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ATM Rewrite: B2 — 1. I Have The Power?
🕑 Added 2023-05-26 05:54:17 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Sora Moore (Our Fox Girl Has A New Problem!)
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A gentle pulse of power filled Sora’s mind as she surfaced from some flaming sea. The hiss of pressurized air, muffled voices, and hum of machinery made her ears twitch.
Eyes cracking open, Sora squinted in the dim atmosphere, a groan close to her lips. She didn’t feel all that dehydrated or famished. In fact, she couldn’t recall feeling more rested. Yet, one thing raised her tail fur; a grinning, fox-eared boy’s face came into focus.
“Hiya!”
“Ahh!”
“I’m Faia—oof?!”
A spark of crimson electricity erupted from around her in a defensive field, throwing the young man against the polished, steel-sheet ceiling. Gasping as the air left his lungs, he toppled back to the bed she rested on, landing between her legs in a tangled heap, now a red-furred fox.
“W-What is—who are you?!”
She scooted back upon noticing another male vulpes, identical to the one she’d just zapped, resting beside the only door in the relatively decorated and sized room.
An eyebrow lifted, stomach shaking with silent laughter; he stared at the petrified fox at Sora’s feet. The young, red-haired man shook his head with mirth. “I told you, Bro, it was a bad idea to be that close. Heh. Well, should we start by introducing ourselves, Princess?”
Left ear rising, her right remained back, gauging the casual attitude of what she assumed was a Nogitsune, by his fur color; the two tails gently swaying at his back snatched her attention.
“Uh, only if I can get some answers,” she mumbled, gaze drifting from him to the room and the fox standing stock-still in what looked to be an uncomfortable position. Electricity continued to spark through his spiked fur. “Is, umm, is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” the young man shrugged. “A little electric seal of some kind that paralyzes his soul; sitting still should do him some good. I’m Hinote, by the way. You?”
Thrown off by the sudden change in environment and sense of stakes, Sora’s thumping heart settled down. Her body was back to normal and all but her original tail had vanished; well, perhaps her tail was a tad longer and fluffier, but it could have been a trick of her mind.
The last thing she remembered was being a being of strange liquid-like energy, fighting for her life in a hellish stadium filled with ravenous werewolves, a galaxy-crushing fenris wolf, a mischievous cat, a cursed best friend, and a dying father, among many other trauma-inducing events.
All of that melted away, emotion welling up in her chest and lip beginning to tremble as the short but life-altering moments she shared with her mother came back to her in crystal clarity.
“Woah, uh… Mmm.” Hinote’s smile became strained as her face became a tad pink and she started to sniffle. “Yikes, I didn’t expect this. Umm…”
The door slid open, disappearing into the wall as a cross-armed, black-haired vulpes entered the opening. Her three tails, two dark, and one pure white, flicked with agitation as her dull-yellow eyes shifted between the twins and her, weeping in the corner.
“Great. What did you two do now?”
“Nothing I understand,” Hinote sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “She just started to cry out of nowhere.”
The woman pointed at Faia’s stiff body, atmospheric, magical force gathering around him and lifting him off the bed to fly into his brother’s arms. Stepping to the side, she nudged her head for him to leave.
“Wait in the hallway.”
“Sure, whatever,” Hinote muttered, walking past her. “I’d still like to know what I did wrong. And, of course, Fen ignores me like usual…”
Fen pressed the button nearby, causing the door to slide out of the wall to seal them in. She walked to the bedside to sit at the foot of it, crossing her legs and looking away with a somewhat sullen vibe.
“Talk to me whenever you’re ready, Princess.”
Sniffing back her tears and rubbing her face, Sora tried to calm all the emotions welling up within her. It wasn’t from pain, but the fact all her high hopes had been answered by her adorably frustrating mother—that she had a mother, and her mother cared about her so much, even if everything was more than a little complicated.
“W-What happened? Where’s Wendy—is everyone okay?” she finally squeaked, unable to focus on anything else.
A delayed hum came from the half-uninterested woman, examining her claw-like fingernails. “Willing to speak now? I can give you the cliff notes if you’d like. At least, from what I was told regarding the incident.”
“Please,” Sora swallowed, frowning as she looked down to see she was in one of her sets of pajamas that she’d sent to be tailored. “Who—”
“That unpleasant job was tasked to me,” Fen noted without glancing her way.
“And this room—a lot of things are from… my room?”
Fen rolled her eyes, showing a small smirk while shifting to clap her hands slowly. “How very observant, Princess. Can I explain things so we can move beyond this sense of monotony? For the record, I am not accustomed to being demoted to a… messenger.”
Scattered mind finding its feet, Sora groaned and rubbed her forehead. “Alright, Ms. High Class. What’s the story?”
The woman’s three tails flicked away with agitation at her tone, yet she went over a short account of what they’d found when discovering her. Her fears abated upon hearing that the werewolf curse had vanished from all those infected, Wendy was in the room over, and her father had stabilized. Throughout the brief story, Sora’s focus rested on the girl’s single, glowing white tail.
“My eyes are here, by the way. Haaa. Go ahead and ask,” Fen growled, shivering a little. “You’re starting to make me feel uncomfortable.”
Sora’s thoughts were back on the conversation she’d had with Eyia and heard from Jin.
“You’re with my Aunt Inari—a Kitsune?”
“Mmm. It’s a bit of a story,” Fen grumbled. Her white tail drew around for the woman to run her claws along the fur. “One cannot just… become a Kitsune overnight. Inari has rules and limitations on those she allows to represent her—there are levels.”
A lump formed in Sora’s throat, the white tail giving her the sense of a pit viper after her mother’s warning. She scooted off the bed, keeping her distance while moving to one of the comfortable armchairs from her suite’s front room.
If I touch that… I might have my second tail forced on me. I could see Mom again, though…
Fen’s head tilted with confusion at her tight expression. “Anyway… I’ve been told to ask you to get ready for a dinner meeting to discuss your future. Heh. Also, no need to look at me in that light. I was instructed to inform you that you are not a prisoner—unlike the twins and me,” she bitterly added, and Sora wasn’t sure that was a part of her instructions.
“Okay… I’m guessing by the feeling of that interlaced magical charm at the base of your tails that it’s this shady background organization the Homeland agent was working for.”
“Bingo!” she chimed.
“Alright. Before anything, I want to make sure Wendy is okay, so…”
“Follow me, Princess.”
Getting up to let her lead the way, Sora’s ears twitched. “Why do you keep calling me princess, by the way?”
“You haven’t given me a name otherwise, and doesn’t it fit the princess of vulpes?” she asked with a mocking, half-turned smirk.
“I… guess you have a point,” Sora huffed. “You totally know my name, though. I bet you guys have the resources to go through my entire life by now, considering you’ve already stolen some of my stuff. What is this place, anyway?”
They exited the room to a long, steel-paneled hallway of fairly large size. The twins were leaning against the wall, and several heavily armed military types were spaced around her doorway, making her a tad nervous; not one spoke, though, only falling in line as Fen ignored them.
“We good?” Hinote asked, still holding his stunned brother in his fox form. “I think you neutralized all of Faia’s magic in the process of sealing him. Impressive.”
“Eh-heh. Thanks,” Sora muttered, cheeks going red as she realized all these people were staring at her in her pajamas. “I’ll reverse it real fast. He just, heh, surprised me.”
“Meh. He’s too energetic for his own good.”
He put his brother down, and Sora sent the desire to undo whatever she did, unraveling the spell. Faia swiftly returned to his humanoid self, blinking in shock as if the whole world had flipped upside down.
“Where the—when did we get in the hallway? Trippy!” He jumped to his feet, tails weaving at his back as he jogged after them. “Hello, Princess, I’m Faia—”
“She knows, idiot,” his brother grunted, nudging him away with his elbow as the energetic vulpes drew near. “Don’t go spooking her again.”
“I wasn’t really spooked,” Sora automatically countered, rubbing her arm and keeping Fen between them.
Fen ignored their antics, pressing a button on the next room over and gesturing for her to go in. “Your friend awaits. Grab some clothes, and I’ll take you to the locker room, where you can get freshened up. Please, for the love of Mia, don’t make me wait longer than is absolutely necessary.”
Sora was a little put off by her bristly attitude, but considering she was something of a prisoner, Sora could see herself being the same way.
“And no, Faia!” she snapped. Her clawed hand snatched the back of the grinning young man’s collar to yank him back into his brother as he tried to follow.
“Aww… I want to make more friends!”
Sora walked in as the twins began to argue, with Fen shutting the door behind her.
Mouth drawing in, goosebumps ran across her arms as she examined the room her best friend had been given: posters of bands, manga characters, and many more items she recognized from Wendy’s home decorated the space.
It’s like… they expect us to move in!
Trying to shove the stressful environment and situation down, she smiled at her resting best friend. She was breathing somewhat heavily, to the point it was just below a snore; Sora recalled teasing her Wendy a lot when they were a bit younger about it. She was grinning, and a giggly mumble made Sora laugh to herself.
“Theo, no… that’s my job…”
Sitting at the edge of the bed, she watched her shift and gargle something unintelligible as some drool fell out of the corner of her mouth; clearly, she was having a wonderful dream involving her co-worker and crush, Theodore Thomas.
A light weave of very familiar magic was wrapped around Wendy that stood out to Sora like a bright red target on white paper. Her mother’s magic; she knew it instinctively. The thread was so thin that the slightest touch would break the spell.
Sora figured her mother had done the same to others to give her a chance to explain the situation to them rather than the abrupt awakening she’d gotten. Plucking the string, it snapped.
Wendy’s eyes snapped open, coughing and wiping away the drool that leaked down her chin. “H-Huh?! Sora, wha—Jenny, she…”
Lurching forward, Sora tackled Wendy to the bed, not feeling a trace of the werewolf curse marring her soul; in fact, there was something comforting embedded inside of her best friend’s core that she knew was some kind of gift from her mother.
“I w-was so scared!” she wept.
Wendy returned the hug and teared up, unable to speak as they babbled to one another; Sora had no clue what either of them was saying, but the pressure compressing her chest gradually faded.
Her brown-haired childhood friend was the first to choke out a laugh and pull away.
“Heh, so… what’s this weird room filled with, like… everything I own—is that really my dresser?”
“Yeah, I don’t know! I was just told to get ready for dinner. Haha-haaa. Want to figure out what’s going on with me?”
“Sure!”
Using some of the tissue beside the bed to clean up, they explored some of the drawers. Wendy had a similar question as her upon seeing the nightgown that had replaced her clothes. The only answer Sora had was Fen; at least, she hoped it was her instead of some random dude.
Strangely, it was exactly how Wendy left the items. Once she had selected a change of clothes—the experience thoroughly creeping them both out—Sora showed her how to open the door.
Fen was in an agitated posture, her index finger tapping her arm impatiently. Faia seemed to be bugging the totally silent guards, and Hinote rested against the wall with his eyes closed.
“Finally done?” the black-furred vulpes grunted.
Sora motioned back to the room as Wendy timidly hid behind her. “What’s up with this place? Why did you bring our stuff here?”
“Ugh. This should clear things up!” Fen strolled inside the room to the foot of Wendy’s full-sized bed and pressed a button.
Wendy and her mouths fell open as the metal slid back to reveal a rotating sphere in the far distance.
“We’re in space?!”
Faia nodded emphatically, excitement practically boiling over. “Welcome to Lunar Command! Eh, it used to be called Lunar Area-01, I think, but it expanded… a lot! Cool, right?!”
Wendy coughed, rubbing her throat and blinking. “We’re… on the moon?!”
Coming to terms with the news, Fen soon prodded Sora back to her room to collect her own items to change into. Not sure what to expect, she chose some pants with a buttoned back for her tail and a black tank top.
The showers were as fancy as her own in the hotel suite, albeit in a more public bathroom; they had their own cubicles, at least, so there was that. While cleaning, a chatty researcher in her mid-fifties named Sylver Tolen gave them a short history regarding the site. It was a bit weird, but they indulged the lady as, apparently, she got ready for bed. The place was all sorts of off.
Typically, these kinds of things were kept extremely confidential—to the point of using some kind of selective memory-wiping ‘perfume’—but the staff had been briefed on her and told to make her feel at home.
Sora wasn’t sure what to make of this treatment. Obviously, they wanted something. To get those answers, she’d need to go to some mysterious person Sylver had no knowledge of since she didn’t have security access; she would probably forget about Sora soon enough, anyway.
Wendy gave her a look that asked, ‘What the hell was that woman smoking’ when they finally left. Sora didn’t know what to say in return. She’d been busy analyzing all the strange magical waves and anomalies rubbing against her senses regarding the facility. It felt like there was something sealed within the moon itself.
According to Sylver, the SCC Foundation worked in the background to protect humanity; yeah, how many movies and books had she heard that from? Something sketchy was always going on behind the scenes in these kinds of settings.
This lunar site was one of the most secure places in the entire organization, and she was deemed important enough to keep confidential at the highest levels. The entire section of this central hub on this Level 4 clearance site had been temporarily evacuated to accommodate a certain number of ‘anomalies.’
Lunar Command had initially been built in 1989 and dubbed Lunar Area-01, but vast expansions had been made in the three decades this facility had been in operation, and the SCC’s technology had improved centuries since. Magic and technology were now being employed to increase their reach and resources to safeguard humanity from that which went bump in the night.
After dressing, Sora was guided by their three vulpes and guards to a fancy dining area, where all of them waited outside. Fen was visibly growing more annoyed with every interaction, mentioning something about someone named Jian not being allowed to accompany her.
Proceeding into the private meeting, a woman in her late twenties met them. Sora was instantly on-guard upon detecting the same dark magic signature that had trapped the wraths; Nilly had identified them as child murderers, which was chilling. In front of her was a table filled with all sorts of food that even impressed Sora’s high standards, and there was something oddly magical about it.
“Hello, ladies,” she smiled.
The woman gestured for them to take the two seats across from her, yet Sora didn’t miss the fact there were five in total currently present; they were expecting more company.
She took the seat with Wendy but didn’t look at the food.
“We won’t eat until we know what you want from us. You kidnapped us for a reason,” Sora stated, wanting to get right to the point. “Are you going to use my dad and friends as hostages, like Jenny did? I’m not going to be bullied!”
Another door opened in the back, revealing a handsome man with chocolate brown hair, swept to the side and wearing an amenable smile.
“Goodness, no, Ms. Moore! Way to set the mood, Diane. Senior Administrator Vondoom hasn’t joined us yet?”
Sora’s mouth drew in at the name. Well, that’s not a bad guy name. Nope. Totally not.
Diane wore a fake smile while taking her seat and giving the man a look Sora knew all too well; the woman was not a fan of this man.
“Good of the Ethics Bureau to join us, Devlin. I must remind you that I have the complete support of the Executive Chamberlain Council.”
“Haha. Already comparing lengths, Diane? And I must remind you that while the ECC judge purpose, direction, and what is and isn’t safe—a vital function of the SCC, indeed—it is the EB who are responsible for advising, and, if necessary, judging the ECC on what is and is not acceptable. And, haha, I am their representative on this matter!”
Leaning in and offering his hand, Devlin flashed his teeth. “Hello, Ms. Moore, Ms. Elise. My name is Doctor Delvin Wilson; at your disposal. Would you prefer we continue to use those names, or is there another you’d like us to address you both by?”
“First names are fine,” Sora hesitantly replied, taking his hand.
“Excellent! Delvin would suit me fine, as well, then. It’s my pleasure, Sora, Wendy. Haha. I was afraid you would instantly punch me in the face since my name is dangerously close to that wolfwere you seem to have had trouble with.”
“Eh-heh. It is a little unsettling,” Sora admitted, recalling the unpleasant time she’d spent with the wolf before heading to the amphitheater.
She wanted to distrust this suit-wearing ‘ethics bureau’ person, but her senses told her he was entirely genuine.
Unfastening his jacket buttons with one hand, he nodded respectfully to Diane and sat in his chair. “Don’t mind me, ladies—think of me as a shadow in the room—I’m here to observe and intervene if I deem it necessary. In fact, I’m quite excited about this gathering. It’s rare we have anomalies as powerful and reasonable as you, Sora. At least, from what I’ve been briefed on—ah, Senior Administrator!”
He stood, prompting Sora to instinctively do the same, Wendy mirroring her, as a partially gray-haired man in his late sixties entered, wearing a black suit.
“No need to stand,” he bristly stated, holding up a hand and giving an all-business attitude. “I’d like to make this as brief and painless as possible. I understand this must be very disorienting for you, ladies.”
He grunted at the look the black-haired woman gave him. “Yes, I’ve talked to the EC council. You have been given oversight, but it is at my discretion that you remain in my facility. Remember that.”
“Noted,” Diane crisply stated, making Sora aware of the power dynamics that were happening in the background. “Now, can I begin, gentleman? These girls have been more than patient.”
The corner of Sora’s mouth pulled in at her tone and aura; if there was someone disingenuous and indifferent toward them, it was this woman. It was that impression that made Sora all the more confused when she began to explain their situation.
“To be brief, as the Senior Administrator desires, I’d like to give you everything you desire, Sora. Haha. Yes! Make your demands. Whatever is on your heart. I have no illusions as to who you are.”
“And… you want something from her,” Wendy asked, eyeing the woman with distrust. “Nothing comes for free.”
“Hmm. Let me put this in another light then,” Diane said, pulling up a tablet and fiddling with it.
The three put on black sunglasses as the lights in the room dimmed. A holographic projection of SCC appeared over the table, drawing Wendy and her gaze.
“Are you willing to test something, Sora?”
“Test… what?” Sora asked, gut tightening at the device in her hand and the unsure look on Devlin’s face. “What’s she talking about?”
Devlin cleared his throat. “Transparency, Diane. I know this was approved by the EC council, but… this breaches many protocols we typically put in place.”
The woman’s glee dampened. “The Senior Director insisted on taking part if the EC ordered this done; measures are in place, which is why we are here, but they won’t be necessary.”
Sora’s tail flicked to the left. “That’s not an answer!”
Diane’s gaze shifted to Wendy. “Do you trust Sora?”
“Yes… But I don’t trust you,” she mumbled, a lump forming in her throat. “What do you want to test?”
“Just a… simple video that reveals the presence of something that threatens humanity. It’s really a recruitment kind of thing,” she shrugged. “Something that can’t be described or it happens; disaster, pain worse than you can imagine—yada, yada—that kind of thing. This object is quite impossible to stamp out by any means we’ve tried. If I’m right, it shouldn’t even notice you exist, Sora. If you can help me do this, I will give you anything you want. I keep my word, dear.”
Gut tightening as she saw the agitation and somber vibe from the Senior Director and Ethics Bureau member, Sora cleared her throat. “Only if Wendy—ugh, no, what if you do something to her when she’s out of my sight… Agh! I hate these kinds of games.”
Devlin shook his head. “No game, Sora. I’m on your side. If you’re able to help us neutralize this threat, it will help humanity. In the next twelve hours, it will teleport to a random location on the planet for people to come across: it could be a bookstore, a movie on a shelf, or even a theater or news program… and the result will be catastrophic.”
Wendy reached over to squeeze her hand. “I trust you…”
Puffing out a long stream of air, Sora sucked in her bottom lip; the two men were deathly nervous, but Diane was practically on the edge of her seat with anticipation burning in her heart.
“Okay… but after I do something!”
“Shield away!” Diane grinned, flashing her teeth as if she knew what Sora would do before she did. “I suggest cloaking us in a veil comprised of your unique identity if you can. Once it is active, seal the image in the same bubble, only in the reverse.”
Growling, Sora spun her desire magic to create an unseen defensive shell around them as the woman instructed; to her surprise, it was so much easier and effortless compared to when she was going through her transformation.
“Done…”
“Finally!”
Sora’s face went pale as various cataclysmic videos of horrid acts were committed by red-robed humans, their faces concealed behind deep hoods, preaching about their demonic gods.
“All praise the 72 Pillars who are without equal! Let it be known, any gods that try to interfere will be doomed to their unholy hands to be broken in suffering untold! Embrace the pain, believers! Embrace the refining fires and become reborn in Their image! Welcome the Legions of the Lemegeton!”
Diane laughed as invisible hands reached out to swirl around the room, seeking minds to sink their claws into. “They don’t see us! You, Sora, are what we classify as a Grey-Omega: Abaddon entity as a Founder. We don’t need to get into all the details regarding that since it would confuse you,” she chuckled.
“In essence, it means you have the capacity to create an A-Class scenario—to a greater extent than even his Black-Alpha artifact—threatening all of humanity, potentially reality itself.
“The positive side is that you are Gray and not Black, meaning you can be reasoned with and the state of that world-ending scenario is… pending, heh, I suppose you could say. As an Omega, if the Foundation tries to contain you, the end of humanity is upon us, via your mother.”
Sora panicked and quickly sent a magical wave that ripped whatever these corrupting appendages were to shreds, encasing it in a similar shimmering shell that reflected inward. The hands didn’t pass the shell, thinking Sora now completely surrounded it.
“What is that?!” she hissed as Wendy coughed, trying not to look at the horrible acts the hooded figures engaged in with blood sacrifices and flaying the flesh from people. “Great way to build trust!”
Diane’s smile grew as she removed her glasses. “I knew it. You did contain it; it thinks it’s trapped in an endless void of you—there’s nowhere to go, and they don’t attack anything above Duke-Class anomalies! It didn’t even see you, did it?”
The Senior Director rose to his feet, gesturing for them to the door he’d entered through; Sora heard the men in the other room preparing to seal the other entrances.
“We should move to another location.”
Wendy held her stomach, glaring at the table. “What was the purpose of this then—wasted food?”
“Atmosphere,” Diane mused, scanning the items. “It is quite important for a first meeting; plus, this table is an anomaly that produces things on its own—the Thanksgiving Table, as it is listed—only don’t eat too much or you’ll be punished with food poisoning. Fun, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, fun…” Sora got up, scratching her left fox ear. “You’ve done a bang-up job thus far, lady. Now I can have whatever I want?”
Diane smirked and motioned for them to follow the two men out. “Technically, you already could ask for anything. I just had to be positive you were a Founder—a singular entity of Existence, as Fen likes to call it, able to create your own laws and logic—well, on an ever-increasing scale, as you grow. I want to help you with that.”
Vondoom followed her up. “Sora, you have no idea what you’ve just done—the lives you’ve saved and the time you’ve bought us. Please, follow me to my office.”
“I don’t feel like I have a choice,” Sora growled, making Devlin chuckle and fall in step beside Wendy and her.
“It’s humbling hearing someone as powerful as you say that, Sora. I understand this must feel very sudden after everything you’ve experienced. I didn’t believe Diane at first, but now I’m convinced. We have extensive resources, Sora. You are exactly who the SCC needs—humanity needs.”
Wendy peeked out from beside her with a lifted eyebrow, fidgeting with her summer dress. “Laying it on a bit thick there, bud.”
“Haha! I’m just a little overwhelmed. Wow! I can’t believe we’re alive right now. My heart’s beating like crazy… Oh, right. Diane. The feeds.”
“Right, right,” the woman absently muttered, reaching into her pocket. A magical burst of energy brought forth a second tablet that she passed to him.
“I should have thought of that instead of spelling my purse to follow me,” Sora whispered as Devlin handed her the tablet, making Sora’s pace slow. “Dad?”
“You can swipe between feeds. We’ve identified everyone that was with you at that Hell stadium. So far as we can tell, they’re all in a blissful sleep that can’t be undone, yet the fact Wendy is with us here makes some of the researchers believe that your mother is the cause.”
“Yeah…” Sora pulled her fingers across the display. “Kari, Eric, Jin, Eyia, Mary… Wait, why are Daisy and Howie in here? They weren’t with us. Is Ron here, too?”
“Who?” Diane asked, her sharp eyes suddenly darting to her. “There is no one by the name of Ron associated with you.”
“Wendy?” Brow furrowing, Sora looked to Wendy who nodded, looking scared.
“I… don’t know who Ron is. Was he new to the staff?”
“No,” the woman muttered, studying her closely. “Our… minds were wiped of him without our notice, including every record the Foundation has in the past, present, and future? It looks that way. Hmm. Something to take note of. How frustrating.”
Sora’s thoughts instantly went to Stephanie, twisting her gut. I really hope she didn’t force him to leave because I put them in danger…
Fighting down guilt and pain of possibly being unable to even say goodbye, she shook her head. “Never mind. Umm, I guess Mom did it for a reason. I can make demands, right?”
“Whatever you want, so long as you’re willing to work with us,” Vondoom responded as he concluded their winding path through the maze-like facility with its thick, sealing doors shutting behind them. “Please, have a seat, ladies.”
Complying across from his desk as Diane played with her tablet by the wall and Devlin waited with bated breath, he took his own. Fingers folding his lap, he let it out. “You may not feel this way, but this is a pivotal moment in history.”
Diane snorted. “We do not give out the Abaddon classification liberally, dears. We can accomplish great things together. You have the capacity to provide us with a means of combatting all of these terrible world-ending scenarios—even to contain other Abaddon threats, as you just did.”
Sora’s throat felt dry with these secret society people throwing so much power and expectations at her. Her mother’s words about being stronger than she could imagine rose to the surface of her mind.
“What… would happen if I just wanted to live a normal life?”
Vondoom’s cheeks puffed out, elbows rising to his desk to rest his chin on bridged fingers.
“You live on this planet. I don’t think you wish for it to vanish, as cruel as this reality is, and there have been many world-altering scenarios that we have had to combat, many of which we didn’t fully win. Wars, hurricanes, floods—all cover for the real events that took those lives. I’m not saying you’ll be fighting world-ending threats very often, but you are an option.”
“Think of the adventure!” Diane chimed, still not looking at her. “All of these amazing stories you can be a part of—to look beyond the curtain and make a real difference in the world.”
She flipped her tablet around to show various videos for what looked to be orientation purposes. “Plus… you are kind of a target, my dear: the Dragon’s Claw, the A.I. Revolt Protocol Apostasy, NeoSepratists, and Occult World Order, to name only a few. We have the resources and knowledge to help guide you inside this secret world. Hmm? What do you say, Sora?”
“I’ll… have to think about it. I’m not a prisoner, right? I can wake Eyia, Jin, and Kari up?”
Wendy sat forward, hugging herself. “W-What about my mom? Did you do that memory thing on her—does she know where I am?”
“Mmm.” Devlin’s mouth became a line. “I… can discuss that with you later. No, you are not a prisoner, Sora. As we’ve said repeatedly, we are willing to bend over backward to obtain your assistance—not even your trust yet. Use us however you like. We’re here to build trust: we do not expect it.”
By Diane’s fluctuating aura, Sora wasn’t so sure about her, but the two men were very sincere. She didn’t like the way the two responded to Wendy’s question about her mother, though, and Sora started to fear what Jenny might have done to her in the abduction, despite their history.
“Alright, Devlin, take me to my dad and friends. You can answer our questions on the way.”
He nodded, confidence in place and ever positive aura radiating. “Of course, ladies! If you could follow me.”
Sora paused at Diane’s hum, fascination in her tone. “Kari, a friend—after everything I’ve read in Mary’s files—how does that work?”
“It’s… complicated,” Sora finally grumbled, wanting to get away from the uncomfortable vibes she got from the woman. She didn’t trust her, but Sora had to figure out what web she’d now fallen into. “I guess you can say friendship pending. Let’s go, Wendy.”
“Yeah…”
They followed the Ethics Bureau member out, Sora hearing the senior director and researcher get into discussions about various topics she didn’t have the background to understand. She thought entering the monster world was complicated, but this just put her on a whole new level.
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