Fuka: the Final Chapter (Nao)

[Corwin]

<--->

As Haruka disappears into the maze, Nao remains behind to stalk the premises. Pressing herself against the outside walls, she creeps along, glancing inside through any window crossing her path. After several tries, she is in luck. A man dressed in a gray suit can be seen in the foyer. He is observing the broken lock with a frown, and doesn't seem to have noticed the red-head just yet.

Well, thanks to Nao's earlier handiwork, at least Haruka won't have trouble navigating it.

Nao ducks back around the side of the window, relying on her ears to tell her where the man is going next.

Nao's sharp senses inform her that the man is dialing a cell, before reporting his location and the state of the lock. He concludes the brief report by saying that he is about to explore the rest of the house, and hanging up.

Nao tracks the man as best she can from the outside of the house, deciding to try and see if he finds anything that she and Haruka didn't.

Nao continues to stalk the man. She hears his displeasure at the state Mashiro's tossed room is -- the same room Nao and Haruka found her business calendar in. Nothing else of particular interest reveals itself to Nao; the man doesn't seem to stop anywhere else overly much, and even when he heads upstairs, Nao is able to sneak back into the house and keep tabs on him with her superhuman senses.

Finally, it seems the man is ready to return to the ground floor.

Nao keeps out of his way, but stays in the house for the moment, deciding to see if he makes another call before departing.

He does, standing just outside the main entrance. His report this time concludes that the house was definitely broken into, and not by thieves, either, as a significant amount of cash was left behind despite the perpetrator certainly coming across it.

Nao decides to see where the man goes after leaving the mansion, watching his destination through a window before leaving it and trailing after him a goodly distance back.

He walks straight outside, passing by the two officers guarding the front gate. He nods at them, not pausing, and they seem to reciprocate.

A detective?

Well, if that's all there is, Nao heads into the school again a little while afterwards, deciding to head to the cafeteria and see if there are any new rumours or developments. (Not to mention eat. Eating is important.)

If she sees that Tate Yuuichi person, though, she'll certainly take an interest.

Luck is with Nao. Tate is sitting at a table, staring at his food dejectedly. He is not alone; the priestess Nao had encountered at the shrine she regained her powers is there with him. She's trying to talk to Tate, seeming frustrated by his curt responses.

Ah, the unpleasant girl.

No better way to do this than to dive right in! Nao orders a bowl of noodles for herself, and approaches the duo with a saccharine smile. "Do you mind if I have a seat here?" she asks, the very picture of politeness.

The pink-haired girl certainly seems to mind. She glares at Nao, and her hair almost seems to have a mind of its own as it twitches at Nao's approach. Tate doesn't react either way, lost in thought.

Nobody is saying no, so Nao has no trouble taking that as acceptance.

"When I saw you here, I wanted to apologize, I think," she explains to the younger girl, though she can't keep an element of doubt from her voice. "But I do want to ask what I did to prompt that reaction on the weekend."

Surprise is the dominant expression on the younger girl's face, and her hair settles down. She starts to answer, but then her eyes dart to Tate briefly, and she very deliberately closes her mouth. "Apology accepted," she says instead, a fair deal more stiffly than Nao would expect those words to sound. "Did you want anything else?"

She glances at Tate once more. He hasn't acknowledged Nao's presence, yet.

"Yes," she replies, cheerily. "What did I just apologize for? I lost my memory, you see."

She glances at Tate, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know?"

Tate looks up, staring at Nao with confusion.

Seething, Shiho jumps out of her seat and grabs Nao's hand, smiling pleasantly at Tate. "It's nothing, just go back to your lunch. I just have to talk to Yuuki real quick and I'll be back, alright?" Turning to Nao, she grits her teeth, trying to maintain her smile, and gestures to a different corner of the cafeteria, conveniently empty.

Nao cheerily goes over there. Clearly, Natsuki was wrong (or soon will be wrong) about people hating her.

Shiho finds them a table and sits in a spot she would have a free view of Tate, Nao notices. She directs the red-head to sit opposite of her.

Nao slouches on the seat, favouring Shiho with only the most pleasant demeanour.

"Look," Shiho says in irritation, "we are not friends. We've never been friends. We won't be friends in the future even if you did lose all your memory and became a nun. I want you to stay away from Tate. What do I need to do for that to happen?"

"Hmm, I was interested in him? You don't need to worry about that now," replies Nao, rolling her eyes. "Special to you, huh?"

"I need him," Shiho states. It doesn't sound like the words of a lovestruck girl with a crush.

"But, does he need you?" muses Nao, twisting her head to glance back at him for a moment.

Then she shrugs, and goes for the noodles again.

Shiho doesn't dignify that with an answer, merely scowling at Nao. "Are you done? Did you just want to insult me?"

"Well, I don't like to leave an apology undeserved," replies Nao, standing up to leave. "Good luck~"

Shiho gives Nao one final glare, before returning to Tate. She appears frustrated when he doesn't pay her any more attention than Nao got upon arrival.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Nao's phone dials Haruka's... and dials... and keeps dialling...

Haruka answers, of course. "What's new?"

"Precious little. Where are you?"

"Police station. Well, leaving it. I'm coming back to Fuka now. Guess I'll meet you there?"

"Mmmhmmmm they know anything, or are we all still in the dark?"

"They found Detective Oiishi's car outside the school, and there was blood inside it. No idea who or what got to him. Other than that, they don't know anything that we don't. I told them to keep an eye out for Nagi, at least."

"Oh, great. Worse luck, they'll find him, and he'll tell them about us. Did they tow his car away already?"

"What could he tell them that they'd actually believe? Anyway, I didn't ask about the car, but I think it's a safe ascension that they took it."

"Uh-huh. Find out where it happened or something? Still got time to kill until we learn where Higurashi is."

"They didn't tell me. But they did say that there wasn't a trail leading away from the car or anything. Like he just vanished? ...Or like something flew away with him."

"...then it could be anywhere. Better have your goons keep an eye on the sky from here on out, eh? Anyway, I'll meet you in the library."

"Sure thing." Haruka hangs up and hails a cab to ride back to school. She wonders if the cabbies know her by name yet.

The one who takes her back to campus doesn't, but the belief that it's only a matter of time gets stronger.

In any event, arrival at the library and looking for Nao proceeds, posthaste!

Nao seems to be at one of the computers, using it to try and look up architectural plots of the school.

"Hey," she grunts, glancing over at Haruka. "The guy snooping around the mansion was a cop or a detective or something, I think. He just looked around and left."

Haruka nods. "I asked about Mashiro while I was there. They know she planned to be out of town in advance. Also, I might have said something that leads to them being interested in you but they don't think you did anything so don't worry. Anyway, what are you looking at?"

"Maps," replies Nao, turning back to the computer. "Rather, I'm looking *for* maps, of the school. I keep thinking about that cave I saw, and it's got to be on Fuka, somewhere. Since all the weirdness seems focused around here, I thought there might be a clue."

She rocks back in the chair with a sigh. "God, I'm sick of this, though. I don't even know exactly what sort of stuff I'm looking for on these. It looks like so much scribble."

"-and wait, what? Well... whatever," she adds, before her voice grows suddenly soft and pleasant. "I lost my memory, detective, so I might not be very helpful to you," she mews, overwhelming Haruka with false sweetness.

"Exactly. It's nothing to worry about. Anyway, I guess there are no blueprints that say Hidden Secret Cave or anything?" It's hard to tell, but she actually sounds serious.

Nao gestures at the computer. "Check it out yourself, my eyes are getting sore."

Haruka doesn't really know anything about computers. That kind of thing is Yukino's job, you know? "I'll take your word for it. Anyway, I'm pretty much out of leads until we know more about where Higurashi is."

"Probably in for a wait. Why don't you go get some food or something?" replies Nao, standing up. "I've gotta go check if Sugiura called me back, too. I'll let you know when I know more."

"Sure thing." Haruka may as well check in with the goon squad and see if anything new's happened, or if Yukino's been around.

Nao intends to go back to Shizuru's room and check if Sugiura called back, as well as find out if her own dorm has, in fact, been opened up again or not.

<--->

Yukino hasn't been seen, and not just by Haruka. The blonde's inquiries only serve to increase the worries of fellow Executive Committee members, while not providing her with any fresh information.

Nao is no more successful than her partner, as Shizuru's room looks exactly the same as the last time she'd been there. Midori hadn't called back, which could mean a dozen different things. Her new, blank phone does get a call, however. It is still on silent mode, and Nao doesn't realize it at first, but she had been sent mail.

Nao reads the message (was it from a private number?)

Nao can't tell where it came from. On opening the message, she sees that it is very concise, containing only a set of numbers. Fiddling with the phone further reveals that amongst its installed programs is a GPS tracker.

Using phones comes naturally to Nao, so she inputs the directions on the one hand whilst calling Haruka on the other.

It turns out to be a good call, as the phone she had been given cannot handle both actions at once. While calling Haruka on her private cellphone, Nao sees the numbers resolve into coordinates. The location is not in Fuka, but still in Japan. She thinks it would be about half a day's drive from the Academy.

"I've got the place, but it's half a day's drive away. You don't have an easily-bullied friend with a car, do you? Or can your wallet handle the taxi?"

It is getting late. Nao knows they won't make it to their destination, whatever it might be, while there's daylight left. Any attempts at diplomacy might be harmed by that, though a nightly infiltration is another thing entirely.

"I'm sure it's getting used to the strain," Haruka says. "Besides, this mission is more important than money! This is about FUKA."

"Alright. Call a taxi, and I'll meet you at the roadside, just down from the gates."

Haruka does so, heading out from the gates to meet Nao.

The driver is one who recognizes Haruka, though she can't actually recall his name. "Where to?" he asks, rolling down the window.

"You up for a long drive?" asks Nao. "We're talking most of the night, here."

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," Haruka says nobly.

"Not *you*."

The cabbie snorts. "It's a special rate at night, but your friend here knows all about it. Seems like she could afford it, too."

"You're loaded, aren't you, Suzushiro? We should just buy a frigging car or something," replies Nao, before giving some general directions to their destination.

Given that the cab lacks a GPS tracker of its own, Nao would have to provide directions as they go. Other than an inconvenience to her, however, it shouldn't be too difficult to get to their destination with the tools at their disposal.

Haruka just shrugs. It's not like her family didn't earn it all.

The drive takes them to the mainland through the bridge connecting the island to it, and Nao is once again melancholic as she passes it. There is a sense of wrongness in the bridge existing, she feels, but it soon disappears as they leave it behind. Darkness falls, the cab taking what feels like the scenic route at times, following the shore.

Eventually, the road takes Nao and Haruka further inland, beginning to rise soon afterwards. They pass through several tunnels, and Nao and Haruka can both see their phones' reception go inside, the cab's radio playing static for the duration. The GPS tracker never stops displaying information, however, its connectivity bar unchanged whenever Nao looks at it.

Hours after departing, around two o'clock, Nao can see them begin to reach their final destination. The maps displayed on her borrowed phone get smaller and smaller in scale. There is nothing on the map -- no cities, towns, villages or settlements of any kind. No gas stations. No industrial compounds. Yet the coordinates lead her ahead.

"I knew we should've stopped for food an hour ago," mutters Nao. "We're almost there, though."

Haruka is quite prepared to solider on without dinner! ...But a meal would've been nice, yeah.

As Nao stops the cab roughly a mile away from the coordinates, the driver looks at her. "Is this some kind of prank? Or a satanic ritual you kids are into these days?" he asks, seeming quite tired after the long drive.

"Sanatic ritual. We're off to meet with the coven. You get paid, so it's all the same, right?"

Haruks scowls. At the cabbie or Nao, it's hard to say. "Let's go already," she says, stalking off.

"Yes, about payment. If you want me to wait here, I'll need the fare back as well."

Haruka can cover that, so they may as well have him wait. They don't have any other way back to Fuka, do they?

It might be interesting to steal a vehicle from the place they're going, but there's no counting on that! Nao slips out and trails after Haruka.

"Ok, Suzushiro, I know this isn't your style, but we're *sneaking* in, not *breaking* in, right? I mean, there'll be breaking, but it should be quiet breaking."

Nao won't approach directly from the road, but will use the GPS to go around the.. whatever it is and come in from the side!

Haruka looks skeptical. "I'll do my best."

As Nao and Haruka travel on foot, the former discerns a building of some kind ahead. It appears blocky and unimaginative in design, perhaps two stories at most.

Haruka sees blurry darkness.

Nao squints to see if there's a wall surrounding it (for all the good that might do). Once they start getting close, she'll proceed more carefully until she's got a better picture of what needs to be done to get inside.

No walls, but there is a chainlink fence, as well as at least one guard post off to the side. The compound is dark.

"Are they even using this place?" murmurs Nao, glancing at the guard post- can she tell if any actual guards are there?

Given that it is more like a shack where guards would presumably be, she can't tell without actually coming far closer to it than she currently is. Nao can tell that if she'd continued on the original approach, she would have arrived at it, so the front gate is apparently located there.

Nao creeps up to the back of the guard post and listens for signs of inhabitance!

Haruka can barely see anything here, so she's mostly following Nao at the moment.

As Nao and Haruka make their way to the post, they are able to confirm that there is someone within. They also appear to have just heard something, debating their next move in hushed voices.

"So much for subtlety. Ready?" mutters Nao, creeping around to the entrance as a prelude to rushing inside and punching out all three.

"They're onto us!" Haruka whispers. "We'd better jump 'em!"

Nao rushes inside, having no difficulty seeing in the darkness. The guard post is manned, indeed -- there are three men in a uniform of some kind which she had not seen before, one sitting by a console which could be anything from a radar to a high-tech microwave. He has some kind of headphones on, which don't connect into anything, appearing wireless. Two others are holding automatic weapons, one in the center of the room and the other by a wall.

Like some kind of demented monster, Nao leaps through the door with blinding speed, almost bouncing off the walls. With a kick, she aims to send the central guard flying into his similarly armed friend, and intends to send his nerdy companion flying after them shortly thereafter.

The two guards go down, even as their seated companion whirls around at Nao's entrance! Nao is certain she heard a thump as her leg met the guard's chest, an uncomfortable feeling of ribs breaking under her foot, but then she has other issues more pressing to worry about, as the light switch it flipped. The guard post is illuminated in a flash, and Nao feels herself go blind!

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Looks like it's finally time for Haruka to put her alternate self's gift to work! She materializes her mace and darts in after Nao, meaning to knock down whichever of the guards is left before than can move against the redhead.

Nao heart leaps into her throat, even as she throws herself into a clumsy roll away from where she was. "The light, fuck!"

That which takes Nao out of the fight allows Haruka to see the situation clearly. Only one of the guards is still in any shape to resist; it is the one manning the technical station. Haruka has no better luck identifying it than Nao on such a short notice, and then it largely becomes moot as the mace makes contact with the man's face, brutally sending him careening to the ground, and continuing to embed itself in the equipment. Sparks fly into the air.

Nao manages to duck behind a group of chairs, crashing against them with her back.

A guard tries to get up, pushing his downed comrade off himself.

Tangled up in the chairs and mostly unaware of what's going on, Nao isn't in much shape to react to that.

...Well. Probably best she avoids using that thing on regular people very often. The man trying to get up earns himself a good kick in the face instead.

Haruka crosses the guard post to deliver the kick before the man can even get back to his feet. His head snaps back, meeting the wall, and he sags back to the floor slowly.

A glance around to make sure all three of them are down for the count, then she checks on Nao.

Nao fishes around in her pockets for her sunglasses, and slowly puts them on.

Haruka doesn't think they're all unconscious, but it is quite doubtful any of them would be getting up any time soon. Or at all, in the case of two of them, if they don't receive medical attention soon.

And if they don't do any good, she struggles out of the chairs anyway. "We'd better hurry," she mutters, stumbling the door. "They got anything interesting in here?"

Haruka glances around. "Well, whatever that thingy was, it's wrecked now," she says, pointing to the ruined equipment.

Nao struggles to an upright position, although attempts to open her eyes and test the sunglasses are greeted with residual flashes. Perhaps, after a minute or two of giving her eyes time to adjust, the results would be different.

And sound beyond Nao and Haruka's returns, sudden. There are no screams from the guards, either in panic or pain. Only groans.

Haruka sees the outside illuminate, as if it were daylight.

Haruka squints and shields her eyes. That can't be a good sign.

"We've got to move," mutters Nao. "I can't see shit, but we should try and get inside before someone comes out here."

"I see no faults with this plan," Haruka announces, full of bravado as always. "Forward!" If there's anyone waiting for them outside the shack, they're getting a face full of mace.

"-the roof. We can jump to the top and go in that way!" grunts Nao, squinting as she gingerly heads through the door, hoping she can see better outside than she can in.

"*Jump* to the roof. Nao, I think I'm in pretty good shape, but not THAT good."

"'snot that hard," mutters Nao, opting to rush outside and make good on that once her vision has cleared up just enough to see dimly by.

Nao's vision clears up, and with the help of her shades, she can see that spotlights cover the entire compound. The majority of them seem to be coming from the main building's roof. Haruka's sight tells her much the same picture, albeit blurrier.

An alarm sound, jarring to their ears.

At that, Nao bolts, heading straight for the building and putting all her strength into a single leap to the heavens!

...Well, if Nao can do it, *Haruka* has to be able to!

Nao's practices come in handy as her legs catapult her at just the right height to land comfortably on the roof. She floats down through a column of light, hair trailing behind her, and other projectors try to focus on her, but they are slow, oh so slow to her tearing eyes.

Haruka follows, and her inexperience shows. Her jump is wasteful, taking her to easily two or even three times the necessary height, and then, she has to deal with the descent. A small mercy is that the operators of the projectors don't appear to anticipate an assault from such a height and angle, and Haruka enjoys what relative shadow there remains in the area.

Haruka crashes to the roof, stumbling to keep her footing. "I really shouldn't be able to do that," she announces...but hey, this isn't the time for questions. If she *can* somehow leap tall buildings in a single bound, she's going to put that ability to good use. For JUSTICE.

Haruka's legs hurt from foot to thigh. It's not the familiar pain of a broken bone or a twisted ankle, or even of overworked muscles. They merely protest, for lack of a better word. The roof where she landed groans, cratering, a spider web of cracks spreading from the point of impact.

Nao doesn't have time to catch Haruka; she's stuck running to punch out as many of the people here as she can- all but one. Half-blind as she is, it's difficult for her to pull her blows, but she does try to go for the torso and avoid the face.

"Ow ow ow." Prooobably not a good idea to stay there. She bounces away, hopping lightly across the roof towards Nao.

The roof doesn't collapse, and as Haruka hops after the blur that is Nao -- due to her speed, the blonde thinks, rather than a defect of her eyes -- she realizes with dismay that the pain in her legs does not go away.

Meanwhile, Nao has taken out three of the four people manning the rooftop projectors. As she punches the last one square in the face, the access door to the roof is thrown open. Something is thrown through it, bouncing a few times. It probably makes a sound of some sort, but the alarm makes that impossible to make out.

Nao grabs Haruka and pounces to the side of the access door, shielding her eyes.

"Is that a grenade? Oh shi-" That's all Haruka can say before Nao tackles her.

Even through her impromptu shield, Nao feels the flash go off, leaving her dazed. Haruka tastes dirt, tackled out of the blast area, and as she raises her eyes she sees two red-heads with their right hands over their faces.

There is the sound of boots stomping, louder and louder as people rush onto the roof.

"Play with them, Arach," spits out Nao, putting one hand against the wall and catching her breath for a moment.

There is gunfire. Nao can smell the gunpowder, but she and Haruka remain protected as Nao's Child materializes betwen them and the soldiers. With a metallic clicking sound, Arach's limbs split at the joints, blurring in the air in front of it. There is a drilling sound, unpleasant, bringing with it worse assosiations than sliding one's fingernails across a blackboard.

It's music to Nao's ears. She drags her claws across the back of the shack, opening a new door to drop through whilst Arach handles anyone stuck on the roof.

To Haruka, it contributes mightily to her budding headache.

"What the hell is that?" Haruka babbles, pointing to the spidermech. "Nao? Hey!" ...Well, at least it's shredding the Bad Guys. Haruka can't help but feel a little left out, though.

Nao cuts with her claws twice, and a doorway is made. Two surprised soldiers are behind it, and the one further back starts to aim his weapon towards the red-head.

"My beautiful Child."

Claws still out, Nao lunges at the man through the dust and haze created by her impromptu excavation, ready to do anything to remove the threat of the rifle. Ten scarlet strings spit forth before she realises it, dancing towards the armaments of the men and tearing them away.

Haruka was about to send a mace flying towards one of the men, but this is hard to do with Nao jumping in front. Oh well, she'll have to clean up the leftovers.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The wires tie themselves around the weapon of the soldier at the front. Rather than tugging it loose, however, they slice cleanly through the metal. The other soldier's weapon is trickier -- to get to it, Nao would need to send her wires through its comrade.

...Or, they could just knock #2's comrade into him! Haruka dips to one side of Nao to aboid hitting her, and then sends her mace flying towards the disarmed man's midsection, intending to knock him back more than actually injure him (though the latter is probably inevitable too).

The burst of gunfire from him merges with the other sounds of automatic weapons discharges to their side. Something grazes Nao's right arm, several inches above the elbow. Both soldiers topple over, and fall down the stairs.

Nao yelps in sudden shock, clutching her arm and exaggerating the pain that surely exists.

Putting it aside is difficult, but she tries to peer through the gap she's opened before jumping down- diving in front of more guns is the last thing she wants to do.

No soldiers remain on the stairwell that Nao can see; those two must've been the stragglers of the group.

Onwards, then! Haruka glances at Nao first. "Are you okay? Also, how do I get one of those crazy spider droids?"

Haruka's own voice sounds strange to her.

Haruka can only peer around the stairwell in confusion. Is there an echo in here?

With that, Nao drops through and dashes down a couple of flights, before she pauses for a moment to take a five-second breather.

"You don't have one?" asks Nao, raggedly. "And I'm fine. I think." Mild concern gnaws at her, but Arach shouldn't take long to deal with the other soldiers. "Are you coping, Suzushiro?" she adds, giving the blonde a weird look.

"Coping with what?" she asks, honestly oblivious to whatever it is that should be bothering her. Hey, she's on a MISSION here. There's no time for self-doubt.

The stairways are illuminated with a harsh red light. Nao and Haruka don't hear gunfire anymore.

Nao stares at her companion for a second, before sighing. "I guess I thought you might get scared. But you're the actual scary one," she opines, before dashing down the stairs to the floor below, ready to kick anyone in her way.

"Arach, begone," she mutters to herself, suddenly paranoid about leaving her Child alone. She has to take care of it, after all.

"I'm just determined, that's all!" Haruka shouts, chasing after her companion. Man, she really has to get one of those awesome robots.

There is no answer, audible or otherwise.

The door exiting to the first floor is before the two Hime. Haruka's finding it difficult to keep up with Nao's pace.

"Nao, slow down a little! I'm not used to this whole filtration thing."

"We're right past infiltarting and into invading," replies Nao, pausing at the door to both give Haruka a couple of seconds and to listen- and then bursting through, blurring through the flashing lights and searching for someone to punch or grab.

Nao shoulder rams the door off its hinges, arriving at the inner corridor. The area is well-illuminated, the red ceiling lights flashing in tune to the alarm's wail. No one is in the immediate vicinity.

Well, that's convenientL it means Haruka can actually catch up. "Do we have any idea where in this faculty Higurashi is being held?" she asks, glancing around.

The corridor goes to a T-shaped intersection at one end, and to a set of double doors on the other. Nao and Haruka are roughly in its middle.

"Double doors always lead somewhere important. I say we go there next."

Nao bolts for the doors and goes straight through them, letting them swing in her wake. Even as she goes through them she anticipates trouble, rolling to the left (on her good shoulder.)

Haruka chases after her (again), stumbling a little as the doors swing back and hit her. That's it, she needs to take the lead next time.

Nao's hunch is on the money. As she rolls to the side, completing a turn, she spots five soldiers taking aim at the doors, which haven't even finished closing back. This appears to be a reception hall of some sort. Two of the soldiers are using the reception desk as cover, while the other three have overturned a sofa to use as a makeshift barricade.

Focused bursts of gunfire from two different spots greet Haruka in a crossfire, as she rushes into the room after Nao. The stumble she took after hitting her head on the swinging doors saved her brains from getting pasted all over the wall behind her, but she is hit all the same -- twice in her right leg, above the knee and higher up the thigh, and a lucky bullet in her side.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Nao can't stop running, calling for Arach even as her feet begin taking her across the walls rather than the floor. Strings dance from her hands, flickering across the room and lunging for the weapons of the men, but her main goal is finding cover- either behind Arach or something more mundane.

Before she even calls for her strings, Nao realizes that she can't get at the weapons of the soldiers. Not with the cover and distance they have. Not if she wants to spare them.

Arach comes at her call, but cover is sparse. Nao can either hide behind her Child for a state of impasse, or send it after one of the groups of soldiers, leaving herself exposed.

The strings drop loosely from her fingertips. Even though those men are trying to kill her, Nao can't help but remind herself that in this case, she struck first. If she just slaughters them all, then what claim to right does she have? What point is there pretending to care about the lives of the other HiME if she's willing to just murder anyone in her way? No doubt they all have their circumstances...

They have grenades and numbers- hesitation will mean death. Instead of attacking the soldiers themselves, her strings lash out towards the emergency  lights scattered across the room. In the darkness, she can prevail.

The gunfire targets her, now, but Arach is there, protecting Nao. Her strings take out light after light, dancing in the air and casting eerie shadows as muzzle flashes from the automatic weapons illuminate them whenever the wires come near.

The room plunges into darkness, near total except for what little comes from beneath three doors -- the one Nao went through, one to the right and another next to the men barricaded behind the overturned sofa.

"Forward, Arach," mutters Nao, directing him at the sofa and counting on the confusion that creates to let her leap from floor to roof to wall to behind the cover of the soldiers whom her Child does not incapacitate.

The guns tell her where they are, and once she gets her hands on them, she doesn't need her eyes to do the rest.

Nao's hand-to-hand skills are amateurish at best, but the physical discrepancy between she and her targets makes this largely moot. In no time they are silenced, but not forever, due to her care.

The other group continues firing, and Nao can tell that they are heading rapidly for the third doorway out of the room.

Nao grabs one of the comatose soldiers and drags him back the way she came in, realising that Haruka hasn't come in after her and fearing the worst.

A little voice in her head tells her that if Suzushiro dies here, at least it's not Nao's hands that'll have blood on them.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The instant their hands touch, Haruka feels a discharge of energy course through the point of contact. Unable to stop her muscles from twitching, she falls back, impacting against the wall once again.

Nao emerges through the doors, illuminated by the corridor lights. The gunfire seems to have tapered off.

A bronze statue is standing over the fallen Haruka. She turns towards Nao, and her hair lashes out at the red-head, stopping a foot away from her for some reason as she looks at Nao curiously. Framed by the unnatural hair is Shizuru's face, or pretty close to it. The statue lacks a mouth.

Nao darts backwards, out of reach of the hair. "Haruka! Shizuru?" she gapes, momentarily stunned. Her claws elongate, ready to deflect any blow, but she hesitates for a moment, allowing the statue time to make another move.

The bronze Shizuru is holding perfectly still.

Haruka waves both parties to a halt. "It's okay, I found some help. ...Um, Mecha-Fujino? Nao's our friend."

For once, Nao looks completely at a loss.

Haruka glances at Nao. "Look, I'm as surprised as you are. I'm also *bleeding*. So, I don't know if you know anything first aid, but, uh..."

Haruka also discovers that her headache and disorientation return with a vengeance.

"I.. how bad is it?" winces Nao, gingerly walking past the... Fujino thing... and closer to Haruka. "There's probably something around here.. somewhere. Bandages. I don't know."

"I, uh...it's the first time I've been shot, so I don't exactly have a frame of inference. 'Not good' is a place to start, though. Bandages would be a help. And we've got to keep moving, before more of them find us." She looks up at the...statue. "So, Mecha-Fujino...can you carry me for now and still be able to protect us?"

Silence is Haruka's only response. Orihime doesn't move one bit to acknowledge her.

"Um...let's try it this way: Orihime, pick me up before I bleed to death!"

Nao glances at the soldier she dragged in. If he doesn't have a medkit on him, his clothes will become improptu bandages, at least until they find something better around here.

Regardless of the circumstances, Haruka will probably need a doctor after this.

Orihime complies with Haruka's orders orders. The Child flows rather than moves across the short distance. Its arms elongate, wrapping around Haruka, and raise her, pressing the blonde against her Child's chest.

This seems to have no effect on the bleeding.

After searching the soldier, Nao discovers that he seems to have some emergency supplies, handily marked off with a red cross. There is a sterile packaged bandage and a syringe with liquid of some sort.

The syringe is probably anaesthetic, but Nao doesn't know how to properly apply it.

She can handle the bandaids, though, and ties them to Haruka's wounds as quickly as she can- speed is more important than efficiency.

With that done, she nods. "That way," she indicates, heading back down to the T-intersection. This time, however, she intends to let her Child take the lead, with Orihime bringing up the rear.

Haruka nods. "Orihime, follow Nao."

The instant Arach steps into the intersection, it is sprayed with gunfire from both directions. Bullets bounce off its form, some ricocheting on dangerous vectors, but Arach's limbs prevent them from reaching Nao.

Orihime's hair is spread around the Child in a golden halo, forming a protective circle around Haruka, who is cradled in its arms.

Haruka can't do much on her own to help with this fight. Unless there's somewhere safe Orihime can set her for the duration, that is.

Orihime provides no fresh insight on the situation.

"Get back to the stairwell," mutters Nao, backing away there herself, away from any guards. "Arach, deal with them," she adds, letting the monstrosity deal with the mundane for the time being.

Haruka can't disagree. "Orihime, follow Nao...again!"

Orihime executes Haruka's orders, retreating after Nao even as screams sound from across the bend.

Through the opened door, Nao can't see any fresh guards charge at them from the stairway.

Eventually, the screams should stop, and once the sound dies away, Nao will determine it to be safe to emerge once more.

It takes the better part of two minutes.

"They'll run out of these guys eventually, I hope."

For that two minutes, Nao squats back against the wall, cupping her face with her hands and constantly massaging her temple.

"If they're smart, they'll all have run off by now," replies Nao. Her voice is flat.

"Smart? They're guards. Intelligence is not in the job deposition." She nods. "Anyway, let's move on. Arach takes the lead still, I guess."

"If they're stupid, and you got shot by them, what does that make you?"

Nao peers out either side of the corridor before emerging, and goes back to the T-junction.

Haruka thinks that Orihime is leering at her.

It makes her very lucky to have Mecha-Fujino, basically, but that's not much of a comeback. She scowls at her Child and turns her head away. "And no sass out of you, just follow Nao."

Bodies litter both ends, Nao sees. None move, though they're all still in one piece, if bloodied. She can't tell more without stopping by each one to check for vitals.

As Orihime follows Nao, Haruka can distinctly feel someone tracing their fingers lightly down her spine, agonizingly slowly.

Each new corridor before Nao ends in a reinforced door.

Haruka shudders. "Hey Nao, out of curiosity, does your Child ever behave...inappropriately?" Presumably the bodies lining the hall have nothing to do with Haruka's query.

Nao slowly trudges towards the door, briefly stopping to check the pulse of one of the soldiers.

"Haruka... it's the second time, today, that I've used him to fight," whispers Nao, peering through the window in the doorframe.

"That's not really what I meant," Haruka replies, quietly now that they're entering a new area.

There is a faint pulse on the soldier Nao stops by. Beyond the window, there is a row of similar doors, their distance from each other suggesting they lead into rooms. The corridor ends after seven such dorways.

No living soul can be seen beyond the door.

Something is nibbling on Haruka's left ear.

Hey! Mecha-Fujino didn't even have a mouth! How's that possible? "Stop messing with me," Haruka commands. "That's an *order*. We have an important job to do here."

It doesn't seem like there will be much reason to fear here, so Nao slits the door open with her claws and pushes it open.

"In the end, the Child does what I tell it to," she responds, heading through the door to peer at these other rooms. "Can you identify Higurashi?"

"Yes, it won't be a problem," Haruka says, still monitoring Orihime for any signs of insolence.

The first two rooms are empty, looking like they would fit in a psychiatric ward. The insides are sterile white, and appear padded. The third is similar, but Nao notices pictures hanging on the walls. It's difficult to discern then from the corridor.

Haruka confirms that Orihime still lacks a mouth. Its hands continue to hold her closely to its chest, and the Child follows Nao around as ordered. If only the damned nibbling would stop, too.

Arach stands guard at the intersection. It seems alert to Nao, but does not react to her advancing past the now-ruined door.

"Found anything, Nao?" Haruka asks, doing her best to ignore Orihime's rank insubordination.

Nao knocks briefly on the door. If no reaction is forthcoming, she slits this one open and heads inside. "Maybe."

The room is empty, no response forthcoming. Taking hold of the door's handle, Nao notices that this door is open, and there is no need to ruin the lock.

Nao bursts inside, rolling into the centre of the room and looking for inhabitants.

Nao is met with no resistance as she executes her plan.

The only things of note inside the room are the drawings taped to the walls. They all seem to be of a smiling boy with shaggy brown hair. The drawings feel like they've been made by a child.

Haruka motions Orihime to walk over to the door so that she can look inside and see what Nao's found.

Nao stares at them uselessly and then heads back outside, intending to check out the rest of the rooms.

Haruka is carried into the padded room at her request. It feels very comfortable, and she gets a strange urge to spend the rest of her life there.

The remaining four doors lead to rooms just like the first two, all barren.

There's the other side of the corridor to check out, then. Nao uses Arach to open the first door, though, and checks out the rest in succession. "There's still the second floor," she reminds Haruka, but her heart isn't in it.

Five more rooms are behind this door, equally empty. Unlike the other corridor, however, this one leads into a set of double doors much like the ones in the reception room.

Upon checking, only the third door at the other corridor was open. The rest of the rooms are locked away.

Haruka orders Orihime to take her back out of the room. "Nao...I think this was Higurashi's room. The drawings are blurry, but I remember her boyfriend had brown hair."

Haruka's sides are being tickled mercilessly. Unfortunately, she's feeling too nauseous to enjoy the ministrations.

"They must have taken her away when the alarm sounded," replies Nao, ordering Arach through these doors and trailing after him, picking up the pace.

"Yeah," Haruka says, squirming in her Child's grasp. "Unless we can find someone who knows where she went, and fast, we should retreat. I don't know much longer I'll be conscienscious."

"-oi, don't fall asleep! I can't just have your Child carry you into the ER, you know!"

"Right. I hate to say it, but we might need to leave now, then."

Nao moves past Arach, no bullets greeting them as they cross the threshold. The chamber is large, and resembles an operating room. A hospital bed dominates its center, a variety of instruments which see entirely high-tech even for surgeons surrounding it.

A girl in a blue hospital gown is seated on the bed. She has short brown hair and reddish eyes that seem a bit dull to Nao as she turns its head to stare in the red-head's direction -- but that could be the fault of the emergency lighting meddling with the regular illumination.

Haruka steals a glance down the hall, at the room Arach's entering. "Wait a mi--I think that's her!"

Beyond the bed, there is another exit from the room. It resembles the locked door at the T-shaped intersection.

Nao rushes over to the girl, crouching next to her. "Akane? Higurashi Akane?" she asks, trying to force some cheer into her voice. No matter what, this trip hasn't been a total waste, then.

Arach blurs, reappearing before Nao halfway towards the girl. It feels more alert to Nao than at any other point during her assault on the base.

The girl on the bed tilts her head slightly, not reacting to Nao's words. "What was that, Kazu-kun?" she asks softly. "You want me to defeat her?" She jumps off the bed, reaching down, and a pair of large tonfa appear in her hands. "Alright, Kazu-kun. If it's for you."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Haruka is speechless for a moment. Then: "Whoa, Higurashi? We're here to *help* you, so it would be best for you to not attack us."

"He's not here, Akane. It's just us," replies Nao, in a low voice. "Fighting isn't... good."

"I was afraid of fighting, too," Akane says, looking at Nao and Haruka. Her eyes seem dull, lifeless. "But then, one day, Mai-chan gave me courage. Kazu-kun accepted me for what I am."

"Akane, did Mai also tell you that it would be a bad idea to fight your classmates? Because it totally is."

Mai? Nao is going to have to have words with Mai about this, later.

"Right. Mai is your friend, right? She wouldn't want this," adds Nao, doing her very best to be soothing. "Let's... go back to Fuuka, okay?"

"Go back to Fuka..." Akane says quietly, before her head tilts once again. "I'm sorry, Kazu-kun. I won't leave you!" she promises, showing emotion for the first time.

Arach presses against Nao, pushing her back.

"We'll just bring him with us!" Haruka says hurriedly. "Right?"

Nao doesn't resist her Child's urges, backing away from the unpredictable girl. She nods at Haruka's words, but dread wells up in her regardless.

"No! I won't let you take him!" Akane yells. "HARRY!"

A beast materializes before her, twin turbines welded horrifically to its back. They begin to whirl ominously.

Haruka thinks the Child has a disctinctive green tint.

That's it. If she's gonna live in a dreamworld, Haruka will have to push her into a different hallucination! "Akane Higurashi! In the name of the Executive Committee, I demand that you stand down this instant! Students fighting is strictly against the rules of conduct of Fuka Academy and you WILL be held accountable for breaking if you precede with violence here. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"You're... what happened to you?" blurts out Nao, even has her claws spike from her fingers and she makes ready to attack herself, ignoring Haruka's tirade.

"I'm talking SERIOUS detention here, Higurashi!" Granted, this whole tirade would likely be more impressive if Haruka could walk on her own.

"Harry... eat them."

The whispered command might be lost in the torrent of Haruka's yells, although a Hime's ears pick it up easily enough. It helps that the alarm is no longer blaring; when did it stop?

Akane's Child, a fierce feline the size of bison, leaps at the closest being it recognizes as an enemy -- Arach!

"ARACH!" screams Nao, and her strings fly forth to wrap around the unnatural tiger's leg, dragging it away as to ironically protect her guardian.

Nao herself runs to the right with terrible reflexes, every hurried step leaving a dent in the floor.

"Great, just great," Haruka bitches. "Orihime? I need Higurashi immobilized as quickly as possible. Not hurt, just make sure she can't do anything to us. Set me down in a corner somewhere if you have to." She summons her mace--she can at least fend off anyone moving towards her, if not really FIGHT.

Nao weaves a web of red from her claws to Harry's legs, using all her strength to redirect it to the right. In that, she fails, just as she finds herself unable to cut through the beast's appendages. An unexpected result of her actions, however, is tying both of the massive tiger's front paws together just as Arach slams a limb into the beast's head. The limb breaks with a metallic tearing sound, but Harry topples on its side as a result.

There is a rustling; it is Arach, Nao realizes. Her Child is the source of the noise, and it doesn't make a follow-up attack.

Orihime flows around Haruka's body, the crossed arms it cradles Haruka in becoming liquid and covering the blonde in a sheaf of bronze-tinted see-through metal. Her vision is distorted, but still serviceable enough in close quarters. There is a leap -- Haruka flies through the air. Over Harry, a bit off to the tiger's side, and she can see the twin whirlwinds sucking in the very light near them like miniature black holes. Orihime's outline distorts as it passes near Harry, some of the same liquid bronze making up its body being sucked into the nearest turbine.

But then Orihime has made its way through, and reforms into a humanoid form again. Its hair lashes out, clashing with Akane's tonfa in showers of sparks. The other Hime manages to defend against the attack, but she only has two arms while Orihime's attacking hairs split and flow and split again, ever-increasing the pressure on the brown-haired girl. Now at close quarters with her, Haruka realizes to her shock that Akane's eyes truly are dead, unseeing.

Haruka might have her hangups. But Nao doesn't. "We can't fight like that, Haruka! With Hime, it's kill or be killed!" she shouts, lunging towards Harry's exposed stomach while the whirlwinds are directed elsewhere, and shoving her ten-inch claws into any gaps she can find!

Haruka isn't going to kill anyone if she doesn't have to. ...Although from the looks of things, Akane's already gone. "Akane isn't the only one that dies if you do that, Nao! Remember?" Maybe the Child can be...bargained with, even if its master cannot? "Child of Akane Higurashi, 'Harry!' Stand down or Orihime WILL strangle your master to death!"

"Better him than me!" snarls Nao.

Nao's claws bounce off the tiger Child's stomach with a dull clang. The worst part about the attack, however, is the pain. Nao once had a nail torn off, in an accident, but this feels like all ten of them on her hands had suffered the same fate.

Arach sends a torrent of some foul-smelling web at the topmost turbine on the downed tiger's back. Nao is close enough to see it slow down, turning erratically now as it tries to cut through the webs clogging it up.

Orihime keeps on scaling up its attack, and Akane is now pushed back, the hospital bed's metal supports groaning and then snapping free of the ground, the contraption crashing backwards. Akane's forehead creases with the efforts, but her eyes never show any intelligence within them.

At Haruka's words, Harry struggles anew, and the wire holding his front legs togehter snaps, Nao no longer holding it tight together.

"Dammit. Orihime. I need her down for the count, NOW. If she's still alive afterwards, that's a bonus, but I need her to stop fighting immediately."

The claws had to have trouble with what most needed breaking. But there's more than one way to skin a cat, and Nao pounces back, intent on tying up all of it's legs, this time.

Rather than bashing against Akane's tonfa and keeping her occupied and on the defensive, Orihime's hair ties itself against the weapons, and pulls away sharply. Akane is strung in the air like a doll, crucified, wet pops sounding from her joints. She doesn't remains hanging long, however, as Orihime follows up by cleanly slicing through the exposed flesh of her arms, just above the palms.

The girl crashes back down, hospital gown splattered with her own blood, only to be impaled by Orihime shoving one of its reformed hands through her chest.

The blow avoids the heart, Haruka can tell that much, as well as any other vital organ, since Akane still draws breath.

Harry pounces at Orihime's back, shredding it mercilessly with its claws. Nao and Arach, working together, make use of its distraction. The beast's turbines have trouble working, one due to blunt damage to it and another from Arach's attack, and nothing is there to prevent Hime and Child from tying it up in a web so strong it cannot rip itself free from.

Nao's hands can't stop jittering. She clenches her fists to try and stop them, and to hold the web in place, and stares at Haruka's Child with what could be any of fear, respect, relief or awe.

Swallowing, she tries to speak. "Yeah. That's real better," she affects, determined to sound callous.

Haruka can only hope that Orihime wasn't severely damaged by that last-ditch attack. It's not like she can ask her Child and get a response, after all.

"That's it, we're getting out of this nuthouse. It looks like Orihime can walk me out and carry Higurashi...but I don't know what we could do with her once we get back to civilization anyway."

"Are you nuts? I can't hold her Child forever, and you cut off her fucking hands, Suzushiro! She'll come after you!"

Harry continues struggling, though the rate at which Arach can supply fresh adhesive exceeds the tiger Child's ability to cut through it. In such a state, Nao finds herself just able to hold it in place, but even she is human and would need to rest eventually.

"I know," Haruka says solemly. "And I'm not sure there's anything left of Higurashi in there anyway. ...Orihime? Finish her. Make it quick and as painless as possible."

Orihime's hand withdraws from Akane's chest, before sinking anew into the wounded girl's body before she had a chance to fall down. Akane is dead before Orihime's limb even exited from the back of the girl's head.

Harry lets out a keening wail.

Nao stares at Haruka for a long moment, and then at Harry's entangled form.

The weight of everything suddenly catches up to her, and she leans a hand against Arach, starting to breath heavily. "You know the deal," she manages. "We didn't have another choice, right?"

"That's what I'm telling myself, yeah." Haruka will worry about the ramifications of this later. Right now, it would only complicate the business of getting out safely. "You think that John Smith knew this would happen when he sent us here?"

The web holding Harry burns, as it ignites with bright green flames. It never stops its animalistic cries, not even when most of its body is gone.

At least, that's what Nao sees. Haruka can only watch in confusion as the web holding Harry down disintegrates slowly, freeing the beastly Child!

"I don't know," replies Nao, after the fact, wandering over to the sides of the room and looking over the equipment for anything... recognizable. "Maybe.

He's the only source of leads we had..."

She kicks a nearby wall. "You're gonna need to get to a hospital. I don't know what's going to happen then. The cops will ask about the bullet. They'll ask why you came way out here. Fuck, we won't have time to waste with all that shit."

"Well, the four of us are going to have a good, long chat with him when we get back to town. ...And if the cops find out about just this much, we'll have to tell them everything. I'd almost rather see the nurse at Fuka--I know she's not as qualified to treat bullet wounds, and it is my health we're talking about here, but at least I'm sure we can trust her."

The hospital bed and the immediate equipment near it are irrevokably damaged, as far as Nao can tell. On closer inspection, it had restraints on it -- in just the right places for a girl of Akane's size, she realizes. Nao feels quite certain in this knowledge, in fact.

Harry shakes off the rest of the burning web, and turns towards Haruka. Its jaws open, letting loose a mighty roar of anger and loss, and it leaps at the blonde!

"Oh sh--" Wasn't it supposed to die along with its Hime? Nothing here makes any sense. "Orihime, dodge!"

Nao pulls a sheet from the bed, and drapes it over Akane's body, kneeling down next to it.

"Was she like this when she came here? Or did they twist her mind, somehow-"

At Haruka's voice, Nao's head snaps up, and she darts aside herself, looking for an opponent.

Orihime flows across the floor, moving away from the attacking beast. The liquid Child's speed is less than before, but still enough to safely take Haruka away from the tiger, and from Arach and Nao.

Nao briefly asesses the situation, and stares at Haruka. "What the hell are you doing, Suzushiro? There's nothing here but us."

Nao speaks, but the tiger roars again, louder than before, drowning out her words. It prepares to strike again, and its left turbine seems to be returning to a semblance of working order.

"The tiger, it's up again!" She readies Orihime to make a flying leap whenever the beast jumps at her, hoping her Child can jab at something vital in Harry's head as it passes beneath her.

Watching Orihime and Haruka prance about the room is disturbing to Nao, to say the least. Does everyone brought here go mad?

"Stop it, Suzushiro! We don't have time to play around! You're injured! We need to finish searching this place and get out!" she yells, directing Arach to start leaving the room through the other side, intending to follow after he clears anyone behind the door.

At Arach's movements, Harry switches targets, and leaps at the monstrous spider's unprotected back! Orihime remains unmoving.

"Nao, what the--?" How can she just walk away like that? There's a killer monster in the room! ...Right? Haruka shakes her head. Is the creature still there?

Maybe it's the massive blood loss at work here. "I'm not going crazy here. I'm NOT." Maybe Orihime can be relied upon more than Haruka's own senses? It's worth finding out. "Orihime, if Nao's in danger, protect her!"

"You ARE going crazy, and I am NOT in danger already!" replies Nao, turning to scream directly at Haruka. "Get a grip, Executive Officer Suzushiro Haruka! Or do you want to wind up in the asylum?"

Orihime's hair shoots off in Nao's direction!

"Call her off, for god's sake, Haruka! I don't know what'll happen if you don't, but it won't be pretty!" yells Nao, diving to the side, away from the awful, arm-severing hair.

Orihime's hair tendrils impact against the ground all around the spot Nao had just been occupying, gouging deep marks in it. Harry backs off at the last moment with a whine, looking at them warily.

Haruka grits her teeth--how can she not trust her own eyes? But wouldn't Nao KNOW if something was attacking her? ...Alright. Haruka closes her eyes and calls back Orihime. "Stop! Just...follow Nao, okay? Don't harm her or Arach under any circumstances. ...And Nao, we need to leave this place, imminently."

Rather than retrieving the hair, the rest of Orihime's body flows towards it.

"That thing does exactly what you say, Haruka, don't be so flippant. And... augh, I know!" she adds, stalking after Arach towards what lies beyond the door.

"I just want to see if there's anything more."

The door's lock is nothing against Arach's might. The room has no other exits.

A woman and a man, both in their thirties and wearing white lab coats, are crouching behind a large desk. Atop said desk, there are several computers, each with a pair of monitors or more. A metal cabinet in a room's corner completes the room's decor.

"Come out. Hands on head," orders Nao, flatly. "I'm in charge. Do as I say and I won't kill you both for what just happened in the room behind me."

They follow Nao's orders to the letter, remaining silent.

Haruka decides to let Nao take the lead here, as she's starting to conclude that, for whatever reason, she can't trust her own senses right now.

Now that she has them, Nao isn't exactly sure what to do with them.

"You two are doctors, correct? What were you trying to do here?" she demands, narrowing her eyes. "I require a good explanation from you."

"If anything happens to us, the Elders would never forget it," the man speaks up. His bravery feels faked to Nao, who is able to taste his fear as a tangible thing. "We're here on... on direct orders from them. The research being done here falls under their jurisdiction!"

"WE don't fall under their jurisdiction, and we're PISSED," Haruka scoffs. "Try harder."

Nao raises her claws to her lips, licking the edge of them slightly. Audiable clicking sounds can be heard as she flexes her knuckles.

"Consider this a hostile takeover."

The gestures reminds Nao of the pain at her fingertips.

"You could never go against the Obsidian Lord!" the researcher cries out. "He will destroy you all, and recreate Japan in its image! We'll be the chosen few at his side!"

"Arach, he's annoying. Tie him up."

The man startles, but he doesn't get a chance to do much more. Arach envelopes him in web strands from head to toe. A small space is left for the mouth, and Arach pauses, turning its head to look at Nao.

Nao smiles, and then glances at the woman instead. "Perhaps you would care to speak more plainly?" she asks, hopefully.

Perhaps she is. The male researcher's screams put that on hold, however, making her pale and clam up.

Nao wanders over and rolls him over. "Shut up, ingrate. Now, I'll ask again- what were you trying to accomplish here?"

"A controllable Hime. A weapon," the woman says curtly, visibly composing herself. She pushes her glasses slightly up the bridge of her nose, straightening up. "It was going quite well, too, until you two showed up."

"How did you capture a Hime without her will?"

"I don't look a gift horse in the mouth. That's how she got here, and I don't know more than that."

"Controllable? You turned her into a lunatic?" Haruka exclaims.

"She was quite lucid, thank you," the woman reacts icily to Haruka's outburst.

"Emphasis on was."

"What about her most important person? Did you capture him, too?"

"So, we just...killed...oh, that is it. That is IT. Give me one good reason I shouldn't have Orihime disassemble both of you right this second?"

She smirks. "Our best achievement, the one leading to the big breakthrough. Yes, we captured it."

The smirk disappears at Haruka's words, replaced by a terrible scowl. "I don't see a reason to dance to your tune, you freak. Both of you! What can a normal human do against the likes of you? How can we defend ourselves? I've seen just now how you treat your own kind." Her face twists in disgust. "Dismembering a regular person me probably comes even easier to Hime! There are no qualms, are there? Just the clear certainty of righteousness?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest, tapping her foot rapidly against the ground. "Hmph. Unlike that fool I know we're dead already. But there's something you should know. We can fight back, even if it costs us a lot in manpower. This facility might fall, but it's not the only one that would make a difference in this war. In the end, I'll be the one with the last laugh!"

"You... I spared them all. I spared every single soldier here. Haruka got SHOT because I wanted to SPARE your WORTHLESS FUCKING LIVES!"

The woman doesn't look especially convinced by Nao's words, staring at her with derision. The fear is there as well, quite present, but she almost seems past it.

"I've tried to avoid hurting people every step of the way! I've done everything possible to avoid killing ANYONE, but somehow people keep interfering, and nudging every saturation towards violence. What I WANT is to protect Fuka and all the students there. It's people like YOU that won't let me do my job. You have no one but yourselves to blame for us being here."

"Yes. Because we've invaded Fuka and hamstrung a bunch of your staff and then threatened to kill the rest at gunpoint. Slipped my mind, that."

"Oh, I don't have a gun," Haruka says, ominously.

"Oh, good for you," the scientist says flatly.

She makes a motion to look at her hand, where a watch would normally be. "Are you going to be killing or otherwise horribly torturing me, now, or can I go?"

Haruka grinds her teeth. "I'm still thinking. Tell us about this Obsidian Prince first."

"Every second you waste with us is one you could be using to prevent people out there becoming cripples for life, doctor. If you're going to pretend you care, answer our questions."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[16:43] "Hmph. What about the Obsidian Lord?"
[16:44] "Where is he?"
[16:44] Haruka rolls her eyes. "You could tell us who he is, also."
[16:46] The woman mirrors Haruka's expression, looking angry with herself afterwards. "In Fuka. He leads our country to glory and riches, not that you two would care about any of that patriotism crap."
[16:47] "Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you're the pawns being sanctified, patriotism looks a whole lot different. So, what does this Prince look like?"
[16:48] "Sacrificed," mutters Nao, wandering around the room and inspecting the contents, idly tossing aside stuff that doesn't seem relevant.
[16:49] "I can't talk to this one," the scientist addresses Nao, shifting so that she is facing her directly while snubbing the blonde. "She's mangling my intellect by breathing. And is bleeding all over my clean floor."
[16:49] The latter part is an exaggeration; while Haruka's clothes and bandages are soaked with blood, she's not leaving puddles of it over the floor as she travels.
[16:50] "Who. Is. The. Obsidian. Lord."
[16:50] "Yeah, well I'm sorry your soldiers SHOT me for trying to find out who kidnapped one of my classmates. Next time I'll just roll over and DIE, okay?"
[16:51] "Don't tell me that's his whole name."
[16:52] The woman appears to struggle with her temper, before her eyes brighten at Nao's follow up. "Why, yes. That is the name I know him by. We don't exactly hang out after work. Or even met each other. I'm sure his closest friends call him Jiro or Sanada or Bob, but I'm not one of them."
[16:54] Haruka wanders over to the computers. Not that she's any good with them, but she may as well see what she can find while Nao's talking with the woman.
[16:54] "How are you intending to control us HiME?" Nao glances back into the room outside. "Where are the others?"
[16:57] Upon touching the nearest mouse, the screensaver on a pair of the closest monitors -- floating fish, of all things -- turns off, replaced by a password prompt.
[16:57] "Controlling you is easy enough," the scientist tells Nao with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ironically, it happens through the unnatural link you have to another. It goes both ways, although I bet neither of you expected that."
[16:59] "Hey, Miss Scientist, what's the password here?"
[17:00] "Hime must die. In one word."
[17:00] Haruka scowls, but types it in.
[17:01] That doesn't appear to be the right password. The woman laughs.
[17:01] Nao sits on the table and crosses her legs across the bench. "Just what do you think we are, anyway? A HiME kill your goldfish or something?"
[17:02] "Is that case sensitive?" Haruka asks, oblivious to any mockery.
[17:04] "I think you're a bunch of freaks with no inhibitions running around and doing as you please, not thinking about us real people one bit. And the one who happens to be the most ruthless of the bunch ends up being the Obsidian Lord's bride and dictates our lives for a few centuries until the circle repeats."
[17:04] Chuckling at Haruka's question, she says, "It just might be. Why don't you try all the permutations?"
[17:07] Haruka whips around to glare at the woman. "Wow, teenagers behaving unpredictably? Who would have imagined something like that could EVER happen? Listen, try to magine a REAL PERSON like yourself, in high school, being told you have to kill your friends and marry someone you've never met. I'm sure you'd handle it REAL well." Haruka crashes her mace into the monitor out of sheer frustration.
[17:08] The woman doesn't react to the destruction of her property. "Ah, yes, the good old way to hack into a computer."
[17:09] "Is that was this is about, then? You're going to have your mind-controlled HiME win, thus allowing you to dictate the course of the world?"
[17:10] "Why, yes!" she says, showing surprise. "That is exactly my plan. The Obsidian Lord's on our side and all, but it's a marriage of convenience. Why should we remain eternal second strings to him?"
[17:10] Haruka stalks over to the woman (or, rather, has Orihime do it). "Look, none of us CHOSE to take part in this stupid 'festival!' You guys DID choose to play with the lives of schoolgirls like it was your god-given right. If anyone here is accountable for being out of control, it's you people."
[17:10] "Haruka, shut up."
[17:11] "Nao, how can you put up with this creep?"
[17:11] The scientist looks amused by the apparent discord.
[17:11] Nao receives mail.
[17:15] Nao starts checking her phone. "Look, it's the same for us. Playing this sick game to marry some freak. All I want is to find a way to end this stupid festival once and for all. You get me? If that's done, then I won't need this power anymore." She glances at the scientist before reading the message. "You understand me?"
[17:19] She shrugs. "I almost had the means to do that within my grasp, and now they're splattered all over the floor next door. You'll understand why I'm not terribly sympathetic." A level look is directed at Haruka, next. "Every kid has their future planned out for them by something -- their parents, the world, you name it. Not all get the nice, cushy life. Cry me a river."
[17:19] The message is brief, and reads, 'Get out of there.'
[17:33] "Haruka, we're leaving," announces Nao, after a short pause, and she jumps on Arach's back, and briefly glances back at the scientist. "As promised, I won't kill you. But I find it hard to be sympathetic, too. Your way would still have me six feet under- or at least a dozen others."
[17:34] "If you're serious, find another way, and tell me." She snorts. "But I'm not expecting much. Arach, get me out of here."
[17:35] The scientist snorts, herself, as the spider Child picks up Nao and scampers out through the door.
[17:36] Haruka can only assume something important was in that message. She's not going to take chances, given the tone in Nao's voice. "Alright." She turns to the scientist before leaving, unable to restrain her vindictiveness any longer. "Orihime? Knock this bitch out. Then follow Nao."
[17:37] A hateful glare is Haruka's reward, but that's all the woman can manage before a tendril shoots out of Orihime's body, slamming into the side of her head and sends the scientist flying into a cluster of monitors. She doesn't move after crashing through them on the table.
[17:37] Orihime travels after Nao obediently.
[17:45] Once outside of the facility, Arach proceeds to retreat on a straight course towards where their cab once parked. Orihime follows, and the difference in their relative velocities becomes apparent; At full speed, even without making any great leaps Nao had seen Arach execute, he travels so fast that Orihime is unable to keep up.
[17:45] The cab that took Nao and Haruka from Fuka isn't there, they discover upon getting close enough.
[17:45] Haruka hears a great roar coming from the sky, getting louder and louder in its anger.
[17:47] "Arach, pull up a moment! Haruka, get on!" calls Nao, reaching out to the blonde.
[17:48] Haruka was about to ask for that, and isn't about to utter a word of complaint. "Orihime: uh, demat..erialize? Yeah, that," she says, once she's safle aboard Arach.
[17:48] "Hold on," mutters Nao. "Arach, go, get us away from here."
[17:49] She dimly remembers those glittering green wings. "Fly, if you can."
[17:50] A mighty oriental dragon swoops down from the skies! Orihime flees before its presence, becoming a puddle and flowing to the ground, where the Child is absorbed. Arach proceeds to leap; the Child cannot remain flying, but its speed increases further, at the expense of banging its passengers against its body in a way that is sure to leave bruises.
[17:52] As long as it's faster than that dragon, Haruka is fine with a bumpy ride. Bruises are the least of her worries right now. "What the--who is that?" she says, glancing back.
[17:52] Nao grunts. "Just running's fine," she mutters, before staring back at the sky. "What the..."
[17:52] The dragon chooses that moment to breathe fire! The entire compound Nao and Haruka have just escaped is engulfed in its cleansing flames!
[17:53] "Holy--is that thing another Child?"
[17:54] Nao stares at the dragon, with no small degree of awe. "Must be." Suddenly, she starts to laugh. "God, what a waste of time."
[17:56] Arach continues to distance itself and its passengers from the area. Nao's phone rings again.
[17:56] Nao checks it. Good that even the middle of nowhere has coverage.
[18:02] The phone she had liberated from John Smith has yet to run into an area where it lacks coverage. The message this time is similar to the first one, with what must be coordinates. It is followed by another set of numbers, however, separated by dashes. The first four correspond to the present year, the next two to the month. 15T13:00 concludes the message.
[18:02] Meanwhile, Haruka sees the dragon soar away, before coming for another pass, fires blooming anew over what used to be the First District laboratory.
[18:04] Nao uses the GPS to figure out where this place is, because that's where she'll have to go.
[18:05] It is in Fuka, somewhere. She recognizes the geography. The location is somewhere in town near the mall, Nao believes.
[18:05] The dragon flies off, and does not return again.
[18:06] Haruka can only mutter "Wow," as she watches this mystery Child torch the lab. And Haruka was stressing out over killing ONE person. Whoever's behind that one is bad news for sure.
[18:07] "They really weren't that different from us. Scared to death of things they don't really understand."
[18:10] "Sure," Haruka says, not sounding very sympathetic towards the staff at that facility. "Nao, where are we going right now? Other than Away?"
[18:11] Arach is traveling down the road Haruka and Nao came through on their way to the facility. For now, the surroundings are barren, but they're bound to run into other people eventually.
[18:13] "We need to get you to a hospital. I need to get back to Fuka," replies Nao, using the GPS to check out possible travel options.
[18:14] Haruka grumbles a little--she's not too eager to go to an actual hospital. The doctors will undoubtedly contact the police once they notice the bullet wounds.
[18:15] "Look, we still get hurt and die like anyone else. Our freakiness is in all the wrong places."
[18:16] The area is mountainous, and the closest spot to rest and recover would be at a gas station twenty miles away. Arach could likely make its way there in under an hour, but the ride would be bumpy and clearly felt for days to come. Beyond that point, it would be possible to travel either towards the coast and find a settlement there, or proceed further inland.
[18:17] Haruka relents. "Alright, alright." At least if it's the hospital near Fuka, she's not likely to run into the local cops. She can probably talk her way out of whatever happens, then.
[18:25] They need to go to the coastal area- that's closer to Fuuka. Nao takes Arach in that direction. "Look, once we're close to this city, we'll call an ambulance and get them to pick you up. We can't just go in there on my Child's back, so that's how it's got to be. Unless there's a private surgeon around or something. Your family know anyone?"
[18:29] "Maybe." Haruka sighs. She probably can't afford to wait around for the best option, here. "The hospital's probably closer, though...let's just go."
[18:34] "Yeah. Look, get back to Fuuka and contact me when you're taken care of, alright? I'll see what else I can dig up." Nao pauses. "I don't know what you're going to have to tell the cops. Keep it quiet if you can. At the least, don't let them spread it all over the news."
[18:35] Nao plans to reach the outskirts of a settlement and use Haruka's phone to call emergency services, pulling in an ambulance. She'll loiter around to make sure it arrives, but vanish as it does and start making her own way after that (helping herself to any cash in Haruka's wallet, first, since she clearly needs it more.)
[18:41] Haruka's phone works in what is almost a refreshing change of pace from all the battles Nao had been part of. The contents of Haruka's wallet should let Nao travel wherever she wants twice over and have cash enough to spare to get through high school in a private high school of her choice.
[18:41] After calling emergecy services and hanging up on the operator, the relevant details delivered, Nao hides herself and sees an ambulance pull up by Haruka's side.
[18:43] Haruka glances up at the ambulance, doing her bes tto look like someone in dire need of first aid. Fortunately, this takes little effort on her part.
[18:44] The paramedics look shocked at the extent of her wounds; more than a few times their eyes are drawn towards the bloody bandages clumsily applied to Haruka's wounds.
[18:47] Less looking at the wounds, more treating them, thanks. Not that Haruka can really say that. She's playing the Shocked Speechless angle here; it'll make it easier to be vague when people ask questions later.
[18:48] Nao lurks, waits, and watches until the ambulance pulls away.
[18:49] They get to work with professionalism, placing Haruka on a gurney and into the back of the ambulance. An oxigen mask is placed over her nose and mouth, fastened behind Haruka's head. The ambulance begins driving off, siren blaring. One of the medics remains with Haruka in the back, slowly peeling away the bandages from her legs. Haruka starts to feel drowsy.
[18:50] It's all too easy to drift away in the back of the ambulance--and frankly, Haruka isn't inclined to resist anymore. It's been a long night, she's lost a lot of blood, and it's all starting to catch up with her. Surely a good nap would aid her recovery!
[18:53] Those are Haruka's last conscious thoughts.
[18:53] Once the ambulance had left, Nao stealthily heads into the town, liberating a coat and then using her newfound disguise to purchase some clean clothes for herself. No one impedes her during her impromptu shopping trip, or when she takes a train to a station near Fuka, close to the bridge connecting the island to the mainland.
[18:54] It is late in the morning when Nao finally returns to Fuka.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

After the train gets Nao as close as she'll ever get to Fuka, a bus is inconspicious enough to take her the rest of the way in, certainly more than a taxy even discarding recent events.

It takes her across the bridge again, and she spends the journey staring aimlessly out the window. It's reflective, summing up her present state of mind, and this is enough to ward off anyone trying to sit next to her.

One way or the other, public transport should take her fairly close to the hospital, and that's where she wants to go.

When Nao arrives at the hospital, it is late morning.

Visiting hours must be open, then. Nao heads for one of the hospital's many entrances, intending to find and visit Takumi's room today.

Takumi's room still has his name on him, so he is either in stable condition or recently vacated the room.

Nao knocks!

There's shuffling from the other side, before the door opens. Mai blinks in surprise at Nao, before pressing a finger to her lips swiftly. Behind her, Takumi is lying on his bed.

Nao looks surprised, too, before glancing over her shoulder. "We've got to talk," she whispers.

Mai nods at Nao, and waits for her to step aside so that she could exit to the corridor.

Nao steps aside, moving back to lean against the nearby wall (or even sit on a bench, if she's lucky.)

"I've got some news," she starts, quietly. "Most of it bad, but what can you do?"

"Not a lot, I suppose," Mai agrees sadly.

Nao's eyes drift away from Mai, at that, and she draws in breath.

"I raided a laboratory last night, this First District place way over in the middle of nowhere. They've found some way to control us via the poor saps we happen to give a damn about."

Mai looks horrified before Nao has even finished speaking.

"We barely got out alive, we left just before something set the whole place on fire," continues Nao, grimly. "Doesn't matter. They had that Higurashi girl there, and..."

Nao swallows, and starts looking around to see if anyone else could possibly hear them.

The corridor is empty. Nao and Mai seems to be the only visitors in the area.

Mai swallows visibly.

"...yeah, they duped her into fighting us. She kept thinking Kazuya was talking to her. We didn't have a choice but to... put her down. I questioned one of the scientists afterwards, and... do you know anything about the Obsidian Lord? Actually, where've you been the past few days?"

Mai has gone white throughout Nao's explanation. "I got a mail from Diana, about Natsuki being kidnapped again. Mikoto and I went to try and rescue her, but it was all a ruse. We... we destroyed that place. We had no choice! I didn't know you were there, or about Higurashi...."

The more she speaks, the more her sentences becomes runon, until Mai is reduced to babbling.

Nao tenatively reaches for Mai's shoulder, pausing for a moment and letting it drop. "That was you?" she asks, shaking her head. "You couldn't have known. Just.. take it easy. Have you eaten? Slept?"

Mai shakes. "Higurashi -- Oh god -- Akane-chan!? I... with these hands, I...."

It might be a change from Suzushiro, but Nao isn't sure that makes it easier to deal with. She does put her hands on Mai's shoulders now, almost as if she's scared of the older girl running off.

"It's not your fault, Mai! It's... the First District's fault. Besides, it wasn't you who killed her. You can't fall apart! *I need you.*"

Mai's eyes are needy when they look at Nao, and the younger girl is struck with the realization that the reverse might well be truer. "Diana!" Mai exlaims suddenly, latching onto the word. "Did she send you there as well?"

"No," replies Nao. "This Diana, I don't think she set me up for this. Just you. Who is she?"

"I don't know," Mai responds, shaking her head. "Her information was right the last time. And the location fit; Natsuki told me once it was an abandoned First District research lab."

Nao doesn't point out the obvious flaw, there. No doubt, Mai will realise the full implications of what she did later (preferably not right now.)

"How does she contact you? Phone?"

Mai nods. "My cell. I don't know how she has it -- or if it's a she, really. But with a name like that? It's just easier to place a face to it."

"I'm guessing she didn't leave behind a handy return number," mutters Nao.

"Alright. Why'd you end up just blowing the place away? Did you get attacked yourself? Tell me how the whole thing went, because even if she set you up, Natsuki's still nowhere to be found, and I can't think of a more likely suspect than the First District."

"We flew there with Kagutsuchi, because it was the easiest way. I don't really know where Natsuki gets all her things like boats and stuff, so we didn't have much choice. It was supposed to be abandoned, but it clearly wasn't, once we got close enough. There were lights and everything, so Diana had to be right! But everything went wrong! They were ready for us and there was all the shooting and Mikoto wanted to jump down to attack them and she was moving so much and she got from out of the shield and got shot and then I got angry really angry and I called for Kagutsuchi--!"

Mai stops abruptly, dropping her head. "I'm always like this. I go somewhere half-heartedly, and then I try to control Kagutsuchi, and I always end up regretting it. Because I can't, and he always burns everything. Just like I asked him to. I'm a terrible person."

"The lights were on because I'd already broken in by then. But they'd kept them all off beforehand, and they're not nice people anyway, frankly, so I don't think you're terri- Mikoto got shot?"

Nao isn't sure if she should be shocked, if her heart should be in her throat, or if she should be angry.

"She's okay!" Mai exclaims quickly, perhaps a bit louder than Nao would've liked. "It looked really bad but it actually wasn't when I checked her afterwards."

"Suzushiro got shot, too," mutters Nao. "It looked really bad and I didn't think to check her, so.. so I put her on an ambulance. God knows how that's going."

"How did you get away?" Mai asks, biting on her lower lip.

"My Child runs pretty fast. We went to one of the coastal towns," explains Nao. "After the doctors took Haruka away, I caught the train back here. She should call me when she gets a chance, but... I really don't know what's going to happen. Where's Mikoto now?"

Mai looks doubtful, but confusion is the dominating expression on her features. "Why did you take Haruka-san with you?" she asks Nao, and her voice carries the undertone of accusation.

"She's a HiME, too. Sorry, I should've said so earlier."

Mai laughs, with just a touch of histeria. "I wonder who else I know, and has just been hiding it all this time. Maybe Aoi-chan and Chie-chan, too? But then, it's not like I told anyone, either...."

Nao slumps back against the wall. Unable to keep her demeanour up forever, her own voice cracks, slightly. "Yeah. It's not the easiest thing to talk about."

"Mikoto is being examined," Mai says tiredly several moments later, and then she chuckles again. "I had to tell her I won't like her anymore if she didn't stay with the doctors. She can be such a kid sometimes."

"Ah, the secret of bathing her is revealed. What did you tell the doctors?"

"It looks like a really bad bruise." Mai frowns, now. "I really did think it was more serious, but in the end I just dressed her in fresh clothes and just told them some story about falling badly at the jungle gym. I don't know if they bought it." Mai shrugs. "If Mikoto tells them the truth, they actually might, because flying children and fire and armed, secret shadow groups? Yeah.

"She might've regenerated. Chalk it up to whatever other weird stuff we've got," replies Nao, though she suddenly seems irritated. "Anyway. You said you didn't know who might be a HiME? I've got some idea. Have you got any idea where Sugiura is?"

"Midori-chan?" Mai thinks about it. "She was really busy working on something. Her thesis, I think. She's been into it for a long time, too! When I asked her about going to rescue Natsuki, either time, she just said she was busy and, well, pretty much slammed the door in my face."

Mai waves her hands in front of her in panic. "But Midori-chan is not a bad person! She was just really troubled by something, and I saw she wasn't really paying attention. It would've been dangerous to take her along like that."

"As long as it's not a thesis on the moral questions raised by the Highlander series, I'm fine with that," replies Nao, but she seems troubled regardless. "But is now really the time for academia?"

Mai shrugs helplessly.

Nao is silent again for a few moments, and she yawns, despite herself- not having slept properly for a while is taking it's toll.

"I've got a question, it's a bit weird. But do you have a sense that, somehow, we've gone through all this before?"

"No," Mai answers instantly.

"Right. Well. I do. And I don't think it went well." Nao rubs her head. "Flashbacks and stuff."

Mai merely shrugs, looking away.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"This doesn't even sound crazy like the rest of it, but I'm certain there's some loophole in this festival. And this isn't just some idle hope," continues Nao, rolling her eyes to the dull hospital lighting.

"In the memories I can't recall, or known by the First District, or the Obsidian Lord himself. Really, he's the key to it all, if I could find out who he actually was. I've heard from two places that whoever wins this thing winds up stuck with him, and together they reshape the world."

"Oh?" Mai asks. Her voice trembles.

"I don't know if he just uses our power like a shovel, or if it's mutually decided between us. Hell, for all I know, the HiME might be the one calling the shots. I doubt it and don't want to find out that way. He's at the crux of the festival and I mean to find him before it ends." Nao's voice picks up speed as she talks, almost fanatical in it's approach.

"That's my goal for now. I've had other flashbacks. I just don't know what they mean. That Miyu girl, I saw a vision of her in some tank. You've dealt with her, haven't you? Do you know why she might be important?"

"Miyu...." Mai closes her eyes. "She is some sort of cyborg serving Alyssa-chan. I didn't get to see it too well firsthand, but she had some sort of weird power that blocked ours. She cut Natsuki's bullets in half-- but not like Mikoto! It was really different, like they... disintegrated or something. Miyu is very, very dangerous."

"Ah. I wish I could say why I know she's important, but..."

Nao resists the urge to spit, settling for clenching her wrist. "It's like walking through a swamp, or a maze. I should be able to get some more information tomorrow- I'm going to be going after the top First District people, if I can work out where they are."

Mai looks bothered by Nao's plans, but if she has any objections, she keeps them to herself.

"What are you going to do?"

"Right now? Wait on Mikoto's clean bill of health. Spend some time with my brother. Search for Diana." Mai sighs. "In that order, I think. It might be delaying the inevitable, but it's not all that easy for me. Accepting this situation. I mean, this time, I know-- when I go find Diana, I have to be prepared in advance. To fight. So I won't be able to make excuses afterwards. And I think I need a bit more time for that, you know? A last memory of normalcy, maybe? I don't even know myself for certain."

"Normalcy, huh..." mutters Nao. It wouldn't be right to call her green with envy, but she's still slightly jealous. She puts that aside, though, and reaches to squeeze Mai's hand.

"Well, just remember that you don't have to fight alone, alright? We all want the same thing, here."

"Do we, Nao?" Mai asks suddenly. "That time with Mikoto made me realize something. If... if I were at that situation again, and someone very close to me could be shot, could be dead... I wouldn't let it happen. I would do anything to stop that, to save them." She laughs self-deprecatingly. "Many people would say that, I'd bet, about their families and their loved ones. But many people don't have a Child to back it up with."

Mai looks depressed as she asks, looking at Nao, "Aren't you like that, too? Do you have the strength to try and work things out, if we end up on different sides? I'm not sure I do."

Nao is hardly an example of cheer herself. Fingers press into the wall, scraping it slightly.

"I told you, didn't I? That I don't have mercy on people who attack me?" Nao's eyes are downcast, and she lacks the conviction of her previous statements to this effect. "Things aren't as simple as I thought they were then. But it's all I've got. I can't work things out with Kagutsuchi. I just don't want to have to fight other Hime in the first place. I'll never buy into this festival. Because that's the only way I can see us fighting. Killing."

She steps away from the wall, turning to face Mai down the hall.

"Nobody wins if we fight. You'll end up hurting people you care about one way or the other. Even if I came out on top of the festival after that, I'd never forgive myself. It's the same for you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mai responds, sighing. "But for Takumi... even if I have to become a demon, I'll protect him with all I've got. Because it's my fault he's like that, and that never forgiving business? It's all true."

Nao wants to scream. He's already dead! He died once already, and it's probably because of this kind of attitude!

"What about Mikoto?" she finds herself saying.

Mai frowns at the question. "Do you want me to list all the people I would fight for? Dammit, yes, Mikoto too!"

"You say you're going to fight for Takumi and Mikoto? Let's say you win. The other girls are left in a broken, weeping pile of angst behind you, and only you and Mikoto are left. What do you do? Only one Hime can win the festival, they say."

An unreadable expression comes over Mai's face, before she breathes in deeply, visibly struggling to control herself. "You said you'll have some new information tomorrow," she says instead, her tone carefully neutral. "Talk to me afterwards, and I'll give you my answer. You'll know where to find me."

"Yeah, tomorrow," replies Nao. "I've got an entire day to kill before then, and I'm done talking about this business. Right."

She makes a visible effort to try and smooth her face over, and adopt a more calm demeanour. "Any idea when they'll be done with Mikoto?"

At the mention of the younger girl, Mai smiles despite herself. "If I know her, it won't be long now." She suddenly looks worried. "I hope she doesn't run away, though."

"Well, then we shall be duty-bound to catch her."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Contrary to Mai's worries, Mikoto doesn't come bounding over, half-dressed and leading nurses and doctors alike on a merry chase. Instead, one of the nurses comes up to Mai for a brief conversation. Standing reasonably nearby, Nao surmises that Mikoto is ready to be released, pending hospital bureaucracy. Mai is needed for signing some sort of forms.

"Is it alright if I go and see her while you're getting her signed off?" Nao asks, glancing at the nurse.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, alright?" Mai responds.

"I'll try and keep her restrained for you."

Nao steps off towards Mikoto's ward, setting aside her worries about herself (courtesy of Mai) for the time being.

With the directions Nao receives before setting off, she makes the trip without getting lost along the way. In a matter of minutes, Nao spots Mikoto down the corridor she had entered. The smaller girl is glaring at a pair of young doctors that almost seem afraid of her.

"Hiya! Are you alright?" asks Nao of everyone in the room.

All three are visibly relieved to see the red-head.

"Nao!" Mikoto exclaims, leaping into her arms. The distance is a good dozen feet.

"That's a yes, then," remarks Nao with a start, catching Mikoto and swinging her around. "Really, running off to have fun without me. What were you thinking?" she asks, lugging the girl back down the hall.

The swing allows Nao to keep her balance and look good while doing it, too.

"It wasn't fun," Mikoto says, not sounding as cheery as earlier.

Nao manages to set Mikoto down again, and mirrors Mikoto's expression. "Mmm. Mai told me," she replies, quietly. "I was really worried when the two of you vanished. Let me know when you're going out like that from now on, alright?"

"Mai didn't want to bother Nao because Nao forgot a lot of stuff," Mikoto says, looking up at the Nao's face.

"I remembered some things lately," replies Nao, seriously. "It might've been better if I didn't, but I did, and it's like you said. We should fight together from now on."

Mikoto nods solemnly.

As the two round a corner, they spot Mai. There either weren't a lot of forms, or Mai was that eager to be reunited with Mikoto. She waves, approaching.

There'd probably be a lot more if they'd figured it was a gunshot, so Nao puts her mind at ease, waving back at Mai. "Mai agrees, don't you, Mai?" she adds, brightly.

"Huh? What?" Mai asks, looking confused.

Mikoto smiles, nodding firmly. "Yup!"

"That we should go and eat together. My treat. We can afford to go somewhere nice, too," replies Nao, tapping her pocket. "If Mikoto is up to it, of course," she adds, glancing askance at the girl.

Mai is hesitant. "That money... I mean, about it...." She finally lets out a quiet sigh. "Where did it come from, Nao?"

Mikoto is blissfully ignorant of her friend's troubles, her eyes closed as an expression of ecstasy spreads her face. It is unclear she heard anything mentioned after the suggestion to eat.

"Suzushiro. The girl is so rich it's almost disgusting. I could probably buy a country with this kind of money," replies Nao. "Natsuki gave me some, too, before she.. you know."

"I'm sorry--" Mai begins to apologize, reddening, before Natsuki's name is mentioned. She stops instantly, looking down. "Yes," she says a short while afterwards, her voice subdued. "Maybe we should go eat something together."

Nao heads out of the hospital, planning closer to a downtown area and finding a decent place to relax for a moment.

"What, where'd you think I got it?" asks Nao, raising an eyebrow.

Mai throws Mikoto a panicked look. "Umm, well...."

Nao blinks for a moment, and coughs.

"Uh. Well. I don't do that anymore," she replies, breaking into a quick stride and pulling away from the other two.

"I'm sorry!" Mai apologizes again, running up to Nao to catch up with her. "I'm stuck in the past and I shouldn't. You've been nothing but nice to me, to everyone, and I really shouldn't be suspicious. I'll try to do better from now on, alright?"

The urge to gut the hypocrite is as strong as it is sudden. There she goes, putting on a facade again. The great mediator. Her hands are the most bloodstained of them all!

Nao glances away from Mai for a moment, so the girl won't see the furious look that spreads across her features, or her shivering clenched fist that itself flickers with dark metal.

She must have been silent a moment too long by the time she forces the words out. "It's fine, Mai. The past is far behind us, and I'm just glad I can talk to someone, anyway."

Mai gives Nao a tentative smile.

Nao turns back to Mai with a fresh smile of her own, plastered on just in time. Faking it, at least, comes naturally, even more naturally than the real thing.

And she's not faking it. really, Yuuki Nao is not faking this, and damn those alien urges!

"Anyway, madame chef. What do you prefer when others do the cooking?"

Mai presses her index finger against her lips thoughtfully. "I like to try dishes from foreign cultures. European, Chinese... well, when I get the chance." The way she says the latter makes it sound that such chances don't come often.

"A foreign restraunt it is. Me, I'm happy to eat anything that isn't ramen or sandwiches," replies Nao, aiming to pick somewhere not *too* expensive but definately stylish.

Mikoto cries, "I want to eat Mai's ramen," leading to such a forlorn expression on Mai's face that it is hard to remain unaffected.

Nao twitches. "It would be low to use the friendship threat here, wouldn't it," she whispers to Mai.

Mai looks tempted herself, but nods sadly.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen, Mai's ramen!"

"I'm not sure if our dorm is open," replies Nao, at length. "I guess it's been a few days by now, though.."

Mai seems confused.

Even Mikoto looks at Nao curiously.

"Yeah, you weren't here. That's right. Do you remember that girl you fought at the park?" asks Nao, before plunging on anyway. "She showed up at school on Monday. Well, Natsuki came after her, but the cops were after Natsuki. She had to beat them up, and that happened outside our dorm."

"By the end of the day, we'd... dealt with Arika. But Natsuki was wounded- hell, by the cops more than that little bitch, I think. We split up, and I havn't seen her since. I tried to look for her! We all did. We thought the cops had taken her away, but..."

Nao shrugs, helplessly.

"But that's impossible," Mai says quietly. Mikoto is frowning by her side.

"Why?"

"There was no way she could have survived. No way."

"That's what you said before," replies Nao, before pressing her palm to her face. "But I thought.. I thought you were mistaken! From your descriptions, it was definately her, and this time.. we did a very thorough job. Unless there's more than one, or she's somehow..."

"I..." Mai hesitates. "I watched her die. It couldn't have been her again. It just couldn't. I had time to think afterwards, and there is no way I've made a mistake about this. I'm not proud of what I did, but I'm not running away from it either, or letting another shoulder the responsibility."

"There weren't any reports that her body was found," mutters Nao. "I think. The school would've been in an uproar by now. If there's more than one of her.. kind, or if she can somehow cheat death, then what the hell do we do?"

Nao laughs, an empty, hollow sound. "She was in my class. She could even still be there! I haven't been there since then!"

"That's a scary thought," Mai says, subdued. "It's not an easy choice, is it? If you stay away, you might be protecting your classmates. But it might be the opposite, as well, and we have no way of knowing."

"She's after Hime. Not regular people, just us freaks," replies Nao, grimacing. "She's got power, murderous intent, and the backing of that Searrs group. We can't ignore her if she's still around."

"That's her name, after all," adds Nao, snorting. "Arika Searrs."

Mai murmurs something. Nao thinks it might be "Alyssa".

"We should find out," Mai decides. "If there's someone from Searrs in your class still. If only Chie-chan--" She shakes her head firmly. "Nao, did you get to know anyone who would still be at school? We could call them."

"Yeah, but I didn't get their numbers," replies Nao, cursing. "What about Akira? Can we contact him?"

Mai bites on her lower lip strong enough enough to leave imprints briefly when she finally lets go. "Akira is always with Takumi. Please, let's just leave them alone and find another way."

"Ah, I didn't see him there, so.. never mind," replies Nao. "I never got Tamaki's phone. Don't you know anyone? Does your phone even work? Arika seemed to short out some gadgets just by being near them, I had to get a new one and so did like half the school."

Mai gives Nao a surprised look. "I thought it was just me," she responds. "Huh. It really did stop working after-- well. After that time."

"-wait, there is one person," replies Nao, fiddling with her phone for a second. "On the executive committee, no less. Gimme a sec."

Hopefully class isn't actually in right now, and Yuki will be able to take the call.

It could be that classes are on break; after three rings the line is connected.

"Yes?"

Yuki's voice is easily recognizable.

"Hi, Yuki? it's Nao~, have you got a minute?" asks Nao, slightly jittery.

"I've got two. Maybe a third," Yuki responds. "What's up?"

"Yeah, can you check something out for me? Can you see if Arika Searrs is around? In my classroom, 3-C, two long pigtail-braids, can't miss her."

"It's doable," Yuki agrees amiably. "I'll call you back?"

"Sure thing. Do it all quiet-like, alright? Thanks!" replies Nao, finishing the call and twisting back to Mai and Mikoto.

"Alright, Yuki's gonna call back in a sec. We'll see how it goes," replies Nao. "Anyway- I got reminded of something. You know that big trench, right? What happened there?"

"The big trench?" Mai asks. Mikoto, for her part, is sniffing at the air. A thin line of drool escapes from her mouth.

"Yeah. You know, the one that leads out of that cave in the mountain," replies Nao.

"Ah." Mai flushes. "I did it."

"Yes. Is there something weird about the cave?" asks Nao, plunging on ahead. "There were markings on the wall, and there's that horrible feeling you get when you try to walk there, and then..."

Nao shudders.

"Kagutsuchi was sleeping there," Mai tells Nao. "I think it might have been some sort of shrine to it? But I don't know, I haven't been back to it after unsealing him."

"It is an unpleasant place to be," notes Nao, walking to slouch on a nearby bench.

"Hey... why'd you contract with Kagutsuchi in the first place?"

"That's... part of the reason I haven't been back," Mai admits, sitting down next to Nao. Much like the red-head had done earlier, Mai's hand lands on Nao's shoulder. "Bad memories. Somehow, Takumi had gotten involved with Orphans and lured there, and we got there just in time to see him collapse. Me, Mikoto and Natsuki. I had to do something to protect him, and Nagi pointed me in the right direction. He seemed pretty ecstatic all along, the sadistic bastard!" Mai's other hand clenches into a fist. "He spoke of prices. What did it matter? If Takumi d-- if something happened to him, there wouldn't be any point, so it wasn't a hard choice to make. There was a sword in the stone. I pulled on it, and it came out. Just like in a fairytale, right? And that was Kagutsuchi's seal, and then--" Mai shrugs. "The trench."

"I wonder if it was like that for the other Hime? A devil's bargain," murmurs Nao, flicking a stone onto the empty road. "Does Takumi know?"

"He didn't seem to remember anything when he woke up in the infirmary," Mai says, sighing. "Well, he must have known I had something to do with half the mountain being set on fire, but he never asked me about a thing."

"If he asked you now... what would you say?"

Nao pauses, and shakes her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't ask."

"I don't know," Mai says honestly. "Would all the time we've spent together still mean anything once he finds out what I've done?"

"People are selfish. It's not a bad thing, but it's true," replies Nao, glancing away. "If you were in his position, you might be horrified. But you'd be glad, too, that someone was willing to go that far for you.

"Even if you didn't admit it."

Mai doesn't comment, seeming content to merely sit in Nao's presence. When Mikoto becomes more aggressive sniffing at the air, Mai pats Nao's shoulder, standing up at last. "We really should go get something to eat before Mikoto hunts something down."

"She really would, wouldn't she..."

Nao stands up, too. "Lead the way, senpai~"

Mai's expression makes it clear that she believes this possible, perhaps even extremely likely.

The first foreign cuisine establishment the three come across serves Italian food. It may not be a first class restaurant, but looks inviting all the same. Most important, Mikoto nods firmly to indicate her approval of the place.

Nao wanders inside, quickly acquiring a table for three. She suspects Mikoto would have nodded at any source of food, from the crudest fryup to the most elaborate kitchen.

Mikoto claims a seat opposed to Nao's, curling up on the chair. Mai seems divided about her own sitting arrangements, but Mikoto grabs her arm and pulls her down into another chair next to her, solving the dilemma.

Nao tries to think of something to say, and in the process acquires a fairly dopey expression, before sagging in her chair.

"I'm not gonna be much of a conversationalist," she remarks, sadly.

Mai doesn't seem to mind, taking over the conversation. There is a brief pause when the three order, and then Mai resumes her tale of the first time she cooked spaghetti for Takumi. The process apparently involved a small fire and a pepperoni pizza take out, but the memory seems a happy one, the way she tells it.

Nao's phone rings halfway through their meal.

Nao checks the caller before answering. "Hello?"

It's Yuki, her voice confirming it. "Took me a while, but I got the information for you. I don't know if I should disapprove of you two ditching school for different reasons or just feel better that you're not off doing something probably illegal together."

"Illegal? Me? Surely you jest," titters Nao. "Anyhow, thanks for letting me know."

"Yeah, sure," Yuki tells her. "Just be sure you have some good excuse like she does. Calling in sick? That would look bad, so don't copy poor Arika-chan."

"She's sick?" asks Nao, paling.

"I sincerely doubt it," Yuki responds with a snort. "But that's the way her absences get treated. Now, listen, don't cut school too much, alright? It's actually here for learning and finding your path in life and all that jazz. Miss too much and you're totally getting kept back a grade."

"Who called it in? Like, her dad?"

"Arika did, apparently," Yuki muses, sounding confused. "It's all third and fourth hand knowledge, really, at this point. Why? Does it matter?"

"Yeah, a bit," replies Nao. "Nothing that important, though. I'll see you around, Yuki."

Nao hangs up, grimacing and suddenly not very hungry.

"Bad news?" Mai asks, attentive.

"Arika's been calling in sick," mutters Nao. "So I presume she's still around, and just... busy with something. God, I beat her last time, and I'm stronger now! I shouldn't be so fucking scared..."

Mai doesn't have an answer. She does, however, grip her fork a bit tighter.

Nao slowly sips her drink, forcing down the cool liquid to straighten out her thoughts.

"I don't know what she's up to, or where she is. I just hope it's same from her angle."

Mai places her eating utensils down and leans over the table, coming dangerously close to the dishes laid atop it in the process. "Nao," she says, taking the younger girl's hands in her own. "You won't need to face Searrs alone."

"Did I look weak for a second, there?" asks Nao, laughing shakily. "She scares me, Mai. It's not just that she's dangerous, it's.. it's that she was so damn *happy* about fighting."

Mai looks sad and supportive at the same time, but whatever she was about to say is lost as Mikoto leaps on her back, sending the older girl toppling over and onto the table. "Me too!" Mikoto happily insists, laughing.

Nao vainly tries to avoid any flying plates or sauce, but superhuman reflexes may not be enough to save her top.

"Mou, Mikoto!" she groans, frustrated at her inability to wear a shirt without getting red liquid all over it.

Nao's shirt might need thorough cleaning, but Mai's entire wardrobe is a write off, from appearances. The orange-haired girl merely raises her head slightly and lets it drop against the table with a dull thud, repeating the process a few more times.

Mikoto smiles at Nao, perched on Mai's back.

Nao puts her plate back on the table and leans on it herself, staring eye to eye with Mikoto.

"Is Mai that comfortable?"

"Yup!" Mikoto nods happily to confirm.

Nao's peripheral vision catches more than a few shocked glances directed their way. At least one is coming from a waitress.

Nao gazes back at the them with a twisted and hapless grin, resolving to never take Mikoto out, anywhere, again unless Mai stays home.

"Uh. The... cheque?"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[18:15] After the debacle at the restaurant, Mai takes Mikoto back to their dorm. Nao tags along, as she is curious herself about the situation back at the academy. Upon arrival, they see that the dorm had reopened, a few students hanging out by the entrance.
[18:18] "Huh, so it did open again," remarks Nao, sticking her hands in her pockets as she walks to the building. "Hey~" she greets one of the students at random, looking around. "When did they decide to let us back in?"
[18:20] "This morning," one of the girls responds, before peering closer at Nao's shirt. "Is that, like, blood?" Once Mai comes into view, carrying Mikoto on her back, she blinks. "Huh. I see. Kinky sex games with food, then?"
[18:21] "Mai's pretty creative."
[18:21] Mai flushes, throwing Nao a betrayed look.
[18:26] "Anyway, it's about time. Any more weird shit happen the last couple days? Could you even say that it's... safe to come back? They still got cops around campus?"
[18:27] "They're there," another girl confirms. "But mostly at the school itself and stuff. Nothing really weird's happened, unless you mean all the weird stuff on TV."
[18:29] "The TV? Haven't seen it for the past few days."
[18:32] Both girls look appalled to hear that. "No way," one of them protests; her friend is quick to recover, however, and rolls her eyes. "Volcanos, dormant ones, keep on erupting. There's earthquakes. Flooding. All kinds of crazy shit, like, all at once. Even in Japan, there's this island not far from here that just spontaneously combusted. Freaky, huh?"
[18:34] "An entire island blew up?" asks Nao, losing her catty tone and glancing worriedly at Mai. "Sounds like the world is ending."
[18:36] Mai is distinctly uncomfortable, looking anywhere but at the other girls.
[18:36] "Totally," Nao's dormmates echo. "Listen, we're planning a 'The World Is Ending' party this weekend. Wanna come? There'll be entertainment."
[18:39] "Will there be guys there? If any of them pull the "You don't wanna die a virgin line", then people are going to get hurt." Nao sniffs, slightly, and tosses her head.
[18:40] "Well, I'm sure everyone there would know better than to try it with you," Nao is bluntly told.
[18:45] "Reputation has perks, huh. Sounds thrilling, if morbid. Probably not got time." Nao shrugs. "Whatever. Later." She swoops past the girls into the foyer, glancing around for a newspaper.
[18:46] None are lying casually around, just waiting to be liberated by Nao. Mai follows her indoors, subdued.
[18:49] "They didn't give us TVs, huh," mutters Nao, heading up the stairs to their neighbouring rooms. "Well. Home sweet home. Any idea how you're going to look for Diana?"
[18:51] "Not per room," Mai agrees quietly, before seeming to shake off her funk. "I have this feeling that Diana is a student here. That's a start, right?"
[18:53] "I don't know," replies Nao, shrugging. "Someone at the school, definately, but they'd have had to have known about Natsuki's disappearance- known how it happened, to some degree. It all goes to shit if Natsuki just shows up on her own."
[18:55] "Midori-chan might be able to help. And the superintendant, too..." Mai muses.
[18:56] Mikoto seems asleep.
[18:57] "The superintendant's gone off somewhere on business. I need to talk to her about a lot of things, too," mutters Nao. "She wasn't here yesterday and I'm not sure when she gets back."
[19:02] "I'm not sure she's out to get you, when I think about it. She helped you the first time, right? Against Searrs? It might be more she's.. I dunno, pitting you against her enemies." Nao shrugs.
[19:09] "But what about Natsuki?" Mai asks. "I think you're right. The whole house of cards collapses if Natsuki just shows up, so Diana had to have known-- I mean, something clearly happened! And if she's not telling me about it, then who knows what's happening to Natsuki right now?"
[19:12] "Let's think back a sec. Your phone got fried, right? After the fight in the park? When did you get a new one?"
[19:13] "I... didn't." Mai blinks. "That's right! You said Searrs had some way of messing with the phones, didn't you? But I did get that text message on it afterwards...."
[19:13] She takes out her phone, pushing the power button. It doesn't respond.
[19:13] "Where were you when you got it?"
[19:17] "I'm not sure." Mai stares at her phone in frustration. "I can't remember. Campus? No, can't be, I wouldn't leave Takumi's side. But then--"
[19:29] "Well, when did you get it? Did you leave immediately?" asks Nao. "And what kind of power is the power to make nonfunctional phones operate, anyway?"
[19:32] "Well, I tried to talk to Midori-chan, first," Mai responds. "So not immediately, no. We couldn't defeat Alyssa-chan and Miyu the last time, I thought if only more people came along... I thought it would be better, because Natsuki is one of us." At Nao's other question, Mai frowns. "Power over electricity, maybe?" she suggests.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[17:01] "Electricity..." mutters Nao. The source of convenience, indeed. "Kikukawa. She might. She was nearby when it all went down, too, and then she up and vanished, so maybe she figured something out, and... didn't tell us- no, she'd tell Suzushiro if not me, the stupid- but maybe-" Nao can feel a headache coming on. "You know her, right? Does she know you're a Hime?
[17:01] "Yukino-chan?" Mai asks. "Know about Hime? I never got that impression from her."
[17:06] "She is one," confirms Nao, looking away. "She doesn't like me very much. You mentioned electricity, and that's why I thought of her. I've seen it in her eyes." Hateful, hateful eyes, Nao keeps to herself. "I haven't seen her since the night before yesterday. When did you get the call?"
[17:09] "The day after the commotion at the Academy," Mai responds. "I was here when they brought the injured policemen. I didn't get all the details, but it sounded like a Hime battle."
[17:12] "Yeah. The battle was between me, Natsuki and Arika. Afterwards I ran away, and Yukino saw me all bloody. I yelled at her to call an ambulance and freaked out and ran off, I mean..." Nao shakes her head. "I thought I was the last person to see Natsuki before she vanished. But it's possible Yukino investigated on her own. Or I could be completely wrong, I mean..."
[17:12] "I just don't get why she wouldn't tell Haruka, so..."
[17:13] "About being a Hime? Or about seeing you," Mai pauses, stumbling over the word, "bloody?"
[17:19] Nao snorts. "No, about what happened to Natsuki, if she figured it out. But I'm pretty sure she was with Haruka and I the whole time that day anyway, so I guess that's out."
[17:20] "Haruka knows about all that stuff, anyway. It's pretty unfortunate about those two being Hime."
[17:23] "Because they're friends?" Mai asks, sounding a touch confused.
[17:28] "Yeah, and I thought I had it bad, but there's always a shining beacon of a lousier situation out there, I guess."
[17:29] Mai sneaks a peek over her shoulder, where Mikoto had seemingly fallen asleep. A thin line of drool escapes the smaller girl's parted lips. "I guess so," Mai agrees quietly.
[17:31] Getting up, Nao glances rather fondly at Mikoto, before heading for the door. "Is there a lounge or something around here? I've got this sudden urge to watch some TV."
[17:32] "Only at the school itself," Mai responds. "Aside from the cafeteria, there are a few spots to, well, socialize. I heard my classmates talk about that." Her voice has a hint of longing in it.
[17:38] "I could pass on socializing. Now's not the time to make new friends," mutters Nao. "I'll give you my number again. Let me know if anything comes up, I'll be right there."
[17:39] Mai nods. "I hope I don't need to use it any time soon."
[17:47] Watching the television, Nao learns that what she had been told really doesn't do the actual news justice. Natural disasters have been documented all over the globe, and one report goes back several weeks, discovering many others that didn't get much mention outside the local media where they took place.
[17:47] There seems to be a connection of some sort, but neither scientists nor the reporters interviewing them can suggest a logical one. The only thing clear is that whatever it is, it is picking up in pace.
[17:48] Getting back to her dorm is easy enough. Cops are indeed at the entrance, and a few can be seen at the courtyard, but Nao is more than capable of getting past them.
[17:52] Having not had any of it for a couple of days, sleep is far too inviting for Nao at the moment. She doesn't even bother to get changed before falling on her bed and closing her eyes. It might be a bit early- she doesn't care.
[17:56] Nao wakes up with the certainty that she just had a very important dream -- a vision, perhaps. Something interrupted it, however. Something with dire consequences for her.
[17:56] There are two hours and change before her arranged meeting; she really needed the rest, it seems.
[17:58] Dreams, visions, the mind; just how important are they? Nao tries to remember the dream of which her instincts silently scream as she picks herself up.
[17:59] It had to do with Natsuki and the Hime, but as Nao tries to recall the contents, a vicious headache is her only reward.
[18:03] Is there something actively impeding her memory? Why, and how? Yet another set of questions to which she has no answers. She should be able to find a few today. Getting cleaned and changed, Nao exits her dorm, checks her phones, looks around (slightly furtively) and starts making away into the town.
[18:05] No cops are trailing her, nor shadowy agents that Nao is able to pick up. Her phone is operational for a change; how long that state would last is another thing entirely.
[18:09] Nao follows the location inputted into the GPS tracker in her phone. It leads her to Lindem Baum, where the 'help wanted' notice is still hanging in the window. The restaurant is reasonably filled, though there is a booth near a window a few meters to her right that is unoccupied.
[18:11] If Nao recalls correctly, Mai mentioned that Akane worked here, once. With that happy thought in mind, she heads to the empty booth and orders some some kind of elaborate fruit drink.
[18:16] The waiting time is quite long, making Nao wonder whether the food is that good to keep the place full. Her drink arrives just as a familiar man steps into the restaurant. He looks around, and spots Nao, inclining his head at her.
[18:19] Clearly, help is not just wanted, but needed. Nao begins inhaling her drink, giving Smith a cursory nod of her own.
[18:23] He takes it as an invitation, settling himself into the booth. Sitting opposite Nao, he smiles at her. "I'm glad you listened. I was half-worried the warning would be in vain."
[18:25] "How did you know it was coming?" asks Nao, tapping the rim of the glass with the straw.
[18:27] "We are monitoring the First District's assets," John tells her, leaning back. "Once their forces got the order to mobilize, we knew it. Combined with the only reason it could have happened, it was easy enough to decuce what their mission was. Really, the difficult part was contacting you without our president's notice."
[18:33] "How extensive are they? I mean, private armies? Mobilisation, right in the middle of Japan? Does the media not do their jobs these days, or what?"
[18:35] "The media is coopted by them," John responds patiently. "You're really looking at this from the wrong angle. Is Searrs really a private organization with an unlawful army of its own? Or is it that freedom and democracy are the illusion, as Searrs is the true power in America?
[18:35] Given that we make the important decisions behind the scenes, up to and including selecting the presidents, I'm more tempted towards the latter."
[18:41] "Ah, I see. But when the fate of the world is up to pubescent girls, it's a real upset to all concerned." Nao snorts. "I guess Arika was mistaken. If she did end up killing us all, what would you have done with her?"
[18:44] "As it happens, for a long time, the fate of the world was hardly up to girls," John tells her. "The Obsidian Prince would manipulate them, and in turn, be the one with the power. He, and his allies, the First District. This may well be the first time that the circle would truly be broken."
[18:44] At the mention of Arika's name, he winces. "Me? There's nothing I can do about that thing, however much I might wish otherwise."
[18:44] "What is she?"
[18:50] John Smith looks truly shifty for the first time. "It might be best if I don't say anything. I don't think the answer would give you anything but fuel your rage, and we both need you as cool and collected as possible, under the circumstances."
[18:54] "Then just tell me how to kill her," growls Nao. "For every six sanctioned murders, I should get at least one freebie."
[19:00] "There... might be a way," John says. "We've theorized that the link between a Hime and her person of importance goes both ways. If you were able to strike against our president, then maybe--" He shakes his head. "But this plan is foolish and destined to fail."
[19:03] "Do they teach you manipulation at some special school, or do you just pick it up on the job? You're saying all the right things, you know."
[19:05] He snorts at Nao's words. "Maybe you've just been surrounded by idiots all your life, so a bit of intellect and honesty is difficult to deal without framing it as an attempt at manipulation?"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

(12:54) "Nine out of ten teenagers would agree. Where is she now? Am I going to need to  worry about her coming after me again? How long does it take her to regenerate, anyway- that's what it is, right?"
(12:56) "It's not, actually," he says, before asking suddenly, "Do you believe in souls?"
(12:59) "...I could."

Setting her glass aside, Nao looks at Smith in the eye. "I believe in something like that beyond the mind and body. It's the best explanation for our contracts, isn't it?"
(13:03) "Yes. We had a similar conversation before," John agrees. "There is no better explanation for your contract than a joining of two souls on some level."

He sighs, looking mildly disturbed as he says, "It might be best if you considered Arika's soul to be endlessly recycled and left it at that."
(13:07) "No, I want to know. What is it, spare bodies? Possession?" asks Nao- after actually meeting, speaking to and fighting Arika, this sort of stuff seems almost humourous.

Apart from how it may be all too real.
(13:15) "Fine. Yes, clones, grown in a lab, grafted with a soul integrated with that special something that makes one a Hime. That's what Project: Valkyrie is all about, and with Valkyrie 144, the science team finally succeeded. In a way, that makes Alyssa a failure, but I do wonder, sometimes, by what measure failure is decided." He takes a deep breath. "A major breakthrough was achieved when it was discovered that after being defeated, a Hime's soul is bound to what could only be described a mystical object of immense power. Once it was known that a soul could be bound in such a way, it was a short distance towards replicating those conditions for one particular soul way in advance. Arika cannot die; that was extensively tested. I don't believe she is any longer sane, if she were to begin with."
(13:21) "-but the Hime doesn't need to die for that to happen, it's the Child! So... so... so what? What happens to them after that?"

She starts. "What Hime lost to figure this out? Oh, you were right, I'm angry, but I won't let that get in the way of staying alive. I haven't yet, I'm still here."
(13:22) "I'm not partial to that information," John responds. He seems to be deferring to Nao to keep the conversation going.
(13:23) "And.. that doesn't make sense. Suzushiro. She doesn't have a soul, you tell me, but she's a Hime alright."
(13:25) "She has the powers of one," John corrects. "This may not be mere semantics."
(13:26) "True, Nagi did say..." murmurs Nao, slumping in her seat. "She talked about another her."
(13:27) "Oh?" John Smith seems interested at those words.
(13:28) "She had a dream where she talked to herself," confirms Nao. "That's what she told me. Gave herself her.. her... mace."
(13:28) "What about memories?" asks Nao, suddenly. "Are they tied to the soul?"
(13:30) "And you believe it might have been... similar to Arika's case?" John asks. As the conversation turns to memories, he blinks. "Personally, I would have to say yes. If a soul is the essence of what you are, your memories are often at its root. They shape you into who you are."
(13:32) "I don't know. The whole world is.. different, like you said. I'm not going to call it wrong, not yet," replies Nao. "But Suzushiro doesn't remember things that haven't happened like I do. But I think the other her does. It's... what would you call that? It doesn't sound quite like Arika's case."
(13:33) John is silent for a while, contemplating. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone," he says at last. "Take that as you will."
(13:35) "If Suzushiro got given her powers by herself, and the powers of a Hime are tied to the soul, then it's logically her own soul from the afterlife. Or whatever happens after you die," continues Nao, fervently. "So.. I don't know, isn't there some way to attach them properly?"
(13:39) "Even if I agreed that it was the right thing to do, I lack the knowledge and the means to do so," John responds after another poignant pause. "This is one case where I'm glad I can't be of service, to be perfectly honest."
(13:44) Disappointment shows plainly in Nao's face, with all her mental defences down for a few seconds.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's go back to my immediate concern. Is Arika going to be coming after me again, and is she.. I dunno, if you were me, what would you do about her when she shows up? It doesn't matter how many times she loses if she wins once."
(13:47) "She doesn't quite... regenerate," John says with a wince he seems to be trying to hide, however unsuccessfully. "If it were me, and I had the means to actually do this... I would incapacitate her to such a degree she couldn't harm me while remaining alive and unable to end her own existence. I don't need to specify what this means, do I? But that would be the only way to be safe, if only for a while."
(13:51) "Well. That's digusting. And I'll do it, too, you see if I don't, because I'm a monster and that's what monsters do.

"Oh- what about the object her soul gets bound to? What if it got moved or destroyed?"
(13:54) "You might have noticed how I've framed just about everything else in scientific terms?" John speaks, seemingly relieved to move to another topic. "This is the big exception. Yes, even when souls are brought into the equation. There's actually a perfectly thought out if little known theory-- but you won't care about that. In any case, this is something of a black box for Searrs, as far as I know. We haven't been able to reverse-engineer this object a soul would theoretically get bound to. This means our understanding of how the process works is superficial at best. Any question you might possibly have on the subject would require quite a lot of guessing on my part, and I suspect the same would be true if you asked the science team in its entirety."
(13:56) "So if something happened to Arika's soul-closet, you have no idea whether or not she'd be getting dressed again," replies Nao, nodding, and then blanching. "Metaphorically speaking. God, that was bad."
(13:57) John blanches as well, but whether at the thought of an underdressed Arika or Nao's phrasing remains a mystery.
(13:58) "Ok. So. I still have a lot more stuff I want to ask you, but I guess you want what you came here for, huh."
(14:00) "It's a pretty good guess," he agrees, schooling his features. "You know time is running out. You've tried striking out on your own. Tell me, do you still think you can find your own way to save the world?"
(14:01) "Ah, this. Let's get this out the way real fast. Of all the people you've given me, only one would actually be a problem, and that's because I don't know who he is. Ishigami. Who is he? Is he around Fuka or a million miles away?"
(14:06) John Smith withdraws a handheld device no larger than his phone, currently in Nao's possesison. "Wataru Ishigami," he says, after tapping the screen with a stylus a few times. "He is the art teacher at the Fuka Academy highschool section. I suppose it is no wonder you haven't crossed paths with him. He is known to be a loner, preferring to hold art club meetings over the weekends at the academy."

He leans on his elbows, moving closer to Nao. "We believe him to be a plant by the First District. It is possible he is there to act as a handler for others; perhaps those in his club. We have received certain information that suggests someone as young as junior-high level might be a First District agent at Fuka Academy."
(14:09) "Well, he'll be my first target when I start doing this. No offence, but dealing with you secret society people is way easier on the heart than the other Hime," replies Nao, firmly.

"I think I'll interrogate him. But you're saying a kid is a spy?"
(14:09) "We don't have final confirmation," John hedges his answer. "But the information seems very reliable."
(14:09) "Do you have a name?"
(14:10) "No. If we did, getting it would be easy, one way or the other."
(14:10) "Any way I can find out for you?"
(14:11) "I don't see how, unless you do it by interrogating First District personnel without letting in on what you know, so that they won't feed you half-truths."
(14:15) "You guys are actually opposed to the first district, right? The two of you don't coexist happily, I mean with all the spying and all. What's the difference in ideology?"
(14:20) "I'm not sure one exists, at the core," John admits. "We both want the world, and we are hardly the only ones. For a long, long time, First District was the only one capable of this. They enjoyed their monopoly on human life and existence itself. And then, we came along, the first of many, no doubt. They don't like the competition, and we don't like what they've done with the world with the power at their disposal. Once you've accepted that, any differences would feel very small indeed."
(14:29) "You're both filthy rich already, your brass needs a holiday or something, that's all I can say," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Anyway. If he works at the school it's no problem. Do you have a picture or something?"
(14:44) John nods, pressing a button on his handheld. The phone in Nao's pocket vibrates a second later.
(14:44) Nao pulls it out and looks at it.
(14:45) Nao has mail!
(14:45) Nao opens it!
(14:45) It is a picture of questionable resolution, though the man being shown is recognizable enough. Nao thinks she'd spotted him once during her brief stint as a student.
(14:46) It'll do. "The trick is that he probably knows I assaulted that place," she remarks. "So I can't just go up to him, but I figure he won't be hard to catch up to. Anyway. Do you have any idea as to the whereabouts of Kuga Natsuki?"
(14:48) "No," he replies, looking troubled all of a sudden. "I can make it my priority to find out."
(14:49) "I'd be obliged. She helped me kill Arika the first time, but was wounded. Both of them vanished. Cops didn't have a clue- do they ever have a clue? Actually, that Ooishi guy might have, seeing as he vanished."
(14:49) Nao takes a moment to survey the diner, suddenly self-conscious about discussing murder in such a public place.
(14:53) Linden Baum is as busy as Nao had ever seen it. Now that she is paying attention, Nao can't help but wince at the level of background noise permeating the establishment. It is a small wonder she and John Smith are able to talk and hear each other.

"The cops don't have either. We know that much," John tells her. "We do know that some of them have either died or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. We are not looking into them, however. Not officially. Therefore, my information there is limited."
(14:55) "Well, this Ooishi guy was pretty strange. He vanished from his car while driving to Fuka," explains Nao. "It's like he got pulled out of it by something that just flew off afterwards, right in the middle of calling Haruka about something, too."
(14:55) "Got anything there?"
(14:58) "It wasn't Arika, if that's what you're insinuating," John says at length. "I don't believe so, no. While I'm not privy to her deployment orders, there was nothing a small-town local cop could've done to threaten us that would justify using her in this manner."
(15:02) "Yeah, I thought so, too," replies Nao. "Oh, yeah. Say I help you and kill everyone. So what next? The Hime Star is still there, but you said we can't just go win the festival, and I don't know any other way to deal with it yet, you, Nagi, the first district person, they all said the same thing so far.."

Nao pauses. "And you know, what happens to me afterwards. After you kill my-"

Her heart suddenly clenches, and she leans on the table, dropping her head onto her arm and breathing heavily. There's a faint crack, indicating some structural damage to the desk.

"Just answer me," she says, hoarsely. 
(15:05) "You'll live," he says quietly. "I'll use all the resources at my disposal to help you. In time, you will recover. I have faith in that. On the Star--"

There is a ringing coming from John's pocket.
(15:06) "Go ahead," mutters Nao.
(15:17) "Yes."

"Yes."

"Now?"

"It can't wait. I see."

John flips the phone closed. "I have to go. Let's reschedule for tomorrow; I'll send you the details." Without waiting for an answer, he stands up. "Just in case, don't stick around much after I'm gone."
(15:36) "What happened? Is something coming here?" asks Nao.
(16:44) "Seems that way," John agrees, turning away from Nao. "Good luck with Ishigami."

He starts walking away, headed straight towards the exit.
(16:52) Nao waits half a minute or so before paying the bill at the diner and exiting, taking a second to look around after she leaves.
(16:55) A bell-shaped flower catches Nao's eye. By itself, it is hardly unusual. However, Nao has never seen a flower hover of its own power before.
(16:59) Nao backs cautiously away from the hovering flower, her hands curling up. It's magic! And magic-like things mean.. Hime! But where? Nao searches out likely hiding spots, not to mention how many people are wandering around.
(17:00) A few passer-bys give Nao brief curious looks, before continuing on their way.

The flower is gone when Nao looks at it next.
(17:01) Shuddering, slightly, Nao fades back into the streets of the town, wandering around in a loop for fifteen minutes or so and trying to gauge whether or not someone is following her.
(17:04) Nao gets the feeling that she is being watched. But is that mere paranoia after what she heard from John Smith? She certainly can't see any signs of pursuit.
(17:05) Then the only choice is to go somewhere with no hiding places whatsoever, relying entirely on her reflexes, if it comes to that. They've served her well so far.

The park seems like a good choice.
(17:08) The walk helps clear Nao's head somewhat, although the sense of being tracked remains. The park she had visited with Shizuru, Mai and Mikoto mere days earlier is desolate. Even though no signs remain of the events of that day that changed everything for her, it seems people have longer memories.
(17:09) It's sometimes easy to forget that Nao is just over a week old, according to her own measure. 
(17:09) Instead just hanging around, Nao wanders towards the site where she saw the original explosion that prompted the park's quick evacuation. 
(17:15) No sign of the damage can be seen there, either. The construction company must be good. The only way Nao could possibly tell that something happened here is by the newness of the asphalt, or the adjacent section of the fence... even the grass seems newly transplanted, a shade greener than that which Nao passed on her way.

As she walks closer to ground zero for that explosion, Nao gets the strange feeling that she's passed through a veil.
(17:18) Nao turns to look behind her, before proceeding onwards, intending to make one pass through the area before giving it up and going back to Fuka. She has a date with Ishigami, if she can corner him in a secluded place.

Will Mai help? Maybe. She checks the time on her phone, but it shouldn't be long past noon; class is still in.
(17:19) Nothing looks out of the ordinary. The time suggests that a teacher at the Academy would still be occupied with one class or another, but in a couple of hours that would all change.
(17:20) Maybe she can get in some practice with her wires in the forest, and there could be less slicing and more tying by the time she goes to meet him. Nao heads back to downtown to find a bus and travel back.
(17:22) Nao's danger sense spikes as she is about to leave the area! Only once can she remember herself feeling like that, and in that case, it meant that a wicked glaive was about to cut her in half!
(17:24) Another explosion? It can't be.

There's nobody around, but that might not stop people some distance away see Nao's impressive leap taking her well out of ground zero and far to the side.
(17:28) Though the park is virtually deserted compared to the other time she visited it, quite a few people are still within sight of the red-head. Thus, it goes against all logic that Nao's physics-defying leap goes unnoticed.

However, there's nothing-- no, wait! A small hole has opened in the ground where Nao had just been walking; just where she was about to place her foot, if she is sure. But there is no time to double-check, because her body warns Nao yet again of an imminent attack!
(17:42) Nao runs towards one of the trees and leaps halfway up it, shadowed slightly within the leaves. Red strings fly from her newly-clawed fingertips and dart towards the hole she expects will surely be left behind, latching on to anything inside, and pulling with all her might!
(17:50) Nao's string definitely latches onto something, but her pull must be too strong. The red wires cut cleanly through it even as she lands in the tree. By the time Nao looks back, whatever it was that attacked her through the ground has dissolved into dark green goop.
(17:50) Nao stays in the tree for a few seconds, peering at the ground all around.
(17:52) As Nao observes, one of the pedestrians comes within a foot of the second hole in the ground. He doesn't give it a second look.

The sense of danger passes.
(17:53) Nao stares at the man oddly, and then gives a happy wave to whatever pedestrian seems to be looking in her general direction.
(17:53) Claws retract in a hurry, mind.
(17:54) No one is giving particular attention to the seemingly unbalanced girl in a tree.
(17:59) Nao supposed she should be grateful Smith came to her, and not whatever Hime or creature is responsible for this- what she wouldn't give to have the obsfucation abilities of this.. thing.

She summons her claw again and tests something; with a single wire, she tries to penetrate the ground, as opposed to tying something up (and then tearing it apart.)

(18:01) The wire cuts into the ground, but fails to find purchase, instead gauging a chunk of the surface. Several of the park goers closest to the spot stare at it dumbly, their attention unmistakable. 
(18:01) That is clearly Nao's signal to leave, and she slips out the tree and slinks away, 
(18:02) -claws gone away and looking like nothing so much as a guilty traunt. Nothing to see here! 

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[15:37] Nao begins to make her way back to the school after being ambushed at the park, when something gives her pause. A brilliance lance of emerald pierces the heavens, impacting vengefully against the ground in the distance, somewhere in an area Nao knows is being used for construction.
[15:41] The frazzled girl almost panics at the sight, clenching her fists and squinting towards the beam. Not for the first time, she feels a little overwhelmed- is the person responsible for this an enemy? If so...
[15:42] Either way, she'd better take a look, though with the time it'll take her to get there, it must just be the aftermath she witnesses.
[15:47] On foot, without pushing human boundaries, it should take her the better part of an hour. Nao is the only one headed towards the flash, however; the other people are either watching that spot warily or move away altogether.
[15:51] Sidling up to a bike rack and waiting for the people nearby to be looking the other way, Nao snaps a security chain in her fist and takes off on a ten-speed. With her fitness, it'd probably be quicker this way than finding a bus (and she'd rather not use a taxi.)
[15:52] Using the bike is likely to cut the travel time in half; perhaps more, if Nao is right about the course she would need to take, as she would need to follow roads to a large degree.
[15:52] The gawkers Nao passes on her way are rewarded with a tornado coming into being, crackling unnaturally with electricity. More green flashes follow in quick succession, though no other pillars of emerald light are sighted. Instead, one of raging fire erupts somewhere in the direction of Nao's dorm, licking angrily at the clouds.
[15:56] Mai hangs around the dorm, and Nao knows of her ability to create exceptional conflagrations, so she can pass on burning to death today and instead go for getting battered by flying buildings, or whatever collateral damage the tornado will surely cause.
[15:56] Of course, this sheds some new light on the source of the natural disasters around the globe. Some Hime must really get around.
[16:01] Nao leaves the city behind altogether, riding her stolen bike towards the Academy. If she gains enough elevation, perhaps from near the sealed cave atop the mountain or the bell tower on campus, she would be able to have a true bird's eye view on the tornado. However, that would inevitably take her away from her destination. The pillar of fire disperses.
[16:04] She'll have to chance seeing it from ground level. She should at least be able to circle it, though there's no telling what ground zero will be like.
[16:07] The tornado dies down by the time Nao reaches the access road leading to her destination. The land belongs to the Suzushiro corporation. Nao vaguely recalls that the development in question had something to do with the Academy. There shouldn't be anything but a large construction site ahead.
[16:09] Nao rides as far as the road ahead will take her (there will surely not be any normal people around, except, perhaps, the injured), ready to ditch the bike if it becomes unwieldy. Is it a coincidence that the Suzushiros own this land, or is there something more to it?
[16:11] The road goes all the way to the construction site ahead, but the first thing Nao spots on approach is the majestic figure of Kagutshuchi floating above. Mai is nowhere to be seen.
[16:13] It's certainly a fearsome sight, but Mai is on Nao's side right now. She hopes. She continues to the site, jumping off the bike and leaping to the top of some scaffolding to get a better view.
[16:15] An overturned car draws Nao's attention briefly. It shows battle damage. So does the rest of the yard. Mai is on her knees on the ground, clutching something desperately. She's sobbing, Nao can hear. A young man Nao had never seen before is standing by Mai's side, his suit ruffled.
[16:17] Hopping back down to ground level, Nao approaches Mai quietly, casting a suspicious look at the man beside her before looking at what Mai is holding.
[16:19] He startles as Nao makes the impossible leap down, and Mai's head jerks in Nao's direction. Her eyes are angry, brimming with tears, and a jet of flame is sent Nao's way before she can even react. She's knocked away before it can hit her, however. Mikoto ends up sprawled across her.
[16:23] Nao's claws appear almost of their own voilition. "Look before you shoot, idi-" Nao spits out, clenching her jaw at the last word, and clenching her black-red fists, settling for an icy stare at Mai.
[16:24] "Nao," Mikoto says quietly, shaking her head.
[16:27] Nao looks away, sucking in her breath, and settling back up onto her feet. She gently moves Mikoto off her, but it's the younger girl she addresses whe she asks "What happened?"
[16:28] "Nao can't approach Mai, now," Mikoto says in that same quiet, sad tone. "Mai can't help it. Don't blame Mai."
[16:31] "Can't help it?" asks Nao, almost incredulously. That would be a great excuse, if there was anyone left to apologize to. Grimacing, Nao does her very best to set aside her reflexive fury at being attacked. "Who was fighting?"
[16:37] "A strange, armored girl. Her face was concealed," the man speaks suddenly, answering Nao's question before Mikoto could. "She attacked Midori and myself out of the blue. I would advise against approaching Tokiha at this time; she couldn't control herself even with Mikoto."
[16:38] "Armor? Can you describe it more clearly?" asks Nao, before she blinks. "Midori? Sugiura Midori? And who're you, exactly?"
[16:40] "I am--"
[16:40] Mai clutches her sides suddenly, curling into a ball. She shivers, before falling on her side. A red-headed, older woman is lying on her back, now visible from Nao's viewpoint. She's not moving.
[16:43] "Mai..." murmurs Nao, too hesitant to approach the girl after her last, furious attack. She settles for glancing over the woman for wounds, before giving the man a questioning look.
[16:45] "Call me Mamoru," the man tells Nao, kneeling next to Mai. He presses a finger to her neck without a reprisal, before nodding. "She's out cold."
[16:45] Above, Kagutsuchi dissolves into green motes of light.
[16:46] "Nao," replies Nao, steeling her features and walking towards the man. "What about her? Midori, right? Is she..."
[16:48] He shakes his head, clenching his fists. "Gakutenoh's absolute defense was a double-edged sword. But she really wanted the information she gathered to reach you all."
[16:51] "Well, here we are. The others are- they're all over the place. I'll do my best to spread it around, but..." Nao shrugs, helplessly. "Trust is hard to find, these days."
[16:56] "I know," Mamoru agrees, kneeling by Midori's body. He picks her up gently. "We'll have to get to the school. The police would take it from there." Glancing at Nao, then Mai's unconscious form, he asks, "Can you make sure she gets back safely?"
[16:59] "Yes. When will you join us?" replies Nao, kneeling next to Mai and gently picking up the girl.
[17:01] "I'll get in touch," Mamoru responds. "Midori was planning on returning your call." He looks angry, briefly. "She didn't get the chance, but I know how to find you."
[17:04] "I tend to go out a lot. Use my cell," replies Nao, nodding. "Just.. one thing. The girl who attacked, can you describe her a little more for me? I need to know."
[17:07] "Form-fitting armor covered her body. There's not much to add," Mamoru tells Nao. "She had some sort of mechanical wings to fly with, and fought with a high-tech rifle. That's how it seemed at the time, at least. I don't know how she made the first attack; the rifle seemed unsuited for that level of damage."
[17:07] He looks down at Midori's form in his arms, a sad expression crossing his face. "The rest can wait, can't it?"
[17:09] Nao looks uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have to ask, too, but are you sure you'll be alright.. alone?"
[17:11] His face grows cold. "Don't worry. Whether I live or die, Midori's last words will reach you." He begins walking out of the construction yard, giving a brief glance to the overturned car before pressing on.
[17:16] There was something not right about this, something Nao couldn't quite put her finger on. It might be that being so close to death is giving her this feeling. Nao starts to leave the construction site, glancing frequently at the burden in her arms. "I can't feel things like you do," she whispers. But that's probably for the best.
[17:18] Mikoto shadows her. "Mai is breaking," she says sadly.
[17:20] "Mai can't break," replies Nao. "No, she musn't break."

<--->