Locked in

"What do you think, Bronya-nee-san?"

"20% trap, 10% escape without incident, 70% chance of enemy encounter."

Seele licked her lips nervously. The hairpin had led them to an abandoned shopping mall past the security barrier Arc City had erected after the Great Honkai Eruption. Whole sections of the city had been abandoned to the Honkai and this was one such area.

'Looks like this dumb little family isn't so dumb'

'Huh?'

'Listen. Bronya's already got it.'

Seele could feel her other half was already right. The way Bronya's body tensed. The shift in her shoulders. The beat of her heat she could feel through fingertips. Bronya was mulling over something.

"Tactically sound. Contends within have been written off. All with low amounts of Honkai radiation so that will negate usual organic and energistic measures for tracking after moderate absence. Guaranteed parents will suffer radiation sickness in the future. Non-issue. They're thinking in the here and now. They collect supplies that nobody will miss. Change into clothes no purchase can track. And just walk off into the night."

'Do you think we should interfere?'

'Oh hell yes. There's a 100% chance that the parents will be butchered and children dragged to World Serpent hell.'

That comment froze Seele for a moment.

'What do you think that?'

The conversation between the two girls was interrupted. Bronya pulled up the bike at the front entrance.

"Shouldn't we be more careful, Bronya-nee-san?"

"Nyet. The Bronya has recalculated her predictions. If the Bronya were World Serpent, the Bronya would deploy three spies to the Hyperion. One as a cleaner. One as an operator for communications and the third as a PA to Principle Theresa. And the spies would not know of each other. The Bronya had us leave the Hyperion the way we did to try buy time. The apartment delayed us. Now our absence will be known. The Bronya has not detected any tracking devices on us. But the Bronya will assume they have a means to track us. Probably to do with the Core of Reason. The World Serpent has been looking for these children. But they have used us to locate them faster. That is why you feel the danger. If they are not here already, the Bronya believes they will be here very soon."

Seele nodded. It did make sense. The pair hopped off the bike and slipped through the shattered glass front doors. Inside the illumination was non-existent. Both turned on the night-vision settings for their sight. Bronya set her case on the glass covered floor and let loose her drones. The little spheres zoomed off, performing a quick scan of the large structure. Bronya fed the information to the augmented reality interface the pair wore over their eyes. A skeletal blueprint of the building appeared. Small lines with markers to various points of interest stretching outward.

"Six storey structure. Five levels are reserved for shops," Bronya noted. "Sixth level is building administration. Centre of the structure is hollowed out to give a sense of space. Glass roof to protect against the elements. Food court in the building void at ground level. No power. Backup generators long since died. The Bronya is looking for sign of…"

Bronya trailed an eye. Then stabbed a finger at a blip on the screen. Ground level. Right near the food court hidden in the back of a clothing store. The perspective shifted to the night vision of a scanner. Four sleeping bags bunched together along with long-life food piled next to an improvised kitchen. Thermal vision switch. No direct observable signatures. But there was a streak along the tiles of a food outlet wall.

"Someone grabbed the corner of the tiles with bare hands and used it as a pivot point to circle around the corner quickly," Bronya surmised. "If they were wearing proper gloves it would have been a good move. The Bronya is impressed they noticed the tracker drone."

Seele was already running ahead of Bronya. She came to a halt in the middle of the food court. Moonlight spilled down from the glass ceiling and illuminated the woman.

"Uhm. Hello. Is anybody here?"

'Are you naturally a twit or just want to win the lifetime achievement? Why in the deepest water of the Sea of Quanta would they want to respond to some dopey looking stranger?'

'We wear the same face.'

'Okay. Point to you for that one.'

"Please. We're not here to hurt you. I know that's hard to believe. But we really aren't. The opposite. I know it's hard to trust strangers."

Seele took out the pearl flower pendant, cupping it gently in both hands.

'Did I mention they're probably armed? Should have early. And if they aren't then they're even more of an idiot than you. And you make us a nice big, fat target to get our brains blown us.'

'Do you have anything constructive to say?'

'…'

'Then be quiet!'

Seele took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and mustered her courage. Bronya was staying to the shadows for now.

"I found this under the girls… or boys beds. Under their bed."

Seele crouched and put the hairpin on the ground.

"Julius. Johan. You're not the only ones that are special."

The food court remained dark, cold and quiet. Seele took it one step further. The moonlight gave her an ethereal look. She grabbed her collar and pulled it down enough to display the dull red stigma on her chest.

"You're not the only ones who are different. Strange things happen around you. You can see or do things others cannot. Sometimes you just know when… when something is right or wrong. Nobody believes you but you do. It is odd and you can't explain it to anyone. Jules. Johana. People are born in a cage of their own body. Unless you use special medicine you don't really change. But you two can. I think you can change your appearance. That's what it feels like to me."

Seele crouched, smoothed her skirts and held out her hand. Small vines began to sprout from between the cracks in the tile floor, budding into pretty little white flowers.

"Bronya-nee-san, it's safe to come over. Show them your Homu."

It took little motivation for Bronya at that point. Mention Homu and she was already there. The woman with grey spiral hair trotted over. She curled her hands and focussed her power. The Core of Reason, it's Authority, exerted upon reality. Two Homu plushies appeared. Bronya placed the stuffed toys on the bed of white flowers.

A small rattle from where the thermal signature had detected someone's recent presence. A young boy. Maybe 10. Short blonde hair. Androgynous appearance. As they approached Seele watched the boys gait shift. The shape of the shoulders and chin morph ever so slightly.

'Neotenic. The differences are going to be smaller. Still. That's pretty cool.'

'The Honkai is pretty magical.'

'What you call magical most people call hell.'

Seele huffed. Velliona was in a very bad mood tonight…

'Are you jealous?'

'What the… how the… why the hell would you think I'm jealous?'

'I've found some other Stigma marked people. That makes us less special.'

If there was the sound of someone storming off into another room of your mind, slamming the door behind them, then that would be sound in this sentence.

Another child appeared. Seele thought them identical twins. Until this child switched from girl to boy.

"Some sort of polymorphism using Honkai energy and latent talent," Bronya whispered. "The Bronya is amazed. Even Mr Welt needed the help of all 300,000 minds to reconstruct their body. These two are only children and already they do this unconsciously. And their Honkai energy efficiency is exceptional. Even at this range I can barely detect them. They're just like you, Seele. Ghosts of Honkai power."

When the two children had picked up the Homu plushies and were hugging them tightly they gave a smile.

"Thank you," Jules said.

"Thank you very much," Johan added.

A louder crunching sound announced the final two guests making their presence known. The father hadn't lowered his rifle. The mother hadn't either. They were in near flanking positions.

"The Bronya was curious why you two let your children appear first. Now the Bronya sees they were a distraction while you repositioned yourselves."

Bronya pointed upward. One of the drones was in an overwatch position.

"I'm Seele," the young lady introduced herself with a polite bow, "And this is Bronya. We want to help. Can you put down your guns please? We only want to talk. And to help. But we don't have much time. People who do want to hurt you are coming."

The father lowered his rifle slowly.

"Markus," he introduced himself. "Now talk."

"The Bronya believes you know your children are special. That you have known for a long time. Ever since the Great Honkai Eruption you have been wondering about things. Having questions. An almost supernatural disaster. It made you wonder about your children. Your children able to do strange things for a very long time. The Bronya has done her research. You are accustomed to moving. The twins had less control when they were younger. You could not explain that they could shift appearances…"

Bronya looked upwards and tapped her forehead.

"… to whatever they wanted. The Bronya believes that not only gender but eye colour, skin pigmentation, height, weight, muscle mass, bone structure and more. Your children are shape-changers. According to records the Bronya tracked backwards the longest you have stayed in any residence is 9 months. Which was your current home. The twins had some control by then."

Jules and Johana were mostly oblivious to the conversation. Instead they were chatting with Seele who had crouched down to look them in the eye as they talked. It seemed like the two hadn't talked with people very often.

'People that aren't as bland as damned porridge get pushed to the edges. Humanity sucks.'

'Finished with your dummy spit?'

'Since when did you grow a spine?'

'They're us from Cocolia Orphanage. I want… no I will help them. They probably never had any real friends. I remember before Bronya what that was like.'

'I was…. I was always your friend.'

'You are family.'

Silence. Only silence in Seele's mind.

"Have you always had that that red mark?" Jules asked

"Does it change at all?" Johana added.

"No," Seele replied. "It doesn't change. And it's always just above my heart. What about you two?"

"Our backs," the two said as one, "One of on the left and one on the right. Papa thinks it might look like a wing."

Seele nodded and listened to the pair. Until something cold ran along her spine. She was up in an instant. When her gaze flicked to Bronya the woman was already glancing back at her. The pair nodded as one.

"Markus," Bronya said. "You are in danger. People have come who will kill you and take your children. Find a defensible position and stay there until we come back."

Bronya held out a hand and focussed. Several magazines matching the calibre of bullet fired by Markus' rifle appeared. She put them on the ground.

"Use these. They will be far effective than the bullets you have. Don't leave your hiding place until one of us returns and says it is safe. The pass-phrase will be 'the stigma over the heart.' If anybody approaches you that does not say that, have your family flee through a back entrance in one of the food outlets. Run. Run and do not look back."

Seele patted the twins on the shoulders.

"We'll be right back. Be brave and do what your parents say. You two are very important."

With that Seele stood and tried to muster up the courage she needed. She walked over to where Bronya stood.

"The elevators won't work," Seele pointed out.

"Mmm."

Project bunny offered a large hand for each girl to stand on. Once atop the mechanical gauntlets the construct flew into the, sailing past level after level of the mall. At the sixth level they floated over waist-high glass security wall and landed on the floor. Stepping onto plush carpet, the pair readied themselves for whatever trouble was coming their way.

A fire escape opened to reveal two people. In the lead was a woman in a smoky grey cloak, carrying herself like an experienced veteran of fights. Beneath the cloak she wore practical body armour, a folded compound bow at the small of her back. One hand wore claws that looked dangerously sharp.

The other was a tall women with her long hair done up in a ponytail. Her purple eyes were cold and dispassionate. Most of her armour was in black, with white highlights around her torso and thigh-high stockings with black boots. Splashes of crimson could be found around her waist, her boots straps on her clothes.

"Mei-nee-san," Bronya breathed.

Mei looked to Bronya. She had no visible reaction.

"Oiya, o-jou-sama. Two for the price of one. I recognise the bob-haircut lass. Three Stigma and a Herrscher"

Seele chose to keep her silence. She knew about Mei. About what had happened. It didn't seem right to interfere. There was emotional baggage between Bronya-nee-san and Mei. They needed to sort this out. Curiously enough the woman in black seemed to think the same thing.

"Raven."

Seele bowed her head politely.

'Why the hell are you politely bowing to the person that's going to flense your skin off?'

'Well they introduced themselves so it only seemed right.'

'Are you sure Cocolia didn't drop you on your head as a baby? Maybe a dozen or so times. Then gave up after she realised that wouldn't kill you.'

Seele huffed at the comment.

Bronya took a step forward. Then another.

"Mei-nei-san. You… The Bronya knows everything Kiana told us. All the reports. The evidence on the rooftop. But the Bronya still held out that you had not… that you were not so foolish. That you had made a mistake. That it was a spur of the moment decision and you had left World Serpent."

"And do what?" was Mei's dismissive reply. "Flounder like the rest of you. I will do what I must."

"Torture is a must? Suffering is a must. Murder is a must?"

"Schicksal and Anti-Entropy have done far worse."

"Nyet. They have done horrid things. The Bronya acknowledges that. But the Bronya knows there is a line in the sand. Even Otto does not murder cities."

"Correction. He murders countries."

Mei's eyes held a hint of smugness

"You really don't know anything. You're all just children pretending to understand."

"Then help the Bronya understand. Rather than talking down to the Bronya like a child meet us in the middle as an adult. The Bronya wishes to understand the choice you made and why."

Mei shook her head.

"You couldn't understand. This world is full of thorns. And I am willing to walk barefoot over them because that is what has to happen. Someone has to make the hard decisions. Either a few people survive or humanity dies again. And again. And again. This is not the first cycle."

Bronya froze at that comment. Seele's eyes shifted from Raven to Mei's took. Mei sighed.

"You do not even know that much."

"We would know if we stopped fighting. We would have answers if we stopped trying to kill each other and focussed on the Honkai. The Bronya understands that the different factions do not have to be friends. But the Bronya does knows what we have a common enemy and a common goal."

"No."

Mei put one hand on her hip and shook her head.

"I am tired. Bronya. Tired of pretending that the power of friendship will make any difference. Only power and knowledge will. Only World Serpent has both. Schicksal exists to resurrect a lonely man's unrequited love and Anti-Entropy is a middle finger from several rebels crouched around the embers of a dead man's idea and his heir who pretends he knows what 'Heroes' are."

It was a slap in the face. Bronya's eyes flashed. The normally cloudy grey pools looking like a storm building.

"Mr Welt is better than that. He has fought for humanity longer than you have been alive. He has never stopped. He has never given up. Unlike your Kevin. Or Otto. He continues to fight because he isn't a coward like those two. He is a Herrsccher like no other."

"I agree. He is weak. The weakest of us all. Wendy he would have won against. But even Ana or Owl would have crushed him."

Bronya looked livid. Seele felt it was time to-

'- don't'

'Why not?'

'Read the room, Seele. Raven hasn't acted either. She gets it. These two have some things they have to get off their chest. Bronya was trying to be nice. But she's about to crack the shits. Damn I wish I had mental popcorn.'

"It isn't about strength, Mei."

"It's always about strength. Strength to crush your enemy. Strength to know your enemy. Strength to outwit your enemy. Strength to endure your enemy. You have none of that, Bronya. Just a pretty jewel handed around like a good-luck keepsake. I joined because I had seen after being weak for so long that if I wanted to protect the people that matter to me the most I had to make a choice. Continue to be a coward or make the hard decisions. And so I did."

"Then you are a fool. What proof does World Serpent have? If they have to murder an entire city just to conduct a test. They are just as desperate as the rest of us. Can you not see that? The Bronya reasoned that out months ago. Think."

"This is getting us no-where, Bronya. We are collecting the two Stigma marked downstairs and then all of us are leaving. In what state is up to you."

The casual, menacing tone had Seele worrying that Bronya might do something, something, something not foolish. Bronya was not foolish. But she could be stubborn.

'Okay. Now it's my turn to speak.'