Rondo in the Endless Sky
Chapter 13: Day After Day
For Naomi, the drone and buzz of the Armorers at work was a welcome thing. She still had a bit longer before she would be moved back to pilot but the past few days working with Mei and her girls were nice. Plus, she'd never pass up a chance to work on her friend's machines. Especially when it came to the Wyvern, which like Mei she had quite the vested interest in.
"Well, Alain's been taking good care of you big guy." Naomi looked over her data pad as she ran the numbers, seated at the edge of the cockpit with the device hooked into the console. "Though he's always been rather good at OS stuff. Ironic that he can do this but hates paperwork huh?"
"He spent all of the other night complaining about the essay Inspector Bronson had forced him to write." Wyvern said, Naomi laughing. "Plus, progress has finally been made on moving past the locks on the quantum computer."
"Yeah I read that. That ARISE System thing." Naomi turned around to face the wings. Particularly the wider segments between the "feather" portions, where the main structure was, and at the cone structures that were currently humming from the active engine, a faint green glow emanating from them. "Even after all this time you're still Arzenal's biggest mystery. Mei can work wonders with the Villkiss, but I still wonder what it is about these things that's stumped everyone for so long."
"I would presume as with other systems, the information behind the ND Drives is also locked within one of the layers of the quantum computer." Wyvern remarked. "It is unfortunate my access to this information is closed off."
"How did Alain even get the first one undone anyway?" Naomi asked as she dropped into the cockpit. "Was it just blind luck, or did whoever make you add on some kind of requirements for the pilot?" Naomi picked up the headset Alain always wore when piloting. It was the one piece of equipment he didn't place in his locker and like Wyvern completed different from anything else in Arzenal. "Man, I wish we knew more about you. Would make some of this so much easier."
"Unfortunately, even if we did I doubt Arzenal has the means to replicate the ND Drives' technology." With a defeated sigh, Naomi ran the last few checks on the datapad and shut off the unit. She took it a bit slow as she climbed out of the unit. She'd gotten much better over the past few weeks but she still wasn't at one hundred percent.
"Oi! Naomi!" The pink haired girl turned when she heard Mei over the clamor of the hangar. "Mind helping me out with Villkiss? I need someone to check the frame while I wrap up the engine work!"
"No problem!" A chance to do some work on that machine was a welcome event. As the two mechanics worked on it, Naomi peeked out from her spot as she saw someone approach, seeing Salia once she was out far enough. 'I wonder if she's still caught up on this thing… has been since she tried flying it four years ago last I remember.'
"Good work, Mei." Salia said, Mei leaning out from the engine hatch.
"Thanks, Salia." Mei responded, giving a few extra turns of her wrench.
"How does the Villkiss look?" Salia asked. 'Yep, still on it.' Naomi confirmed.
"Well he's always a mess when Ange brings him back. Maintenance is a pain." Mei said. "Getting a few days to get him in order is welcome."
"It's an important machine." Salia noted. "Damn her. She should give it some more care."
"Alain is worse." Naomi commented, leaning forward on Villkiss's frame. "I swear he pushes Wyvern way too hard. Its engines smell horrible every time he comes back. It's like he never pulls back the throttle!"
"And to think he just upgraded them too." Mei joked, Naomi snickering. "But he's always been heated like that. Ange pilots in a kinda similar way to him."
"What do you mean?" Salia asked.
"Well," Mei replied. "After working on machines for a while I can kind of tell what the pilot's feeling. Haven't you noticed nobody's died since she started piloting Villkiss? Maybe she doesn't do it for the money… maybe she just doesn't want anyone else to die?"
"You're definitely overthinking it." Salia countered. She just couldn't believe that kind of idea. Ange was nothing but a problem to her and the squad. 'There's no way she'd every think anything that selfless.'
"I mean you could also chalk it up to Alain." Mei admitted. "People are pretty much guaranteed to make it back if he's flying with them. I heard the other squads are still mad he's attached to Garm."
"Stick with Trigger and you'll make it." Naomi got a nod from Mei as she repeated the oft said phrase. Salia looked stuck on the earlier statement though, hurrying off without even a goodbye, nearly crashing into Alain as he walked by. "What's up?"
"Wanted to check up on my partner is all." Alain said. "I mean he's definitely in good hands, but he gets lonely y'know?"
"Alain you always have my terminal with you." Wyvern stated, Alain's expression dropping. "Making an excuse to come to the hangar is unnecessary."
"Quiet you." Alain huffed, Naomi and Mei chuckling. "I also wanted to see how you're holding up."
"Alain I'm fine." Naomi said, stepping over and tapping Alain on the nose. "I'm basically back in good shape at this point. I'll be training with you lot again in no time at the rate I'm going. Besides I think last night proved how well I've gotten back in shape anyway."
"Not in front of the younger ones." Alain said, glancing back as some of the other Armorers suddenly seemed rather interested in what they were talking about. "Also, Mei, there was that thing you wanted me to see?"
"Oh yeah! Nearly forgot!" Mei pocketed her tools and closed Villkiss up, hopping down to the floor. "Both you and Naomi actually. Everyone, get finished up and move the Para-mail back to storage!"
"Yes ma'am!" As the others got to that, Mei took the lead. It wasn't a long trip at all, only bringing the three to the storage area Villkiss had formerly been stowed away in. Naomi looked like she'd caught on as soon as they entered and was bouncing on her heels as Mei cycled the storage mounts until a particular machine rolled into view.
"Here it is!" Mei said, approaching the cloth covered machine, Alain following her to help remove the cover. Both gripped tight and whipped it off quickly. "The machine kept under special containment orders-"
"My Halberd!" Naomi practically jumped to the machine before Mei could finish. The basic frame of the machine was recognizable as an Arquebus, but so heavily modified that the term was somewhat stretched. It was primarily white with black highlighting, but standing out was the right wing, differentiated by being a vibrant red. And the nose was also marked by Naomi's emblem, a pixy with a single wing. "Ahhh mama missed you! I'm so sorry you had to be left in here for so long! But don't worry, you'll be back in the air where you belong soon enough!"
"Naomi, the Halberd lacks an AI of its own." Wyvern said. "Talking to it won't result in anything."
"How rude!" Naomi objected. "Just because Halberd doesn't have a voice like you doesn't mean he lacks a spirit too! All Para-mail do in some way or another."
"The concept of the soul has not been scientifically proven." The terminal said. "To insinuate such things be it mechanical or organic is illogical."
"I mean I agree with Naomi." Mei said. "I'm sure if Villkiss could talk we'd hear wonders about what he thinks about Ange."
"Well damn, now that just has me curious." Alain mused, just as the alarm began to blare. "Ahh geez. Well, duty calls!"
After she'd left the hangar, Salia had beelined right for her room. What Mei had said was nagging at her. 'It's just because Alain's been with us. Besides, we had a high survival rate under Zola too. There's no way.' Once she was back to her room, Salia took to her desk and opened her computer. She went right to her captain's logs, starting from the earliest one after Ange had been assigned to the Villkiss.
"February 14th. Zero casualties. February 18th. Zero casualties." Salia shook her head. "It… no, there's just no way." She just couldn't accept the idea. Ange was too improper, too self-absorbed. 'She's everything the Villkiss Rider shouldn't be. I still don't understand why Jill lets her stay on it. All because she came from some stupid royal family? Why does that even have to matter? Why does Jill trust her more than me? And besides, without Villkiss, I can't-' the blare of the first encounter alarm cut through her thoughts, and Salia refocused immediately. If she wanted to stew on things, then she could do it later.
Alain was keen on keeping an eye on Garm's temperament as the Para-mails were being taxied into place. It would be their first sortie without Ange. And while attitudes had seemed to cool off a bit during training, part of him was uneasy. There was still the matter of Hilda and the fact she clearly didn't intend on showing Salia any respect as Captain.
"Captain to all units." 'Speak of the devil.' Alain chuckled as he lowered his visor. "Ange is still unable to pilot. So the seven of us will be sortieing without her. Thankfully, Trigger's still with us so that makes up for our missing one."
"Not like he's left at all." Hilda huffed.
"Ah zip it Count." Alain countered. Hilda's response was a middle finger over the monitor.
"All-units ready for liftoff!" Mei announced.
"Garm Squadron," Salia said as the engines roared to life. "lift off!"
"Mobius One, following suit." As the squad lifted up and took formation, Alain was already working on running numbers through Wyvern's computer. "What's the projected incursion site?"
"It's rather far out." Wyvern answered. "From the looks of it, you'll be heading out to Area B7R for this incursion."
"No way the Round Table?!" Vivian gasped. "Awesome! We almost never go there!"
"Now I almost feel sorry for Princess." Hilda snickered. "She's missing out on the big test."
"I don't like that place." Chris muttered. "My Para-mail doesn't have updated instruments to deal with it."
"Just hang back with me and Swan." Rosalie said. "We'll cover you."
"Cut the chatter."Salia barked, the others complying. Area B7R was a section of the area Arzenal operated in that held one of the larger islands in the quadrant. It was also one of the furthest out that the Para-mails could reach. It earned it's nickname of "Round Table" thanks to the ring of small, flat-topped mountains marking the edge of the island while it's center composed of a mostly dried out lakebed. It was considered a testing ground by the Norma since the mountains had an odd magnetic field that would cause standard-issued instruments to occasionally malfunction, and when within it also cut the team off from long-ranged communications.
"Something is… different." Wyvern suddenly spoke up as the squad began approaching the island, already in view of the opening singular. "The readings I'm getting are rather abnormal."
"Abnormal how?" Alain got his answer as the singular tore the sky open. Par for the course, the expected swarm of Schooners made their way out first, when the rift sudden turned downward. A large shadow cast itself over the ground as a DRAGON bigger than any of them had seen toppled out of the gap. As large as a Galleon, the wings sprouting from it's forearms were so undeveloped they looked more like decorative frills, leaving it to walk on all fours on titanic legs. Armored plates ran along it's back while it's head was crested by a pair of massive horns that spanned a distance roughly half that of it's body.
"Whoa that's huge!" Vivian gasped.
"It certainly is." Ersha agreed.
"Teach, anything on the big one?"Hilda asked.
"There isn't anything." Alain commented, already drumming his fingers as his eyes glinted in excitement. "No mistaking it, we've got a Virgin!"
"Trigger's right."Salia said. "I've never seen one like that."
"Are you serious?!"Rosalie excitedly gasped.
"Then that means, it's a…"Chris was also downright bouncing in her cockpit at the revelation.
"We've hit the jackpot."Hilda chuckled, licking her lips.
"I would advise caution." Wyvern said, the Para-mails beginning to circle the DRAGONs. "Not knowing what the enemy is capable of means we should hang back. Try to figure out if it has any special abilities before moving in."
"Yeah but we'll be filthy rich just getting information on it!"Rosalie said. "C'mon big guy let us have a bit of fun! Trigger can't you make your machine not be so stiff?"
"I am not stiff. I am being logical." Wyvern countered.
"I've gotta agree with him on this one Stingy." Alain replied. "I'm excited too believe me, but we'd be idiots to rush in there without knowing what it can do. It's big, can't fly, and has massive horns. That's all we've got. And you all know the big ones like to pull stuff out of nowhere."
"Ah c'mon Trigger, where's your sense of adventure at?" Hilda said. "We should just eat this virgin up and go home to swim in a bath of money."
"Teach to Arzenal, requesting backup." Salia spoke. 'Maybe being a bit too cautious with that one.' Alain thought.
"What?! We'll lose out on earnings if we call for backup!" Rosalie objected. Hilda pulled up beside Salia's Arquebus as they approached.
"Zola never freaked out when faced with a virgin." Hilda countered as Alain pulled up right over her unit.
"Zola also never rushed in like a dumbass." Alain countered. "Or did you forget she whipped your ass for trying to pull that?"
"Shut up!" Hilda snapped. "If you two wanna be wimps about it then fine. Rosalie, Chris, you're coming with me!"
"Dammit Count actually show some restraint!" Alain snapped, grinding his teeth as their three machines pulled ahead of the pack. "Damn it all to hell! Wyvern get an analysis running on the big one stat. See if you can't pick anything out."
"Roger."
"My hair's tingling." Vivian muttered. 'That's not a good sign.' Alain thought. One of the things that made Vivian such a good pilot despite her age was an unusual perception that bordered on a sixth sense. If Vivian was feeling on edge, then it meant nothing good was coming around.
"If they want to hold back then we'll just take all the earnings!" Hilda meanwhile was all too ready to charge ahead. She smirked as the Schooners charged forward. "Rosalie, Chris, fire!" A few of the Schooners got past the opening barrage, the three Para-mails diving away from the charge. 'The ones hanging back can deal with the small fry.' Hilda looked down at the Virgin as she flew over it. As expected, it was slow and plodding. And those large lateral horns limited the degree it could turn its head without losing balance. "No way our guns are getting through those scales. Pretty slow too. But, if he's so big and tough up here…" Hilda flew low and confirmed her suspicions. "Bingo! He's all nice and flabby underneath! Aim for its belly, we'll finish it quick!"
"Roger!" Rosalie responded as all three shifted to destroyer mode. The DRAGON let out a roar, and in bizarre fashion, the Schooners broke away and flew straight upwards, even the ones who'd been fighting the rest of the squad.
"What's going on?" Ersha wondered.
"That can't be good." Alain said. "Wyvern keep an eye on your scanners."
"It would be impossible for my scanners to "see" themselves."
"You know what I mean!"
"Tingly…" Vivian murmured. "Tingly, really tingly…" That bad feeling in both Vivian and Alain only compounded as Hilda and company rushed the DRAGON and its horns started to glow.
"Hilda pull back!" Salia ordered. A sigil circle spread out from underneath the DRAGON, a dome of effected air rippling overhead. Hilda gasped as her Glaive was suddenly dragged out of the air and to the ground, same with Rosalie and Chris's machines.
"What the hell?!" Hilda shouted. It felt like her body was being held down by an invisible press.
"I can't move at all!" Rosalie gasped.
"W-What's going on?!" Chris panicked.
"It's a gravitational anomaly." Wyvern said. "Anything the radius of that circle is pulled down."
"How are we supposed to fight something like that?" Alain yelled when the circle grew bigger and he felt his body get heavier. "Oh crap." And just like the other three, the rest of them got dragged to the ground.
"All units, defensive stance!" Salia yelled, everyone transforming their machines to at least make an effort to fight back.
"It's those horns!" Vivian said. "Gotta take them out!" Her machine reared its arm back and tossed it's boomerang, but it didn't even get halfway between the Razor and the DRAGON before planting into the ground. Even worse was the gravity getting stronger, the area effected by the circle sinking into a depression. Alain grit his teeth and managed to force Wyvern into a firing stance, planting the rifle onto his shield and taking aim. The short arced from the muzzle and flashed forward, but just when it got closer the beam arced down and smashed into the ground without so much as grazing the DRAGON.
"The hell?!" Alain gasped.
"The gravitational anomaly is strongest near the DRAGON." Wyvern said. "Your beam rifle won't be effective from this angle either. The particles will merely be dragged down like anything else despite their low mass."
"Then I just have to get above the bastard, right?!" Alain growled as he heard the frame shuddering under the force keeping it down, barely managing to force his machine to stand.
"Damn, I can't move anymore…" Rosalie, straining as she was pressed into her seat.
"H-Help me, Rosalie, Hilda… Alain!" Chris's eyes were darting around in panic as her Hauser was pushed further into the ground more.
"Dammit I paid too much for you to crap out on me now!" Hilda yanked at her controls as best as she could, but like Alain she wasn't getting a hint of success.
'I told them to wait.' Salia's mind was racing to find a solution, but there just didn't seem to be one. 'I have to keep the squad from being destroyed. At worst we may have to abandon the Para-mails and flee on foot. But can we even get free of this field?' A crunching sound made Salia turn, the girl gasping as Vivian's Razor trudged forward.
"Vivi?!" Ersha gasped.
"Vivian it won't work!" Alain shouted. "Dammit Wyvern do something!"
"Let them go!" Vivian growled, ignoring the warnings anyway. Her machine reached out and grabbed her boomerang. "I said let them go!" But as she threw it, the gravity increased again, and the Razor's arm snapped off from the force that suddenly increased on it. Alain growled as the DRAGON roared again. He didn't doubt for a second it thought it had won.
"Like hell…" Alain growled, his hands shaking as his mind flashed a bit. Images he wouldn't forget, ones stained in red. "Like hell I'm losing. Not until I can face that nightmare… like hell I'm letting anything get me or anyone else again! Come on you damn machine, move!"
"System response verified." Wyvern said, Alain looking to the console as it flashed. "ND Field program recognized. System activating." Alain looked back and forth as the weight on him suddenly eased. All around his machine, a gleaming band of light was circling until it became a sphere.
"What in the…?"
"The ND Field is a defensive barrier." Wyvern said. "It can shield this machine from both incoming attacks and physical phenomenon."
"I can still attack right?"
"You would have to lower the field. We will need to get free of the gravity field in order to attack to avoid being caught again."
"Then let's book it!" Wyvern's engines glowed brighter as Alain kicked them on, blasting off the ground and streaking past the DRAGON as it roared in surprise. Alain felt any remaining weight on him lift as soon as Wyvern broke past the edge of the field and shot higher. The shining field around the machine lowered as Alain lifted right up, flipping around in the air and aimed his rifle straight down. "Got you!" As his finger pressed on the trigger, Alain stopped when a sudden fit of coughing cracked over the radio. "Huh?" Alain looked over as his radar picked up an IFF, and he raised a brow as he saw the Villkiss on approach. "What?! Princess the hell are you doing out here?!" That temporary distraction also gave the Schooners the time to regroup and attack, forcing Alain to focus on them.
"Doing… my job…" Ange said as her face appeared on the monitor. Villkiss's pilot was trussed up far more heavily than was likely sane. A mask over her face, a scarf, and a rather thick coat too. The work of Momoka without a doubt. "I'm dizzy… let's just get this over with."
"Are you crazy?!" Alain snapped, growling as the Schooners wouldn't get away from him. "Get off my ass you stupid lizards!"
"Ange, don't get any closer" Salia yelled. "You'll get caught in the gravity!"
"It'll be fine." Ange replied. "I'll handle myself like always."
"Dammit, all of you." Salia growled. "I've had enough you stupid bitch!" Ange, mostly because she was woozy, gave a surprised gasp. "This DRAGON isn't weak enough for you to just take on your own! You keep doing everything on your own and I'm sick of it! If you don't want to die then listen to your damn captain!"
"Uh… yes." Ange complied. 'I barely know what's going on.' The ill girl thought.
"Alain, you cover Ange and keep the Schooners off of her!" Salia ordered. "Ange, while he does that you fly straight up!"
"On it!" Alain grinned a bit as he changed his aim, one of his beam sabers slicing through a Schooner as another went down from a beam shot. Ange complied to Salia's order and angled Villkiss straight up, rising right above the DRAGON.
"Adjust your angle by three degrees right, distance 20." Salia ran her own numbers.
"Which way was right again?" Ange asked as she veered off the other way.
"Opposite direction!" Salia snapped, Ange doing as told. "Hold right there!" Villkiss stopped when it was right over the Bighorn, the massive DRAGON cocking it's head as if it were trying to figure out what it's latest foe was trying to do. "Now! Drop straight down!" With a flare of the engines, Villkiss dropped at high speeds towards the Bighorn. "Convert to destroyer mode!" Villkiss changed forms and it's speed increased as it breached the dome and continued to fall towards the DRAGON.
"I'm falling, right?" Ange wondered, slowly nodding as she saw things rushing towards her. "Yeah, I am."
"That's just your fever." Salia snapped."Now kick it! Kick it like you kicked Alain!"
"Not cool Salia!" Alain shouted as his readied rifle cut through most of the remaining Schooners with it's Wave Pulse mode.
"Shut up and finish the Schooners off!" Salia responded, Alain flinching. He decided complying with that was the better idea. 'Is it bad I think she's kinda hot when she's mad?' Alain wondered. The Villkiss meanwhile fell earthward like a meteorite, it's right leg thrusting out to kick the Virgin's horn, breaking off both the leg and horn on impact. Ange yelled as she went crashing into the ground while the DRAGON roared in pain, it's bulk and the agony causing it to topple over.
"Hey I can move!" Rosalie cried out in relief.
"About damn time." Hilda said as she flicked her hair.
"Nice one Princess!" Vivian chuckled.
"All units." Salia said as the DRAGON growled at them. "Finish it off!"
"Yes ma'am!" Rising to their feet, the formerly incapacitated Garm Squadron took to the air as they charged the now crippled DRAGON as an actual group.
As had been expected and gotten the squad so excited, the payout for taking out the new DRAGON on top of the information they'd gathered on it came with big payouts. The stacks they all had were so large none could even fit their hands around them.
"So much cash!" Rosalie said. "I have to be dreaming!"
"It's not a dream!" Chris cried. Vivian and Ersha looked satisfied with their own hauls, while Ange by comparison to everybody else, for once, had an utter pittance of money in her hand.
"This is barely anything." Ange muttered.
"All you did was break off a horn." Salia said. "But, we made it thanks to you." Salia then raised a brow when Ange held a hand.
"For my trouble." The blonde said. "I wouldn't have lost so much money if I hadn't broken off Villkiss's leg because of you."
"And like that my gratitude's diminishing." Salia bit. Ange huffed then got next to Salia.
"You don't want everyone to know about your little hobby do you?" Ange said, Salia flinching.
"I hope that cold kills you!" Salia snapped.
"That's not nice!" Momoka objected. Salia looked around at the rest of the squad, and realized her job for the day wasn't done.
"Are you three happy now?" Salia said, catching the attention of Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris.
"Uh, yeah." Rosalie said.
"Then leave Ange alone from now on." Salia said. "Her showing up today is the only reason we made this much money."
"But, Alain would've…" Rosalie objected, gasping when Alain shook his head. "What?!"
"Salia's right." Alain said. "I may have had a shot, but those Schooners would've eaten up my time while the big one kept you girls locked down. Ange showing up was our ace in the hole today. That, and if Wyvern hadn't gotten that field active, I would've been stuck in the same position."
"And you." Salia added as she turned to Ange. "You need to act like a member of this team and stop going off on your own. I know we've been through a lot but we have to make this team work. Alain isn't going to be with our team forever. We need to get our act together so that when he goes back to rotating around, we won't be crippled because he's not here to keep you bunch in line. I'm your Captain, and those are my orders."
"You don't really expect anyone to cop that, do you?" Hilda scoffed.
"I'm cool with it." Ange said, Hilda gasping. "So long as none of you drag me down, I'm fine." Salia grimaced a bit, but it turned into a satisfied smile a moment later.
"I'm fine with it too." Chris said. "If Ange didn't show up, I would've been dead."
"W-Well…" Rosalie was a bit more hesitant. "I guess I don't mind either. As long as I can actually earn money."
"So you're just forgetting what she did?!" Hilda snapped. 'Of course she's still the problem.' Alain sighed, but he gave an approving nod to the other two when they glanced at him.
"Th-That's not really it." Chris said.
"Traitors." Hilda growled. Now the odd one out, she stormed off as she kept fuming.
"Hilda." Rosalie murmured. She yelped when Alain went and threw his arms across her and Chris's shoulders.
"Just let her go." Alain said. "She might be more willing to talk when she cools off."
"A-Alain you're heavy." Chris muttered, Alain chuckling and just hugging the two tighter. "C-Come on!"
"Nope! I'm proud of you two so this is my reward for you!" Alain laughed, both girls blushing but otherwise looking happy. "And Salia, good calls today. I knew you'd make a good captain."
"W-Well, it wasn't much. I kinda of just snapped." Salia scratched her cheek as her face flushed, Alain snickering between his teeth.
"How wonderful!" Ersha then hugged Ange herself. "With all of that settled, how about we get going?" Ange wondered just what that meant, especially with how the others looked as they snickered at her. 'I'm not sure if this is a good thing.'
"One, and, two!" Ange screamed as she was tossed into the onsen. She spluttered as she shot up, befuddled as she stared at the others who'd dragged her there right from the hangar.
"What was that for?!" Ange snapped.
"To wash everything that came before." Ersha said. Ange could already see what was coming next.
"Wait, hold on..." She yelled again as everyone proceeded to leap into the onsen. "Why is he here too?!"
"Well it just wouldn't be fun if I was left out of it!" Alain laughed, slinking up from the water with some of the soap bottles in hand. "Now, the fun starts."
Captain's Log, March 7th.
We defeated the DRAGONs again. Ange is going to continue to pilot Villkiss, and while I'm still not convinced that's fine for now. I'm going to do what I need to as captain. Until the day of Libertus… until the day I think I can truly say I can fly beside him. Log complete.
Once again, casualties today are zero.
Alone in her quarters, Hilda sat on the plush couch and stared up at the waxing moon up in the sky. At least it wasn't raining. Ever since that night years ago, she'd come to hate the rain. Unfortunately, the sounds of splashing and laughing carried up from the onsen, not doing much to ease her foul mood. 'Whatever.' She thought. 'I'm not planning to stay here much longer anyway.' After years of planning, waiting, and enduring, everything she needed was about to fall into place. 'I'm coming.' she promised. 'Just wait a little bit longer.'
After the excitement of the day, plus the antics in the bath, Alain had elected to just spend the night playing video games. Though perhaps annoying himself by trying to beat those scores Chris bragged about beating by a scant few points wasn't the best way to relax. But that's what he was doing anyway.
"How is this the thing Chris is that little bit better than me at?" Alain muttered, dropping the controller in defeat as he hit the game over screen again. "Damn I swear she'd be an even better pilot than she is if she'd be more confident in the air."
"Perhaps some merely aren't that cut out for such things." Wyvern said, it's terminal propped up on the couch. "Anyway, if you want to wake up before morning roll I suggest going to bed. I'm not suspecting you'll have any visitors considering today's events."
"I'm tired anyway." As Alain was getting up to do just that, he stopped when the terminal suddenly pinged. "What now?"
"I just detected an incoming mana signal." Wyvern said, Alain raising a brow. The only one who send those signals in or out was the Inspector. At least, that was usually the case. "A signal being sent to Momoka."
"To the maid?" Alain sat back down and grabbed the terminal, tapping the screen. "Can you get into the line?"
"Yes. It is more encrypted than usual, but it's nothing I can't bypass." Alain watched with bated breath as information flew across the screen. Then the terminal pinged again. "Accessed. Playing now."
"Momoka, can you hear me?!" It was a girl's voice, you too. Probably barely into her teens. "Did you find Angelise? Is my older sister there?! Ah! Let me go! Big sister! Angelise, please save me!" The line was cut, Alain letting go of the breath he was holding. 'That was Ange's little sister.' he realized. 'Why the hell would her sister message Momoka?' It sounded like she was in trouble. Could be something be going on in Misurugi? The revelation that their beloved Princess was a Norma was bound to cause some upheaval. 'Actually, that reminds me…' he thought. 'We never did find out just how Momoka knew about Arzenal to begin with.' Things just weren't adding up, but before Alain could put two and two together, a knock at the door derailed his train of thought.
"Crap. Wyvern make a recording of that message."
"Roger." The AI replied as the door was knocked on again.
"I'm coming just hold on!" Alain snapped. As he opened the door, he was quite surprised to see it was Rosalie and Chris who'd knocked. "What are you two doing here?"
"Well… considering today, giving Hilda some space seemed like the best thing to do." Rosalie said.
"So we thought we'd crash in your room." Chris added.
"Not like I'm against the idea, but I know you still have your own dorms." Alain replied. "So why not just sleep there?"
"Yeah we uh… kinda got used to three to a bed these past few weeks." Rosalie admitted.
"Ah."
"Plus, we've never done more than hang out in here." Chris added. "Doesn't feel fair to miss out."
"Uh, well," Alain muttered. "most of the time I'm sure you know why others come to my room."
"Everyone knows." Rosalie deadpanned. "It's impossible not to know sometimes."
"Fair point. Come on in."
And the events that followed made him forget everything else.