish Shamal was here right now." Nanoha didn't have energy left to stand after everything she had to deal with. "She might have been able to bring her out of it. Now the only person left with that experience on the base is Scaglietti, and I'd rather die than let him within twenty feet of her."

"It's too much of a security risk anyway. We're beyond shorthanded as it is." Hayate sighed before balling her fist. "Nanoha-chan. Fate-chan. Go to your quarters and get some rest. In four hours, meet me in the hangar. We're going to finish this."

The oldest member of the Wolkenritter, at least in appearance, laid on the floor of her cell as the suppression field dropped and the bars slid open. "On your feet, Shamal-sensei." Soran walked in. "Let's go, Vita needs your help." She was unresponsive. "Come on, we both know you're not asleep." He nudged her with his toe.

Instantly, her eyes shot open and she grabbed a hold of his leg with one arm. The other reached down and broke off the heel of her shoe, extending a knife and stabbing it into his Achilles Tendon. As he went down she got on top of him and wrenched his neck, breaking it. "Hah… hah…." She panted hard. "That was for Vivio." Soran's elbow jerked back, slamming into her broken rib. "GUH!" She rolled over, nursing the bone as she groaned in pain.

She heard applause coming from the cell door. "Well done, Shamal. Well done." Soran ripped the knife out of his heel and stood up, using his free arm to snap it back into place. "I guess you have some of that Wolkenritter ruthlessness from the old days still in you." Soran walked up and leaned on his twin's shoulder, both smiling. "Take five dude." The first Soran shimmered away, revealing the blank stare of an android.

"A Clown Warrior…." Her head fell back and she laughed through the pain. "I should have known you weren't that careless."

He picked her up by the arm and tied it behind her. "Your little escape attempt might have cost Vita's life, Shamal. Now let's go, she needs your attention more than I do."

Nanoha and Fate had separate rooms on base, barracks regulations. Neither of them argued with them, especially considering how nice the accommodations were, but both longed to be in the comfort of each others' arms at this exact moment. In the end, Nanoha found it impossible to sleep. She got up and crouched against the wall, one leg out, the other with her arm propped up on, Raising Heart's necklace dangling between her fingertips. She stared at the red orb in serious reflection until her eyelids could no longer stay open.

"Urusanai." The boy with the pitch black staff snarled as he limped out of his alcove. "Jormungand!" He reappeared above her. "I'll avenge them." He lifted his weapon over his head. "I'll take my revenge for my parents right here and now!"

"I… killed this boy's… parents…."

"Load Caster, shell two."

"Stand down! You've been killing civilians!"

"Load Caster, shell seven."

"Either you die, I die, or we both die! Either way, this last attack will decide it!"

Nanoha's staff crashed to the floor. Tears began to run from her cheeks in a flow that could not be stopped. "I… I murdered… IIIIIYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"I'm using the last one, Dad. Jormungand, load caster, shell nine."

"Get out of there, NOW!"

"There… was a boy…." She panted, wiping her mouth off with the smaller towel. "He was… so driven by revenge that…"

She looked up at the ball of smoke that reached up into the stratosphere. "No…." A tear ran down her cheek. "My mistake… my mistake…. WHY WOULDN'T YOU LET ME SAVE YOU?!"

"I couldn't save him. I couldn't save anyone!"

A bright light shone on the teenage girl as she stood at the podium. "Takamachi Nanoha, in regards to your abandonment of your duties, and your subsequent return, you are allowed one statement before the court makes their decision."

She lowered her head, staying silent for a while, pursing her lips before raising her head. "I was involved in what I would regard one of the largest military blunders in history, and I had done things I can never forgive myself for, even though they were under orders. I admit now that going AWOL was not the best solution for dealing with the issue, but at the time, it seemed to be the only one. That is why I returned, willingly, to face this court today. Though I may have been exempt for any wrongdoing in Operation Bushfire, ruled by this court, that does not take away the guilt I feel and the pain I caused. I know now that I must face this sin, and I will give everything I have, even if it costs my body and soul, to rectify that mistake. And I can't do that properly unless I continue to be a part of TSAB's armed forces. I realize that this is only the selfish request of a foolish little girl, but please let me stay."

"You do realize that your wish might never be fulfilled, correct? Those that perished can never return."

"I do." The light went out.

Nanoha opened her eyes. Raging Heart was flashing, numbers in fancy text scrolling across her. Time was up.

The three commanders and the diminutive XO stepped or floated forward into the hangar, their battle gear at the ready. "Gillium, hull lighting please." Hayate called out, and the Star's spotlights lit up around the ship. They took the elevator up to the hatch access platform. Hayate reached for the door and tugged on the handle. It wouldn't budge. "Gillium, grant access."

Beyond the airlock window, Gillium's head unit bobbed up and down. "The captain is not in your party. I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Gillium, I am ordering you to grant access. This is a direct order from your captain's superior, Yagami Hayate."

"No such override exists in my system."

"You can't even grant access to Rein ~desu?"

"Not even to the diminutive interface without the captain's clearance."

"~Desu…." She pouted.

Nanoha scratched her forehead. "Okay, then let's try this. Gillium, what override protocols are there other than the captain's command that will grant us access?"

"Only password entry."

"If it's a password you want, then that's an easy one." Fate said. "Soran Starwind."

The lights shut off around the ship. "Work-work-working. Activating hid-hid-hidden Easter Egg-egg-egg." The lights reactivated. "How strange. It appears as though a tertiary protocol has been activated with that keyword. Its instructions are very specific, however. I will now play you an included audio file."

"Yo. It's me." Soran's voice echoed through the hangar. "By now you've figured out basically everything, or else you wouldn't be here, listening to this message. You want to know where I am and how to get there. I've programmed an autopilot program into Gillium that will take you there. No tricks, no traps. If you want to go, just say my name in the cockpit. But there is a catch. Only two people can go. Gillium's sensors will detect if there's more than two people on board, and the program won't activate if there are."

"Only two people?" Hayate bit her thumb. "That means two of us will have to stay behind."

"I'm sure you're also wondering about how everyone's doing. Don't worry, I've been taking good care of them. I don't want to involve them any more than I already have. If you come, I'll release them to you regardless of the outcome. See you there."

"End of message." The airlock opened. "Two may enter."

"That explains the two-seat flight." Rein said. "The crew and passenger compliment is topped off if you include everyone."

"So who stays and who goes?" Fate tapped Bardiche on the platform.

"I have to go." Nanoha stepped forward. "I hate to admit it, but if someone has to finish Soran, it's going to be me."

"Nanoha-chan…." Hayate sighed.

"I can't really explain it, but I know I'm directly involved in this one. He wants me to come."

"If Gillium is on autopilot, then Rein isn't needed, ~desu. The Star can fly herself at that point. Rein will stay back ~desu."

"That means I'm out too." Hayate said. "I can only reach Fate-chan's level with Rein's help."

"So in the end it's back to just the two of us again." Fate grabbed her companion's hand and squeezed it tight.

"Unh." Nanoha squeezed back. "Whatever awaits us, we'll face it together." They stepped into the airlock and turned around. "We'll be back. Have medical teams on standby for the captives, Hayate-chan."

"Good luck to the both of you." Hayate said as the airlock closed and sealed.

Soran sat in his chair, one foot on the edge, his left arm propped up on the knee. He stared into and through the terminal monitors.

The bright light consumed them both, their barrier shields shattering. Understanding her fate, the female of the two turned back to a little alcove into which she cast a final smile.

"How dare you… how dare you?!" He raised his head to reveal his piercing purple eyes. He gripped his device tighter. "Jormungand!"

"Load Caster, shell two." Two blades shot out the back of the scepter, one cutting into the bonds that held the boy. "GAAAAAAHHH!"

Soran fingered his chest, tracing the scar before closing his fist.

A black and red flame covered the device, extending over the blades. With a blank look, he pointed it straight towards the airborne maiden. "Viral Lancer."

"Stay away, stay away, STAY AWAY!" She didn't even look as her enemy was forced to the ground again, and yet still got pummeled by her endless attack.

"Jormungand, load caster, shell nine."

"You are aware of the results of shell nine."

"Ah."

"Target locked on!" Jormungand blinked as Nanoha approached at full speed. "Farewell, Soran." Without warning, Jormungand's AI crystal split in half, and the entire device shattered.

Soran's awareness was on the device behind him, even without looking.

"There's a survivor over here! Doctor Belt, we've found someone!"

"Where?! Damn it. MEDIC!" The voices were slurred inside the boy's head as he slowly opened his eyes. Through the blood he could see the face of a younger Mustang Belt.

"He's losing blood too quickly. We won't be able to cauterize it all in time. We can't save him."

"Like hell you can't! Professor! Professor Scaglietti, hurry over here!" He waved before turning back to him. "Stay awake, boy. We're doing our best, so you have to too."

A man with a snakelike grin on his face appeared. "It's not too late, old friend. Uno, get the equipment!"

"This will probably hurt." The man said, and his vision was coated in bright flashes.

"GAAAHHH! HURAAAA! Degh… hah… hah…." The boy panted as the pain subsided.

"And we'll remove the blindfold." He opened his eyes to see Scaglietti smiling at him. "Sorry about that, Soran, but we didn't want you to have any seizures there, now did we? Try it out."

His left arm swung forward, and he looked at it, the hand made of metal, its gears and hydraulics and sensors showing. Flexing his fingers, he smiled. "It responds so well."

"We still have some work to do to improve it, adding senses and the like, but the prototype seems to be working. Let me know if anything odd happens."

"Thank you, Doctor Scaglietti."

"Thank you, Soran. You're giving me a valuable prototype."

Soran raised his left hand directly into his vision and closed it rapidly, opening it again and returning it to its original position.

"Su… I'm sorry. I made a big ass of myself just now. I realize that…." The hair on his neck bristled and he jumped in front of Subaru, his gray-blue metallic staff at the ready as he looked into the sky.

"Well I certainly would like to think we're not all that bad." A brunette in a white and blue battle suit and barrier jacket floated above them. "If they were, I'd probably quit eight times over."

"Hah!" Soran gasped as his pupils twitched. 'The golden staff… the blue and white jacket… that voice…!' He gripped his staff tighter as he aimed for her. "Kgh!" 'It's her! After all that time, it's her again!'

"Soran. Soran. Soran!"

"Hmm?!" He snapped out of his silent reflection.

"The Outlaw Star is on approach."

The boy got up, grabbing his keys. "It's time, Jormungand Zwei."

"Acknowledged." The maintenance tube rose into the ceiling as Soran went out the door. 'It's what I've waited for all along.' Soran's eye color switched from green to purple. His hair color changed to green in a sweep of his hand. 'This is my opportunity.' He took two bullet magazines out of his pocket, confirming they were loaded. 'Presea lost a genius that day, and I lost my family.' He got into an elevator that automatically started up. 'But I hold my father's legacy… and with it, I'll end this nightmare.' The door opened. 'I've learned, planned, and waited for this very moment. I've pursued perfection to complete this task.' He stepped into the middle of a giant room with nothing in it, the lighting low as the Star's thruster smoke billowed in from the next room. 'My name is Soran Starwind, and this is my parents' revenge.'