AuthorSME
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TO Rewrite: B3 — 9. Milky
🕑 Added 2024-09-10 21:03:46 +0000 UTCWhat kind of title is that, SME?! O_o
Shhh-shhh... Just read. You'll see ;)
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PoV:
1. Rachel (Our Lunar Hare!)
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Rachel slipped her hands into her pockets, feeling the weight of the frosty air pressing against her skin as she took a step out of the shielded communication building, her breath misting in the cold Montana night. The crystal in the middle of the supercenter parking lot stole her attention for a moment.
Standing still for a moment and taking in her environment after being isolated inside the sound-deadening communication space, she smirked while listening to the gossip and general topics of the military personnel.
The military had transformed the area into a forward base, with checkpoints, tents, and soldiers milling about, but people were people, soldiers or not. Bets were being made, cursing the chill, or unit politics distracted people from the ominous spectacle at the heart of this operation.
Rachel’s tail twitched impatiently while taking in the full object. The crystal was massive—around 35 meters tall, purple and shimmering in the night like the gem from another world it was. Its sharp angles didn’t reflect the snow-piled, military dominated environment she was in but a vibrant, rich jungle field with colossal trees in the distance that probably rivaled the redwoods.
She couldn’t sense a thing from it; it was practically a ghost, and currently acted like it with the experiments scientists were still running, passing poles and other objects through its ethereal surface. The subtle greenish glow emanating from it was becoming brighter..
That’s a good sign…probably, she thought, stepping aside for some of the soldiers to pound on the door to the communication room to get the general’s attention. If France’s intel is correct, then the next stage should be blue, meaning it’s nearing the next stage of development, which means opening back up for the next wave. We’ll see.
Rachel turned her gaze heavenward, where misfortune was striking again—dark clouds were rolling toward them in the distance.
Never lucky… At least I’m nearing 85%, which is enough to make our bun. I should make it to 100% by the time the clouds cover it if I stay outside. I can take my time, then.
Rachel proceeded through the lines of military equipment surrounding the crystal: armored vehicles, humvees, and barriers designed to withstand the supernatural forces they all expected to encounter. She wove her way toward the café her brother had set up in.
Her large ears were straight up, tilting left and right to catch the wealth of whispered plans and shared information from the Legends and Myths that she’d already marked. Her heart had stilled after her fight with Aella, realizing how much stronger she’d become from the average person, yet most seemed to think they were above the curve.
Taking her time on her journey, she glanced at those who had her on their tongue, drawing paranoia from most in her passing. Green and Gray, Fable’s current US operational leaders, were strategizing how to handle the big volunteer gathering. A mischievous shiver ran from Rachel’s ears to the tip of her tail thinking about how she’d run a truck through those plans soon enough.
More interesting parties were about to arrive from word of mouth—Black and Red had just landed and Mexico’s damaged airship was nearly here. Her sharp mind processed every detail without missing a beat. Even Scarlet’s soft muttering as she scanned the area with her vampiric vision drew Rachel’s smile to the south to acknowledge the girl, seeing if she was listening.
“And there goes Rachel, looking like she owns the place as—ha! You are listening to me. Nothing suspicious yet, Major, but I’m not giving up the search! Oh, I followed Maria, Alexa, and Aella from the shadows to the café when Alexa went to join Nam for breakfast…or is it dinner?”
Shrugging to let her know she didn’t really care either way, Rachel turned her gaze away to continue her slow path as Scarlet returned to her ‘ninja’ work.
Nice to see her settling in, Rachel thought with a faint smile. She’s becoming more stable…more comfortable with who she is. I’d like her to be as solid as possible before we go to the UK and confront her mom. Well, unless she comes to us…
Rachel’s ears twitched as the wind picked up, bringing with it the faint sound of her brother’s voice while zeroing in on their location. However, the popping of someone chewing bubblegum in the Italian place next door snatched her attention.
What is your mission this time, Astra? And where the hell is Relica? Not one whisper from her. I suppose if she’s working with Arthur, then their anti-listener magic must have been beefed up… I should have considered that earlier.
Ten minutes went by, making sure to take a longer route that kept the moon touching her skin. Nia started to stir as they entered more of the entertainment and recreational area of the city’s military activity.
Turning her ears back toward her sister-in-law and brother, she heard Alexa’s cadence was becoming more comfortable with her young, teenage frame. Maria had just left the café, heading toward the airport after hearing about the Mexican airship that was coming that would need some medical assistance.
Not holding out much hope for that, Rachel thought dryly while hearing all the hype around the coming airship. A lot of mechanical failures reported. That airship probably won’t last the repairs, much less the Crystal. At least Maria can rank up her Feats on the crew’s failures and draw out potential EXP through helping people.
She squinted as she glanced toward the dark clouds rolling closer. The temperature had already dropped noticeably, and the air had that bite of winter’s last storm.
More snow on the way… Maria’s gonna be pissed. I need a bit more time to reach over 100%, and I need it for [Lunar Amplification]. Still, a snow speech to the potential recruits sounds fun on paper. Can I get Aella and Alexa to join me? Should I?
Standing across the street from the cafe, hands in her pocket and staring through the window at the occupants inside, she studied the jumpy and out of place bird woman.
She can barely hold a cup with those wing arms… Yeah, I’m going to need her to get a Feat to transform them into human arms for practical purposes. Alexa can’t feed her all the time and she looks totally pathetic and beaten…
Rachel breathed out a low groan, seeing the frost puff through her lips. She feels like the dramatic type that might take a bit to get over losing a fight… Maybe I was a bit too harsh. Maybe. But whatever. She’ll get over it… Not that my cousin seemed to get over me beating his ass a few years back. Dammit. Why am I so aggressive…
Frown tilting her mouth, her eclipse-like eyes drifted to a few snippets of conversation from nearby soldiers in passing, their whispers about her recent exploits fueled by rumors.
“Wait, Jensen, is that her—the Mad Hare of Miami Beach, right?”
“Yo! Did you hear she beat the piss out of that senator’s granddaughter harpy chick?”
“Yeah, heard she flattened that bird into the pavement and ran her face across the ground before having her unicorn friend heal her and doing it again… Wonder where she’s been since Miami and kicking the shit out of those gang members?”
“Damn…”
“Chick’s savage. Some people were saying Omen was overhyped, but bro.”
“Yeah, smells like bullshit to me. Chick’s a psychopath. Is she looking at us or the store…”
“Bro shut up!”
Rachel snickered to herself as they went by across the street. Guess my reputation precedes me.
As Rachel let her energy reach its cap, she nudged Nia, who was still snoozing somewhere in the back of her soul. Wakey, wakey, Little Bun. We’re getting something to eat, she teased, and Nia stirred with a yawn, materializing next to her and making several onlookers jump and redouble their rumors and whispers.
“Mmm, food—is it a clothing store? Are the buns still sleeping because they’re… This is a human food place,” Nia grumbled, her ears sinking low as she glared up at her. “It tastes okay, but it doesn’t fill me up, Major. I need thread count—blouses, dresses, shoes.”
“Okay, okay, Ms. Picky,” Rachel chuckled, messing up her grumpy outfit’s hair and pointing down the street. “We’ll have a snack here and your full course meal there. Let’s let the buns snooze for now. You can make White to mediate between them after breakfast. Sound good?”
Nia’s ears perked up and she changed clothes to show off an outfit she’d likely swapped out from the duffle bag: a light blue shirt and matching skirt with a few kid accessories.
“Alrighty! I’m all ready for the night. Wait, is that the bird lady you beat up? You didn’t kill her? Lame…”
Rachel’s head tilted to the right while doing a double take of the kid’s dull face she was giving her. “Who do you think I am? I wanted to put the fear of hare into her, not smash her—what anime has Scarlet had you watch… Did you watch something you shouldn’t when I was asleep on the plane?”
“Huh?! No! I’d never! Pfft. Crazy…” the girl stammered, looking away and crossing her arms. “I totally didn’t watch some bloody vampire Alucard thing that was on the seat TV. It just…came on by itself, and it’s not like I could go anywhere or I’d leave you naked…”
“Mhm… I’m not buying it. One less item from the store for watching mature videos,” she said, walking across the road to enter the store.
“W-What?! It’s not even my fault! That’s not fair—Major! I’m hungry…”
“Then eat more human food.”
“Blah… This is totally not fair… I didn’t even saying anything wrong. We kill all sorts of things but no, Nia, you can’t watch scary, bloody stuff because bad bunny. I’ll tell mom that—never mind,” she quickly mumbled, looking away as Rachel paused and looked down at her. “I’m just… It was there and had cool outfits. I want a trench coat, police outfit, and mini skirt.”
Sighing, Rachel patted her head, giving the owner a small smile. The owner, a grizzled man with a military background, waved at them from behind the counter.
He’d volunteered to run the place for the operation, eager to help out wherever he could. A few local businesses had been offered government funding to keep operating during the Crystal mission, and most had jumped at the chance—free money and a way to stay involved in the national effort.
“You get scared really easily, Little Bun. I’m just trying to look out for you,” she whispered, catching eyes from the patrons. “We can talk about it later and see about getting a trench coat your size, but it might be hard.”
“Yes!” Nia grinned. “Bad Nia is good Nia!”
“Yeah, we’ll talk about that…”
A crash came from the back corner, where Aella choked and dropped her plastic cup, somehow managing to crush it under her talons while jumping to her feet. She backed into the wall, face ashen and chest heaving while trying to collect herself.
“Aella! What…”
“I-I didn’t do anything. I’m just…”
Nam quickly got to his feet to block the bird brain’s eye contact with her as he held up his hands to calm her down, the other patrons going on high alert. “It’s okay. Aella, she’s not going to hurt you. Look at me—breathe… In…out… With me.”
Rachel rolled her eyes and walked with a confused Nia to the front counter. “So melodramatic… Want a gooey cinnamon bun, Nia? I think I’ll get one.” She grinned and jabbed her thumb in her brother’s direction, still calming down the freaking out harpy. “It’s on his tab. Some milk, too. And her? Don’t mind her. We just had a little fight a few hours ago. We won’t cause any trouble here.”
“Right…” the vet behind the counter muttered, looking from her to the other soldiers and military personnel around the space. “The pay’s up front, so you’ll need to get him to pay.”
“Of course,” she sighed, putting a hand on her hip and swapping positions to give her brother a strained smile. “It may take a second…”
After several seconds, Nam managed to get Aella back into her chair with Alexa soothing her. He made his way over to them, wallet in hand and giving her a pointed look while whispering, “How bad did you beat her, Rachel? She had a full-blown panic attack seeing you.”
“I’ve had worse,” Rachel muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets.
Nia’s head bobbed as she snickered. “Yeah, we were ripped apart by fear vampires, wolf people in Conner’s place split us like, in two! Oh, but we regenerated with blood, and—”
“I’d rather not know the details,” her brother grimaced. “And now I’m questioning if Nia should be with you, Sis. It’s a bad look for hiring new people… I’ve got my next appointment over there,” he said, nudging his head to the opposite corner where a young woman in a cowboy hat sat, watching them while enjoying a glass of milk.
Rachel’s mouth became a line, not expecting so much pushback off the go. “I hear you. So, you’re still conducting interviews? Anyone promising?”
Nam ordered their food, including a few more rounds of desert items and appetizers, possibly for the harpy to settle her down with sweets. “We can talk about that in a bit.”
With the atmosphere settling down, the café returned to its warm feel and smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, a stark contrast to the freezing night outside. Military personnel filling most of the seats had her on their tongue, some still in their gear, others taking a break from the long days they’d been enduring.
It wasn’t the bustling chaos that Rachel had seen in the Crystal zone, but she’d brought the tension back, caution simmering beneath the surface of their watchful gazes.
Rachel made her way to the table with her brother and Alexa. Aella sat nervously beside them, her whole body quaking and face flushed. The harpy’s wide eyes were fixed on her lap, and she could hear her racing heart pumping like a pounding drum.
“Calm down a little, bird-brain,” Rachel muttered with a smirk, sliding into the chair next to Nam. “I was serious about you being welcomed into Omen. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Alexa answered for her, the magical girl’s hand resting comfortingly on her folded in wings. “I think you should give her some time, Rachel. That was…pretty brutal.”
“Hey, look at the bright side,” Rachel chimed as Nia sat beside her, trying to look over the edge of the high table. “It can’t get any worse than that, right? Eesh…”
Her sister-in-law gave her a frown and got up, pulling Aella up with her. “We’re going to go walk around and calm down. Nia, do you want to join us? Maybe we can find a clothing store that’s open for the military, donations, or something?”
“Yes! This table is too high anyway. Why isn’t it built for little bunnies? Bunnyists, I tell you! Blah. Human food is kind of bland anyway. Eh! Can I, Major?” she asked, giving her best puppy-dog eyes. “Pretty please?”
“Go ahead,” Rachel sighed, letting them go off.
Nam silently watched the three leave the store before getting up to take the opposite side of the table, sinking into the chair with a groan. “Sis, you really need to learn that not everyone is like you… It doesn’t help that you’re still showing the blood stains from the fight. Why didn’t you have Nia get rid of them?”
“I’m well aware,” she grunted, taking his previous wall seat to lean against it and cross her legs before doing a sweep of the establishment. “And, am I?”
Glancing down at her front, she noticed the spots of crimson she’d beaten out of the mouthy Italian woman. “Huh… I guess my mind was on other things. I didn’t even notice.”
“Of course you didn’t…” he sighed with a resigned chuckle, rubbing his forehead.
Rachel prompted Nia internally, having the girl repel the dried blood before brushing it off. “So… Were you having a good chat before I came and ruined it all? Oh…” Her vision drifted to the left upon hearing Alexa get to the potential root of Aella’s problem. “It seems I wasn’t too clear on what kind of training I’d have them do. I was in a bit of a rush earlier.”
Her brother leaned forward to rest his forehead against his knuckles. “Of course you didn’t. So she thought when you showed up, it was time for training and she was about to get her face beaten in again. How can you be so smart but be so savage and clueless? It’s always been like this.”
Wearing a light pout that rarely touched her face, Rachel shifted her posture to lean against the table and rest her head against her open palm. Nam motioned for the observing cowgirl in the corner to approach them, and she felt Nia snickering at Nam’s words, listening and reporting back to Alexa and Aella on how their talk was going.
“I’m heading a military company that deals with alien and terrorist attacks on a mythical and legendary scale, Nam. I’m not thinking about how to coddle entitled brats on how harsh reality is. If she doesn’t want to join then she doesn’t have to. And it’s only going to get worse from here.”
Her fingers drummed against her side, a slow rhythm as her brother’s eyes narrowed with familiar frustration. His mouth opened, probably ready to throw another lecture her way about ‘restraint’ and ‘team cohesion’—a speech she'd heard more times than she could count when she was involved in any kind of sport in school.
Before Nam could get a word in, the bell rang from the counter. “Order’s up!”
Nam’s next appointment appeared at the counter, a cheery grin in place as she grabbed the tray of food, her cowboy hat tipping slightly. She sauntered over, a swagger in her step that caught the attention of a few soldiers nearby with her fit build, tight blue jeans, and pleated button-up top.
Her clicking cowboy boots, messy brown hair, and expressive blue eyes snagged Rachel’s attention—her instincts told Rachel this young woman had potential. She’d heard her name passed through a few conversations thus far, and all of them painted the cowgirl as a somewhat dubious southern California lady.
The plate of cinnamon buns was practically glowing with the sticky sweetness of icing as she set it down between them. “Well, ain’t this a regular ol’ reunion,” she quipped as she sat down, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “You know, I was about to ask if someone ordered milk with those buns. Then he stacked up the tray, so…am I interruptin’ something? I can sally off and come back later if needed,” she offered, but her thumping heart told Rachel she wanted to stay. “Ah, the name’s Grace—Grace Alexander.”
Rachel’s ears twitched, half-listening to the soldier’s gossip and watching Nam’s reaction, but Grace’s antics brightened her mood; it also offered her a way out of a brotherly lecture. She smirked, her sharp gaze locking on the gunslinger.
“The Legend of Calamity Jane, or so I’ve heard. A notorious story teller.”
Grace shrugged, not missing a beat. “Hey, I got my tricks and ya never know what might be true or tall tale. You know, just like milking cows—gotta be smooth and patient with a southern lass. Keep the boys on their toes. ”
Before anyone could respond, Rachel’s ears stiffened, causing Grace to frown and lean back to glance around, looking for trouble. A sudden shift in the air—unnatural, and wrong—slipped through the bustling noises of the café, yet it hadn’t been her who initially detected it.
Aella’s voice came from outside, strained and tight with panic, and Alexa’s quieter but more controlled response followed, bringing her notice to the changing air currents.
“There’s…an unnatural wind coming. Something’s not right!”
“I feel it too,” Alexa’s voice cut in, calm but tense. “There’s magic in the air. A lot of it—and some kind of…Divine Force? No, it feels less…good, I think?”
Neutral Force, Rachel internally answered, knowing exactly who this was, only they’d improved…significantly.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. The moment stretched, an eerie quiet settling over the space from the sweeping gust that kicked through the area, broken only by the scrape of a chair against the floor.
“Relica,” she whispered.
She barely needed to move. Rachel’s gaze drifted sideways, finding Relica already settled in the chair beside Nam in a swirl of black wind. The woman wore a smile that was both welcoming and unnerving, her long fingers casually reaching for one of the cinnamon buns on the tray Grace had just placed down.
“My, you haven’t changed at all, Rachel. You’re so…raw. Mmm. And I’m famished,” Relica giggled, helping herself to the sticky pastry and a glass of milk. “I must say, you look stunning after everything I’ve heard you went through in Elizabeth’s Legend Quest—like a predator after a long, exhausting hunt. Resilient little animal, aren’t you?”
Rachel didn’t flinch. Her eyes flicked over Relica’s face, searching for any sign of her true intentions. This wasn’t a meeting she wanted to make. Nam’s jaw tightened, but Rachel quickly raised a hand, stopping him before he could speak.
Her tone was flat, cold. “Aren’t you being a little brazen, appearing in the open like this instead of hiding in a hole…or do you want to have people questioning Omen for associating with a known terrorist?”
Grace’s eyes widened and she took her own pastry from the table, cutting into it and looking between them with the eyes of a woman glued to the finale of a soap opera.
“Hmm?” The priestess’ shining violet eyes creased with amusement, showing she was still using her magic or channeling Hecate’s power. “No, no. I look like a much different seductive, youthful, and stunning young woman at the moment. Only those at this table can see the real beautiful me. Oops. You’re already in a meeting,” she said, gesturing between Grace and her. “Continue with your business, ladies. I’m not a threat…right now, at least.”
Grace raised an eyebrow, but she stayed seated, and Rachel had to admire how easily the tension rolled off her. The cowgirl may have been eating with one hand, but her other was close to her hip, where Rachel knew she kept her revolver. Even Nia, usually buzzing with excitement, stayed silent within Rachel’s mind, waiting to see if she should return.
As the silence continued and the onlookers gradually lost interest due to the woman’s magic, Relica giggled softly, picking at her cinnamon bun without a hint of reservation.
“Oh, Rachel, you’re still so serious. Aren’t I basically already a member of Omen? I was hoping for a warmer welcome, considering everything we’ve shared in Miami, as short as it was.” Her eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. “Surely you haven’t replaced me with Aurora. I’d be so disappointed… I’ve known you far longer. It’s just like old times, isn’t it?”
Rachel’s stomach twisted at the mention of ‘old times’ with the memories of the car crash flashing through her 10-year-old mind. Yet, [Strategic Mind] and [Lunar Pride] helped to keep her rising blood pressure in check.
“Be very, very careful how you talk to me,” Rachel said, leaning forward to give the woman her full attention as her tail twitched for action. “At least Aurora is ambiguous and I’m really not sure what she’s about, which is something you could never accomplish with this…fake alliance we have. You’re terrified to meet me in person, so you sent this magical body double with Hecate’s magic. I’d say I’m disappointed but really I should have expected as much.”
Relica rolled her eyes. “Sticks and stones! My, you’re worked up. Maybe you should take your own advice to that harpy woman.” She looked up from her treat with a half-smile. “Your standards are slipping, dear. She’s a liability, as is this southern hick.”
Grace cleared her throat, cutting the tension while flipping her butter knife around her fingers to a new angle to cut up her pastry. “Well, ain’t this somethin’. I sit down for a meal, and the winds of fate decide to blow in an uninvited and quite rude guest. You know—Relica, is it—in my neck of the woods, we call this sort of thing trespassing. We have signs for that…”
Stabbing the pastry and popping it into her mouth, a click came from under the table, a round sliding into place. “Trespassers will be shot.”
Relica’s grin widened while sliding to the bright-eyed southern lass. “Oh, darling, I’ve never been one for playing by the rules, and how many self-defense weapons get turned on the defendant? Not that you understand math.”
“Mmm! This is good. I bet I could out math ya as a high school dropout. Want to test those statistics?”
Rachel was starting to like this cowgirl but she kept her eyes locked on Relica’s, her mind racing for what the priestess wanted and on whose orders she was on. It was time to get answers.
“You know you’re short on time, so I’d get to the point before I actually lose my cool.”
Relica took a delicate bite of the cinnamon bun, her smile widening but it faltered when a swirl of darkness brought a blood scythe’s edge against her throat. Scarlet’s voice was low and sharp.
“What’s the play, Rach?”
“Just a chat.” Relica defended, yet Rachel could hear the quiver in her voice; Scarlet was one of the few people who could break all the rules. “Can’t a woman check in on her old friends? Especially after the hell you’ve been through recently, Rachel, Scarlet. You’ve survived so much—still standing, even after I bet a small island you wouldn’t make it off that boat.”
“You tried to make me your slave, bitch,” Scarlet snarled, bringing the blade centimeters from her throat and making Relica press up against the wall, pushing her chair on two legs. “You killed a kid and used their soul as power.”
“Calm down, sweetie.”
Grace set down her knife. “Damn. A real piece of shit, huh.”
Rachel’s patience was thinning, but she kept her cool, her voice even and catching the priestess’ unamused gaze. “You’re not nearly as important as you think. You’re here to deliver a message. The question is…from who?”
Relica tilted her head forward as Scarlet retracted her blade slightly, her confident smile returning. “Oh, Rachel, always so hasty. And we both know I live rent free in that complex mind of yours. But fine, I’ll get to the point…or points, to be exact. I’m here to deliver a little warning.”
Rachel’s nose twisted at her dramatic antics. “Quit stalling.”
Relica’s voice dropped, her playful tone replaced by something darker. “Well, haven’t you become quite the celebrity? We have a little AI, a rat, and a few other interested parties listening in on our little discussion, so let me make this a little more private…”
A dark haze spun around them as Relica’s eyes became brighter and the sound outside utterly died, reminding Rachel that this priestess wasn’t only embedded in multiple global organizations but also had direct access to a sixth dimensional goddess.
“There’s a storm coming, Rachel—bigger than anything you’ve dealt with before. And apparently, if you do not handle it, then a pair of twins the Scarlet Hand worked very hard to kick off our planet might return… And they cannot return, whatever that means. If they do, then what they bring with them will crush everything. Perhaps even you,” she added with a curious smirk aimed at Scarlet, her blade inches from the unbothered witch’s throat. “At this moment—at least for this—Adele and many competing parties say they will support you.”
“And you’re their messenger,” Rachel grunted, a smug smile creasing her eyes. “Well, aren’t I special? Basically, a bunch of cowardly bitches are too afraid to put their own neck on the line, and I’ve got a track record of doing the impossible. So that’s why I got the warning about the USSR. Adele doesn’t want us to fail to stop this Crystal.”
Rachel’s heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her face neutral, unreadable. “I’ll handle it like I handle everything else.”
“Oh?” Relica’s mystical darkness deepened, isolating them in the witch’s space. “Adele seems to think that even you cannot stop the spirit of conquest that a certain blonde twin embodies, as she puts it. Handle everything? You’re an animal for sure, Rachel…I can’t deny that cold blood running underneath that hot facade. But what is your plan? I’m so curious!”
Slowly sliding out her chair, Rachel saw Scarlet’s brooding face, her hands a little shaky with the mention of her mother. If her previous battle with the harpy didn’t remind them who she was, then she better remind them who she was.
Rachel walked around Grace, the fanged girl retracting her blood as Rachel stood in front of the smiling priestess. Her fingers closed around Relica’s throat, her breath warm as a fire lit in her chest while leaning in. Her voice dropped lower—a slow burn igniting behind her eyes as she flashed her teeth.
“You want to know my plan?” she whispered, staring into the woman’s shimmering violet gaze. “It’s simple. You’ve been watching from the shadows, thinking you’ve got me all figured out. But let me tell you something, puppet. I’m not here to play games. I don’t stall. I don’t hesitate. Momentum.”
Her grip tightened ever so slightly, just enough to cut any response from the terrorist. “I’m already rolling, pushing past everything you and your pathetic little club of cowards have thrown at me. And I’m just getting started. You see that storm coming? I don’t run from it—I bring it with me. Momentum.”
Relica’s usual smirk faltered for a moment as Rachel applied a tad more pressure. “You want to warn me about what’s coming? I’ve been through hell and back, literally, and I’m still here—a moon fed, wild ass, vicious little animal. If anyone’s looking for competition—if they’re out there thinking they’ve got what it takes to stop the Omen—I’m not hiding. I’m right here.”
Her voice dropped to a venomous hiss, eyes igniting with a hunger that rattled the cage inside her soul. “Those praying for my downfall, you’ve already lost. Now run along and tell your bosses. Get on my level, bitch. Because if I see competition, I want it. And when I want it, I take it. So tell them to keep hiding, or they’ll hear me coming around the corner.”
Rachel leaned back, her hand sliding off Relica’s throat with casual precision. She stepped away as if she had all the time in the world. Her tail flicked, she spun in a circle, and a flash of white light brought her spiked hammer into Rachel’s palms to crash straight through the woman’s body to meet Scarlet’s blood, stopping the points from destroying the wall—the chair wasn’t so lucky.
“Momentum doesn’t stop for anyone. And it sure as hell won’t stop for you.”
The projected shadow collapsed in a rush of wind, returning Relica’s consciousness to wherever she was performing her ritual. Her laugh was soft, almost affectionate as she vanished. “Oh, I will. Good luck.”
Grace let out a long breath, sagging against her chair as a quake ran down her frame. “Well, hot damn. Chills! That was fun.”
Rachel recalled her hammer, catching the confused look of the military patrons, who were now realizing they hadn’t left. Scarlet jogged over to the owner to apologize and say she’d pay for any damages.
Grace distressed, snagging everyone’s questioning eyes as she said, “I thought she was going to squeeze every ounce of milk out of me.”
“Come again?” Scarlet asked from the counter.
“No, ain’t no way I could have won that witch,” she doubled down. “That was wild! But ain’t nothing like a surprise visit from the local nightmare to spice up a meal. Am I right?”
Her big blue eyes glanced between them, nerves rising by the second as she laughed, adjusting her hat. “Did I, uh, say something wrong? Is she not a local? Oh, the milk comment, yeah… Sorry, I just grew up on the farm, ya see—a dairy farm, specifically, so milk and cow, eh…jokes were kind of the norm. I’m not weird, I swear!”
Nam sighed, his shoulders sagging as the tension in the room eased, ignoring the cow girl. “She’s never going to leave us alone, is she?”
Rachel shook her head, her voice hardening. “Not until one of us is dead, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She flicked Grace’s hat, making the girl stiffen straight as a board while looking up at her from under the brim of her hat.
“Consider yourself hired after that bluff and performance, Milky. As much as I made light of that bitch, she’s got real backers and power but you handled yourself well. You’ll be our Legend recruit trainer, so talk to my brother about getting his wife and our new cooked bird up to snuff. I’ve got a dubious AI to question, so figure things out before I get back.”
Turning on her heel, she left the cafe in a buzz. Scarlet chased after her, wearing an unsure frown as Grace mouthed her new code name. Of course, Rachel was considering a few others that might stick with the girl’s love for the white stuff but humor could come later if the cowgirl survived the week.
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Comments
Opala
Yes, and if it is hard to fit, then at least add it as an AN at the end of the chapter.
SME
lol I should add that line ;)
Opala
Here; Milkys signing bonus: 🐄
SME
Lol. Maybe I should actually add that. It would be a good tension breaker for the end. =)
SME
Grace be like >.> Uh, we didn't negotiate a price! Rachel's like, >.> it doesn't matter. You're joining. Oh. Okay... So, can I get paid in dairy cows? Jking, jking! But really...what's my pay?!
Andy
Lol
