Herosae Kitsune: Chapter 4

The apartment echoed in void darkness, windows sewn and doors draped. Morning rose blindly behind her curtains of shame. Sarephel wrestled about until the sheets were just as restless as she was. Hot water normally soothed her but her morning bath, alone, irritated her sleepy skin. Pouring off it's top, she sunk into the surface with her tile floor draining it out. Coffee was bland, she tossed it. Food was guilty but she ate it. Nothing to do all day but sit on call. She could see Aera but Sarephel felt a little too frequent to pester her. That and wanted to avoid it for a while.

For once, the slow elevator was tolerable. A familiar sandwich stall rolled by, it's food was one of those easy day lunch kind of experiences and so she was. Elevator scrolled down as she snickered to herself watching it leave without her. Their seating arrangements were to be desired but from the balcony there was plenty to watch and listen to.

Time itself slipped through her cloudy frame-less eyes. One slow bite after another, everything seemed much more in place. Tarrat root wedges had that effect, the smooth firm avocado flesh insides slipped down the gullet like heavy flavoured air, which put Sarephel into perspective. A pleasant expression swept her face as her worries fell off the face of Herosae Tower. Food is a friend, it never judges, always there when you need sympathy for your most latent and irrelevant petty problems, and almost never bites you back unless you probably really deserved it. Maybe it was time to come clean about last night.

Sarephel was about ready to leave but saw her half eaten basket and sat down again. No sense in leaving them. “Maybe I don't have to go quite yet, I've got all day. Maybe, boys up top could pull me away again at any moment, and with Garath's timing I doubt I'll get half way through before he rings me up.” She looked at her tablet, turned on again, running her palm across her cheek and hair as she propped herself messily. She sighed, sticking another wedge in her mouth.

A voice called, irregular tone and loud. Her ears opened up, they stopped but she could hear the small pattering of careless footsteps. It appeared security would have their time fulfilled. Another wedge came up to her lips before tilting it away and turning her head. “I've got nothing better to do, 'cept eat...” She veered up and popped another taste. “Yeah...” She said, pulling a small handful of snacks with her and leaped off the railing. Down she went, down two floors, and as she could last tell, to her left. Sure enough, security was hot on his cold trail.

Walking down the shop allys, Sarephel heard the careless scamper of someone who was really bad at playing hide and seek. She popped more wedges as she browsed the isles, the pace closed into a halt but the breath still remained.

Nervous to be certain, he pulled into a cubby. His breathing finally under control but his sweat still poured. Sarephel seen many men of flamboyant flare, he was not one of them. “Good haul?” She mentioned, his spine standing straight, he looked side to side. “Getting colder... colder.” She chuckled as the criminal struggled to source the ghosts echos. “I'm below you.” Sure enough, he looked down and she laughed harder. His gaze shooting straight up.

“What do you want?” The man began to panic

Sarephel shrugged, eating her last morsel. “Entertainment.”

“How did you find me?”

“Well, I figured you'd stop by here, if you didn't I'd probably have to end my fun early.”

“Who are you?”

“I'm bored, with an 'e'... And if you are wondering where, when and why; here, now and screw you that's why. So, what's the story this time?” Sarephel asked, leaning farther over the ledge. “Kids to feed? Debts with the mafia? Chelsas had a lightning sale on fish cakes?” She finished circling her finger around the cement wall beneath her.

The man nodded. “Debts, real bad ones.”

“Didn't pay back your jelli-roll?”

“Funny, these people are real trouble.”

“I don't suppose it has anything to do with underground drug trading mafia types does it?”

He didn't seem it before, but the thief was more and more nervous, buzzing almost. “No... It's... C-Camii...” Unable to speak the name he started to look for his exit “I don't have time for this.” Insisting, he turned to run for it

Sarephel stopped her shenanigans. “Camine...” She looked away.

The man froze in his tracks “You know of him?”

“Well with debts like those, you ought to report them to the station.”

“Oh no, there's no where safe from them, especially a snitch.”

“If I held you here, do you think they'd come by looking for you?”

“Are you one of them?”

“I'd tell you I'm a cop but I don't want you to give up now”

“I've outran them before, I can do it again.” Dashing away, he reminded Sarephel something of the crime life here, their all wimps. Chances of starting some trouble would have to wait.

“Huh... Right, I forgot you are simple and boring.” She said, stepping off her pedestal.

Around the corner, down the hall, through a crowded cafeteria and out towards the secondary stairwell. Sarephel was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, he was relieved, slowing his pace to look up the stairs. She didn't follow him, he was safe. Landing his last step was crooked and tripped him, falling him to his side. Looking up, the coast was clear. “Boo.” She spooked like a child trying to be adorable, surprisingly illciting a small shriek from her victim. Returning her facade to a proper manner she continued. “You're coming with me.”

Two guards were there, paper and all. The woman describing his details with some charades, trying to make out whatever she could. She seemed to be stumped trying to describe him until noticing him. “That's him!” She yelled, the two guards turning to meet him.

“Alright pal.” Sarephel patted him up. “What did you want to to give back to the nice lady.”

“H-h-here...” He shuttered. “I brought you back your purse.”

The woman was stunned, two guards approached him as protection. “Aaaand, what did you want to tell her?” Bother guards taking note to Saraphel who was guiding him.

“I'm-m-m s-sorry, please forgive me.” She booted him in the calf. “It was wrong of me, I will never do it again.”

One guard broke his stance and began to chuckle. “You've got him trained well.” The other breaking a smirk himself. “Who are you?”

“Amagi Koh...”

Shaking his head “Not you...” The guard cut off. “Her.”

Sarephel stood formally taking his stance adjacently unguarded. “Sixth tier guard and personal daughter of father Herosae himself, Sarephel Lysel Herosae.” The crook quivering at the sound. She turned to him, relishing the epiphany as his head slowly trembled with rusty gears facing to meet her. “And you, can call me boss.” The woman in behind getting more than her share of enjoyment from his face.

“It is a pleasure.” The guard pulled up straight in respect to the presence of utter hierarchy. “We can take him from here ma'am”

She tittered “I've got this, I have some business at the station myself. Ma'am, your purse... He won't bite, will you?”

“N-n-n-” For the lack of the words to utter, the man profusely shook his head almost shedding tears. Almost hesitantly, the lady came up and retrieved the purse from him trembling hands

She nodded. “Thank you.” Receiving the nodding reply from her once enemy.

“See, isn't the world a better place?” Sarephel announced, pulling Amagi by his ear. “Alright, time to go.”

Floors passed by, the station wasn't this far but Sarephel had somewhere else to go. Moments past without her harassing and Tren opened his mouth to speak. “What does bring the attention of a guard like you to a petty bag theft?”

“As I said, I was bored. I'm on call so there isn't much I can do, well...”

“So I'm not that big of a matter after all?... Can, can you assure my safety?”

“Sure, I used to beat the crap out of his goons daily. One day I sent him a gift basket with a lovely letter in it, the next day he moved out of town... Er, elsewhere. If you need some help, just tell them who's got you covered, they'll walk away...” “Maybe.” She muttered shrugging.

Big orange doors opened up to a large reception. Semi-luxury seating, for as luxury as a security station could provide, sat an empty house in front of a long bracket desk and a busy officer. “I never though of it.” Tren astounded. “This is the big station, never thought I'd see the day I'd be walking into here.”

Sarephel smiled. “I'm almost sorry I did those things to you back then.” She said, shooing him off.

“Can I help you?” The officer asked, still attentive on his documents.

“I wish to turn myself in.”

The officer pulled back to look the man in the eyes. “And what act of distrust have you committed.”

“Just today I had stolen a womans' purse and I'm here to atone for it.” He said almost excited to be locked away into safety.

The officer looked strangely at the man, then off at Sarephel who was waving behind him. Putting on a face smile, he buzzed through to the stationary guards. “I've got someone for you, better bring three men, he looks real dangerous, claims he stole a womans' purse.”

Soon, three guards came by to inspect the man. One guy patted Tren on the back. “You'll be fine.” He said, gently pulling the willing convict away.

“Thank you Sarephel, for everything.” Tren gratified.

“You're welcome... Oh, and guys, if anyone asks about a snitch, tell them it's that guy.” She said waving his poor terrified face off behind the closing doors.

“Sarephel,” The officer groaned. “Why do you give me left overs?”

“Passing through Jarn, thought I'd give you a gift before I came to visit.”

“Well, your idea of a gift just gave me another problem to deal with.” Jarn replied, “What do you need, anyway?”

“I came to see how the interrogation is going for Meji Kloho is going.”

“You really do come by with the worst cases, don't you... Mr. Khloe is undergoing PKE, I'll tell you, I don't envy him there one bit. It'll be a few hours before their done with him.”

Sarephel flopped down onto the sofa. “A few hours, doesn't give me a lot of time.”

Tapping off his screen Jarn scootched his chair over. “You could try pestering the researchers down at the research labs.” He said, clasping hands over his horridly slumped stomach, now attentive.

“Or, I could fatten myself up on Terrot wedges.”

“That would be the day.” Jard chuckled, still reflecting his apathetic gesture and cold disposition. “My brother eats them like they were rice in a poor mans bowl and he's getting thinner.”

“I don't suppose they'd let me join in there, would you?” Sarephel lazily waved her arm in the direction that they took Amagi.

“There nothing you can do about it, I'm sorry. Best you can do is just watch.”

Still limp, she risen without hesitation, “Ring me through, anything is better than waiting out here.”

“And after all this time you spent picking me out a birthday present.” The door opened, “Do try to not hinder them.”

Up she got, stretching and finally parted with a wave. Beyond the gates was dull grey floors and walls, the kind that saved on cleaning costs because no one could tell what was dirty and what wasn't. Really, it all looked dirty. A little carpeting would be appreciated. Down the echoing halls, quiet sounds of work persisted. Sure enough, there he was; three halls down by the private rooms, tied down and twitching. “I never get used to seeing it...” Sarephel reflected upon the glass, barely sympathizing with the barrier between them. Watching for what seemed ten minutes, she lowered her hands from the store display.

“Bored I take it.” Her ears turned sideways, it was him again. “Not the worst means of torture, I'll admit it makes me crawl.” Garath arrived, lab coat over skin suit.

“Is it true they don't feel pain?” Sarephel asked, still attentive on the figure inside.

He moved in, joining the spectators stand. “I've never been in one myself. Anyone I hear from claims it's the process of extracting memories that causes them to seize like that. 'Completely harmless', still a spectre to look at. It works by sending electric pulses out to stimulate different parts of the brain and look for a feedback response as they scope out the memory. It's almost impossible to lie when asked a question as it reads directly from the source, rather, you do. It's quite the tru...”

Sarephel interrupted “You know I don't give a damn right?” Returning her unimpressed glare back at him.

“Well if you came by waiting for the...”

“Yeah, it's going to be a while.”

“Such sass today.”

“You're not the first person I've talked too all day.”

“Alright, if you think you know everything I'll leave you to it and not even mention that they've been at Rolaund Daz all morning.” Garath dropped, pulling back from the observatory.

Sarephel perked, “That's the first bit of new information all day.” Turning to see him sauntering away.

“Though you'd be interested.”

“Where are they keeping him?” She inquired.

Continuing to walk, Garath brought his hand out and beckoned still facing away.

Approaching the room, Garath reached for the handle, “They haven't gotten much out of him.” He informed. “So far he's working blind for someone and was instructed to move some things that's all. Boss gives him notes under his door, says jump and he does. Pay is modest, same delivery. He's considered flat and awaiting judgment depending on what information you can gather from him.”

“Wait! I'm interrogating him? I don't know anything about him other than we trained for a year.” Sarephel contested.

“Though you were bored.”

“He's part of the job.”

“So far, hes reached the end of his usefulness, it's a shame we couldn't get anything else from him. Assuming Meji can supply us, this job is looking pretty flimsy.” Garath coaxed. Sarephel returned, eating through his game with a straight glare, wise to his ploy. “Entert-aaainment.” He enticed playfully.

“Fine, but for my entertainment.” Sarephel conditioned emphasizing in her selfish favour.

Garath opened the door gentlemanly. Daz sat head rolled back, at the end of the table. He remained like that until hearing Sarephels charming voice drop his guard.

“So, they put you away huh? As it sounds you are pretty useless now. Where's the next step? Judicial chopping block, or they putting you away into TX38?”

Tired and intolerant, Daz straightened up “What's your routine?”

“No routine, I'm bored and I want to make your life uncomfortable. I hear, you were lucky to not go through PKE.”

“I don't even know why I should be here.”

“You could play dumb but I got some proof.”

“You ain't got nothing.”

“Yeah, well I was in the back having sex, while you were too busy figuring out which lug nut was smaller than your own. Small world, huh?”

“You've got quite the talent.” Garath congratulated as Sarephel closed the door behind her. “I only caught the last bit so you'll have to let me in on what you found.”

“And where were you?”

“Checking up on Meji, PKE is finished, their just compiling the data now. Thought I'd come get you... So, don't leave me in suspense, what did you find out?”

“He was right, he was moving parts, not drugs. Nothing too major though, his boss may be working the hole bu...”

“The aperture, please.” Tickled, Garath smirked.

Sarephel's brows risen, “The 'aperture' but he seems rather inconsequential.”

“As we figured he'll probably walk but he'll be isolated for a while til this blows over.” Walking off, Garath

Catching up to him, “Are you telling me you already got that from him?” Sarephel retorted.

“You went because you were bored, remember?”

“You manipulative prick!”

Head turned and still walking. “Did I not fulfill your entertainment?”

Guiltily, Sarephel looked away in disgust.

“Mr. Chicoltae, your data!” A woman called down the hall, rushing towards them.

“What issues this kind of urgency?” Garath asked, walking in her direction anyways.

“Read it.” The lab assistant insisted.

Garath grabbed it abruptly and poured over the information each line scanned like lasers, his hand clenching harder on the crown of his skull. Clarity ran through his voice, grim and stern. “Alright, we need to mobilize. You and me are going in to secure this lab right now. Another team is preparing to enter with us but it looks like we are scouting ahead for them. Do you need ammunition?”

Sarephel shook her head. “What is going on, or are you going to leave me in the dark?”

“This isn't drug trade, their manufacturing bio-tech weapons in there. This is a red level threat.” Her eyes shot dark, as the iris almost vanished. Sarephel nodded and left immediately. “Wait by the aperture for me!” Garath commanded, clinging onto his intercom.

Only a few minutes behind, armed in full tech camo, Garath arrived signalling Sarephel immediately. Loud bang followed the forced entry through the back door, workers still operating the shop. “Down!” Garath shouted, with a mas meeting the call.

“Back room secure.” Sarephel announced. Customers in the front confused as the commotion fled into the front.

“Front secure.” Garath announced, binding all the workers in place for case of retaliation. In and down they went. Lights on, the dark corridor illuminated. Two drones took flight scanning down the passage ahead. “Be careful, in case my blunder on the stairs tipped them off last time.”

Sarephel nodded and took lead, pistols drawn. Checking corners, it was just as dead as it had always been. In vivid memory, the stairs definitely showed their weakness, railing detached and stairs crumbled. Sarephel studied it in some degree, it appeared almost purposeful. “Metal shouldn't snap like that.”

“The more I look at it the more I think it's a decoy to kill people, or something weakened it. A little gallium contact can completely cripple the integrity of aluminum structures, whatever they are working with here probably did the same to this steel.” Garath explained, shooting two spikes into the thick floor and clipping a line to them. “I'm not using that deathtrap, unless you feel up to it.”

Sarephel shook her head. “Pass me a line.” Being granted her request, she strung it herself. “This better hold, no doubt I can land it but I can't see what's below us.”

“It better hold me too...” He admitted, following it down to the lower levels. “Two levels, that's our destination.” Garath continued climbing down, eerily checking below while the drones scanned ahead. Swinging back they made their way onto the floor, over top the sketchy railing. Left Garath pointed, Sarephel taking point. Just like the floors above, the hallway along the stairwell's open shaft continued onto a door, though this one was not as far back. “This is it.” Garath announced, echoing his uneasy nerves.

“You have handled a gun before, right?” Sarephel heckled.

Quick to remark sourly, “You ever kill anyone?” Garath cursed, behind only a foot or two.

The handle seemed clean of rust, it was more cared for here than above. There was no sound of anything on the other side. Either they caught wind and were hiding or else it would be an easy capture. Hesitantly, Sarephel edged closer, ready to burst in. Almost swinging forward in preparation, her senses awoken. The feeling of manna coursing through her, eager she now grasped for the handle. The hand slipped, seemingly. Soon realizing the reality as her hand fell off, sinking into the door itself. She was dumbfounded, the event catching her by surprise. Her head was smacked out of the way and knocked her aside from behind. A moment of betrayal caught her, turning to see the full thrust of a black glowing tendril with a sky blue hum of energy pouring out where her head should have been. Garath underneath, working his way to force the death blow away from her

“RUN!” Garath commanded, immediately feeling the full shock of it's electrocution. For an instant, Sarephel hesitated, but pulled away in dire understanding of what he had just done for her. Casting her partner aside, the creature emerged, large and hidious. Metal and mass came rushing for her. There was no time to use the rope, there was no knowledge of the other levels, the stairs were the only option. Sarephel called out but there was no connection to her radio. Another tendril came out to her, trying to deflect it she made contact shocking her the same. Sarephel screamed, the needles piercing her heart as she tried to recover her footing. Barely able to move she devoted all focus to her escape, her mind racing in the background to catch up with what happened.

She ran up the stairs, feeling it's weakness almost pull her under. Leaping out, Sarephel kicked off the wall to gain height, as the tendril electrified the metal escape route, narrowly dodging the shock. From the next level, she ran the edge of the balcony, and kicked off the side of the chamber to grab the upper level's stairwell. It managed to hold and pulling up, the creature started to cling onto the walls to pursuit her ascension. No signal on the radio even still. Sweat pouring out as she ran to evacuate. The side path that was once there was missing, closed off in the time she had just passed it last. The radio clicked, she hailed it coming up to the surface with one angry machine gaining incredible speed in the narrow passage. Sarephel leaped with more ease than she ever had, the looming threat motivating great strength in her strides. She remembered the people still in the shop, and the people outside. Sarephel only prayed that the monster would not leave it's home. Her prayers forsaken her as she left the storage room.

“Command, this is Sarephel, come in. We have level black, repeat, LEVEL BLACK.” She cried in stern horror.

“Sarephel, we have you.” The radio responded as she leaped through the parts duct. “Protocol?”

“Seal all floor under phase three lock down! Halo, Saphire, Orion, twenty three.” Making it out of the building, she continued “ Evacuate the Cando Station and everyone in it, now. Seal ALL FLOORS!” Loud noises erupted from the shop, breaking and taring, the screams of people inside witnessing the horror of the beast within.

“Understood, overriding. Sealing all floors, please allow time for full evacuation.”

The lighting pitched to blinding red for a moment then faded back to normal. “Please do not be alarmed.” The voice on the intercom informed manerly. “Please exit the main stairwell, all elevators will stop at next floor, please evacuate from the premise immediately. This is not a drill.” Finally breaking out, the front wall of the shop broke apart with the creature escaping its no longer encasing doorway. The people who were spectating now screamed, running for their lives. Unable to delay it any longer, Sarephel broke for the shaft as the shield barriers started falling, her predator close behind as she dove into the shaft. Leaping from ledge, railing and wall mount, she followed the path down to the basin of the tower, dodging the fury of her adversary. It seemed unrelenting, the onslaught on attacks still devoted to her. It crashed through elevator platform and tore mantle from casing as it ripped down, the covers still slowly closing. Citizens grasping a small glimpse of the colossal menace.

“Command, dispatch!”

“Dispatch here.”

“Send mirage” *edit later*

“Mirage on her way.”

The path became treacherous with no levels to leap from, just mounted structures along the fully closed, dark decent as through elevator to hell. Not long, a glowing rod shot down below her and ejaculated it's shell. Sarephel prioritizing to catch it put her out of place and on pickup had to defend her new prize. Parrying, the electric sting could not penetrate her new arm, the rod known as “Mirage *Fix in editing*” The bottom was soon in in sight and the new battleground was in play.

“Command, activate automated sentries.”

“Affirmative.”

Landing with a roll, Sarephel made great effort to escape the dead zone as the turrets pulled out of the ceiling and ground of her caged quarantine. With a loud crash it arrived making waves. The automated sentries opened fire, Sarephel's ears held firmly closed as the eruption of large flak cannons eviscerated the target. Matter flew all over, biological and metallic. After the assault, the guns stopped firing. The moans of the unholy still gurgling plops of air and bullet casings that poured out. The smell of gunpowder and dematerialized aether seeping out. Emerging from her cover, Sarephel edged out, Mirage in hand. The glow however faint, still outlined the creature as it struggled for life. Tendrils laid oozing out as though gummy treats had melted on a pan. Still solid translucent masses that liquid aether burned up like phosphorous blue alcohol. The aura poured out and renewed it's vows, reattaching to the mass. Undying horror terrors returning for purgatory. Sarephel shot rounds into the hulk but it did little more than anger it. Another tendril rebuilt itself and continued the battering.

Sarephel twirled her blade hoping somehow to kill it. Upon it's opening move, Sarephel ran to meet it. Another tendril came out which she sidestepped and continued. Another one reformed and lunged out piercing straight though the image sight of Sarephel before dissipating. Again it tried, also piercing an after image. Jumping on top, Sarephel looked deep into it's abysmal heart and opened fire again at point blank. Nothing seemed to damage it and the regenerative powers seemed unnaturally unfair. It tried to defend itself, lashing it's arms about but unable to catch her as she jumped away. Unsure of how to defeat it, or even if she could, Sarephel continued to spin her light stick, creating two more images beside her. Harmless, her tool was merely made as an aid illusion.

Strike after strike, the creature returned itself, almost able to walk again as it hobbled closer. Now centralized in the room, Sarephel dodged left and right, ready to call backup. Nothing could work and the sentries would not fire any more for some reason. Soon it's walking became quicker and following became frighteningly escalated. It even lunged it's whole body out, narrowly missing only due to her copy taking the fall. Sarephel pulled the radio up to her lips when a metal clink beamed off the cement ground. To her sight, it was another capsule, the glowing name on the side reading “Natheena” There was no doubt nor time to loose. Sarephel dashed for it.

The creature turned for her, striking rapidly. Image right, doge left, Sarephel appeared underneath. Grabbing Natheena, a bright sabre emerged. Burning, the tendril dislodged from above burning white flame and monsters cries. Each attempt to pierce was denied, taring it to ribbons. The creature pulled away, shuttering before the might. Natheena clean cut through it's innards igniting it from inside. Deathly cries were never heard in the fury and pitch of it's light festering transcendence into oblivion. It's manifested aura shot out like steam, engulfing the chamber and blinding light dispelled it's form into nothing more than the remains of it's metallic armature.

Once she was sure it was over, the panting could not cease. Dry crackled lunges and wheezing gasps of breath begged the wish of removing those same sacks. Sarephel's legs caved and she collapsed to her knees and partway onto her tails. Silence fell for more than it's time needed, the click of her radio and escaping sound that came out among many panting gasps followed “Target... Eliminated.”