Systematic Enemy Rin was busy muttering something about how weird Snowblood had been as of late, which meant that Kailin was tuning her out as usual. She was much more interested in Kathy, the Guardian Angel, their accompanying guide in this awful quest that Kissa had sent them on. She made things easier with her presence, her gentle smile and demeanor, her patience, and her tenderness. Kailin had grown up not knowing much love; her parents were long gone (she had to wonder why she never met them while she was dead), Marissa was pretty much a no-show, and Rin was hardly the type to dote. Yet Kathy, the Angel... Kailin tried getting the young lady to open up more, reveal more about herself. The trio spent several nights together after the debacle at Rin's house, and each night bore little fruit. Angel usually stared into the campfire that Kailin made—for, as she said, "when you look into the flame, the flame will look back at you." She said and did many strange things, but she wasn't bad. Kailin liked her a whole lot—and so did BaoBao! That was a plus. The poor panda had only seemed drawn towards young Hsu, but apparently there was something about Kathy she liked as well. The two of them looked so cute when they played together (and Rin, grunting in exasperation, wondering why she never got that attention)! One night, Kathy did say something about herself: she had no family to speak of. Her mother was dead, her father gone missing. That was all she said. Kailin drew close and draped an arm of support over her new friend's shoulder—she knew what it was like to lose family. Her own parents had been gunned down because they wanted to protect her, but even that heroic act had failed, although in retrospect, she did turn out fairly all right. "I was able to dole out vengeance," she said quietly. "It felt good. I found out even I was able to kill. Those people deserved to die for what they did. What about you?" Angel nodded. "Yes. I had vengeance as well. But I only enjoyed it once. I wasn't able to kill the people who murdered my mother. They died by another means." "How?" "Sanaa," she said. "That is my only clue." The name somehow rang a familiar bell in Hsu's head, but she just couldn't place it... "Did you say 'Sanaa'?" "Yes, why?" Kailin drew her legs in, studying the dancing fire she had made. "No reason. Just thought I knew the name from somewhere, that's all." "...Oh." ...... Kailin smiled warmly as she woke up: the angelic face of Kathryn O'Hare was laying right next to her on the pillow they shared. She yearned to reach out, touch the milky skin, sift through hair so black—her fingers danced, tickling until Kathy stirred and smiled back. They laid there for awhile, simply exchanging happy looks, until Rin, yawning like a lioness, sat up and groaned about how hungry she was. Hsu sighed. "Oh well. Another morning started in the life of us Ronin." Once the quartet ate breakfast (BaoBao happily munching on bamboo, nestled comfortably in Kathy's lap), they set out on the road again, Rin breaking the sweet harmony between the two younger girls by demanding, "Just where the hell are we anyway?" "No idea." "You've got good eyes, Kath! Tell us where we are! We anywhere near a place that actually has a bed?" "Be patient," sighed the poor angel. Kailin stepped back and watched in awe as her friend started to glow. Her eyes unfolded, and she scanned the horizon further than any normal person ever could. After awhile she reverted, looking drained. "It's not very far off. We can reach there by this time tomorrow. It's a large complex, located at the outskirts of a city. We should arrive at its back before long." "So we hit the building first and then the city?" "That is the direction we seem to be taking." Rin swatted at the air. "Cool. Well, hop to it, girls. I can't carry you both on my back, and I know you can't keep up with me at full speed." "What about that bike you had?" Rin snarled. "Don't you remember, Hsu?! I lost it when we died! Hello!" "You what?" Angel gasped in surprise and stared at the two girls as if she had seen, well, ghosts. Rin turned ashen as she realized what kind of cat she had just let out of the bag; Kailin grimaced awfully. Angel was transfixed in her confusion until she realized something: these two girls were now Kissa's servants, much like she was. Of course they would've dealt with death in some form—why else would Kissa even be involved? She calmed down and managed to smile sadly. "Don't worry. I'm sorry, I forgot our mutual friend's role in this. I think I understand the two of you a bit better now. It's okay. You're not the first friends of mine who've died...just the first to come back." Angel became uncomfortably quiet, and walked off by herself. Rin was still stuttering, trying to explain; Kailin pursued her friend, kept her company, spoke to her in quiet whispers. Eventually Rin followed them, but she knew she couldn't get away with not explaining a few things first. Meanwhile, fifty miles back, a calamity was gaining. Night came, and while Angel assured her friends that they were very close, she also assured them that she was very sleepy. Rin vaguely noted that Kathy and Kailin cuddled up close together (with BaoBao); her mind was on other things. She mainly wanted to do something about Snowblood's daughter, but according to that "crazy blind woman", it would be an impossible feat, even for her. And yet if Rin didn't do something, she believed, somebody would definitely die—probably her! Of course, the threat of death no longer held sway over her, but still! When they all woke up, Rin wasn't the only one who complained. Kailin badly wanted to take a bath, and even BaoBao seemed to agree with her. Rin sighed—she figured their destination would have a good washroom—but she was outnumbered, and so it fell upon her to seek out a substitute. Meanwhile, Angel told Kailin another nugget of history: she was later sold into an abusive family. Rin came back before long, too ecstatic for that early hour, and explained (or bellowed) that they were close to a pond that had a magnificent view of some mountains and the city they were approaching. It sounded like a go, so the group headed off. Rin hollered madly as she shirked her clothes and jumped in—and then screamed violently, "IT'S FREAKING FREEZING!!!" Kailin and Angel laughed, then noticed each other undressing and blushed. Kailin politely looked away, and even in the presence of other women, was shy about her body. Angel's was compact, beautifully pale, and soft as melted butter. She smiled with just a slight hint of wanting as she looked at Kailin's naked back, and blushed as the girl turned around and smiled back. The three girls didn't really bathe so much as they played. After Kailin sent a fireball into the water (improving its temperature considerably), she and Angel held hands and walked in. It was still cold, but enjoyably so, and soon they got used to it and started splashing each other and laughing. Rin felt left out as she watched them frolic, but perhaps that was a good thing. Kailin needed to be around girls her age anyway, and Angel seemed good for her. The fight ended with Rin dunking them both; they only took a few minutes to seriously bathe (the younger ones gladly washed each others' hair). After that, back to the road, one step closer to their destination. The Ronin didn't know it, but they were heading straight towards MERCS—and trouble. ...... Joyce didn't like her roommates. Alisti was frightening, and cursed at her violently with loud, painful shrieks, and even though Skye was the complete opposite, the way she looked at Joyce ran shivers down the girl's spine. She found every excuse possible to avoid them, along with anyone else she could sneak away from. Most of the new faces ignored her, thankfully, but a few were just a little too gregarious. Lurker, that ugly monster with a heart of gold, popped by her area to say hello, but her mere presence made poor Joyce whimper. G-Force was kind, but soon she would learn to fear young Joyce, as would Thunder-Claw, the Spoon Man, Siren, everyone. She found some measure of respite alone, in the small garden Yui had given her. Nobody would bother her there, nobody would look at her in fear or hatred. She could truly be herself, she and that bear. Only one other person could go to that garden aside from Miss Miyamoto: Aura Valeria, the only person Joyce considered a friend. Aura was off meeting all the new faces, spreading her friendly smile and with it, good fortunes. The gang would need it, for a terrible storm was brewing. As everyone got settled in and grew accustomed to their new roommates, the two Ronin and their guide finally arrived at the front door of MERCS. Rin crossed her arms and looked up at the large building, surprised to find such an establishment after what they had been through. Not bothering to knock, they let themselves in and greeted the weary receptionist with a wave. It was at that moment, not three minutes after they stepped inside, that an alarm went off, loud and chaotic. The girls covered their ears reflexively and shouted—"What the heck's going on!?" In moments, they had their answer. Dr. Kamaguchi came running down a flight of stairs, disheveled and bleary, and glanced at the trio briefly. "What are visitors doing here now? Kason, we have a crisis on our hands. Warn our employees and residents to stay in their rooms until further notice. Who are you three?" The Ronin identified themselves, then asked their question again. Kamaguchi's lip twisted; "The alarm means what you think it means, ladies. This foundation is under attack. Our surveillance must've picked up a large number of hostiles." "How would you know they're hostile?" The receptionist gave Kamaguchi a readout, which she displayed to the trio. "Because surveillance picked up a large force, all of them armed well, and they're heading in our direction. For your safety, ladies, I'll have to ask you to follow my assistant." "Whoa, waitasec! We're not just gonna sit by when there's trouble! Just show us where the enemy is and let us do the thrashing!" "I'm afraid that's not an option. I'd rather not have any bloodshed. Excuse me!" Kamaguchi rushed past them and burst outside, where she was confronted with the largest assembly of hostile forces she had ever seen. Most of them were men in red samurai armor, riding atop horses, but others (she noted with a start) were animals, ranging from badgers to elephants, and even a large bird above. Three people were in the lead; these she spoke to. "STOP!!!" she cried, waving her hands. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you all here? Who is in charge?" "I am, wench!" shouted one of the armored men. He wore green instead, and his sword was much more wicked-looking than all the others. The two standing beside him cleared their throats, and with a groan, he added, "The three of us are. I am Sashuo; this is Yan and Valmont. We have come to claim the life of Rin Takamatsu!" Of course, Kamaguchi recognized this name at once, having been recently introduced to the girl. She turned pale and tried talking her way out of more trouble. "This assembly is a bit excessive for just one girl." Sashuo leered. "I am known for my drastic measures. This army and these two men you see are for added strength. Just in case we run into unexpected opposition." Kamaguchi chewed her lip nervously, but she had a wild card. She secretly slipped her hand into her lab coat pocket and activated a small remote control that would alert all her employees of danger. That was their signal—they would come swarming out and defend her, and MERCS, according to their contracts. "What makes you think this Rin girl is here?" "The look of fear on your face is evidence enough!" he spat. He then gestured to Valmont, the youngest and smallest of the three, who smiled in a childish manner. "But even if you had a good poker face, my friends here are natural hunters. We caught Rin's scent easily, and followed her here. You could say that the wind was in our favor." "I am so sick of that pun!" snorted the one called Yan. He stared at Kamaguchi loathingly, adding with a cruel smile, "So are you gonna bring her out or not? Because I've been known for my destructive habits. It wouldn't do to have a tornado bring itself down on your pitiful little place, now would it?" Kamaguchi turned green with illness, but relief came soon. Everyone under her employment, including the new faces, streamed out of the front door and assembled between her and the enemies. Yan and Valmont looked surprised at the turnout, but Sashuo didn't seem fazed. "I thought so! You think such a small number can stop us? I have mowed down thrice this number on my own! Bring Rin Takamatsu if she is in this group! My comrades are more than sufficient to destroy the others!" The MERCS didn't care for being thought of as so weak, but the army kept them busy enough. Rin, having been one of the first out the door, glared at Sashuo as he called her out, and leaped forth to meet his challenge. Through his grotesque samurai mask, he smiled as he faced his prey at long last. "Ah, so you are Rin! You look like your parents. A pity they survived that attack the other day!" "Humph, so you were responsible. That figures. Just who are you guys, anyway?" "No point in hiding, now that you'll soon die," he growled. "We are the Crimson Blades, feared agents of havoc, and I am Sashuo, one of the Dead Zodiac! Draw your sword!" Rin scowled as she heard his name—so this was the man Snowblood had been forced to work for!—and unsheathed her sword, the special one her father had made. Sashuo did not bother to show his surprise. "That blade...! It is indeed Takamatsu's! A fine sword like that does not belong in your filthy hands! Give it to me, now!" "You can have it when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!" shouted Rin. Maybe not the best choice of words—Sashuo probably had that in mind all along. Regardless, they crashed against each other, but Rin was surprised at the man's strength. She was giving it everything she had, but he was fighting back without any effort at all! His sword alone looked capable of slicing diamonds in half; the sheer ferocity of his attack drove even her back, and for the first time in ages, Rin feared for her life. Most of the members of MERCS were kept busy with Sashuo's troop, but a few had broken off to battle the two leaders, Yan and Valmont. Skye and G-Force remembered the willowy Yan well, and leaped into the air to battle him on his own terms (Skye had to transform into her dragon-self). He laughed at their advance and threw a mighty gust at them, sending them back to the ground. "O, tornado! Rend my stupid enemies apart, bit by bit! But spare the men; I want some prisoners of war!" He laughed as a great spiraling cyclone emitted from the calm air, twisting and turning with incredible violence. Not even the strongest person could weather such a storm; even Merry, donning her thickest armor, was swept up and away. Alisti tried to blast him, but she was thrown off balance; Thunder-Claw couldn't even get a single shot off; the poor Spoon Man had to cling to a tree to keep from being lost. "I'll take care of this!" shouted Xianq. She shot a pink smokescreen into the air, called for G-Force to help lift her up, and jumped as high as she could. She vaulted all the way to Yan's level, grinned, and covered him with pink goo. He cursed and struggled, but the stuff was strong. "You bitch! You think this can stop me?! That tornado will only get worse if I can't command it!" "So scream at it or something; what do I care?" Yan grinned maliciously, watching with glee as Bubblegum Black was suddenly covered by a swarm of bees and birds. He was freed from his prison by a swarm of locusts courtesy of Valmont, and shot out after Black. He came right up to her, grabbed her by the throat, smacked his forehead against hers, and sent her crashing to the ground with a powerful crushing gust. BK Power screamed for her friend and ran to check on her; Siren stayed behind, glared up at the laughing man, and focused her energy. "Let's see if you like a dose of my spirit wave!" The woman thrust her hand out, shooting a wide swath of energy borne from pure rage. It got sucked up into the tornado, and whirled out of control until it destroyed the cyclone. Rays of spirit power shot out like meteors as it exploded, pocking the ground, several Crimson Blades and animals, and even a few allies (poor Lurker got hit in the arm and wailed). Yan was thrown back from the explosion, and had to twist his body through the air to avoid the shooting rays. "Over here!" He yelled in surprise as a voice challenged him, and gawked as he saw G-Force hovering next to him. There was no time to act; she kicked him hard, sending him crashing to the ground, where an enraged BK Power tackled him and pinned him to the ground. "Bastard!" she spat, punching him hard in the jaw. "What did you do to Beeg?!" He giggled weakly and blew a wad of saliva and blood at her. That was the last straw: with a roar, BK Power clutched onto his head as he laughed and pulled with all her might, yanking it clean off with her bare hands. Valmont himself was no match for even the weakest of the MERCS, but his own private army, fur and feathers and exoskeleton alike, could make up for such shortcomings. Those who weren't fighting Sashuo's men or Yan were busy with his army: bears surrounded some, elephants chased others, and bees stung those who looked like they had some fight in them. Rancor and Cobra took the front lines, absorbing as much damage as they could, while their friends fought back. Most everyone else was busy with the Crimson Blades, except for Pandora, who had been watching everything from her room safe inside the building. "You're not fighting?" asked Kamaguchi, paying her a visit. Pandora smiled. "No, let them kill each other. The smart predator does not interfere in a fight until a survivor is left—then they destroy the weak. Whoever is left over..." "You don't change," said Kamaguchi in amusement. She sighed, content to watch as well, and only made comments when she felt it necessary. Back in the battle, most of the MERCS were being overwhelmed. The Crimson Blades were giving them all a hard time, and Valmont's army was filling in the gaps, suffocating those strong enough to stand a chance. Alisti had blacked out three times from using her powers so much, and had to be taken away. Skye picked her up and carried her off, caring for her every time until she regained consciousness. By that time, G-Force had witnessed the gruesome spectacle of Yan's beheading, and was frankly sick from it. Being one of the few people not currently engaged in a fight, she knew it would be up to her to tip the scales. She had already proven herself against Yan; now it was time to fight Valmont. As the young boy was occupying himself with his army, she hovered in the air, lightened from a lack of gravity, and positioned herself directly over the enemy. Swarms of locusts and bats tried stopping her, but she blew them all away with an increase or decrease in gravity, and sailed on. When she was directly overhead, she threw her g-force into reverse, pulling as much of it behind her as she could, thus making her descent more like a rocket. With such power behind her, she fell through the sky towards Valmont, who only had a second to react (by yelling) before she stomped on him, crushing his spine like an accordion. Three seconds later, Sally Redinger realized that, for the first time, she had killed someone. Maybe in a heated battle to preserve her life and the life of her friends, yes, but it was a kill nonetheless. She shivered violently from the weight of the trauma, and knelt on the ground, stricken with what she had done. Her girlfriend saw it, and while she had to admit that watching G-Force crush Valmont into the ground was cool, seeing her grieve over her first murder was terrible. She ran over to the younger girl, picked her up, and embraced her fiercely. "Now you know how I felt," she stammered, "each and every time my anger caused somebody pain!" "Oh, Merry...!" The two of them wept, but in war, there was no time for tears. They forced themselves to push their emotions aside, and resumed the fight, slowly but surely overwhelming the Crimson Blades. Without a master to control them, Valmont's animal army was freed, and each wandered off in a daze, not to be seen again. Only Sashuo was left, but perhaps that was enough: he was beating Rin, regardless of her strength or blade. "Pathetic!" he shouted, slapping her hard. "You're pathetic, Takamatsu! You are no better than your father! To think that I had you as prey! I would have had more challenge facing a nursery!" "You...take that back!" snarled Rin. Her mouth was bleeding, and she had sores all over her body. She was lucky to have avoided The Crimson Blade—a single touch might've killed her, even if it had nicked her—but even with Aura's presence (and Lady Luck was in Rin's vicinity, knowing the older woman would need good fortune), she wouldn't last long. She stood to fight again, but her spirit did not last long. Sashuo was like a bull, fierce and unyielding, and he beat Rin back every time. He finally sliced her with his sword, a small cut on her thigh, which crippled her instantly (only with Aura's help was she spared). The shadow of the man in green armor hovered over her like doom. He raised his blade, and announced, "So ends my hunt, and your life. Consider the debt your father owed us...paid off!!!" He thrust the terrible Blade with all his might—Rin was too frightened to even scream—and the mighty Ronin braced herself for her second journey to the afterlife. The fatal blow never came. Sashuo was frozen in place. "What...is this?" he whispered faintly. He jerked and shouted again, "What is this? No, stop. Stop it! Get off...get off of me! Get them off!" He danced wildly, swatting his body with his hands, trying to jerk off invisible attackers. Rin watched in amazement, but soon got goosebumps of horror as Sashuo screamed and flopped on the ground like a madman. "AAAHH!! Get them off! They're all over me! Get them off!! Somebody, please! I beg of you! Get...them...AAAAAHHH!!!!!" Roaring loudly, the man writhed in pain and fear, smothered by some indescribable force. As he stood to run in panic, an explosion ripped apart his haunting shrieks, and he stopped dead in his tracks, his throat suddenly bright red from blood. He slumped to the ground, dead, leaving only a cloud of dust and an army as his legacy. In the distance, Rin could see a young girl shivering with terror and grief. She was scraggly and frail, and wept, probably from having to witness such a spectacle. Behind her was a middle-aged bald men, dressed in a priest's suit and carrying a smoking rifle. Rin stood up weakly, her leg searing in pain, and stared at the two. The older man placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to comfort her nervous shaking. "It's all right, Joyce. It's all right. You did well. Many people are in your debt." The girl, Joyce, said nothing as she turned around and buried her face in the older man's chest. He knelt and embraced her, hushing her as she sobbed. The Crimson Blades, amazed that their leader had been killed in such a manner, each dropped their swords and surrendered on the spot. Cobra, limping from a wound, approached the man with a look of concern. "Father Jacob, what the heck are you doing here?" ...... It took quite some time for things to calm down. Despite many objections, the three Dead Zodiac were all properly buried, as Alia had been before them. G-Force and BK Power were inconsolable, despite the efforts of their friends. Bubblegum Black was unconscious, but alive and in fairly good shape at least, though she had some venom in her body from the dozens of stings she got. Many other people were recovering, but that didn't stop them from attending Jacob Pochanski's lecture. Apparently his brief absence had borne fruit. "I went to research the people that attacked us," he explained. "It turns out they are part of a group of twelve that call themselves the Dead Zodiac. I found out that we have already eliminated four of their group: first Alia, the one they call the Harmonious Killer, and today, Yan of the Air, Valmont the Summoner, and Sashuo the Crimson Blade. That leaves eight others, three of whom we've met." "So that six-armed creature was one of them?" asked Siren. "Yes." "And that rock-creature, and the old man?" "All of them." She sighed. "More work for us, then." "Yes indeed. For now, we've all earned a rest. I am just glad that nobody was killed, although I am concerned for that young lady's leg." He pointed to Rin, who was gnashing her teeth together in pain. Cobra had treated the wound (because after all, snakes are associated with medicine), but it still felt like a flaming coal had been inserted into her thigh. For the moment she was relieved to be alive, and secretly thankful that she had one less person to kill. Yan had been one of Kissa's enemies; unfortunately, both Father Pochanski and Kat Shival, Bloodbane, were also on the list. Rin knew now that she could never kill either of them; they had both saved her life that day, although Shival played a smaller role. She, Kailin, and Angel each introduced themselves to the rest of the group, and were welcomed as allies. "I have a question," said Aura. "Father, I've seen Joyce's powers before. It was clear to me that she used them today, on that man who was about to kill Rin. I think I have an idea of what they are, but I'm not sure exactly. Would you happen to know..." "Not I," he replied. "Best to ask Dr. Kamaguchi." Some of the team looked at Joyce, who was trying (and failing) to hide. She knew what they were thinking: monster, freak, terror-child, abomination, one of God's mistakes, a mutant, and so on. She didn't know they were really grateful to her for saving Rin, and even though she had helped immensely, she still felt bad for using her power. "Did you find anything else?" asked Mora, wanting to break the silence. "Yes," he said; "I also looked into this group calling themselves the Seven, who attacked you three," (pointing to Alisti, Julie, and Merry). "They are apparently followers of a devil-man, or some kind of cult devoted to the seven deadly sins. Divas, you have already fought two, Wrath and Pride. I sense we'll have to fight them again." "They're not dead?" hissed Merry. Pochanski shook his head. "I checked into them last. As of yesterday, they are all still alive." Merry cursed violently, smashing the couch's armrest with her fist. She stormed off before anyone knew what was going on; Sally followed her, leaving everyone else to brood. The Seven and the Dead Zodiac—plus, the woman that had killed Rin and Kailin, if she was still alive, and maybe even Kissa too. All of them were deadly threats, and nobody would be able to rest until they were gone. Unfortunately, Father Jacob did not know who they truly worked for or why they had been sent to kill everyone there, but he would soon. Very soon. ...... "Hey." Merry turned around and calmed down as she noticed her girlfriend. "Hey." Sally walked up and gently took the older woman's hand, and kissed her cheek. "Don't. Just leave." "Look, I did something terrible too, and I feel just as bad as you do. But I'm not going to give up on you, Merry. I care too much for you." "Why?" she moaned. "I'm nothing but a raging bull, a tank meant only for destruction, no soul or heart at all." "That's not true," she whispered, turning to face the tall girl. "You have a good heart, Merry Lynn, one that I adore. I know you have your bad spots—so do I. And I know we're not always going to be the perfect couple, or even a good couple. But I want to stay together." "But why?" "You're my first," said Sally with a smile. "First loves are always special. I want to give you a chance. You said that everyone abandoned you after you demonstrated your rage, so I want to be the one that stays. I'll stay no matter what; there's no getting rid of me." "You're a fool," moaned the poor girl. She looked down at Sally, the beautiful blue blonde, smiled faintly, and wept as they embraced. "You're so good...so good to me! What did I ever do to deserve..." "You're a sweet and caring young lady, but you don't need to do anything for me to love you. And I do..." They kissed, Merry feeling the weight come off her shoulders, and kept their lips tied, just as they were tied, for better and for worse. "Thanks, Sal," she whispered. "Thanks for staying with me. You're a strong girl to do that." Sally smiled and kissed Merry's tears away. To hold each other, quietly and privately, was more than they could ask for in terms of the day's conclusion, but in truth, it wasn't over yet. As Merry opened her bleary eyes and smiled, she noticed somebody coming up that would change the course of her life—somebody she recognized at once. "Oh my God," she whispered in shock: "...Kagemusha? Is that you?" ---------- Next time: Stalker reunites with her comrades and tells the rest of her story. For better or for worse, she and Pale are here to stay! And for those of you wondering, Marissa and Sanaa are back as well—but how? Find out the whole amazing story! Will there be darkness or light? Next chapter, "Black Wings". Don't you dare miss out!
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