Poisoned pawn

With the coast clear, I got introductions out of the way. The baldie that had been laying on the floor was Haylee and the waxed baldy was Nicki. Easy names to remember and both normal ones too.

Haylee was apparently immobilized, but had gained the power to manipulate her own gravity. I was told she was your typical sporty tomboy with a pinch of goth makeup, but right now she's just dead weight. I mean, I'm not gonna lug her around.

Nicki on the other hand now has candle wax powers, much to her dismay.

"W- Why did it have to be something so kinky... It's always me the kinky stuff happens too," she trembled as the candle wax oozed off her.

Uh, wanna go back in time and trade places with the me that got utterly humiliated? Your clothes didn't even melt off with the wax either so don't cry kinky over just a little candle wax!

Speaking of humiliation, glad my clothes didn't vanish when I rebuilt myself. If I was fighting naked... Well, I'd still do it. Actually, it would probably have made things go quicker as the three would have been distracted by me to the point where I could just kick, freeze, and shatter them in seconds.

Anyway, lets refocus on the important stuff.

"So you two got names for your powers?" I asked Haylee and Nicki.

"Yeah, Dead Weight. Stupid thing," Haylee grumbled.

"C- Candel Opera," Nicki trembled.

Dead Weight and Candle Opera... Makes sense.

"So can you at least float?" I asked Haylee.

"No, at least not properly. I'm getting a bunch of error messages, likely due to everything they shoved into me. At least I can communicate telepathically like all of you."

Well said, and speaking of communication, let's move on to the elephant in the room.

"So why could you talk normally?" Nicki and I asked Vanilla at the same time.

Vanilla let out a sigh and pointed at her mask. "This thing is one of a kind, and can read my thoughts and speak them aloud. As such, I can't remove it.

Seems genuine, in fact, I don't doubt she's lying on that as logic says it's probably true. But just cuz you're truthful about one thing, doesn't mean you're truthful about everything. Whether it be witnesses, defendants, or plaintiffs twisting facts or flat out lying, or me lying to myself that I'm a refined mature woman instead of a violent punk, everyone's got a secret they'll go out of their way to protect, and that windy bitch is full of them.

When she first touched me, there were small traces of pressurized wind on her hands. She was trying to kill me. But as they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I have no doubt this is all still taking place on Kyutee's palm.

But anyway, let's see just how bad shit's gotten with me out cold.

...

As Kyutee sat in her office with G01d3n standing by her side, she gazed at a chess board before her. Nelliana was also present, a frantic and flustered look plastered on her face, as was a woman with long black hair and long elf-like ears.

This woman was General Hottie Meairkertak, Leeannaland's most decorated and ruthless female war official. She was a strict and serious no-nonsense-type woman, putting her at fierce odds with the more sporadic Kyutee.

"M- Madam Kyutee, we received word that Twinky Winky, Dixie, and Lalavera have all been killed. Rogue archangel Windsday was present, as was a new archangel which was freed from the statiz chamber."

Kyutee's eyes happily narrowed as she began golf-clapping.

"Insolence! Are you celebrating the deaths of our people!? I'll cut you down as a traitor here and now!" Hottie fumed as she reached for her cyber saber.

"Mmmph ngh mmph ngh ngh mmph [I'd like to see you try]," Kyutee taunted as she motioned towards the chess board on her desk. "Mmmph, ngh mmph ngh [General, you play chess]?"

Hottie's eyes narrowed. Despite Kyutee's eternal gagged state, she was one of the few who could best understand her muffled dialogue, so much so that some Kyutee loyalists were even pushing to pass a law back on Leeannaland, forcing her to become Kyutee's official translator. Naturally, Hottie did not want this and instead wanted to be placed in charge of Earth, in order to wipe out all life and properly colonize the planet for Leeannan interests.

"No, I don't play games concocted by a cockroach race like humans," Hottie snarled.

"Ngh, mmph ngh ngh. Ngh ngh mmph, ngh mmph ngh ngh mmph mmph ngh mmph, ngh mmph ngh mmph ngh mmph [Ah, that's too bad. If you did, you'd understand the whole meaning of this position, and how it relates to dear Windsday]."

"What do you mean?"

"Mmph ngh ngh "mmph ngh mmph"? Mmph ngh ngh mmph ngh mmph, ngh mmph ngh mmph ngh mmph ngh mmph ngh mmph ngh [Ever hear of "know thy enemy"? Well if you studied chess, you'd know this position is one of the many poisoned pawn variation openings]."

"'Poisoned pawn'?"

"Allow me, general. In this game of chess, a poisoned pawn is a pawn in which capturing will lead to either a positional loss of time or a loss of material," Nelliana stated.

"And your saying the rogue archangel, Windsday is just that?"

"Correct. Thus, explains Madam Kyutee's original order on her escape. We need not worry about her."

"And because of that, the archangel from 14 years ago has been freed! She wiped out one of the strongest enforcer squads on the planet! The two humans that escaped colony 69 have also been granted archangel powers, all because of your deliberate negligence!"

In that moment, Kyutee and Hottie locked eyes, silently exchanging words they had said to each other many times over.

"And when I win, it's complete humiliation for you."

"And when I finally gain the support needed on the home world, you'll be publicly executed."

And with that, Hottie stormed out in a huff.

"Poor general. She doesn't know that in this position, I'm completely winning. Now, shall I make another pre-move and order a nice maid bikini in your size?" Kyutee thought as she moved a piece. "And with that, Cherry, it's your move once more."

...

As I stared out at the ruined city and murky skies, I scowled. "Shit's THIS bad!?"

"Yes, it is. But there's a legend that you'll be able to save the world," Haylee stated as Nicki carried her.

"A RUMOR! But, it seems there's some truth to it, and you do posses great power. It won't be easy though," Nicki stated as she swayed to and forth.

"Nicki, you don't need to carry me. Even though I can make myself weightless, you're not the fittest."

"You've always been protecting me when I was in a pinch, now it's my turn to finally repay the favor."

Good girl. Now I don't need to carry her.

Anyway, seems I've got a world to save. Heh, that bitch is going to get one hell of a punishment for her ego. This time, I'm gonna kick her ass and subject her to the longest show trial in history before giving her the death penalty. And this time, her ass is gonna sob like crazy. Look out bitch, this ice cold mommy's gonna get you. And if I can find Berri alive and well... All the more satisfactory.

...

Berri was closer than her mother thought though. Recognizing her immediately, she attempted to off her just as fast, as should she live, her mission would be in jeopardy.

"Maĥa vento, your orders are as follows..."

Berri shook her head as she tried to tune Kyutee's voice out. "Orders... No, mommy's here.. Protect mommy... Mommy... Orders...

With a smack to the forehead, she calmed herself down. And resolved that for now, she'd disregard her orders, even if doing so was also taken into Kyutee's calculations. Thus, the opening act has concluded with both players poised for a tense mid-game. But the deciding factor will ultimately be the poisoned pawn, Berri Mirkwood.

[End]