Who Knows What Tomorrow Holds

by realest-nat

A trio of (unlikely) heroes finds themselves protecting the President of the United States after a hostile takeover of the White House. On top of that, there's the looming threat of an axis of time attaining godhood. It's going to be a long day. [Following "Aria of the Sol", this is a retelling/reimagining of the Guilty Gear -Strive- story mode. Also on AO3]

9. When the Sun is Gone, So Are You

"The energy surges in the PEOC and conference room have stopped."

"Well, don't keep us waiting." Leo starts off for an answer. "Who won that battle?"

"Considering the White House's back on its original track…." Millia states the transport's directional shift. "The Gear Maker lost."

"…?" Amidst the downcast silence, Dizzy spots an activity spike near the West Wing. "What happened there?"

"That's…." The display highlights the zone and flashes red for a few frames. "Oh no." Ramlethal's tracker was updated to indicate five skull and crossbones icons. "I don't think I want to know."

Uneasiness turns her stomach. She senses something's off despite the five thousand miles between her and her parents. "If possible, tap into the nearest camera." A medium-sized screen opens before the six; nobody was prepared to view the scene left behind. Presented as is, the image sans their allies horrified them. Millia and Dizzy held a hand over their mouths, Leo and Zato's jaws dropped, and Ram's reaction was to pull her hat down over her eyes before peeking from under the brim. Memories from the Crusades of how battlefields became mass graveyards of similar death and destruction flashed in Ky's mind. "Can…." Dizzy's voice is shaky – she stutters while asking, "c-can you r-rewind that?"

The playback shows the scene of the trio fleeing from numerous pursuers. Vernon's leading while Aria and Sol are running right behind him. The soldiers firing at them barely miss all their shots, except one that pierces Sol near his shoulder; he loses his balance and falls over to the right. They figure the enemies are armed with special ammunition that can damage him, as any normal attack regardless of it was a gunshot or not would leave less than a hindering scratch; he'd instantly regenerate and brush it off like nothing. Aria's movements come to a halt when she notices the blood splatter. Her next action had her dash forward, grab a hold of the man in front of her, and side rolls them into cover. Sol angrily kicks the pillar shielding him to the two soldiers, crashing back and knocking them out. He quickly regains his footing, not paying attention to what waits for them past the dust cloud. Aria watches Vernon run out to Sol, but she notices what they don't. Locating the five additional foes, she doesn't call out to warn them.

Her eyes flash bright blue. She raises her right arm and takes aim. Several short gamma ray bursts shoot from her palm in swift succession.

From the camera on the other end of the walkway, the six view another perspective. The first burst goes through one's chest cavity – they drop their firearm trying to figure out what happened. Looking down at what's seeping out from their body, they're unable to scream. Staggering the toward wall, the target sits down before the body goes limp and passes. The next two that noticed had an arm blown off – one right, one left – with the dismembered limbs dropping to the ground in front of them. Bloody spurts stain the black-and-grey armor and the walkway. Behind the disarmed, the fourth burst hits the next one's leg; they drop to the floor from the balance lost. Turning their head to face the source, the final member of the group was the decapitation victim. The ray sliced across the neck, leaving the head to fall by itself. Ky and Dizzy's team continue watching from the other feed, listening to the exchange.

"Holy shit…."

"So much for a zero-kill record… I'm sorry you had to see that."

" What was that you said about non-lethal force earlier?"

" This is different. I know what you're about to say. No, it didn't slip out. That was on purpose. Do you remember your answer to what you'd do if the world were to disappear tomorrow?"

"I'd spend it with someone I love."

"Bullshit. That's not what you told us. You, and I quote, said you'd stop what was ending the world or die trying. You've saved the day numerous times, right?" Her unusually aggressive nature's been noted, now on display from how roughly she grabbed his jacket. He's unsure of how to react to suddenly being kissed, evidenced by his hands placed to hover by her sides. "If all it takes is a lucky bullet, then the world cannot rely on you." All eyes focus on following her via another feed – her stride appears normal as if nothing's happened.

"After all this time, I never thought I'd see it so up close… I'm thankful she's fighting on our side."

"Yeah, well, so am I. Just glad she didn't faint this time. You're… you're not going to hold this against her, are you?"

"Even if it were any other situation, no. I think I know why she did it."

"You do?"

"Honestly, man? Aside from the obvious? Sol, get your head out of your ass. She was protecting you."

Ramlethal taps into the zone's camera network to keep an eye on them. Her monotone voice has hints of sadness and anxiety as she shares, "five deaths in U.S. airspace by her hands. Considering she's a citizen of Illyria, she could be tried internationally. I doubt her status would do anything, and her 'history' would be more reason to go through with it."

Leo pinches the bridge of his nose, heaving a sigh in exasperation. "Don't remind me. She isn't part of the military, but this isn't a civilian-level offense. We'll be lucky if Dickinson doesn't try to arrest or charge her for murder."

"A court martial?" Millia frowns at the thought. "That sounds excessive! If I recall, the United States' version can be initiated by the President, but you heard what Vernon said about not holding this against her, right?" She shifts her expression to neutral and looks over to Dizzy, bearing in mind her next words to avoid offending or discouraging her further. "I don't want to admit it, but a Presidential pardon wouldn't be enough?"

"By the President or the Secretary of Defense… I can't count on granting immunity either," Dizzy kept her voice low. "Immunity from the four of us – myself, Ky, Leo, and Daryl – won't make a difference."

The Secretary and Vice President (and to a lesser degree, the Presidents of the Eastern Chipp Kingdom and Zepp) trade confused looks with each other before the former speaks. "Illyria, you do realize we can still hear you, right? Care to tell us what happened?"

Ky answers in place of his group. He feels he's the right person to break the news – assuming responsibility for any potential legal action on his mother-in-law's behalf. "Aria's got blood on her hands."

"She what?"

"Hear us out first. On the condition of only you and Erica view the footage, we'll share it. If anything, I'll take full responsibility for her actions."

Goldlewis looks at Erica, waiting for her response moving forward; she simply shrugs as the term's reasonable. Chipp respects the message, turning his head away – the exchange catches Gabriel's interest, but he's also respectful and doesn't ask. "Okay. Send it over." A message pane with a notice opened in front of the two. The notice read [Secretary G. Dickinson and Vice President E. Bartholomew, what you are about to see contains disturbing imagery. Change your channel to this frequency (5.14) to hear the audio.] Erica's immediate reaction upon viewing the video had her gasp quietly and cover her mouth in astonishment. Goldlewis's was more on the grounded end – his subtle brow raise and widened uncovered eye were tame in comparison. Once it ended, they rewound to hear Sol and Vernon's words again for clarity; rewinding further to when Aria shot the rays. "She has another secret, huh?"

Finding the right words to quell his probable rage, she turns to him to justify the sequence. In all fairness, they only know who she was and not of what powers she's figured out were retained after all of it. "She was protecting him… Colin said it himself. He's not going to press for punishment."

He remains silent for a moment before uttering out, "…a pardon and immunity won't be necessary. That wasn't a crime. It was an act of defense." Ky and his team quietly exhale in relief. "This is all on Chaos." He readjusts his glasses before running his fingers through his hair. "His word outweighs mine anyway. All the more reason to rely on her and Sol."

"Thank you for understanding. We should've told you sooner, but the aftermath was different when we discovered it yesterday."

"She didn't know she had that until then…?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Looks like she's gained control of it now, but that's a story for another time. An update on my end," Ky looks at the display showing the distance between Royal Fleet One and the White House. "I'm almost there."

"Did you find something? What is it, Rei?" A wolf's howling echoes in the background. The formerly static-y voice that abruptly cut out came over crystal clear, currently sniffing for a scent, followed by a cough. "Huh. That's what it smells like. God, this place reeks of death."

Erica's awareness turns to the familiar sound. "Giovanna?"

The trackers and her photo update with her current location and status – the question mark's been removed. "Yep. Glad to know the comms have been restored."

"Where are you now?"

"Near the Oval Office." She and Rei cautiously pace around in case of more soldiers waiting around for an ambush. "I'm closing in on them, but they're a ways away from me. I thought I saw a blinding light and figured that was from her." Her casual tone proves she's oblivious to how many people in the Pentagon and Zepp were listening; nobody else on either of those ends knows about that power. "Don't worry about me. I've been covering their trail." Gio picks up the blood and steel scent from earlier again; it's stronger as it's now within her range. "Ah, shit."

"What? What's going on now?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm assuming silence."

"Be careful. We can't afford to lose you either."

"I hear ya." She mutes her earpiece, resuming tracing the trail. "Agora onde você está se escondendo, seu filho da mãe?"

---

Unaware of who's keeping an eye via a select surveillance feed, the distance between them grows. Several meters ahead of the others, Aria places her goggles over her eyes; Jack-O comes out and walks beside her. She detects the abrupt shift from normal to erratic walking – off-balanced, staggering in a zig-zag pattern, nearly crashing into the wall, and catching herself before she's hurt. Waiting until she stops to support herself by leaning, she carefully constructs her next line. "Did you hear Her? You tensed up for a bit."

"I did." Aria's voice is barely audible. Her wobbly form very nearly collapses under her own bodyweight. "You were right. Justice is still here. Or she was." She feels the sensation of the sharp nail dragged down her backside slicing her open again; this time, she reacts to it by curling her body inward and lets out a blood-curdling scream. All those listening and/or within earshot recoil from the banshee-like sound. "I'm a danger to everyone around me."

"No, you aren't. You just… you just need to see you're too powerful for your own good." She remembers part of her encouraging words from the gardens. "If I didn't vanish after all of it, neither did she. Your powers are proof of that. I wish I was wrong about what I said. Override fusions are a weird thing, but at least we know they work."

The daylight reflecting off the lenses allows for her eyes to be visible past the metallic blue. Water begins collecting at the bottom. "Was it worth it? Was receiving that amplified Saint Oratorio and overriding my mind to restore me really worth it?"

She declines to believe the unexpected negativity. "What are you saying? It definitely was! Without you here, we'd be done for! Because of your rapid thinking, and a bit of recklessness, Sol and Vernon are still alive." How Jack-O's speaking to her now reinforces the idea that she's her positive side. "Those guys who were your targets… you can't reverse that."

Aria raises her voice a level, shouting, "I didn't need more blood on my hands!"

She flinches, leaning back and raising an open palm in front of her. "You saw past the dust and instantly acted. He'd do the same if you were in danger."

"Aria! Come back!" Sol pushes himself to chase her, trying to ignore the pain; Vernon's trailing right behind, keeping minimal distance. "Hey! Are you even listening!?" She remains where she is, allowing them to catch up. "Can you at least -ngh-" a sharp sting breaks his train of thought; he grits his teeth to withstand it. "Can you at least look at me?" She doesn't respond or move. Gently placing two of his fingers along the corner of her jawline, he moves her head to face him. "I get the reasons behind what you did, but can you tell me what all of that was about?"

"…I don't want to." She quietly mumbled and turned away. He doesn't try to move her back – instead, he moves in her line of vision. Jack-O and Vernon stand guard, keeping watch for oncoming enemies. She calls for Dorpos, sends a pair of servants to act as scouts around the corner, with another to retrieve a zeal pod from the office's stash, and he readies his arm cannon.

"Tell me this. Who am I talking to right now?"

"What do you think."

He removes the device from her face, repositioning it to rest atop her head. Tears that pooled in her goggles leaked out, running down the locks of her hair. Those that ran down the sides of her face came from her tear ducts. "I'm gonna regret saying this, but…." brushing aside her bangs, he sees there's nothing resembling a mark on her forehead – that is until he caught sight of the dim glow filtering her eyes. Emerald irises became aqua from the blue overlay; the emblem caught in a cycle switching between forming and vanishing. "…is Aria even in there? Or am I speaking to Justice?"

"I don't know." Her voice cracks. "To tell you the truth… I don't know." She lowers her head, body coiling again as she holds herself in effort to self-soothe. "Am I human? A Gear? Both? Neither? I don't have an answer to which 'me' I even am. I don't know what came over me! I just wanted to keep you safe. I'm sorry, Freddie."

Even when she was frightened out of her mind, she rarely called him by a nickname, saving it for a once-in-a-blue-moon occasion at best. "You don't need to apologize. You were doing what you thought was right." Blocking out their current environment, it felt as if they were at the edge of the world, and he prevented her from jumping off into the abyss. He knows she feels safe from closeness – bringing her toward him, he holds her to rest against his right, caressing her backside. "I don't know what's going on in that head of yours that makes you think otherwise, but you're still Aria to me. To all of us."

Leo and Millia place their hands on Dizzy's shoulders to comfort her. Never one to shy away from showing empathy, she contacts her father; his comm activates without him responding. She remains quiet before telling him, "Dad, if you're hearing this, you don't need to answer me. Tell Mom that… that we're aware of what happened, and she doesn't need to worry about consequences." Before ending the call, she exhales and says, "take these next words not from a queen, but from your daughter. See your mission through. Finish this."

Three minutes later, Aria stops crying and composes herself. She taps Frederick's shoulder to let her go, muttering, "we can't stay here. We have to keep moving." Wiping away the last tear running down her face, she sniffles and rephrases the last part of Dizzy's message. "We have a job to complete." She lifts her head to lock eye contact, guessing what his next words were going to be. "I've got control now, so I'll try to use it as a last resort."

---

The group runs along the next corridor free from enemies, maintaining a steady pace. From the odd tiredness he's feeling, Sol slows down to a sluggish step. Sensing another presence to his left, out of the corner of his eye he notices Nagoriyuki waiting at the other end. None of them spot the fifth person looming above. The samurai draws his weapon, standing ready to strike. "You two better go."

Vernon tries to protest the command. "But...!"

Sol gestures to push them back for their own safety. "I'm not gonna say it again." His injury breaks his movement – he motioned to assume a fighting stance and the pain lingering in his left causes him to curl his body forward. "Move, dammit!"

"You're wounded, I see. Do not push yourself to fight. Run!" Nagoriyuki lifts his katana above his shoulder level as his mask covers his face. "I cannot stop on my own accord."

"You can talk, though. You probably can't answer, but it's worth a shot. Do you know Chaos's weakness?"

"I do. But I cannot tell you unless you defeat me."

"Why does that sound like a goddamn video game?"

"It is not 'like' a game. It is a game. To Chaos, at least. However, now is not the time for us to fight."

"I'd really like to agree with you on that one, but…." Against his better judgment, Sol begins walking forward.

Keeping his panic level down, Vernon looks at Aria, asking, "wh-what should we do...?" She doesn't have a response, shrugging at their situation.

A friendly face breaks the clash between the superweapons. "Gotcha now." The interloper's agility allowed for her to ultimately remain unharmed – she lightly pushed the two apart before kicking the slimmer of the two blades away with a standing split.

"Hm!? Who are you?"

She lowers her leg to show her face, responding while showing the badge on her jacket's lapel. "I'm a Secret Service agent. Can't you tell?"

"Giovanna!" Her superior steps forward, vocalizing his relief in knowing she's been unaffected. "You're okay!" Like an upset parental figure, he's aggravated that she shows up now. "Where have you been?"

"I've been tailing you four this entire time, Mr. President."

"This entire time!? Then why didn't you show yourself sooner!?"

"You know what they say: save the best for last. Forgive my language, Mr. President... But I'm about to make sure this son of a bitch can never fight again." She advises her strange choice of friends to leave the scene. "You three should run." Wasting no time to say otherwise, the trio exchanged looks amongst themselves before fleeing. Gio calls for Rei, crouching before lunging toward her opponent. Nago deflects her attacks, keeping the same pace as her as she ricochets off the walls before she charges again. He pivots, holding his glowing red blade behind before slashing in her path; she's faster, sliding past, gaining distance and height after stopping in the doorway's upper left corner. What would've connected had she been a bit slower destroys the nearby wall.

"You beast!" The insult doesn't faze her. She bares her teeth before giving herself a push for another pounce – once she was close enough, she grabs him by the forearm he held up, crashing down, and skidding down the hall.

A short distance down from the destruction, Aria stops in her tracks to see Gio has the momentary advantage. She hears Sol and Vernon trying to figure out why she isn't going with them. "I'll regroup with you two later."

Sol responds by furrowing his brows. "You can't be serious."

Vernon shares the same sentiment, adding, "those soldiers you took out are nothing compared to him!"

She exhales before replying, "I'm going to help her. We can give Gio a fighting chance." They split up, with her running to the fight.

Nago kicks Gio off him, regains his footing, and teleports himself to a safe position. She lands on her feet, noticing help has arrived. "Hey again. Those defeated soldiers were your doing?"

Both women assume fighting stances, ready for the defensive. "Yep."

"Including the dead guys?"

Aria briefly turns her head away to change the subject. "I'd rather not talk about that. Focus here."

"Two against one?" His disapproving expression's concealed behind the white demon mask. "That's hardly fair."

"Oh, trust us," they fire back simultaneously while pointing. "It's fair!"

Awaiting their opening attacks, he's the first to act by sending a body double of himself at them. "Zarameyuki!"

"Not so fast!" Neither flinch as Jack-O reveals herself in this battle, emerging from Aria to counter the samurai's move. She arms herself with an appropriately sized variant of the shield her servants utilize, blocking the slash, and follows up by kicking the image into the left wall. As opposed to vanishing after a few seconds like "him," she maintains corporeality and keeps the defensive weapon equipped. "Now there's no way I'd let you two have all the fun."

"Two as one…." Observing the identical faces between the two different figures, he remembers the short scrap in the garage and how Aria seemingly had three arms; the loose-fit slit sleeve and black glove with a red palm fit the image. "You must be the reason why I couldn't get a reading on her!"

As she dons her mask, Valentine's voice returns to its childlike tone to retort. "Aww, what's wrong? Ya couldn't find a weak point? ~"

Rei bites down on his right forearm, undoing the hold on the grip. Aria kicks the pommel's flat end, launching it into the air, catching the weapon as it falls within her reach. Refined steel longer than the Outrage, much lighter and twice as sharp. She mimics his hand placements and readies for the offense, feeling an intense sting from the weapon fighting back. Faint memories of a pink-haired, one-armed (and one-eyed) samurai that recklessly attacked her to no avail – barely scratching her pristine white armor with a janky sword that should've been shattered with how much force was applied – several years ago returned. Nagoriyuki's clearly more powerful than anyone she's faced – the mind-control factor amps the threat level past the max. Staring him down as he unsheathed the second katana from his belt, she bears through the pain from the possibility that either blade also worked against her. "Bring it."

"Disarming and using my weapon against me? You're more of a threat than that poor excuse of a partner! And I don't mean her!" She won't let those words slide – it fuels her ire and drives her to fight. The two exchange several slashes – metallic clangs fill the hallway as the other two watch, standing ready to intervene should he overpower her. She hops back when he swept at her feet, creating a short gap between them. He dodges the dashing punch aimed at his midsection, followed by the kick to his thigh. Her preference for close-quarters combat shines through here – she's swifter and beats him to the punches. He came dangerously close to landing a slash on her left hip – just like her dream? – she swayed to the right before it made contact. After neither dealt damage to the other, he reclaims the stolen blade from his opponent, re-sheathing it. "You lack the control and clear conscience to effectively wield."

"What can I say?" She smirks as she's folding her arms, tilting her head back to taunt. "I'm guilty by design."

He dashes back again, placing one foot behind him, baiting either of the three to come forward. "This is your only warning. Not even you, solo or with partners, can undo the hold Chaos has on me."

"We can at least try." Without reaching into her belted pouch, she holds an open hand out to her side to summon her weapon. "Good thing I have a backup plan." Her teammates rush forward to get near him, whittling at the sides of his body. They buy time by holding his arms in place long enough for her to jab the staff in his stomach. Jack-O and Gio look at each other before nodding, changing direction while hooking their arms around his for leverage. The two end up backflipping as Aria lifts Nago 180 degrees and slams his body against the flooring.

On the level below the three against one mini-boss battle, Chaos makes a round by himself. Dust and debris falling from the ceiling, paired with the chandelier rumbling, gets his attention. He stops in his tracks, grinning as he lifts his head up to look, ignoring the falling light fixture. "Wonderful... Our story has reached its climax!"

---

Screens placed above the control desk in the PEOC remain blacked out with cracks running across the glass. Asuka's lying face down, body parallel to the floor's black block pattern. He wakes up from being knocked out, clenching his fists before standing himself upright. "...Ugh." Blinking twice, he scans his surroundings, taking mental notes of how the center's mostly damage-less. "Is this...?" He raises his left hand, index and middle fingers slightly curled, as he initiates a call.

Finding refuge in a dimly lit storage room, the duo not engaged in battle catch their breath after running. The space houses various old furnishings, ranging from a bookshelf that has a clock leaning against the bottom door, to a sofa, and giant marble statues of previous heads of state.

"I'm having my doubts. Was splitting up the best idea?"

"Not at all, but once she decides on something, it's impossible to –…." His earpiece goes online before he could finish the thought. "Asuka?"

"Frederick."

"You okay down there?"

"I passed out for a bit. Where's Vernon?"

"Right here."

"Thank goodness. Where's Aria?"

"She's handling a fight that I can't."

Asuka pinches the bridge of his nose, remembering his slip of the tongue – he's speaking at a million words a minute. "I messed up earlier. Chaos knows who she is. He's aware she was Justice. I shouldn't have said anything, but I remembered what she told me earlier, and it just c—"

"One thing at a time."

"You're right, sorry. I'm panicking." One short exhale later, he gets right to the point. "I have a feeling she's in grave danger as we speak."

"You think he'd directly attack her this time?" Sol's under the impression that both he and Chaos are unaware of the divine seed – failsafe or not – remaining in her body. "She's got a partner for where she is now. Chalk that up to another one of your mistakes." The device changes from blue to red mid-call. "It's the Pentagon. I'll pick up."

"Sol," Goldlewis began on the other line, watching over the crew from the command level – the three-way call remains active. "The White House has changed course again. Did the Gear Maker fail?"

"Yeah, he got wrecked. How much time do we have?"

"...Twenty minutes."

"You're kidding!" Vernon pokes his chin with his right thumb, folding his left arm under the opposite elbow for support. "How did Chaos predict all of this? ...If only we had known things would turn out this way."

"...He knew."

"Eh?"

"You're right, Chaos knew how this would all play out! But if he did... Then why can't he enter the PEOC?"

"There's the first of three wrenches in the plan," Leo remarks from across the waters. "The door to the PEOC won't open without the President's biometric authentication, that's why."

"Sure, but why can't he hack it, though? We're talking about the guy who got through the security on the WMDs here."

"Fair point..."

"It's got a mechanism that not even the greatest magic wielder in history can open."

The supplementary question comes from the Secretary. "And what's that?"

Sol examines Vernon's cybernetic hand. "The PEOC is controlled by Old Era technology. Am I wrong?"

"I suppose this is no time to be keeping secrets," he shares with his voice nearly inaudible. "It's true."

"Thought so." Sol directs his next line to the sky assistance. "Gabriel, are you listening?"

Remaining seated at his command post, the President of Zepp answers with his arms folded. "Yes."

"Those matryoshka codes... they aren't an unknown language. We just can't translate documents that old. Try converting the notes back into letters and numbers. Should be readable enough to anyone from Zepp."

"Give me a moment." He nods, looking down towards the operator seated directly ahead of him. They acknowledge the given task, and immediately start working on code cracking. Seconds pass before the work's shared – popping up on the screen to his left, he recognizes the language and begins translation. "This is... machine code. It's ROSE!"

"What's it say?"

"We don't have it all converted yet, but..." five seconds pass after he presses the final key. "There we are. The PEOC is the escape pod. There's even a manual for activating it."

---

Minutes later, the bikes he built are ready for use. Revving the Firewheel Mk.2 as who he's protecting takes a seat in the Starchaser's sidecar mode, exhaust fumes begin filling the air. Gabriel continues sharing what he's found over the channel. "However, since we've lost control of the craft, we'll have to activate it directly through a bypass. Be at the control tower visible from the East Gate in 7 minutes. How you get there is up to you."

"Let's see if the gods are smiling on us. Hope you've said your prayers."

Gripping the sidecar's sides, Vernon raised his voice a level. "Are we really doing this?"

"What, there somewhere else you'd rather go?"

"Yeah, back to yesterday, please." The other doesn't respond, revving one last time before smashing through the glass window. Several bunny soldiers stand unaware of their presence until then. Maneuvering across the front lawn and dodging the bullets firing, the tires screech from harsh turns preceding accelerations. Birds fly out from the shrubbery driven through, along with other small mammals running for safety. This time, the guards aim with the intention to stop the bike, rather than who's in it. Running a lap around the driveway, Sol retains his focus as Vernon readies his arm cannon, firing at the concrete and creating explosions to buy them time. "Sol, the control tower is back there!"

"Once we're out of the garden, we won't have the air pressure shield to protect us. We're going to have to calculate the wind resistance."

"Calculate, he says... You're not just trusting your gut?"

"Aside from Aria and Jack-O, it's all I've been able to count on today. I used to be a scientist, remember?"

"What does your past profession have to do with anything!? Hey, hey, hey...!" Moving south of where they were, the cycle's driven onto a ramp, seemingly off the edge of the airship. "This... This is madness! Hit the brakes! Whooooooooooaa! Gaaaaaahh! ...Aaaahhhhh!" His panicked screaming does little to distract the course – at the right moment, the bike's redirected to head right for and crash through the control tower's window. Landing front tire first, the balance is lost as it skids on the left side, while the sidecar's in the air, crashing against a far-off control panel. A tire flies off and rolls to the center console.

Emerging from the dust, Sol asks about his companion's safety. "Vernon?"

He crawls out from under the minor wreckage, answering with a high-pitched voice. "...I'm alive." Using the handrail to as a means to stand, he clears his throat and recomposes himself. "That's a sturdy set of bikes."

"Designed them myself."

"You caught Dickinson's slip of the tongue too, right?"

"Yeah. Caught the swear Aria mouthed in response."

"It's like Erica said. Asuka doesn't know that – what's her name?" He draws a halo shape above him. "Jack-O? That she's still around."

"Ain't he in for two surprises."

---

Metal against metal clashes continue throughout their fight, traveling down several hallways – Aria and Nagoriyuki leave controlled destruction in their wake. They left the floor's carpeting torn and scuffed, there's broken furniture and pottery scattered around, and cracks adorning the hallway's walls. Oil paintings of past U.S. Presidents lay broken in half or have holes through the canvases; the gilded frames remain mostly intact, with chunks broken off, lost in the debris. They come to a standstill; sparks fly as she electrifies her staff and pushes against his katana. It's a battle of pseudo-attrition as they break off the pauses with projectile shockwaves to their sides before clashing again immediately afterward. His mask comes undone and the two stare each other down – emerald standing ground against ice blue that towers over from a fifteen-inch height difference. "Do I still pose more of a threat?"

"Don't get cocky." He breaks the last one, pushing her back. Regaining his composure and re-masking, he misses by a hair what would've been a direct slash on her hip again. That's one part of her dream she's prevented from happening. "Strange. You draw out the natural willingness to fight."

"It seems unreal, doesn't it?"

Warping behind her, he temporarily sheaths his weapon, standing upright and bowing in respect. "I must admit, I am in awe of your talent."

She plays along, slowly clapping her hands. "I can say the same for you. You're giving me a run for my own money."

He returns to where he was before the reprieve to resume their match, intending to catch her off guard with a surprise attack. "A shame you're allied with a simple-minded immortal idiot!" She anticipates this, raising her defenses in a split second. Calling Giovanna a beast before joining in was one thing, but the insults directed at Sol only increase her rage levels.

"And it's shame you're under an ugly gremlin's mind control! Do all of us a favor and break free from it!" Aria and Nagoriyuki switch to trading punches. The two effortlessly counter each blow; with each clash, small-scale shockwaves travel outward from their colliding fists. "I! Know! You!" After the fourth, she gets the better of him. "Can!"

"We've got you, Aria!" Giovanna and Jack-O continue covering the opposite end, landing kicks on his backside. Gio's roundhouses and J's hovering splits kicks deal chip damage to weaken from the other side – weaker than their usual power from moving backward. He retaliates by diverting his attention between the three, kicking and launching both away. They crash through a wall, landing on their feet; Nagoriyuki walks through the hole and slashes a shockwave towards them. Both hedge by a whisker, leaving the wave to hit the pillar behind.

Rei possesses her master, turning her green; the eyes of the iron mask brightly illuminate, accompanied by a servant who has their countdown activated. "Showtime!" Aria's partners attack in alternate turns – ping-ponging the samurai between them. Employing the use of harsh elbow jabs, backhanded slaps, and knee kicks from both, the amount of harm dealt in the short timeframe successfully stuns and dazes him. Aria seizes the opportunity window to wrap her arms around Nagoriyuki's midsection from behind, lifting him up, falling back for a suplex. She utilizes her position to roll them further, repeating for a second. She stands him up, allowing for another to take over from there.

"You're wide open!" After the servant explodes and obstructs his vision with a dust cloud, Valentine stomps down on the pumpkin, expelling the spirit that takes the form of a neon green skull with a halo above it to launch the large frame up. "Your turn, Gio!"

"I hear ya, Jackie!" She performs a handstand, readying herself for a spiraling dropkick – Rei's ghostly form wraps itself around to resemble an arrow. "Taking aim!" The soles of her boots connect – quickly recovering, she deals the finishing blow, grabbing the mask, and crashing him to the floor.

"You… hahaha…." He lets out a laugh between the false compliments. "You three make… an excellent team. This is all that I am currently capable of. Victory is yours."

Giovanna returns to normal and exhales. "Made a mess of the place, but it can't be helped. A little mayhem never hurt anyone. You two should go back and find them."

Aria's hesitation leads her to ask, "are you sure about that?"

"Positive. Now go."

"Right… What good are teammates who don't fight each other beforehand? See ya around." She doesn't share her actual doubts – shrugging it off, she and Jack-O begin heading down the hallway. "Can you locate?"

Returning to the device for a few moments, she activates the radar, sharing, "they're not too far off." She re-materializes and points in the general location from where they are. "Looks like they're in the control tower. We won't make it in time by foot, but I found something that can help."

"Lead the way."

Waiting until the additional footsteps from the boots and heels were out of audible range, he moves one of his arms to grab her. "Fool. You shouldn't have dismissed them."

"!"

He throws her against a wall, firmly grasping her throat. "They were your chance at survival."

She claws at the hold, wildly kicking his torso. "R… REI!" The wolf chomps down on one of his shoulders, causing him to let go. Using her hind legs to kick the adversary away, she creates a window of opportunity for her owner to collect herself at a safe distance. Stretching and cracking her neck, her pet reassumes its spirit form as she readies to continue the fight alone. They're too far away by now to help. "Guess it's too late to call them back…."

---

"This is it. It's in there."

Breaking open the unmarked wooden container, their finding was a prototype black tech and magic hybrid motorcycle with the symbols for Zepp and the United States along the sides. Removing the key ring from the nearby hook, Aria gets an idea of how to deal with the courtyard full of enemies waiting for them outside. "I'll drive." She sits down, getting comfy in the seat that's large enough for two people, and powers it on. The pink-hearted servant from their break in the Oval Office seats itself in Aria's lap, "fastening" itself in with the belt on her jacket – its legs kick and wings flap from excitement. "Okay, okay. There's room for the three of us." Pressing the play button on the dash panel, the right end of her mouth curls up. "Oh, I know this one too." She summons her weapon and hands it to the passenger seated behind. "Have at 'em."

No fear, no crime
No pain, no gain
If you're scared to fly
Jump anyway

"But this is your weapon. You mean it?" Jack-O notes the profile smile the driver sent. She mischievously grins, lowly chuckling to herself. "Ohoho, this is gonna be fun." She orders her familiar to lock its shackle around Aria's ankle. "Only fair you get some practice with him too."

Go way too far
Keep moving up
Be who you are
Do what you love

The bike's engine roars as it's driven out and into the open. The soldiers that weren't taken out by the first pair of heroes begin firing – as it's approximately the same specifications as her cycle, Aria guides the vehicle at high speed, slaloming in and out of the line of fire.

And don't stop chasin' the rush

Bullets lodge themselves in soldiers that shot each other, missing the moving targets as they zipped by. Each accidental instance of friendly fire made the duo laugh at their expenses before they took turns dealing damage. Those who were close by Aria's right were tripped by the iron chain, where the others within range had their bodies swung at by Jack-O.

"Hold on, hold on, it's gonna be a long ride. Hold on, hold on, we're takin' it to overdrive."

Driving up the nearest wall, they wait until the survivors gather in the center. Ammunition evasion continues as Jack-O summons two minions to cover their three and nine.

"Grab a seat, don't close your eyes. 'Cause if you blink it's gonna pass you by."

After both decided on the right time, Aria drives down at a higher speed, battering through the cluster of bodies.

"Hold on, hold on, it's gonna be a long ride."

---

Working on the main control panel, the two step back as the main mechanism's activated. The central column lights up, resembling fire in a furnace. The giant windows allow for high visibility, though all they can see out of them are the clouds. Something catches Vernon's eye and Sol takes notice.

"You see somethin'?"

"Uhh, thought I did." For a second, he saw Aria and Jack-O on what looked like a brand-new bike driving down a nearby wall. "Must've been my imagination. Anyway, Gabriel, we got it running."

"How are things looking, Gear Maker?"

On his end, the control panel Asuka's standing in front of powers on. "It's been activated."

"What's next?"

Goldlewis provides the next step, clueless as to how half of the group's missing. "Please head to the PEOC and evacuate with the Gear Maker. Our only option is to force our way through. Once it's within five klicks of the border, we will shoot down the White House, whether you're all evacuated or not."

"We may be able to buy you some time if our aircraft makes it to you…." Potemkin's homing in on the White House – he's been keeping silence for the duration of his flight. "But even then, the time limit still looms over us. Make haste."

Once the call ended, Vernon shares what he saw as he and Sol approach the control room's door. "What I saw was that the girls are close by, but Gio's absent. Do you think they left her to handle that samurai alone?"

"I hope that's not the case." He cracks his knuckles, readjusting his gloves. "They're too good to leave someone by themselves."

"You're right. I'm probably overthinking it. The three of them combined should've been enough to defeat him."

"You ready for round two?" He shot the other a side smile, noting the nod in response. Sol kicks down the door – it travels down the walkway a few meters before the strong winds intercept and blow it away. Steadily making the walk down with their arms acting as windbreaking shields, they make progress to the halfway point before the door on the other end opens.

"Huh!?" Three enemies come out from the doorway, firing directly in front of them. Luckily for them it isn't a repeat of earlier – they dodge in time to take cover behind pillars.

Armed with a rocket launcher, one fires in Sol's direction. The round hits the mark, destroying it and sending him flying back. "Wha—!?" A conveniently placed piece of broken metal railing's behind him, providing something to prevent falling off.

"Sol!"

"Hm!?" Several more shots are fired. Those that hit the metal caused him to lose his grip, launching him to be swept up like the door.

Vernon risks the gunmen shooting at him as he runs to the other side of the walkway. "Sooool!"

The armed trio approaches him, with the lead stating, "and so ends the circus."

Sol reappears, hanging on the side of the rescue craft Potemkin's piloting. "Thanks for the lift, big guy. Glad you made it in time."

"Anything to help." They exchange a friendly gesture – the two elbow bump as Sol jumps off Vidia to attack the gunmen.

Punching the first and closest to Vernon in the stomach, he follows through by kicking the other two back into the opposite guardrails. "The main event's only gettin' started."

Watching the other two run down, Potemkin redirects his craft to fly to the front end. "Diffused power source magic... activate!" A magical circle the size of the ship appears, allowing him to alter the craft's appearance and utilize the wings as robotic arms. "Naglfar Maneuver!" Vidia's jets flare up with increased intensity as he starts pushing against the White House. For extra power, the circle scales to dwarf the ship.

Casually walking down a hallway that hasn't been destroyed yet, Chaos notices the rumbling and bits of the ceiling falling. Turning about his left, he curiously looks outside the window – hands places on the glass. "Oh? What's this?" Looking past the front lawn and the obelisk located at the edge, he locates the new face that joined the fray. "What a time to be alive!"

---

The main screen's sepia tone display of North America displays a pulsating blip, indicating the White House's current position. Goldlewis has his left hand hovering centimeters above the red detonation button.

"...Dickinson."

"Not yet." A sweat drop rolls down his cheek. "Give them just a little longer."

---

Continuing the sprint downstairs, Sol has the Outrage in his hands to attack any enemies in the path. Stopping around the corner, he peeks around, seeing a squadron of soldiers waiting to intercept them down the way.

Walking out on another stage
Another town, another place

"Please tell me, 'we're gonna be fine.'"

Sometimes, I don't feel right
Nerves wound up too damn tight

"I'll see if I got any of those left in stock."

People keep telling me it's bad for my health
But kicking back don't make it

One bunny soldier tilts head to the side, picking up on the distant sound. "…where's that coming from?"

Out of control, I play the ultimate role

The squad lowers their weapons as they look amongst themselves. "Anyone else hear that, or is it just me?"

But that's what lights my fire

"It's getting closer…!"

"Guys!" Sol and Vernon redirect their attention to hear the oncoming vehicle, sidestepping once they hear someone yelling, "outta the way!" Accelerating down the hall while the bike's ground tire mode's been activated, the other half of the team regrouped with them. Screeching to a halt in view, the driver does a few test revs before the front shield's activated. Flooring it and steering the vehicle to run over the enemies, they run a couple of laps around the room to sweep them all.

Hellraiser, in the thunder and heat
Hellraiser, rock you back in your seat
Hellraiser, and I'll make it come true
Hellraiser, I'll put a spell on you

Stopping in the doorway to greet their allies who came out from cover, Aria leans over the front of the bike, pushing her goggles up. "You've had bad days before, but you really look like shit." Her fiancé's too tired to be mad at her for the insult, wryly smiling. "Miss us?"

"Yes, we did!" Vernon's relieved to see the two halves survived the split. "Where did you find that?"

"Stumbled upon it in a garage." She drives in, parking it to the side and stepping off. "Can I keep it?" Another case of airborne quaking catches their attention. All four glance up to see an incoming pair of bodies. Crashing through the glass dome above, green fur's the first thing they see as a defeated Giovanna's used as a landing breaker under the samurai. "Gio!?"

Standing above her unconscious form, he looks down at her through the smoke in the center. "If your partners didn't leave and you hadn't shown mercy, you might have won."

The President hides behind the taller bodyguard once he knew they were spotted. "...Sold out, huh?"

Sol's comm goes online while he's keeping visual in front of him. "Whoever's listening, we need more time."

"Not even a 'please,' huh?" Leo gets an idea after thinking it over. "Secretary Dickinson."

"I'm sorry," there's remorse in the other's voice." But we can't wait any longer..."

"I understand the risk you face. We have little time but hear me out. Today, your Albatross weapons were detonated – but our own weapons avoided that little mishap." He pauses, crossing his arms. "So, if you shoot down the White House –"

Dizzy finishes that statement for him, uncharacteristically aggressive. "We will launch an attack on the United States." All nearby crew members displayed visible shock and concern at her words. They'd expect this from her parents, namely her father, but not her.

"Wha— What in the goddamn—" Goldlewis clears his throat before responding further. "No, there's no way you'd risk it, Queenie!"

"Maybe, and don't refer to me as such!" She follows the Second King's body language. "But perhaps the same could be said for you."

"Hm?"

She brushes a lock of blue hair behind her ear, exhaling. "I'm not saying it's the smartest move we'll ever make – considering this'd be the first order I give out – but Leo and I are still willing to do so. Well? Let's hear it. What happens next?"

"...Do you know?"

"We don't. But if all we can do is pray..." Leo looks at Dizzy. "Then I'm placing my bets on Sol."

"He may be a hero, but still..."

An external line joins the conversation. "Daryl here. If I may cut in..." From the rescue craft, he's standing and looking out from the airship's windows. "I'm a realist. I don't believe in the power of prayer."

"You're not helping!"

"But I can say this much. Not one of us has ever performed a miracle that changed the world." Silence falls the control and war rooms – Dickinson lifts his hand from hovering over the button. "But Sol Badguy has. He isn't alone, remember? Let's see if Aria can do the same. It's true the world nearly ended when she was Justice, but right now she's part of humanity's hope."

The revelation of her prior identity sends the rest of the Pentagon's crew into a semi-frenzied state. The Zeppian team chatters amongst themselves, shocked to a lesser degree – Gabriel takes a moment to let that factoid sink in. His first impression upon viewing her demeanor and appearance led him to have suspicions about who or what she is. "You knew?"

"I know a lot of things. By the sound of it, your teams had no idea."

"Secretary Dickinson," Ky begins. "You gave us your word you'd dismiss the earlier incident."

"I'm asking you to give my parents a chance," Dizzy continues. "I know they're capable of it."

Sol fights off exhaustion, walking in the lone adversary's direction, stopping after a few steps. Vernon hides behind the cabinet near the doorway, with Aria standing ready to fight again and Jack-O covering their collective six. "So, your wounds have healed?"

"Took too long, but it's all thanks to you."

"Then this is your last chance."

"Chance...?"

"Fortunately for you, I could've given them orders had it not been for her."

"Vernon, if you get a shot at an escape, get on that bike and take it."

"Can you beat him?" He notices subtle muscle twitches among the unconscious bodies, including those from Gio and Rei. "He's a monster..."

The scowl on Sol's face changes to a cocky smile. His stride's improved from the stalling. "I've been running around so much, I almost forgot. I'm a monster, too." He lunges forward for an attack, kicking up dust as he lifts the Outrage for a clash. The collision generated a powerful shockwave, sent throughout the chamber.

Nagoriyuki's mask comes undone, revealing his enraged state. Another clash with another shockwave dented the floor beneath them – chunks of flooring fly up. Sparks from the weaponry barely miss their eyes. "Don't be so reactive." Breaking it off, he anticipates and catches the other's incoming punch. "Your guard's down."

"I don't see anywhere to escape…." Vernon doesn't move, continuing to watch the battle.

"Think harder." He effortlessly pushes Sol aside, readying his katana for another attack. "Don't bother standing just to lose again. Your woman gave me more of a challenge!"

"Thanks for complimenting her, but could you shut the hell up for a second!?" He doesn't back down, retaliating with a punch as the Outrage's powering up.

Slightly pushed back, the blinding beam doesn't distract from the man in front of him. "Well done. With this much strength, you would eventually overpower me. However... It would take you quite a while."

"...Shit."

"Find something to keep you grounded, Vernon." Aria doesn't want to wait for any outcome, regardless of who's victorious. She begins concentrating gamma energy, waiting until it was the right time. Her other half returns to their shared body, trying to prevent further charging.

Staring at her wide-eyed, he yells at her not to. "Seriously!? Don't do it again unless you can get a clear shot!" They hear someone struggling to break free from control, seeing the samurai's fingers trembling on the hilt. "What the—?"

"What are you doing? You...?"

"I refuse to submit to Chaos all my life." He lets go of his weapon, dropping the blade, leaving himself open to take the full brunt of the opposition. Too late to stop the swing, Sol's eyes widen and his jaw drops. "Make sure to protect your leader." Unable to withstand the power beam, the mind control break takes him out.

After the room-engulfing light dissipated, Vernon and Aria run to Sol's sides. "Did you beat him?"

"Yeah, but... I didn't learn a thing about Chaos's weakness."

He shakes his head, urging them to vacate the area. "That doesn't matter now! Let's move!"

---

Running down the dimly lit corridor to the PEOC, the trio beeline for the door protecting Asuka. A lone gunman that was waiting for them comes out from his cover, pointing at their backs.

Vernon hears the click, looking over his right shoulder. "Wait!" They stop, turning around to look at him. Before he could fire, a spell beam from behind them takes him out.

Oddly enough assuming the same pose as Aria when she fired her ray bursts, the three of them turn again to see their "ally" saving them outside. "Asuka!?"

"Asuka" instructs them to follow him – the vocal impression fools two of the three. "Hurry! Before Chaos gets here!"

Vernon follows him downstairs while the knights stand guard. He punches the bio authentication scanner, cybernetic arm opening to reveal the tech housed inside. "Vernon E. Groubitz!"

A computerized voice recognizes the visitor, activating the door. "Three Crests, verified. Opening locks."

"It's open!" The two look down to see an inky black cloud in front. He steps back out of fear, gripping the handrail behind him. "How...!?"

Standing inside and against the slate grey, the dark colors of his outfit pop out as Chaos grins at those he fooled. "And here I was hoping for another plot twist."

"No!" The trio rushes to stop him – with a gamma burst missing its mark zipping by, hitting and leaving a hole in the wall.

"Oopsie. You missed." The inside scanner doesn't have a lock on it, allowing him to close the door.

"Shit!" Vernon bangs his fists against the immovable barrier. "And we got so far...!"

Sensing the presence in the central area, Chaos's voice deepens as he speaks. "Your friends can't save you now. A climactic duel between master and disciple doesn't make a terrible ending."

"That's true," the decoy answers from inside. "I would have liked to have spent more time together." The real Asuka's outside, stepping out from his hiding place outside the PEOC. "But that will have to wait."

"What the hell...!?"

Asuka gives his friends the signal. "Frederick! Aria! Now!"

They move to kick the PEOC's door, detaching it from the magnetized bolting. Their main foe watches as the escape pod drops down the chute, ultimately ejecting and falling through the clouds. Watching the updraft flow through, the quartet stands admiring their handiwork. Asuka exhales knowing they've secured their safety. Aria and Sol fist bump and crack a joke together, stating, "that's one sturdy-ass door. Where can we get one?"

---

One of the Pentagon's older male operators reports to their commander. "We've just received word from the White House! It would seem that the PEOC launched with Chaos inside."

"It did!? And the President!?"

"Safe, sir. Everyone is. We've regained control of the White House!" All present in the room cheer and sigh as a collective weight has been lifted off their chests. The same goes for the Illyrian and Zeppian teams, to a lesser extent. On the war room's transit tracker, Royal Fleet One's status updated from [in transit] to [arrived at destination] as it closes in on the now stationary White House.

Goldlewis is the only one who doesn't celebrate. He instructs his crew to dispatch a team for the PEOC crash site. "We need to secure Chaos!"

---

Navigating through the destruction – intentional or not – as they head for the front entrance, Sol leads the way with Vernon to his right; Aria and Asuka trail right behind them, with the latter moving ahead to assess the rescue craft that landed outside. Ky stands by the door, scanning the environment inside. "It's not fair you two had all the fun without me." He checks for a pulse by placing two fingers on a nearby bunny agent's carotid artery; the body falls over. "Looks like they're still breathing. This wasn't one of your accidental kills, right, Aria?"

"Wow, way to get right to it. Were they watching us?"

"Ah…." Aria wasn't expecting him to say such a thing. "You know about that?" Her son-in-law only nods – a wave of guilt floods her head. "Sorry."

"Don't sweat it. When we found out, we got the Secretary to dismiss it. If he does try anything against you, we can use his words against him in conjunction with four layers of immunity."

Vernon looks around at the immobile bodies littered around. "As in from you, Dizzy, Leo, and Daryl?" Noting the nod, he smiles for a second. "About these guys: will their faces return to normal...?"

"Hey," Sol cuts in. "I'm just glad they weren't set to explode once the mind control ended."

"Heh," he nervously laughs. "I've had about enough of Chaos's traps."

"Mr. President," Ky begins. "Do you have a set destination in mind?"

"Not at all. Doesn't matter to me how long it takes to get there, so long as I can get my feet back on solid ground." He catches Asuka glancing over his shoulder before facing forward. "Something wrong?"

"This craft doesn't have enough power to take off again." Closing the spells he used on the vehicle, he begins walking away from the group. "I'd ask you all take rescue crafts away from here."

"...Asuka." The four remain where they are before Sol starts following him. "Can you not touch back down? Or do you not want to?"

"Please, believe me. I didn't want to do things this way... But you will have to suffice as my witness."

"What the – witness!?"

He stops in the courtyard's center, several feet away from the ship. Aria disregards the possibility of a trap as she made the walk to stand with her two close friends – her hands are in her pockets to hide the fists she formed them into. "Mr. President... Tír na nÓg was not designed for air travel. The true purpose of this craft... was interplanetary transportation."

"Interplanetary!?"

"That's correct, First King. When things were looking bleak during the Crusades, some senior officials planned to abandon our planet."

"So that's what Project Tír na nÓg was all about."

"The space colony it was intended to dock at is already complete. It has enough supplies to take care of 400 people for 120 years. I…." he redirects his vision from looking up at the full moon to the duo. "I intend to take the Tome there."

"But why?"

"No one there will seek or desire the Tome. I can discard it at last."

"Then we can just stuff the Tome in a spacesuit!" Vernon gives his best attempt at reasoning not to carry out the plan. "There's no need for you to go with it."

"I appreciate your kindness. However..." Asuka looks at Sol, who immediately summons Outrage and attacks. Anticipating the assault, he calls upon the Tome to counter. An arrangement of seven triangular icons appears behind him, expanding in size before firing several powerful spell beams. One directly hits the superweapon, launching the wielder back. What he fails to notice as he's teleporting is the additional body that held on to prevent an unintended split. Her grip loosens as she slides back after their mutual fiend grabs her partner by the throat. "Have you forgotten my other goal?"

"Getting rid of Sol..." The Outrage drops to the floor as he tries to break the grasp. "H-hold on, Asuka. That was just a hypothetical, wasn't it!? You promised you'd give me a proper explanation!"

"As with the Tome..." He redirects his attention to make eye contact. "Our world has no need for his power."

"Bullshit!" He's visibly furious. "Tell me, who is Sol gonna hurt!?"

A vision of I-No alone in an abandoned town crosses his mind. She's facing the titanic shadowy Sol approaching in the distance. "Himself."

Light illuminates where his hand's positioned – Sol, with a façade of a nervous smile, grabs his arm trying to break free again. "What if I said it was none of your damn business?"

"...I may craft a persuasive dissertation, but I've always had trouble choosing words others could understand. So, I took a lesson from you and chose to fight. Let's settle things between us, right now."

"Sure, have it your way. I was all primed to fight a magic wielder today anyway."

"You're right. I've always wanted things my way. Even when I planted this divine seed in you... But now, I'll correct that mistake. If you don't want that, then don't hesitate." Asuka fails to notice Sol's eyes look behind him, taking the nonverbal cue of refusing to surrender. "Shake off my hand... And kill me."

Cold steel against the left side of his neck breaks his focus. "It's never easy to defend your statements, especially when it's something only you care about. It shouldn't have come to this, but allow me to be the one who discredits your work." Aria's weapon crackles with a high volume of electricity and heat; hot enough to burn the exposed flesh. "Put. Him. Down."

"...A-Ari— Aria!" Sol yells out as he's already started letting go. "Don't!" Ignoring this, she begins charging her most potent power with her free hand, causing the ground beneath them to quake.

All three crews that make up the international support/monitoring effort clamor at the sight. Those stationed in front of heat signature trackers feel their heart rates increase at the overwhelming readings.

"I don't believe it!"
"It's… it's gamma energy!"
"These readings are off the charts! It's stronger than yesterday!"
"That woman is a Gear!?"
"It's just like the Third King said! She really is Justice!"

"The gamma ray… that's what you retained?" Asuka's calm exterior cracks, jaw dropping open from learning she's moments away from using it against him. "You wouldn't dare."

"I'm pissed off enough!" She violently swings at the side of his torso, sending him crashing into what was supposed to be the escape aircraft.

Sol safely drops to the ground, coughing and catching his breath. "You were right," he rubs the front of his throat to ease the pain after picking his weapon back up. "You are the advantage."

Asuka drops down and regains his footing, standing up and reacting to the stinging pain done to his body. Looking back at where he was, he sees another familiar face arrive on the scene. She's kept the original appearance he designed her with – her halo's damaged, with fragments remaining in place exactly how he pictured it hours earlier. Standing with an arm extended to her right, she acts as their guardian. "Jack-O?"

She doesn't respond verbally, turning her head to Aria and Sol. Her interactions with her host have altered her demeanor since the fusion. The face everyone sees conveys uncertainty. "We're really doing this, huh?"

"You're more than welcome to watch," her other half states while cracking her knuckles. "I'm not going to tell you what to do."

Her mouth curves downward before she concealed her visage behind an iron plate. "…I'd be breaking my vow of a new purpose if I stood by." Her voice sounded eerily lifeless and robotic – more so than the original Valentine. The eyes on her mask, three servants, and familiar change from green to red. "I'm sorry, Asuka, but I won't allow you to harm them. Awaiting your command, Aria."

"Do what you think is right."

"I'll provide support."

"Vernon, you and Ky should get to safety," Sol advises the two nearest allies to vacate the arena. "You don't wanna get caught in the crossfire."

"You've got to be kidding me!" The whirlwind series of events in the past few hours culminating in a historic three against one battle, on the front lawn of his professional residence, nearly gave him a heart attack right then and there. "You three aren't seriously going to engage in battle with him, are you?"

Observing his mother-in-law's expression as she faced her new opponent reminded Ky of not only the morning of the 9th but every time Justice appeared to threaten peace. The vision he had of her wasn't the robotic form from the Second Holy Order Selection tournament; rather, it was her colossal monstrous appearance scaled down. "I know that look anywhere!"

"Don't just stand there, Ky!" Leo yells over the earpiece. "Stop her before she gets herself killed again!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that!"

Aria stands directly across from Asuka, with Sol on her right and Jack-O on her left. She throws all rational thought off the side of the airship, signaling her partners to assume combative positions and begin. "GET HIM!"

"I'm not fighting you! Aria! Stop!" His sights split between the three assailants, swapping mostly from his former friends, and paying little attention to his former servant. He's fought one before, anticipating what he'd use, aware the masked combatant utilizes summons that fight for her, but the last one's a complete mystery.

She's unrealistically fast; her body flashes blue as she rushes him down, rotating about her left heel. "Your fight's with me, not him!" She swings for a punch, grazing his collarbone. Preventing his next move, she instantly crosses their forearms, bringing the limbs toward her – the sleeve's smooth black fabric rubs against her skin. Fire magic running through her body's enough to char the clothing from contact. "You've killed me before, so show me – no, everyone! The Pentagon, Zepp, Illyria, and the world over! – that you're able to do it again!"

"No!" He breaks from the cross-hold, stretching out the tension while recoiling from the burning sensation. "I'm still sorry about the Backyard incident! I wanted to prevent that entire thing, but I overrode your controls in desperation!"

She grabs ahold of his collar, forcefully tugging the material. "And you had to do so at maximum output!?" She lets go, crinkling the cross design, swinging for a right hook that lands on his cheek, while her left connects on his stomach. "I was left with a shattered psyche," the kick she dealt soon turned from one to several across his torso. "And where Japan was is a goddamn crater!"

He skids across the surface, leaving a rut in the dirt and grass. A servant swings its shield at him; instinctively dodging, he's unsure if he's able to harm the oddly corporeal creature. The flat end of another's lollipop connects behind his head. "This could've been different!"

Aria's pupils gain the same vertical slits as Sol's as her irises become gold – her eyes flashing blue soon after. Streaks of fire and lightning run along her arms, and her fists radiated energy. "Stop talking and fight!" She resorts to using elemental projectiles, hurtling them like shot put balls. They detonate without warning, leaving small explosions when they were close to impact.

He barely dodges the spinning handstand fan kicks Jack-O directed at him. "If you die," he's a hair away from receiving damage by the Outrage's end swung horizontally, crouching at the last possible moment. "Then it's game over for all of us!"

"So, if you die, we're good?" Sol strikes the ground, diagonally driving the end of his weapon to pierce the intended mark. Once the other dodged, he directs a row of flames in his path. "Gun Flame!" He doesn't waste time after the evasion, dishing out his next move – a heavy, mid-level gut punch with his left. The target teleports behind him, he's upped his reaction speed to grab before the other could strike back. "Nice try, but you're goin' nowhere!" Further crinkling the black collar, Sol headbutts Asuka before throwing him over his shoulder.

"-Ngh-!" His body bounces from the power that preceded the impact. Wobbling to stand, he fails to stabilize himself. Through coughs and gasps for air, he manages to yell out, "no! did none of you listen to what I just said!?"

"It's useless. Nothing you say will get through to her." Jack-O's voice regains a natural sound. "Hard to believe you're the strongest magic user in existence if you can't handle the three of us!" She swiftly launches Dorpos at him – the iron pumpkin grazes the side of his face, knocking off his right eye accessory. Asuka almost lost his balance, stumbling to regain his footing before dashing back.

Through a heavy breath, he responds, "dammit! Not you too!"

Two more explosives obstruct his line of sight, leaving him open for a heavily damaging strike. "Let's do this! Tyrant Rave!" Contrary to how their previous battles went, the shield Asuka utilized failed to keep him grounded. Bearing through the first hit, the fiery second from the two-punch overdrive broke through; the impact sent him back a few meters. His lack of complete focus and composure caused the weak excuse of a barrier to shatter.

"…Ky?" Vernon taps his shoulder. "Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong with her?"

Something awakened within Aria, evidenced by the abrupt pause. Her teammates and their enemy stop out of their own reasons – curiosity, fright, whatever it might've been – watching as her legs buckled, slouching face-down while keeping herself standing. Taking slow, labored breaths, the physical transformation begins. Relatively limited compared to Sol's Dragon Install, her new equivalent changes her forearms and hands – the forearms become void black, underlying a dark to light gradient of neon blue running down as it reaches her fingertips. Figurative cracks scatter across her limbs as chunks of the statue chip off and fall, allowing for light to seep through. She sings to herself, audible to those around her. "Hope you got your things together. Hope you are quite prepared to die."

Sol glances at Jack-O, figuring she'd know something. "Did you know she could do that?"

"Looks like we're in for nasty weather. One eye is taken for an eye."

She shakes her head as she's unaware of what's occurring. "I thought you would."

Aria stands upright and regulates her breathing; her face remaining expressionless as the sides are obscured by her hair. "Well, don't go around tonight. Well, it's bound to take your life."

"Sol," both spectators ask together. "What is happening?"

"Hell if I know, but it looks like my transformation." The old PWAB's clone of Justice from years ago had something similar, but even he's unsure if she had that to begin with. "Is this her version of an Install?"

Hands formed into claws, she lifts her head up, opening her blued-out, iris-less eyes. "There's a Bad Moon on the Rise."

Aria's form becomes engulfed in a flame-like, navy blue aura. Advancing at a blinding speed and shattering the hastily activated light green barrier, she strikes all around Asuka's body. Heavy punches and kicks land on each of his weak points – she doesn't hold back as those watching recoil from the audible impacts as if they were her target. She ends it all by striking the center of his chest. The charm on her necklace illuminates as he feels his ribcage breaking. There's a minuscule margin between the fractured bone and his heart; had she hit with a little more force, it would've been fatal. He skids backward, gasping for air, falling on his back after servants tackle him to the ground, pinning his arms and legs down.

The aura dies out from her overexertion – she fights through the dizziness. Sol and Jack-O hold her back from committing murder by gripping her biceps. Once she calmed down after she squirmed to break out, she snaps back to her sane self – all three of them walk up and stand over the fallen. "Do you fear what you have created? Why did you play God when you couldn't handle the consequences?"

"…yes, I do. My friends. I turned you two into monsters." He's struggling to regulate his breathing. "I created Her to save you from yourself."

"You goddamn moron." Sol steps on the right wrist, motioning for the servant to hover above. "You're not at my mercy. You're at hers."

It's as if he's staring down the end of a rocket launcher ridiculously close to his face, Asuka's heart rapidly beats as Aria begins charging up gamma energy. The woman standing above him morphs into the monster he used her as the basis for, tail piercing the ground beneath them. Bracing for the worst, he encourages her to go through. "…if it'll satisfy you, then do it."

"No."

"What?"

"No. If I do, I won't be satisfied." Dispelling the energy, she places a boot horizontal to his throat, gradually applying pressure. "There are fates worse than death, and you deserve the worst possible." She changes the position to stomp down on his fragile chest. "Because of you, I have the blood of millions on my hands. You'd just be another person in that sea of souls."

".…"

"Agreeing to cryosleep was a mistake. You ruined not only my life but his as well. You two should've just let me die!" She stomps again, not on his chest, but on the courtyard's surface. "Get up. Don't make me repeat myself. Get. Up."

Jack-O takes pity on him, ordering her servants to let go. "Return."

"So much for civility…." Sol moves back, cautiously watching him stand himself upright and brush off the dirt on his clothing. "You didn't try to fight back against her. Why?"

"It would've been futile. If either of you truly remembered me, I'm not one for conflict. Back when we were students, I was always the quiet and kind one." Placing his left hand upon his right shoulder, he moves it about the joint socket in a circular motion to relieve the pain. "I'd try to avoid talking to people, and then I met you two. Neither of you can deny you were the same." He points at Aria first, "you always had your nose in a textbook." Then to Sol, "and you were always behind that cold barrier."

"And you always pointed out the flaws. Suggesting we fix them instead of avoiding it altoge—…." Making the mistake of letting his guard down too early, he's caught by a surprise teleport. "-hrgk- sly son of a bitch!"

"You left yourself open." Seizing the opportunity and with the last bit of his energy, he performs the seed extraction. A growing storm of magical particles gathered around them – suspended by a beam, sparks fly as a fire-like circle opens with an insignia that resembled the Gear mark in the center.

Reacting too late, Aria's unable to prevent the procedure – the resulting energy blast knocked her and those around back. "NO!" Once the object was removed, the suppressor shatters, followed by a blinding light.

---

At the PEOC crash site, armed soldiers cautiously approach the escape pod's closed entrance. Through the door, they see Chaos's unconscious body.

"Chaos is still inside. He seems to be unconscious."

"It might be a trap. Proceed at your own discretion." He nods in affirmation of the caution, opening the door with the switch behind.

---

Sol lies passed out in the middle of a crater. His hand twitches to show he's still alive; Aria and Jack-O approach and Asuka smiles. "...You satisfied?"

"Sol!" Ky and Vernon rush to the scene. "Are you alright!?"

He stands without assistance. Immediate changes are that he's a bit thinner and his hair's shorter. "You tell me."

"...It can't be... Are you... human?"

"Not entirely, I don't think." He notices Aria's reaction. She's initially speechless, unable to string together a coherent sentence. The scene in front of her was identical to her vision, yet she felt something was off… Contrasting her other half, Jack-O shoots a dirty glare at her creator, believing it'd be how the woman next to her would feel; she fights the impulse to strangle him where he stood. "I don't feel that different."

"My greatest mistake... was robbing Frederick and Aria of the time they could have spent together." Asuka faces both staring him down – at least she was. "Now I see our efforts from November weren't for naught. Mr. President, you can attest to their teamwork, can you? The original her wouldn't believe the current version we see is the same person. And you, Jack-O." All five pairs of eyes look at her – expression intensifying despite "not" having emotions. "My suspicions were correct. Were you here the entire time?"

She doesn't change her face, simply responding with, "fuck off."

That's something she wouldn't have said had the plan gone south – she's not entirely friendly, but instantly dropping an f-bomb in response to a question was unheard of. Not even Raven or I-No did such a thing, yet it sounds like she's joined them in crass natures. "I should've guessed you gained some of her personality. However, now no one will rely on you as a weapon, nor as a hero. I should have done this a hundred years ago." The only response he received was a heavy sigh. "Mr. President. Sol Badguy, the hero, has perished. This is Frederick Bulsara, an ordinary man." Aria activates her goggles and conducts a bioscan – noting how the seed's gone and he's now listed as human. She then brushes his hair aside to see the Gear mark vanished, sucker-punching the responsible party squarely on his jaw before tackling him. "Agh!"

"Bastard! You couldn't have waited until all this shit was over!?" She pins him down, dealing punches to his face in alternating succession. "Don't you even do so much as think about pulling that extraction shit with me!"

He doesn't want to test how trying to get her off the improvised training dummy would fare now that he's lost his powers. When she stopped attacking, Frederick gestures for Ky and Jack-O to help Aria stand – they do so by hooking their arms around hers and hoisting her up. She exhausts her remaining anger by baring her teeth – the canines longer than usual, resembling sharpened fangs – kicking and clawing at the air. "Aria, that's enough."

Vernon recalls what he told Asuka hours earlier before they arrived. "I may not know anything aside from the relayed information, but I have an idea about Aria. We're on the national stage. I don't think she'd let her rage get the best of her here. Guess I was wrong about what I said. And you wanted the entire world to acknowledge that."

"Shit, nobody told me there'd be an encore performance." Frederick weakly laughs as he turns to see Aria's eyes lost the slit pupils, reverting to normal round ones. "How many of your predictions came true?"

"So far," she stretches her arms in front of her, yawning. "All of them."

Trying to lighten the mood, Vernon jokingly asks, "should I gift you a set of tarot cards and a crystal ball in addition to that bike you found? I'll be sure to tell the technicians that finalize the product to deliver it right to your home."

Asuka dusts off his eyepiece before placing back on. Ruffling his hair free of dirt, he questions what he's learned about her. "You've retained your original powers and gained precognition?"

Aria knocks him down again – harder this time that a dirt cloud kicked up from impact. "Shut the fuck up, Asuka."

"Amusing how she's reduced you to a punching bag," Ky chuckles at his expense. "Hey Jack-O, think you can get that chain of yours to lock itself around his midsection so we can lift him up?"

"You mean like a piñata?" She raises an eyebrow before looking back down with her mouth curving into a slasher grin like Ramlethal's. "I'm sure that'd be Aria's stress relief preference."

"I get it, I get it! You've made your point!" He winces and frowns at the words, rolling to his right to regain his support. "All of you want nothing to do with me. Can you please discuss your torture methods when I'm not around?"

"That is if Aria doesn't find you first and perform our suggestions as we're saying them out loud." She adjusts the shackle to fit around an average human waistline. "I'll save her the time and try it out now."

"You really do need to get better at expressing yourself... Gear Ma— No, Asuka, let me ask you something. Is this your 'Accumulation of Goodwill?'"

How they know about that is beyond him. "Where did you hear that phrase?"

"From I-No," all four un/official members of the royal family answered.

"...No, that's something else altogether... Promise you won't laugh?"

"Only if it's funnier than your space vacation idea."

"Haha. Radio. I wanted a radio show."

"Sorry, what?"

He begins a slow stroll around the quintet, starting a monologue. "People want the most beautiful fruit, so we spend our lives looking above us. We fail to notice that our baskets are full, and that fruit is falling to the ground and bruising. The people who have realized this have tried finding ways to help. Both the Conclave and Ariels were searching for something. And in their search, they created opposition and conflict. We often misunderstand each other's feelings. We don't always agree. But we can't reject the other's entirety. What we lack is accurate knowledge."

"Accurate knowledge?"

"68,502,011 children, all under 14 years old, are being used for labor at this very moment. Orphans... Slums... Massacres... Diseases... Child soldiers... War... In the places we can see from up here in the sky... And across the borders we can only see on the map... Every day, people continue to be born... The Tome teaches about the nature of our world. What we need is not a call to action... but numbers. Just numbers, free from ideology, profit, and value. Clear numbers. The Tome grants the right to knowledge, and I simply observe those numbers. In the hopes that one day... I can call them the 'Accumulation of Good Will.'"

Vernon pieces the plan together. "Is that what you meant by creating world peace?"

"Doesn't exactly sound like it's going to top the charts."

"Nor does it sound like it'd be a one-hit wonder," Aria snidely adds. "Hey, how did that one song go?"

Frederick knew exactly what she was referring to, pretending to strum a guitar. "Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll. 'Lotta soul, he said. Then the loud sound did seem to fade."

"Yeah, that's it. Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase. That weren't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive."

Another ally slowly approaches the party, holding herself together while her pet bore through the pain they shared. "Gio! You're not hurt, are you!?"

"Only my pride..."

Her earlier teammates aid by providing additional support; their voices lace with remorse for her current condition. "We left you too soon…."

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's my fault for insisting we had the victory. Where's the samurai?"

"No idea, but he's free from control."

"That's a relief…."

"Ky."

"Leo."

"I just got footage from the scene." The monitor in directly front of his team shows what the on-site soldiers sent. "They've captured Chaos."

"Good. What a relief."

Giovanna gets close enough to be heard over the earpiece. "Are the surveillance cameras back up?"

"Some of them." An entire arrangement of select feeds remained open around scattered points of the spaceship. "Why?"

She leans on Aria for structural support. "I'd appreciate it if you could tell me where my boss is napping."

"Hrm... I can't tell who's who." The static images cycled through, showing zero signs of movement. "Will they ever recover from all this...?"

"I certainly hope so. Because I really don't want to hold on to that stupid badge as a memento."

"Hahaha... huh."

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, is that badge you mentioned a... cartoony star, by any chance?"

"How did you guess?"

"Erm, well... Just hold on a moment. Ram, can you rewind that real quick?" He points at the right frame to pause on. "There."

Millia and Dizzy were curious as to why he'd single that one detail out. "What about it?"

"Was it the security chief's jacket he stole?"

"No, it was Udo's."

Leo's voice lowers, muttering to himself. "Chaos can freely manipulate people's appearances..."

Giovanna doesn't hear that and continues. "— the newbies' badges don't look nearly that dumb..."

"Oh, shit." Dread washes over from his revelation. "...Chaos is still inside the White House."

Away from Sol's group, a "guard" sits down. He laughs to himself, saying, "I knew she was a monster, but man! That gal's power is impressive!"

"Everyone," Ramlethal warns the unaware party. "Stay on guard. Your fight isn't over."

"I never thought I'd see the day where the President stands by watching as Sol Badguy and Justice duke it out with the Gear Maker." The mentioned duo turns to find the intruding voice – the other five following suit. "A classic case of 'creator versus creation.' A disappointment she didn't kill him, y'know."

Aria's jaw drops as she speaks for everyone. "You've gotta be kidding me."