B1 — 18. The Invitation
Rachel motioned to Roy on the way out of the room as she moved towards the elevator. He jogged after her, glancing at her nervous parents and Astra—taking the avatar of a blonde teenage girl—busy on her holographic display.
Mateo and Barbara issued orders behind them, preparing for the operation while getting in connection with the SEAL team that would be joining them.
“What’s up?” the green beret asked upon catching up.
“Can you talk to…” she trailed off as the saint issued the order Rachel wanted him to discuss with her. “Never mind. It seems you’ll be overseeing a four-man squad to secure base operations. The captain really does pay close attention to detail,” she whispered, head tilting to spot the now-packed hallway as the special forces platoon bustled about the woman’s commands.
“Haha. Yeah, the lieutenant is impressed with her.”
Astra chuckled beside them, still sifting through a string of data on her chaotic screen. “You should see the unredacted military files of our patron saint.”
Rachel didn’t pay the hacker much mind after the look her mother gave her on their path to the elevator; they had bigger concerns than gossip. Personal feelings were harder to get away from, though. Her mother’s frightened brown eyes didn’t want her to go, making Rachel’s chest hurt.
Sorry, Mom. I can’t stop now…
She called the elevator as the other three men assigned to Roy rushed to their side. They tossed the man a pack filled with equipment and made a few grinning gestures that made Roy roll his eyes with a smirk.
Most of the staff in the area were interested in their movements, completely unaware of the tense abduction attempt that had happened not three minutes prior.
The reflective doors opened to take them to the higher floors. Luckily, those on it all exited after spotting the special forces; filing in, Rachel felt a tad cramped as she positioned herself to control the button. She wouldn’t press it until after she’d lured in her prey.
Her ears were fixated on specific areas, filtering out details to allow only certain sounds and voices to play in the background. Her gaze was away from the half-visible eye that tried to follow them, keeping to the top corner of the hallway.
“What’s up?” Roy asked, dropping his pack between his legs to allow more room and gripping the rile strapped around his shoulders.
Astra hummed from her corner position. “Uh… Oh!”
Rachel’s fingers slowly illuminated as her target neared the box and she hid it behind her back, drawing her parents’ unsure gaze. They pressed further against the wall, probably thinking there would be another teleportation kidnapping attempt.
“Give it a few seconds.”
Just a little closer… Gotcha!
She wasn’t sure if the eye could be interacted with normally, so Rachel decided not to risk it. Her fist erupted with light a second time as it tried to sneak into the top corner, vaporizing the spy in the expanding Lunar Energy and denting the metal.
[Divine Beast Empowerment I - Advanced to B-tier]
[Lunar Burst I - Advanced to E-tier]
“Nice!” Astra cheered. “One down.”
“The eye spying on us?” Roy asked, some of his men standing in front of her parents to act as shields while scanning the hallway. “Are there any more?”
Some of the doctors and nurses flinched at the focused explosion, but the door was already starting to close as Rachel pressed the button to take them up.
Astra flipped between windows and data in her cramped position. “Not yet. One is outside, but it’s not coming in. I’m monitoring feeds to see how Terrell reacts… Unfortunately, they’re keeping the inside of the club pretty isolated from networked devices and disconnected WiFi. I’m actually impressed.”
“Alright. Anyway, Roy, you speak Korean, right?” Rachel brightly redirected, figuring Barbara had the same idea as her in restationing the soldiers to guard her parents during their assault. “Can you write in Hangul, too?”
“Eh-hah. Not particularly well, I’m afraid,” he said with a strained smile. “I don’t get to practice often.”
“Huh. How did you get into that?”
Trying to lighten the mood while keeping track of everything, Rachel led the way through the halls to Amelia’s room. Her attempts at calming her parents weren’t bearing much fruit.
When the two special forces men saw them approaching the room, they hustled to the elevator, bumping arms on the way out with their comrades. When they made it to the door, Rachel asked her parents to wait outside with Astra and the soldiers, explaining she needed to talk to them in private.
Her mother gave her a shaky hug, lingering a moment before kissing her on the cheek and returning to her father. “I… know things are getting dangerous. Just come back to us in one piece… please. I just don’t want a broken house,” she choked, prompting her dad to hold her tight.
Rachel had to lock her jaw to not tear up herself while reflecting on the wake of the accident that had caused so much turmoil in their household for a time. It took three years for things to somewhat return to normal for her parents; her life from nine to eleven saw her mother an emotional wreck at being the driver, despite it not being her fault.
Astra and the green berets tried to shrink into the background.
“Of course, Mom. I—” She scratched the side of her head, looking away and breathing out a long sigh before committing to something that would improve her mother’s mood; it would also give them more time to talk. “Heh. Don’t we need to go on a shopping trip after all this? I need new clothes. Right?”
A pained, teary smile lifted her mother’s red and puffy face. “It’s a promise.”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you too, Dad.”
His silent nod and fake smile somehow helped as she turned her attention to the door and knocked. “Anthony?”
“Come in,” he said, his tone somewhat more guarded than it had been in the past.
Opening it a crack to slip through, she closed it behind her to show a strained grin. Anthony sat in a chair beside his girl, a book open on his lap that he’d been reading to his fiancé.
“Hey, so… I need to be a quick little, uh… Can I talk to Amelia for a second… Alone? I know that seems a little forward and out of nowhere, but…”
Amelia’s sunken eyes shifted to her lover. “It’s fine, Sweetie. Can you get me some orange juice—maybe some of those dark chocolate-covered blueberries I like? Hehe. You know, research shows they help cancer patients!”
“Haha. Yeah, sure, Babe.” He set the book down and leaned down to kiss her bald forehead. “Be right back. Rachel,” he nodded in passing.
Rachel wanted to cringe when her mother greeted him as he walked out.
“Oh, are you… Anthony?”
“Yeah, and you are…”
“Rachel’s parents,” she chimed. Her mother appeared to have found a good distraction as she engaged the Legend. “Sam, this is the man Rachel told us about! He really is as handsome as she said.”
“Molly…”
Her mother was already onto the next topic before Anthony had the chance to break away or her father could reign her in. “Oh, I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things.”
Rachel wanted to run out and shoo her away. It was challenging to keep herself focused as her mother somehow maneuvered herself into joining him on the trip down to the cafeteria. Roy wasn’t sure how to react, so he left two men behind while joining them.
Astra was totally oblivious to the exchange outside, sitting in a wheelchair at the nurses’ station and playing with her holograms.
I can’t believe she’s doing this after almost getting kidnapped! she hissed to herself.
Her mother was actually fairly bold and forward when it came to most things not involving the home, and this was a part of her personality she hadn’t seen come out yet. Left ear twitching and fingers tightening at her back, Rachel was forced to let it go as she walked to the side of Amelia’s bed.
If it helps, Mom, then I guess it’s okay… Why am I trying to convince myself?!
“Something wrong?”
“Hmm? Oh, just my mother,” she groaned, rubbing at the base of her ear while trying, unsuccessfully, to block it out; trying to puff out the tension building in her chest was of little help. “It’s nothing. To business, I have an answer for you, and I’m on a bit of a clock.”
A long stream of air passed through the young woman’s mouth, mirroring Rachel’s earlier action that made her smile. Amelia looked up at the ceiling, seemingly trying to draw strength from anywhere she could find it.
“Did you know true crime bores Anthony to death? But he reads them to me anyway because he knows it helps me forget about my illness.”
Thrown off a bit by the inflection in her voice, Rachel’s fingers tightened against each other at her front. “You… feel guilty about that?”
“I guess.” A weak laugh followed, thin arms pulling her blanket up to her chest. “The complication of feelings and emotions beyond our control, huh? I read a book about it once. Anthony and I are both already dead and broken in our own way… So,” her weary eyes shifted to her.
“Everyone tries to convince me of some positive spin on things and go back to their own lives. We all feel some kind of irrational guilt—the looks people give me—it’s not new. So, what light do you offer us, Rachel?”
It clicked in her mind; Amelia wasn’t only searching for Anthony’s happiness. Anthony’s happiness was intrinsically tied to her own, and she wanted something to believe in that wasn’t just hollow words; she didn’t want to feel the poison of her illness hurting her fiancé.
Brushing back her bangs, Rachel rubbed her left arm and sat beside the woman. It was hard not to look into her searching gaze when everything within Rachel’s peripheral vision was in focus; they told of external and internal struggles she couldn’t imagine.
“I’ll just throw it out there, then. I know how this might sound—insane is an understatement—but these moon goddesses are attempting to make contact with me, or… guide me to this giant tree in the UK. I’m not convinced they are on my side. It’s more like they see me as useful, but they could be useful for me, too.”
She had it a lot better planned out in her head, yet staring into this woman’s sunken eyes made her nervous; it somehow connected with the uncomfortable emotions she felt in front of her mother.
“So… yeah. If there is a solution to this illness problem, I can’t think of a better one than personally asking some higher power. Too crazy? Haha. I’d think it was too far out there.”
Amelia’s head rolled back on her pillow to look up at the ceiling, eyes becoming shiny. “Crazier than growing ears and a tail, going to different dimensions, or toad aliens? Hah. Haha.
“How insane has the world become in the past week? It makes me want to cry. All these miracles, and… I guess that’s one reason Anthony is in this spiral,” she whispered, accepting a tissue from Rachel as she pulled one out from the box beside her bed.
Rachel chuckled herself before coming melancholy. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. The whole world was flipped on its head, yet in some cruel twist of fate, to you, not a whole lot has changed—I guess it’s even worse.”
“Huh…” The woman swallowed back tears, her throat becoming thick. “I don’t know. I think there is a lot of beauty to be found in how things are going, despite the pain. You can’t truly understand joy without the sorrow; at least, that’s what I’ve come to believe. How interesting.”
“What?” Rachel tentatively asked, unsure what to make of her reaction as things took a turn, and Amelia’s weak smile fell a tad.
“An adventure of searching out these moon goddesses… Overcoming obstacles to find them and traveling into the depths of a mysterious world tree to discover the truth? Making friends, saving people in trouble, and supporting others. It sounds like a fantasy tale Anthony would love.”
Not speaking in the ensuing pause, Rachel waited for her to process it; Rachel was still processing her own goal and path.
“The danger is a given,” Amelia whispered, “but I’m not stupid enough to think answers come without sacrifice. Look at me—all the experimental treatments and pain… No, he’ll be away from me, which will be… hard—almost unbearable—but… so long as he thinks there is hope, it will keep him going.”
Strength filled the woman’s eyes, yet her face softened. “What would Anthony be doing with you, Rachel?”
She shrugged, not really having a full answer. “Right now, I only want him to stay with you and protect everyone while we’re gone. A local cult-affiliated cartel just made a kidnapping attempt on my parents, and I expect more to come when we leave. You’ll receive updates from Astra on how things are going since she’ll be in—never mind, heh, he’s now in a male avatar. I wish he would just pick one,” she grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
A few seconds passed before she sighed. “…Okay, Rachel. It is a quest Anthony can find purpose in. Even if it is a dead-end… it’s something he can hold onto. Heh. And maybe… maybe I can bring myself to eventually believe it will bear fruit. It’s just so hard when every failed hope feels like another nail digging into my chest.”
A weak, teary laugh came from Amelia. “In any case, I won’t take any more of your time—since, heh, you’re on a clock. Thank you, Rachel. Have the guards outside and this Astra person come in to chat with me until Anthony gets back; he’ll appreciate someone being with me.”
Getting up, Rachel gave her an encouraging smile and reached down to squeeze her hand. “I’m not all that noble of a person to care much for others, Amelia… I think I want to, but—I don’t know, I’ll do what I can. I owe Anthony and you for this.”
Silent laughter shook the woman’s chest. “You want to be someone who cares for others… Sounds like you’re struggling with your own past. It’s nice to know you’re not some perfect moon hare, here to swoon my last thread of light.”
“Haha. What a word to use,” Rachel snickered. “You’ve got a good one. He really seems to care about you.”
“Anthony does… despite how little I deserve him… Hmm.” Her fingers tightened around Rachel’s for a moment. “As someone I can’t name probably once said, a friendship built on business can be glorious, while a business built on friendship can be murder. I’m glad to lay that second brick, Rachel. Good luck.”
Being careful with her frail hand, Rachel’s opinion of the woman rose. “Business partners then. In the meantime, try not to die, Amelia.”
“Just throwing it out there, but maybe sending a postcard or flowers every so often would help revitalize me?” she grinned, waving her off. “It’s nice knowing people are thinking about you. So, whatever you’re doing, kick some ass.”
“Haha! That’s my hobby. Later, Amelia.”
“On the flip side, Long Ears. I’ll be here praying—ack—t-they don’t grow bigger. You might have some problems, then.”
“Oh, shut up, Bed Gremlin,” Rachel muttered, spotting the woman’s pained smile; her visit hadn’t been nearly as bad as she thought it’d go. Maybe Amelia was looking for a friend to help Anthony when she wasn’t around. It was a sobering thought, but something that crossed her mind nonetheless.
Exiting in a brighter spirit, Rachel jabbed her thumb at the room for the soldiers and Astra to join Amelia. Astra had a frown on his elderly face, though, making her pause.
“What’s up?”
“Relica just held up a phone with this smug, thrilled tone and told me she would contact us shortly.” He popped out his gum to swap for a new stick, shoving the half-empty container into his pocket. “She’s excited to meet you or some shit—the tramp. I’d be cautious; she’s making huge adjustments to their positions. I’ll get back to you, but some concerning connections are popping up.”
Rachel went for the elevator, wanting to return to Barbara before getting distracted by her mother with Anthony. Amelia would convince Anthony. She was reasonably aggressive, though her illness probably contributed to it. Now, she was slightly concerned about leaving her mother to gossip with the woman.
There was something weird about how engaged her mother was with the Legend and the details she was trying to extract regarding his personal life; of course, her mother had recently been on the ‘get-a-boyfriend train,’ which was bound to come up.
She figured it was the standard, hardwired, embarrassing mom practice that many girls got, and Rachel half wondered if the topic of Anthony having a brother, or maybe a cousin, would come up. Not that she wasn’t interested in that potentially juicy topic, but there were priorities!
Selvaria was only just making it up the stairs to the top floor with her mother, unable to take the elevator due to her weight, and Scarlet passively waited for orders in the hallway.
Arriving at the gathering of special forces, Astra had already informed Saint Barbara about the unusual tactics shift as Relica took over command of the cartel branch. The Legend tossed her a modified earpiece she’d made with a rubber band, hot glue, and a soft fabric inner lining.
“No way you made this for me—when did you find the time?” Rachel chuckled, yet an ominous wind from the east snatched her gaze. Her supernatural senses went on high alert.
“Wrap that around one of your ears; it’s mainly so you can communicate with us. When? You’re a heavy sleeper.” Her fashionable dress changed to an impressive suit of armor. “Alright, ladies, get that equipment down to the—”
“Something’s incoming!”
“Oh, hell. Give me eyes—cover, ladies!” Barbara snarled. The green berets lurched into action, throwing nearby doors open and warning several doctors and nurses to get back; they froze instead from their sudden movements.
“Move, move!”
“Down, people!”
“What we got, Rach?”
Thirty heavily armed and trained men took up positions in the hallway like they were expecting a siege from every angle, Scarlet spinning in a circle to try and identify the threat.
“Where is it, Rachel? There’s—”
“Window, the fourth door down. It’s—”
Their attention snapped to the partially open door of the place she pointed as a black mist rushed through the open doorway to spill out toward the dead-end sitting area; the lights around it flickered and went out as it collected into the shadowy haze of a smiling umbra.
Barbara held a fist in the air, a submachine gun in her other hand. “Hold! State your purpose…”
Rachel strode forward, making the shade’s grin increase. “Relica’s here to distract and throw us off.”
The shadow hummed as if not impressed. “To be honest, I expected… more from the horror stories your cataclysmic presence is supposed to elicit. Hmm. We should have tea!”
Scarlet’s blood snaked out as she inched closer to Rachel. “Tea… What are you planning? It’s a trap.”
Rachel made a gesture to tell Scarlet to chill; killing it wouldn’t do any good.
Saint Barbara’s calculating golden eyes narrowed. “So, you’re Relica? Are you using the children as hostages to negotiate a meeting?”
“Hmm? And who are you—no, I don’t care much anyway,” the shade dismissed, her violet eyes tilting to Rachel’s stiff ears, ready to fold back in case of action.
“How about a game, Rachel? I could kill all of the hostages right now. You don’t want that, though, and it doesn’t do me much good. So, I propose a bit of a game!”
“What kind of game?” she returned, shifting her weight to a more casual posture. “No one will get hurt so long as I show up and have tea?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say nobody will get hurt. Hehe. We can have rules and stipulations, though! You see, I’ve always been a creature of passion—I can admit to being a tad obsessive—and I always get what I want. Keeping it? Mmh,” her head tilted to the side. “Not so much. I like tension, though. What about you?”
The umbra’s spiky teeth flickered before the deep, purple hues of its eyes intensified, causing the shadows under it to pulse like a heart and making Barbara sigh. A golden light surrounded the military woman, pushing Relica back half a meter.
“Don’t push it, Relica. I’m entertaining this message as it is,” she warned.
“Aww. No fun,” she huffed, yet there was a bit more interest in her temporary gaze on the saint. “In any case, what do you say about a little get-together, Rachel?”
Rachel hadn’t flinched, keeping a passive smile to keep the woman engaged; Astra fed her further general data regarding the terrorist that they’d been able to uncover, but it wasn’t all that useful.
“That depends on what you’re offering me.”
“I like that!” Relica paused, clawed fingers rising to cup her chin in a thoughtful hum. “You know, if I can’t have what is promised to me, heh, no one can! It’s just the type of woman I am. So I’d be careful what you commit to when it comes to what I want,” she chimed, voice honey but words venom.
“I will take my revenge for the smallest slight made against me—slowly, beautifully… in such torment that it makes my soul sing with pride. Such is the burden of my tragedy, but I will have what I want, even if for a short time… one way or another.”
“Are you stalling?” Barbara questioned in a way that said she was over it. “You want Rachel engaged with you, but, obviously, you’re not going to go in without precautions. Let’s have it and be done with it; state your case.”
Rachel shrugged to the Legend, indicating she didn’t really mind being used as a bargaining chip; if it came down to it, she’d find a way out.
“To business, indeed!” Relica chirped, shifting gears while folding her fingers together in a deliberating manner. “Well, mmm, it’s complicated. Am I stalling? Certainly! You’ve somewhat caught me by surprise, and I have to set the board.”
“I’m getting some weird movements from these dudes,” Astra grumbled. “A lot of the children are being moved inside of the club Terrell is at, and the other hostages are being spread out in a large area. Given her profile, I’d say any harm done to her is bound to trigger something with the kids.
“Uh, I’m getting social media sightings of a giant bull Mythickin I’ve linked to that cartel is at a South Beach bank, too. Yikes! It could get messy from the messages I’m seeing. They’re demanding the Coast Guard leave the shores, or they’ll start murdering citizens.”
Barbara ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re trying to divide our rescue efforts—you’re trying to distract us in multiple areas by sacrificing your pawns.”
The shadow clapped. “This hacker I’ve been told about must be good! Yes, I’ve set up a little game for all of you. I will promise you that if you act fast, you won’t lose many hostages! Hehe! I could care less about this operation or what all your little friends do.”
Her tone lowered, becoming somber. “That is… if you agree to this meeting, Rachel. Think of the children. All I want to do is to test your misfortune powers; I’ll give you Terrell, his boys, and almost everyone else! Doesn’t it sound fun and fair? Less blood, more entertainment, and some hundreds of innocent lives go back unmaimed.”
Ears shifting to the left, Rachel tried to contain the emotions budding within her chest. “And why are you so focused on me? You said you’ve heard I was some calamity. From who?”
“Oh, dear, but who else would give me that tidbit?” Relica mused. “Scarlet’s mother! I’ve heard so much about you both, but Rachel is the one that piques my interest. After all, we have somewhat of a history together.”
Rachel’s tail stiffened; it was hard to contain herself, and she instantly wanted to refute the claim from the ponderous look Barbara gave her. Astra gasped as if it was a twist in some book, and Scarlet’s troubled stare wasn’t helpful.
“We… have a history?”
“Absolutely!” Relica nodded. “Why do you think I’m so adamant about this meeting, sweetie? I’m sure your mind is riveted! I can’t wait to talk about it in person. I’m dying to see your reaction! What could our connection be? Hehehe.”
The spur of a challenge ignited the fire within her soul; the number seventh most wanted terrorist of the FBI had singled her out and said they somehow knew each other. It had to be some manipulation tactic. But… what if it wasn’t? In any case, there was no way she could pass up this chance to go in the ring and prove to herself she could play at this international terrorist’s level.
“So,” Rachel began, striding forward and making the soldiers tense while she circled the shadow to show she wasn’t intimidated. “Is all of this for your superpowered people to jump me? No, I don’t think so,” Rachel concluded.
“No! No!” Relica giggled, setting a few of the soldiers on edge, yet they held their guns steady. Some of the more stupid hospital staff had lingered behind, listening behind counters and a few recording the incident from further down the hall.
“I can see your mind spinning! All I propose is a fair fight—you against Conner—I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
Astra went into more detail about what she’d uncovered to Barbara and the green berets as the woman continued.
“You know, the man some people call invincible? The juggernaut that can run through brick and concrete walls? I trust you’ve seen some of his work from your hacker friend—is she telling you more now—heh, naturally, this contest will come after our completely peaceful talk. Maybe you’ll try to kill me! Wouldn’t that be the twist? Hehe. No. That would be boring!”
Rachel stopped in front of her, showing a lax posture and glancing away from her to show she was pondering her proposal. Her mind accelerated, piecing things together.
Instinctively, she could destroy this shade without an ounce of effort with [Lunar Burst], but it was only a proxy to relay her message; they’d gained quite a lot of information from this exchange.
[Mental Acceleration I - Advanced to A-Tier]
[Strategic Mind I - Advanced to A-Tier]
[Beastial Instincts I - Advanced to S-Tier]
[Bringer of Misfortune I - Advanced to C-tier]
Lips curling, Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine to the tip of her tail as her gut gave her a surprising realization; she didn’t have the upper hand.
“Ooh.” Relica’s smile widened in response to her tightening eyes. “What misfortune have you sensed? Ah! Perhaps it’s my current limitations,” she lamented while shifting her weight with sudden agitation.
“I’ve run out of time for this remote chat. Tick-tock, my dear; I’ll be waiting for you and your antsy tail in the middle of the street outside of our little club! So long as none of your soldiers enter it, or any other hidden no-no is done, not one hostage will be executed inside. Xodâfez!” she sang, waving at them before dispersing into nothing.
The lights returned to normal, and Barbara’s glow faded. Relica was turning out to be a lot more of a handful than she initially expected.
Astra’s childlike voice snorted through the device as the soldiers dispersed the onlookers and confiscated phones, but the hacker appeared to have already taken care of the data.
“That’s ‘goodbye’ in Farsi; her files say she grew up in Iran, I guess.”
“We’re well versed with the language,” Mateo muttered, moving closer to whisper to Rachel, and Barbara was close behind him. “Is your sense of misfortune acting up? And what was that about knowing her?”
Scarlet’s fangs were inside her black bottom lip, seemingly unaware she’d split it as she waited for her own answers.
Rachel’s thoughtful smirk hadn’t faded. [Bringer of Misfortune] was tuned to her own goals and aspirations, helping her determine vague directions to go to achieve them. However, she now had [Curse: Karma] in her arsenal, which also made the worst-case scenario mutually assured destruction against a single opponent.
“It’s not good… I’m definitely walking into a trap, but that was pretty obvious. She was fairly specific that only ‘soldiers’ inside the club would trigger the death of the children…”
Barbara streamed out a long sigh as she turned her somber gaze to the terrified vespertine reaper. “Meaning, Selvaria and Scarlet are the only ones that can enter for us to avoid a slaughter.”
Rachel nodded. “And she’ll be keeping me busy for a time, trying to get under my skin and making me act out. Relica is poking me to see where I’ll snap. I don’t know what she could possibly do to make me lose control… She definitely has something up her sleeve, though, and, for the life of me, I can’t think of any instance I would have met her.”
She ran her hands over her ears, trying to calm the tingles the encounter had left. The soldiers and Scarlet were now on-guard, looking for clarification on what was their next move. “Sadly, I know without someone like Maria to prove I’m not lying, you can’t really take anything I say as the truth.”
Scarlet’s folded arms showed how nervous she was, but she shook her head. “No, I believe you. It’s just… hard to hear my mom is working with someone like that—it’s like I’ve lived a lie my entire life.”
“We need to shelve that,” Barbara softly prompted, trying to comfort the girl by rubbing her shoulder. “Relica’s playing a gambit, and we need to figure out which are bluffs.”
Rachel grunted, turning to look out of the window at the dark cityscape of Miami. “She’s buying time for Conner to set something up since he’ll come in later to challenge me. Hmm… If I can take two major pieces off the board, then it should give you guys enough time to handle the rest of the hostages. My only problem is…”
Scarlet fidgeted with the skirt she’d taken from Rachel’s wardrobe, groaning as everyone looked at her. “I… need to save the unicorn, fairy, and children. My mom’s not there, though. Right, Astra?” she fearfully asked, holding a finger to the device in her pointed left ear.
“Right now, she is, but I’m getting chatter about a helicopter and submarine. So…”
“A helicopter and submarine?!” Barbara snarled, scratching the back of her neck. “Agh. How? So they want the Coast Guard to back off for them. We have the seas barricaded… No. I’ll deal with that angle with the local officers. Mateo, your company will coordinate with the SEALs and Astra to take out the cartel and gang members, rescuing the hostages. Scarlet… Mmgm. Rachel?”
Rachel figured the agitated captain was asking her for input since the goddesses told her to be careful how Scarlet and Relica meet. The woman hadn’t even been focusing on the girl during their talk, so that could hardly count. No, it was during this rescue operation.
Despite the girl’s ridiculous power, Scarlet’s blue eyes were filled with self-doubt; her trauma held all that strength back. Although, without Rachel’s careful attention to her, Scarlet could have likely been the second advent of the Seattle Vampire incident in Miami. Then again, this mission could also be precisely what Scarlet needed to take another step away from the ledge she was standing on.
“Hmm. If Selvaria was there…”
“She won’t be,” Barbara flatly stated. “I could deal with the bull myself, but obviously, Relica has calculated things that I’d go after Adele and this threat of a submarine off the coast—one that could have nuclear weapons onboard for all we know.
“In fact, Selvaria may even be needed for that and the helicopter after she deals with the bull. I can’t be in all places at once, and I have to be ready to act against whatever Relica has hidden. Ugh. The Scarlet Hand has set up a large operation here that we have to adapt to, and fast.”
“S-So I’ll be alone?!” Scarlet choked. “I’m not good in stressful situations. What if my blood kills all the children?! No, I couldn’t—I can’t!”
Rachel took the panicking girl’s hand to draw her focus. “Your blood reacts to your fear, Scarlet. There are no deaths needed. Shadow teleport in and out—simple snatch and grab… unless you have something else?”
“I don’t know; Ver—I mean, I don’t know my abilities! I can look through walls to some extent, teleport through shadows, and blood-spike people. Oh, and I’m also, like… immortal or something. I’m not confident like you, Rachel! I wish I was…”
“You’re powerful, Scarlet. Own it! Would you feel bad if your blood killed someone who tried to kill a child?”
“No… but what if the child is mind controlled and they attack me? See what I’m saying?!”
Astra’s unhelpful voice entered the background. “They are mind controlled, by the way; I confirmed that.”
“Great support, Astra.”
“No, but I’m sure Maria can purify it. So, get Ms. Gangster, and win the level! Easy peasy. I should be able to help guide you, girl,” he boasted. “Follow my lead.”
“Mmgm. I… I do want to help. Agh! Fine. I just need to look through the walls, find Maria, and then she can free the children—that simple?”
Astra snicked before popping a bubble. “You’re forgetting the power-granting fairy! I’ll keep your head straight. I got you!”
“Okay…” She shook herself out and rubbed her cheeks. “Confidence! Just be confident. I can do it!”
“That’s the spirit,” Rachel said, pulling her into a hug that seemed to surprise the vamp girl. “I’m proud. You’re making huge strides.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Rachel flashed her teeth. “You good, friend?”
“Haha. I’m not the one walking into the obvious trap.”
“Bah. I’ll figure something out. Let’s go. We got some people to save.”
Selvaria’s thumping footsteps came from around the corner, perspiration slicking her face as she panted; she’d just dropped her mother off in Amelia’s room. Her sharp tail dragged along the ground, cutting a line through the tile wax.
“Haa-haa-haa… w-wha’d I miss? I need some water—I hate stairs…”
Rachel walked forward with the others, directing the leviathan around. “Well, you’ll have to go down a few more. We got you a fight with a giant bull. Excited?”
“More stairs? I’m meant to swim in the ocean, not do… this,” she groaned in her amusedly monotone way as Rachel turned her to face the doorway beside the elevator. “Just throw me out of a window…”
B1 — 18. The Invitation
Rachel motioned to Roy on the way out of the room as she moved towards the elevator. He jogged after her, glancing at her nervous parents and Astra—taking the avatar of a blonde teenage girl—busy on her holographic display.
Mateo and Barbara issued orders behind them, preparing for the operation while getting in connection with the SEAL team that would be joining them.
“What’s up?” the green beret asked upon catching up.
“Can you talk to…” she trailed off as the saint issued the order Rachel wanted him to discuss with her. “Never mind. It seems you’ll be overseeing a four-man squad to secure base operations. The captain really does pay close attention to detail,” she whispered, head tilting to spot the now-packed hallway as the special forces platoon bustled about the woman’s commands.
“Haha. Yeah, the lieutenant is impressed with her.”
Astra chuckled beside them, still sifting through a string of data on her chaotic screen. “You should see the unredacted military files of our patron saint.”
Rachel didn’t pay the hacker much mind after the look her mother gave her on their path to the elevator; they had bigger concerns than gossip. Personal feelings were harder to get away from, though. Her mother’s frightened brown eyes didn’t want her to go, making Rachel’s chest hurt.
Sorry, Mom. I can’t stop now…
She called the elevator as the other three men assigned to Roy rushed to their side. They tossed the man a pack filled with equipment and made a few grinning gestures that made Roy roll his eyes with a smirk.
Most of the staff in the area were interested in their movements, completely unaware of the tense abduction attempt that had happened not three minutes prior.
The reflective doors opened to take them to the higher floors. Luckily, those on it all exited after spotting the special forces; filing in, Rachel felt a tad cramped as she positioned herself to control the button. She wouldn’t press it until after she’d lured in her prey.
Her ears were fixated on specific areas, filtering out details to allow only certain sounds and voices to play in the background. Her gaze was away from the half-visible eye that tried to follow them, keeping to the top corner of the hallway.
“What’s up?” Roy asked, dropping his pack between his legs to allow more room and gripping the rile strapped around his shoulders.
Astra hummed from her corner position. “Uh… Oh!”
Rachel’s fingers slowly illuminated as her target neared the box and she hid it behind her back, drawing her parents’ unsure gaze. They pressed further against the wall, probably thinking there would be another teleportation kidnapping attempt.
“Give it a few seconds.”
Just a little closer… Gotcha!
She wasn’t sure if the eye could be interacted with normally, so Rachel decided not to risk it. Her fist erupted with light a second time as it tried to sneak into the top corner, vaporizing the spy in the expanding Lunar Energy and denting the metal.
[Divine Beast Empowerment I - Advanced to B-tier]
[Lunar Burst I - Advanced to E-tier]
“Nice!” Astra cheered. “One down.”
“The eye spying on us?” Roy asked, some of his men standing in front of her parents to act as shields while scanning the hallway. “Are there any more?”
Some of the doctors and nurses flinched at the focused explosion, but the door was already starting to close as Rachel pressed the button to take them up.
Astra flipped between windows and data in her cramped position. “Not yet. One is outside, but it’s not coming in. I’m monitoring feeds to see how Terrell reacts… Unfortunately, they’re keeping the inside of the club pretty isolated from networked devices and disconnected WiFi. I’m actually impressed.”
“Alright. Anyway, Roy, you speak Korean, right?” Rachel brightly redirected, figuring Barbara had the same idea as her in restationing the soldiers to guard her parents during their assault. “Can you write in Hangul, too?”
“Eh-hah. Not particularly well, I’m afraid,” he said with a strained smile. “I don’t get to practice often.”
“Huh. How did you get into that?”
Trying to lighten the mood while keeping track of everything, Rachel led the way through the halls to Amelia’s room. Her attempts at calming her parents weren’t bearing much fruit.
When the two special forces men saw them approaching the room, they hustled to the elevator, bumping arms on the way out with their comrades. When they made it to the door, Rachel asked her parents to wait outside with Astra and the soldiers, explaining she needed to talk to them in private.
Her mother gave her a shaky hug, lingering a moment before kissing her on the cheek and returning to her father. “I… know things are getting dangerous. Just come back to us in one piece… please. I just don’t want a broken house,” she choked, prompting her dad to hold her tight.
Rachel had to lock her jaw to not tear up herself while reflecting on the wake of the accident that had caused so much turmoil in their household for a time. It took three years for things to somewhat return to normal for her parents; her life from nine to eleven saw her mother an emotional wreck at being the driver, despite it not being her fault.
Astra and the green berets tried to shrink into the background.
“Of course, Mom. I—” She scratched the side of her head, looking away and breathing out a long sigh before committing to something that would improve her mother’s mood; it would also give them more time to talk. “Heh. Don’t we need to go on a shopping trip after all this? I need new clothes. Right?”
A pained, teary smile lifted her mother’s red and puffy face. “It’s a promise.”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you too, Dad.”
His silent nod and fake smile somehow helped as she turned her attention to the door and knocked. “Anthony?”
“Come in,” he said, his tone somewhat more guarded than it had been in the past.
Opening it a crack to slip through, she closed it behind her to show a strained grin. Anthony sat in a chair beside his girl, a book open on his lap that he’d been reading to his fiancé.
“Hey, so… I need to be a quick little, uh… Can I talk to Amelia for a second… Alone? I know that seems a little forward and out of nowhere, but…”
Amelia’s sunken eyes shifted to her lover. “It’s fine, Sweetie. Can you get me some orange juice—maybe some of those dark chocolate-covered blueberries I like? Hehe. You know, research shows they help cancer patients!”
“Haha. Yeah, sure, Babe.” He set the book down and leaned down to kiss her bald forehead. “Be right back. Rachel,” he nodded in passing.
Rachel wanted to cringe when her mother greeted him as he walked out.
“Oh, are you… Anthony?”
“Yeah, and you are…”
“Rachel’s parents,” she chimed. Her mother appeared to have found a good distraction as she engaged the Legend. “Sam, this is the man Rachel told us about! He really is as handsome as she said.”
“Molly…”
Her mother was already onto the next topic before Anthony had the chance to break away or her father could reign her in. “Oh, I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things.”
Rachel wanted to run out and shoo her away. It was challenging to keep herself focused as her mother somehow maneuvered herself into joining him on the trip down to the cafeteria. Roy wasn’t sure how to react, so he left two men behind while joining them.
Astra was totally oblivious to the exchange outside, sitting in a wheelchair at the nurses’ station and playing with her holograms.
I can’t believe she’s doing this after almost getting kidnapped! she hissed to herself.
Her mother was actually fairly bold and forward when it came to most things not involving the home, and this was a part of her personality she hadn’t seen come out yet. Left ear twitching and fingers tightening at her back, Rachel was forced to let it go as she walked to the side of Amelia’s bed.
If it helps, Mom, then I guess it’s okay… Why am I trying to convince myself?!
“Something wrong?”
“Hmm? Oh, just my mother,” she groaned, rubbing at the base of her ear while trying, unsuccessfully, to block it out; trying to puff out the tension building in her chest was of little help. “It’s nothing. To business, I have an answer for you, and I’m on a bit of a clock.”
A long stream of air passed through the young woman’s mouth, mirroring Rachel’s earlier action that made her smile. Amelia looked up at the ceiling, seemingly trying to draw strength from anywhere she could find it.
“Did you know true crime bores Anthony to death? But he reads them to me anyway because he knows it helps me forget about my illness.”
Thrown off a bit by the inflection in her voice, Rachel’s fingers tightened against each other at her front. “You… feel guilty about that?”
“I guess.” A weak laugh followed, thin arms pulling her blanket up to her chest. “The complication of feelings and emotions beyond our control, huh? I read a book about it once. Anthony and I are both already dead and broken in our own way… So,” her weary eyes shifted to her.
“Everyone tries to convince me of some positive spin on things and go back to their own lives. We all feel some kind of irrational guilt—the looks people give me—it’s not new. So, what light do you offer us, Rachel?”
It clicked in her mind; Amelia wasn’t only searching for Anthony’s happiness. Anthony’s happiness was intrinsically tied to her own, and she wanted something to believe in that wasn’t just hollow words; she didn’t want to feel the poison of her illness hurting her fiancé.
Brushing back her bangs, Rachel rubbed her left arm and sat beside the woman. It was hard not to look into her searching gaze when everything within Rachel’s peripheral vision was in focus; they told of external and internal struggles she couldn’t imagine.
“I’ll just throw it out there, then. I know how this might sound—insane is an understatement—but these moon goddesses are attempting to make contact with me, or… guide me to this giant tree in the UK. I’m not convinced they are on my side. It’s more like they see me as useful, but they could be useful for me, too.”
She had it a lot better planned out in her head, yet staring into this woman’s sunken eyes made her nervous; it somehow connected with the uncomfortable emotions she felt in front of her mother.
“So… yeah. If there is a solution to this illness problem, I can’t think of a better one than personally asking some higher power. Too crazy? Haha. I’d think it was too far out there.”
Amelia’s head rolled back on her pillow to look up at the ceiling, eyes becoming shiny. “Crazier than growing ears and a tail, going to different dimensions, or toad aliens? Hah. Haha.
“How insane has the world become in the past week? It makes me want to cry. All these miracles, and… I guess that’s one reason Anthony is in this spiral,” she whispered, accepting a tissue from Rachel as she pulled one out from the box beside her bed.
Rachel chuckled herself before coming melancholy. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. The whole world was flipped on its head, yet in some cruel twist of fate, to you, not a whole lot has changed—I guess it’s even worse.”
“Huh…” The woman swallowed back tears, her throat becoming thick. “I don’t know. I think there is a lot of beauty to be found in how things are going, despite the pain. You can’t truly understand joy without the sorrow; at least, that’s what I’ve come to believe. How interesting.”
“What?” Rachel tentatively asked, unsure what to make of her reaction as things took a turn, and Amelia’s weak smile fell a tad.
“An adventure of searching out these moon goddesses… Overcoming obstacles to find them and traveling into the depths of a mysterious world tree to discover the truth? Making friends, saving people in trouble, and supporting others. It sounds like a fantasy tale Anthony would love.”
Not speaking in the ensuing pause, Rachel waited for her to process it; Rachel was still processing her own goal and path.
“The danger is a given,” Amelia whispered, “but I’m not stupid enough to think answers come without sacrifice. Look at me—all the experimental treatments and pain… No, he’ll be away from me, which will be… hard—almost unbearable—but… so long as he thinks there is hope, it will keep him going.”
Strength filled the woman’s eyes, yet her face softened. “What would Anthony be doing with you, Rachel?”
She shrugged, not really having a full answer. “Right now, I only want him to stay with you and protect everyone while we’re gone. A local cult-affiliated cartel just made a kidnapping attempt on my parents, and I expect more to come when we leave. You’ll receive updates from Astra on how things are going since she’ll be in—never mind, heh, he’s now in a male avatar. I wish he would just pick one,” she grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
A few seconds passed before she sighed. “…Okay, Rachel. It is a quest Anthony can find purpose in. Even if it is a dead-end… it’s something he can hold onto. Heh. And maybe… maybe I can bring myself to eventually believe it will bear fruit. It’s just so hard when every failed hope feels like another nail digging into my chest.”
A weak, teary laugh came from Amelia. “In any case, I won’t take any more of your time—since, heh, you’re on a clock. Thank you, Rachel. Have the guards outside and this Astra person come in to chat with me until Anthony gets back; he’ll appreciate someone being with me.”
Getting up, Rachel gave her an encouraging smile and reached down to squeeze her hand. “I’m not all that noble of a person to care much for others, Amelia… I think I want to, but—I don’t know, I’ll do what I can. I owe Anthony and you for this.”
Silent laughter shook the woman’s chest. “You want to be someone who cares for others… Sounds like you’re struggling with your own past. It’s nice to know you’re not some perfect moon hare, here to swoon my last thread of light.”
“Haha. What a word to use,” Rachel snickered. “You’ve got a good one. He really seems to care about you.”
“Anthony does… despite how little I deserve him… Hmm.” Her fingers tightened around Rachel’s for a moment. “As someone I can’t name probably once said, a friendship built on business can be glorious, while a business built on friendship can be murder. I’m glad to lay that second brick, Rachel. Good luck.”
Being careful with her frail hand, Rachel’s opinion of the woman rose. “Business partners then. In the meantime, try not to die, Amelia.”
“Just throwing it out there, but maybe sending a postcard or flowers every so often would help revitalize me?” she grinned, waving her off. “It’s nice knowing people are thinking about you. So, whatever you’re doing, kick some ass.”
“Haha! That’s my hobby. Later, Amelia.”
“On the flip side, Long Ears. I’ll be here praying—ack—t-they don’t grow bigger. You might have some problems, then.”
“Oh, shut up, Bed Gremlin,” Rachel muttered, spotting the woman’s pained smile; her visit hadn’t been nearly as bad as she thought it’d go. Maybe Amelia was looking for a friend to help Anthony when she wasn’t around. It was a sobering thought, but something that crossed her mind nonetheless.
Exiting in a brighter spirit, Rachel jabbed her thumb at the room for the soldiers and Astra to join Amelia. Astra had a frown on his elderly face, though, making her pause.
“What’s up?”
“Relica just held up a phone with this smug, thrilled tone and told me she would contact us shortly.” He popped out his gum to swap for a new stick, shoving the half-empty container into his pocket. “She’s excited to meet you or some shit—the tramp. I’d be cautious; she’s making huge adjustments to their positions. I’ll get back to you, but some concerning connections are popping up.”
Rachel went for the elevator, wanting to return to Barbara before getting distracted by her mother with Anthony. Amelia would convince Anthony. She was reasonably aggressive, though her illness probably contributed to it. Now, she was slightly concerned about leaving her mother to gossip with the woman.
There was something weird about how engaged her mother was with the Legend and the details she was trying to extract regarding his personal life; of course, her mother had recently been on the ‘get-a-boyfriend train,’ which was bound to come up.
She figured it was the standard, hardwired, embarrassing mom practice that many girls got, and Rachel half wondered if the topic of Anthony having a brother, or maybe a cousin, would come up. Not that she wasn’t interested in that potentially juicy topic, but there were priorities!
Selvaria was only just making it up the stairs to the top floor with her mother, unable to take the elevator due to her weight, and Scarlet passively waited for orders in the hallway.
Arriving at the gathering of special forces, Astra had already informed Saint Barbara about the unusual tactics shift as Relica took over command of the cartel branch. The Legend tossed her a modified earpiece she’d made with a rubber band, hot glue, and a soft fabric inner lining.
“No way you made this for me—when did you find the time?” Rachel chuckled, yet an ominous wind from the east snatched her gaze. Her supernatural senses went on high alert.
“Wrap that around one of your ears; it’s mainly so you can communicate with us. When? You’re a heavy sleeper.” Her fashionable dress changed to an impressive suit of armor. “Alright, ladies, get that equipment down to the—”
“Something’s incoming!”
“Oh, hell. Give me eyes—cover, ladies!” Barbara snarled. The green berets lurched into action, throwing nearby doors open and warning several doctors and nurses to get back; they froze instead from their sudden movements.
“Move, move!”
“Down, people!”
“What we got, Rach?”
Thirty heavily armed and trained men took up positions in the hallway like they were expecting a siege from every angle, Scarlet spinning in a circle to try and identify the threat.
“Where is it, Rachel? There’s—”
“Window, the fourth door down. It’s—”
Their attention snapped to the partially open door of the place she pointed as a black mist rushed through the open doorway to spill out toward the dead-end sitting area; the lights around it flickered and went out as it collected into the shadowy haze of a smiling umbra.
Barbara held a fist in the air, a submachine gun in her other hand. “Hold! State your purpose…”
Rachel strode forward, making the shade’s grin increase. “Relica’s here to distract and throw us off.”
The shadow hummed as if not impressed. “To be honest, I expected… more from the horror stories your cataclysmic presence is supposed to elicit. Hmm. We should have tea!”
Scarlet’s blood snaked out as she inched closer to Rachel. “Tea… What are you planning? It’s a trap.”
Rachel made a gesture to tell Scarlet to chill; killing it wouldn’t do any good.
Saint Barbara’s calculating golden eyes narrowed. “So, you’re Relica? Are you using the children as hostages to negotiate a meeting?”
“Hmm? And who are you—no, I don’t care much anyway,” the shade dismissed, her violet eyes tilting to Rachel’s stiff ears, ready to fold back in case of action.
“How about a game, Rachel? I could kill all of the hostages right now. You don’t want that, though, and it doesn’t do me much good. So, I propose a bit of a game!”
“What kind of game?” she returned, shifting her weight to a more casual posture. “No one will get hurt so long as I show up and have tea?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say nobody will get hurt. Hehe. We can have rules and stipulations, though! You see, I’ve always been a creature of passion—I can admit to being a tad obsessive—and I always get what I want. Keeping it? Mmh,” her head tilted to the side. “Not so much. I like tension, though. What about you?”
The umbra’s spiky teeth flickered before the deep, purple hues of its eyes intensified, causing the shadows under it to pulse like a heart and making Barbara sigh. A golden light surrounded the military woman, pushing Relica back half a meter.
“Don’t push it, Relica. I’m entertaining this message as it is,” she warned.
“Aww. No fun,” she huffed, yet there was a bit more interest in her temporary gaze on the saint. “In any case, what do you say about a little get-together, Rachel?”
Rachel hadn’t flinched, keeping a passive smile to keep the woman engaged; Astra fed her further general data regarding the terrorist that they’d been able to uncover, but it wasn’t all that useful.
“That depends on what you’re offering me.”
“I like that!” Relica paused, clawed fingers rising to cup her chin in a thoughtful hum. “You know, if I can’t have what is promised to me, heh, no one can! It’s just the type of woman I am. So I’d be careful what you commit to when it comes to what I want,” she chimed, voice honey but words venom.
“I will take my revenge for the smallest slight made against me—slowly, beautifully… in such torment that it makes my soul sing with pride. Such is the burden of my tragedy, but I will have what I want, even if for a short time… one way or another.”
“Are you stalling?” Barbara questioned in a way that said she was over it. “You want Rachel engaged with you, but, obviously, you’re not going to go in without precautions. Let’s have it and be done with it; state your case.”
Rachel shrugged to the Legend, indicating she didn’t really mind being used as a bargaining chip; if it came down to it, she’d find a way out.
“To business, indeed!” Relica chirped, shifting gears while folding her fingers together in a deliberating manner. “Well, mmm, it’s complicated. Am I stalling? Certainly! You’ve somewhat caught me by surprise, and I have to set the board.”
“I’m getting some weird movements from these dudes,” Astra grumbled. “A lot of the children are being moved inside of the club Terrell is at, and the other hostages are being spread out in a large area. Given her profile, I’d say any harm done to her is bound to trigger something with the kids.
“Uh, I’m getting social media sightings of a giant bull Mythickin I’ve linked to that cartel is at a South Beach bank, too. Yikes! It could get messy from the messages I’m seeing. They’re demanding the Coast Guard leave the shores, or they’ll start murdering citizens.”
Barbara ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re trying to divide our rescue efforts—you’re trying to distract us in multiple areas by sacrificing your pawns.”
The shadow clapped. “This hacker I’ve been told about must be good! Yes, I’ve set up a little game for all of you. I will promise you that if you act fast, you won’t lose many hostages! Hehe! I could care less about this operation or what all your little friends do.”
Her tone lowered, becoming somber. “That is… if you agree to this meeting, Rachel. Think of the children. All I want to do is to test your misfortune powers; I’ll give you Terrell, his boys, and almost everyone else! Doesn’t it sound fun and fair? Less blood, more entertainment, and some hundreds of innocent lives go back unmaimed.”
Ears shifting to the left, Rachel tried to contain the emotions budding within her chest. “And why are you so focused on me? You said you’ve heard I was some calamity. From who?”
“Oh, dear, but who else would give me that tidbit?” Relica mused. “Scarlet’s mother! I’ve heard so much about you both, but Rachel is the one that piques my interest. After all, we have somewhat of a history together.”
Rachel’s tail stiffened; it was hard to contain herself, and she instantly wanted to refute the claim from the ponderous look Barbara gave her. Astra gasped as if it was a twist in some book, and Scarlet’s troubled stare wasn’t helpful.
“We… have a history?”
“Absolutely!” Relica nodded. “Why do you think I’m so adamant about this meeting, sweetie? I’m sure your mind is riveted! I can’t wait to talk about it in person. I’m dying to see your reaction! What could our connection be? Hehehe.”
The spur of a challenge ignited the fire within her soul; the number seventh most wanted terrorist of the FBI had singled her out and said they somehow knew each other. It had to be some manipulation tactic. But… what if it wasn’t? In any case, there was no way she could pass up this chance to go in the ring and prove to herself she could play at this international terrorist’s level.
“So,” Rachel began, striding forward and making the soldiers tense while she circled the shadow to show she wasn’t intimidated. “Is all of this for your superpowered people to jump me? No, I don’t think so,” Rachel concluded.
“No! No!” Relica giggled, setting a few of the soldiers on edge, yet they held their guns steady. Some of the more stupid hospital staff had lingered behind, listening behind counters and a few recording the incident from further down the hall.
“I can see your mind spinning! All I propose is a fair fight—you against Conner—I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
Astra went into more detail about what she’d uncovered to Barbara and the green berets as the woman continued.
“You know, the man some people call invincible? The juggernaut that can run through brick and concrete walls? I trust you’ve seen some of his work from your hacker friend—is she telling you more now—heh, naturally, this contest will come after our completely peaceful talk. Maybe you’ll try to kill me! Wouldn’t that be the twist? Hehe. No. That would be boring!”
Rachel stopped in front of her, showing a lax posture and glancing away from her to show she was pondering her proposal. Her mind accelerated, piecing things together.
Instinctively, she could destroy this shade without an ounce of effort with [Lunar Burst], but it was only a proxy to relay her message; they’d gained quite a lot of information from this exchange.
[Mental Acceleration I - Advanced to A-Tier]
[Strategic Mind I - Advanced to A-Tier]
[Beastial Instincts I - Advanced to S-Tier]
[Bringer of Misfortune I - Advanced to C-tier]
Lips curling, Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine to the tip of her tail as her gut gave her a surprising realization; she didn’t have the upper hand.
“Ooh.” Relica’s smile widened in response to her tightening eyes. “What misfortune have you sensed? Ah! Perhaps it’s my current limitations,” she lamented while shifting her weight with sudden agitation.
“I’ve run out of time for this remote chat. Tick-tock, my dear; I’ll be waiting for you and your antsy tail in the middle of the street outside of our little club! So long as none of your soldiers enter it, or any other hidden no-no is done, not one hostage will be executed inside. Xodâfez!” she sang, waving at them before dispersing into nothing.
The lights returned to normal, and Barbara’s glow faded. Relica was turning out to be a lot more of a handful than she initially expected.
Astra’s childlike voice snorted through the device as the soldiers dispersed the onlookers and confiscated phones, but the hacker appeared to have already taken care of the data.
“That’s ‘goodbye’ in Farsi; her files say she grew up in Iran, I guess.”
“We’re well versed with the language,” Mateo muttered, moving closer to whisper to Rachel, and Barbara was close behind him. “Is your sense of misfortune acting up? And what was that about knowing her?”
Scarlet’s fangs were inside her black bottom lip, seemingly unaware she’d split it as she waited for her own answers.
Rachel’s thoughtful smirk hadn’t faded. [Bringer of Misfortune] was tuned to her own goals and aspirations, helping her determine vague directions to go to achieve them. However, she now had [Curse: Karma] in her arsenal, which also made the worst-case scenario mutually assured destruction against a single opponent.
“It’s not good… I’m definitely walking into a trap, but that was pretty obvious. She was fairly specific that only ‘soldiers’ inside the club would trigger the death of the children…”
Barbara streamed out a long sigh as she turned her somber gaze to the terrified vespertine reaper. “Meaning, Selvaria and Scarlet are the only ones that can enter for us to avoid a slaughter.”
Rachel nodded. “And she’ll be keeping me busy for a time, trying to get under my skin and making me act out. Relica is poking me to see where I’ll snap. I don’t know what she could possibly do to make me lose control… She definitely has something up her sleeve, though, and, for the life of me, I can’t think of any instance I would have met her.”
She ran her hands over her ears, trying to calm the tingles the encounter had left. The soldiers and Scarlet were now on-guard, looking for clarification on what was their next move. “Sadly, I know without someone like Maria to prove I’m not lying, you can’t really take anything I say as the truth.”
Scarlet’s folded arms showed how nervous she was, but she shook her head. “No, I believe you. It’s just… hard to hear my mom is working with someone like that—it’s like I’ve lived a lie my entire life.”
“We need to shelve that,” Barbara softly prompted, trying to comfort the girl by rubbing her shoulder. “Relica’s playing a gambit, and we need to figure out which are bluffs.”
Rachel grunted, turning to look out of the window at the dark cityscape of Miami. “She’s buying time for Conner to set something up since he’ll come in later to challenge me. Hmm… If I can take two major pieces off the board, then it should give you guys enough time to handle the rest of the hostages. My only problem is…”
Scarlet fidgeted with the skirt she’d taken from Rachel’s wardrobe, groaning as everyone looked at her. “I… need to save the unicorn, fairy, and children. My mom’s not there, though. Right, Astra?” she fearfully asked, holding a finger to the device in her pointed left ear.
“Right now, she is, but I’m getting chatter about a helicopter and submarine. So…”
“A helicopter and submarine?!” Barbara snarled, scratching the back of her neck. “Agh. How? So they want the Coast Guard to back off for them. We have the seas barricaded… No. I’ll deal with that angle with the local officers. Mateo, your company will coordinate with the SEALs and Astra to take out the cartel and gang members, rescuing the hostages. Scarlet… Mmgm. Rachel?”
Rachel figured the agitated captain was asking her for input since the goddesses told her to be careful how Scarlet and Relica meet. The woman hadn’t even been focusing on the girl during their talk, so that could hardly count. No, it was during this rescue operation.
Despite the girl’s ridiculous power, Scarlet’s blue eyes were filled with self-doubt; her trauma held all that strength back. Although, without Rachel’s careful attention to her, Scarlet could have likely been the second advent of the Seattle Vampire incident in Miami. Then again, this mission could also be precisely what Scarlet needed to take another step away from the ledge she was standing on.
“Hmm. If Selvaria was there…”
“She won’t be,” Barbara flatly stated. “I could deal with the bull myself, but obviously, Relica has calculated things that I’d go after Adele and this threat of a submarine off the coast—one that could have nuclear weapons onboard for all we know.
“In fact, Selvaria may even be needed for that and the helicopter after she deals with the bull. I can’t be in all places at once, and I have to be ready to act against whatever Relica has hidden. Ugh. The Scarlet Hand has set up a large operation here that we have to adapt to, and fast.”
“S-So I’ll be alone?!” Scarlet choked. “I’m not good in stressful situations. What if my blood kills all the children?! No, I couldn’t—I can’t!”
Rachel took the panicking girl’s hand to draw her focus. “Your blood reacts to your fear, Scarlet. There are no deaths needed. Shadow teleport in and out—simple snatch and grab… unless you have something else?”
“I don’t know; Ver—I mean, I don’t know my abilities! I can look through walls to some extent, teleport through shadows, and blood-spike people. Oh, and I’m also, like… immortal or something. I’m not confident like you, Rachel! I wish I was…”
“You’re powerful, Scarlet. Own it! Would you feel bad if your blood killed someone who tried to kill a child?”
“No… but what if the child is mind controlled and they attack me? See what I’m saying?!”
Astra’s unhelpful voice entered the background. “They are mind controlled, by the way; I confirmed that.”
“Great support, Astra.”
“No, but I’m sure Maria can purify it. So, get Ms. Gangster, and win the level! Easy peasy. I should be able to help guide you, girl,” he boasted. “Follow my lead.”
“Mmgm. I… I do want to help. Agh! Fine. I just need to look through the walls, find Maria, and then she can free the children—that simple?”
Astra snicked before popping a bubble. “You’re forgetting the power-granting fairy! I’ll keep your head straight. I got you!”
“Okay…” She shook herself out and rubbed her cheeks. “Confidence! Just be confident. I can do it!”
“That’s the spirit,” Rachel said, pulling her into a hug that seemed to surprise the vamp girl. “I’m proud. You’re making huge strides.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Rachel flashed her teeth. “You good, friend?”
“Haha. I’m not the one walking into the obvious trap.”
“Bah. I’ll figure something out. Let’s go. We got some people to save.”
Selvaria’s thumping footsteps came from around the corner, perspiration slicking her face as she panted; she’d just dropped her mother off in Amelia’s room. Her sharp tail dragged along the ground, cutting a line through the tile wax.
“Haa-haa-haa… w-wha’d I miss? I need some water—I hate stairs…”
Rachel walked forward with the others, directing the leviathan around. “Well, you’ll have to go down a few more. We got you a fight with a giant bull. Excited?”
“More stairs? I’m meant to swim in the ocean, not do… this,” she groaned in her amusedly monotone way as Rachel turned her to face the doorway beside the elevator. “Just throw me out of a window…”
