Monday 24 September 2018, Cavendish family mansion, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Akko and Amanda went to their first presentation as professionals the day before and with that they already won a good reward for that, even not being what they expected, it already served part to help in the construction of Luna Nova, filling the bank account created to be the goal of the construction of the place, what with that was cheering the girls more. On the next day things went on as usual, in the same routine that used to be, a physical training in the morning, where the girls improved their magic power and then a rest, where most of them were free to do whatever they wanted.
On that particular day, Constanze decided to give a sample of what she had done in her free time, she kind of ended up creating some machines, already wanting to show everyone, taking advantage of the time she had she called the girls. They all gathered at the place where the German usually makes her inventions, which was already full of gears and machine parts.
" Wow, I think it would take forever to clean up in here " Laura said running her finger along the wall and noticing that it was making even a layer of dirt.
" Even Croix did the same things when she was younger," said Bernadette.
" Look I'm impressed, even I didn't get this dirty, surely she must have put together something impressive " Croix said.
" Cons is all quiet, you don't even notice and she already does a lot of things," said Amanda.
They got to where it was more open amidst the maze of scrap and when they arrived they could notice that there were huge cloths over the machines, until the German woman pulled, she had made some extremely modern war machines, they were like war tanks with legs, besides other innovations that were somewhat interesting, where she was soon explaining through the pictures.
"This bigger one is a tank gear, just get in and pilot it, then I'll teach each one how to do that, it'll be useful for clearing the way, but also not only him, as I've made other machinery to help us, this smaller one that looks like a backpack is the Magic gear enhancer, a sort of enhanced version of the whole magic wand, your body becomes impenetrable to firearm shots with a force field that is created, as well as giving a flying ability, it can be used inside the tank gear, watch closely how it works"
Constanze put on the MGE, where she already started to give a light float, besides managing with her own hands to create some blue magic flames, what with a control in hands she was facing a minigun, pressing the button and shooting all the ammo of the gun against her body where simply nothing happened.
Then she got inside the tank gear and started to move where she shot with the machine in front of a huge piece of concrete that when she shot it simply left a big piece destroyed. Besides starting to move back and forth at high speeds, including with shots going towards the machine that was simply protected by a larger force field. Until the German girl got out of there.
"I'm still producing more, it just might be too useful for when we arrive and have that factor to clear the way, against cultists, tank gear can cause quite a bit of a fear, outside also that MGE makes us practically indestructible"
The German girl then went on to show more functions, where she flew at a very high speed around the whole workshop, calling the girls to come outside, where they went to see more of the demonstration and she even asked Laura to come for a test.
" Do you think this little backpack will beat me? " Said the confident McLaren.
Constanze agrees with the head, and then they go for a race, in an obstacle course that is used since the training, where it is very noticeable that MGE has much more precision besides being smaller to avoid things, but still with the difficulty to follow the broom due to the fact that in straight lines McLaren's magic was much bigger and it managed to stay in front until the end of the lap, but not much ahead of the equipment.
" Woah, okay this thing is more than I expected, I may have won, but I came very close and very close indeed, this is too tense, geez, you've built a hell of a thing, can I give it a try? " asks the Irish woman and the German nods her head in agreement.
Laura puts the MGE, where she already starts to feel the difference, feeling her body floating, where she starts to go from one side to the other, including giving some little punches in the air where it is noticeable the magic flowing, then she goes flying quickly, she fills one hand with magic and throws it towards the ground, where when the spell falls it creates a small hole.
" This here is going to give a wonderful damage, the cultists beware, let's take a lot of time to improve these things, who knows a future invasion may be given " McLaren said.
" How about a race now, let's see if you can beat me with that thing you just put on your back," Diana said, picking up her broom.
" Just come on lass, let's see who's the fastest " Said the Irish girl.
" I am the fastest in training, you know that well, let's see if this little backpack is all that really, or if you are all that too mum, you just used it and I have a better chance " Said the confident younger Cavendish who went flying towards the obstacle course.
At that moment they started flying through the course and only at the start of the race it was remarkable how the redhead shot up and arrived at the obstacles, one by one as if it was nothing, simply dodging them as calmly as possible, leaving the Scottish lass behind.
In the end, McLaren won by a very significant difference, taking off the backpack and giving it back to Constanze, quite surprised by the way MGE can be an extremely efficient device.
" Man this is perfect, any idiot can use one of these, Cons make more of these, for all of us, we'll already have one more weapon against those bastards " Said the excited Laura.
" Look mum, it was the biggest rip"off, you went through everything as if it was nothing " said Diana.
" Because that's what you can do in this thing, we don't totally need brooms, we'll go well prepared, arriving in style," said the redhead.
At the same time the tank gear shows up, but in a sort of ship format, arriving by means of thrusters where it lands, then Constanze enters the machine, sort of piloting it as if it were a ship, leaving everyone in shock.
" Woah... So that's what you can do with this stuff? Turn it into a spaceship? " Said Akko shocked as she watched the machine fly even with a certain speed until it reached back to all of them.
" I never doubted Cons' genius, we can have technology on our side, she's always been one to do some fucked up stuff, even without magic, I remember when she gave the PS2 a fucking makeover " Amanda said as the German landed with the tank gear getting in mecha form, showing another plate.
"I also made some kamikaze robots, which install traps, they go kind of like a spy way around every corner, we can put explosives, we can put gas, whatever you can do, the function of the robots is just to go somewhere to self"destruct and then we have the way open, I hope you liked these inventions I made, I intend to improve more when it comes to making the MGE's"
" Cons this is all high level already, I wasn't even able to invent something like this, just the roombas that worked like brooms, we might have something great in mind for when we go to meet the cultists " Said the excited Croix.
After that they went back to the inside, everybody was talking about Constanze impressed, giving compliments after compliments, with the admiration that kept appearing about the German witch who was feeling a little bit unfunny and then isolating herself in her own laboratory, since she couldn't stand all that part of socialization.
So much so that it ended up being something that caused some doubts, especially between Akko and the girls, who were soon coming to Laura and Bernadette to know something.
" Wow Cons is all antisocial, huh? " said Atsuko.
" She's always been like that since day one, she's kind of afraid of people," Amanda said.
" Well you need to know a little bit about what happened, me and Bern know where we got her from, remembering here she came a little bit after Amanda and Jasminka, you remember she came a little bit older " McLaren said.
" Yeah we were like 10 years old, she never spoke, it was always kind of by signs, she lived isolated in her world and just messed about with things," O'Neill said.
" Let me tell you something, Constanze was very attached to her mothers, Roxanna and Anastazia, they were two great inventors as well, they kind of worked with us and April to make the mix of technology and magic, we tried to bring things in but they were other affected by the events of '99," McLaren said.
" They didn't actively participate in our attack, we've sort of split up since that day, they've been shrinking, afraid of the worst that could happen, even more so when they had Constanze, they isolated themselves a lot, they tried every which way to invent something to reverse everything, but one day they were discovered by the cultists," Bernadette said.
" Like all of you who were picked up, Cons lost her mothers, who tried to make a last effort by sending a robot to Luna Nova, she sort of landed on the outskirts, when we picked her up she had a letter telling us all about it, the cultists never came here, but Roxxie and Natie, they didn't have the same luck, I remember her getting really mad at us," said the redhead.
" And how complicated it was to deal with her in the first days, Constanze was very reluctant, even we still had to deal with the fact that she was mute, she was very attached to her mothers, so she never showed much affection, since she lost the only two people she loved the most," said Chariot.
" Anastazia and Roxxana kind of isolated themselves from the world, those were practically the only people they spoke to because they were extremely afraid of the outside world and everything that has been happening to the witch families, including what happened to themselves, they even had an escape plan, which could also be a sign that we have to be careful, because they must have stolen technology from them," said the older Cavendish.
" But it was thanks to the help of friends and a good friendship that Cons was giving in, she is an excellent person, the world that was cruel and puts us in these risky situations " Croix said.
" I like to think that they are still alive, but that the cultists just keep them as hostages to be able to set up some way to defend them, even more so since they have the understanding of magic with technology," said the Irish woman, and deep down Constanze half"heard everything and shed some tears as she remembered those moments.
Then she went back to the lab where she was half assembling a new MGE, while looking at a picture of her mothers, holding a portrait of them holding little Constanze, while tears fell on the picture.
" (If it is true that you might be alive I swear I will come and get you and give you the biggest hug, all these people I met here from the place that took me, they help me so much, they are good friends, but I really want to be able to believe this, to believe that you did not die).
The German goes on sort of getting things together putting on her glasses to hide some of the tears, just thinking about what could be happening, still having a little hope.
Away from there at the cultists
base, arriving at the throne were some representatives that received some photographs from the spies near the Cavendish mansion, they went to the throne room being received by the leader that they still think is the old Pulcher Magus.
" Sovereign Lord, we have information from the mansion " said one of the informants.
" Good, then show me what you're doing," Daryl said.
" They are messing with technology, apparently they have developed Mechas and also a magical powers enhancement equipment, that's what they could see from the photos " said the informant.
" It was to be expected, they have two witches who mess with technology, now what? What are they going to do to stop it? " Cavendish said all intimidating.
" Mr Pulcher Magus, doesn't the sovereign know about our female slaves who give us all the technology we need? " asks the informant.
" Bring them to me " said the Scot.
And so with fear they went to where the laboratory room was where the two slaves were working, untying them from the rails where they could only walk, kind of stuck to that place, where they took them by the collars, until they arrived in the middle of the throne corridor, with two soldiers holding spears behind them, scared to death.
" Are you finally going to kill us Pulcher Magus? " Roxxana said.
" Is our suffering over? " said Anastazia.
" You two, you may leave, my conversation is with them " said the witch to the guards who obeyed her orders immediately leaving the place.
She herself walked slowly after getting up from the throne, down the stairs, walking down the corridor, holding the sceptre and the two half bound, with visible wounds, were showing an expression of disgust in front of the leader they had no idea about, until she herself took off her mask.
" Daryl? " They both said in shock.
" Roxxie, Nattie, long time no see? I'm still getting used to this new post of mine, but then are you two the slaves? How pathetic, what a tragic end for you both, a shame really " Cavendish said.
" Why did you do this to us and all the witch families? Are you a monster Daryl? " Said Roxxana angrily.
" I didn't do anything like that, I'm one to be proud of my achievements, but you're not my fault, this is all the fault of the previous Pulcher Magus, look you can see him... In fact you can't anymore, those fish must have devoured him with gusto " said the Scottish lass with a wry smile.
" You have taken the throne? " They both said in shock.
" No one knows I'm a witch yet and neither does the previous pulcher magus died, do you really think I would afford not to have that chance? He is very weak when he is not after his men, but hey how are you guys doing? I can relieve you guys," said the one with the ponytail.
" Relieve for us? Please, Daryl! We helped you do robberies in the 90's, you made the most money out of it, give us a chance go " Anastazia said pleadingly.
" You are not above my power, I will not free you so easily, but I can guarantee that in our plan you will become governors of this new world by my side, I guarantee that the power you can have in hands is irresistible, even more that you know German, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Russian, Swedish and French can be of great help to talk for the new Europe that will become, so you are with me? If you do this and work quietly you can achieve this freedom " said Daryl pointing the sceptre.
" And what guarantee do we have of that? Pulcher Magus only wants to use our knowledge to kill us later and what do you want from us? What about our daughter? Is she still alive? " Roxxana said.
" Alive she is, she almost died when I set fire to Luna Nova, but she is in one piece, she is as smart as you, so we can even bring her to work together with you, well I will give you a high position, I just want to have the power in hand, nothing better than being on my side than against it, the last people who were kind of swimming with the fishes " Cavendish said.
" All right then, we will work with you, until the plan comes true, but we don't want our daughter to be kidnapped, we want the assurance that she will be safe in your hands," Roxxana said.
" So that being the case deal done, I don't fill her bag, but know that she is with the enemy, I will try to make it clear to the guards to just capture her and bring her to you, now get back to work " Said the Scottish woman.
" What? After all this we are going back to that hell? " Anastazia said.
" It's not my fault you're stupid, at least you're not going to die, you should be thankful that you still know what I'm doing for you ahead of time, it's not something I can make happen on the spot," Daryl said, putting on his mask.
" You are cruel Daryl, we never doubted that " Roxxana said.
" Guards! You can take these two to the work station, don't let them go soft," said the cruel Cavendish where the two were then picked up and taken to their work captivity.
The two were taken to the work station, where they were kind of crying a bit because of all that, even with the revelation, soon Anastazia is giving the woman a telling off for what she said.
" Roxxie why did you agree to it? " Wife asks.
" We have to buy time, Cons will come back, we will be rescued someday, we have to dance according to the music " said the dark haired one.
The two kind of hug each other crying and go back to doing as planned and asked Daryl to do, around a missile made of magic to cause the most damage what they were looking at in tremendous shock to the design, which resembled a nuclear bomb.
One more for the offensive to the cultists, Constanze has brought technological innovations to work alongside magic, which might be good to avoid the worst the cultists would try to do against the girls, but still has the issue that also the other side has a preparation for the possibility of attack.
See you, tech witches...