Gathering Storm

Abeiron took a step back. He forced the Captain’s words to replay in his mind just to be sure he heard correctly. Shock bled into his eyes, unable to hold back any longer. “The Captain of the Guard, sir?!” His hand developed an uncontrollable shake.

Still questioning himself, Simonides turned his head away from the Commander. His gaze fixated on the horizon in the direction of the Capital. “Yes, those are the orders we have.” He tightened his hands into fists thinking about what he just did. It left a bitter taste in his throat. ‘I just disobeyed a direct order from the General. Only the future knows what’ll become of the path I’ve chosen.’ He couldn’t turn away.

“…but…it’s Eudokia Ismene…” Abeiron found himself caught between his words. He knew her like the Captain when she was stationed at the South Gate, but she was unlike any other MP he had ever seen. “How is it even possible, sir? It doesn’t make any sense! She loves Atlantis, she wouldn’t start a rebellion.”

“Perhaps it is a sign of the changing times. The world’s become unclear and nothing is straightforward anymore.” Simonides turned away from his view and tilted his head back at Abeiron. A harsh expression cut through his face. Resolve built up, unwilling to submit to the currents.

The Commander took a step forward suddenly getting a feeling that his Captain was about to plunge himself into darkness. “Sir, what you’re saying…”

“Abeiron, there’s shadows everywhere. I can barely even see my own hands anymore.”

“Captain?”

Simonides broke his standoff with his uncertainty. He marched away from Abeiron with purpose in his step. “I’m going to find some answers. The orders stand. They are from the Capital. Get every able body man and woman ready to move out!”

Chapter 174 – Gathering Storm

The answers Simonides sought brought him to the medical tent, once more. He came to them after the last fight, but he watched their opponents in action. Most of the information he needed he already saw. However, he was forced to stay away from the fighting and direct his men around in the chaos. He had no chance to learn anything about them. Worse, all those that fought them were so fatigued from the fights he couldn’t speak to them.

He had to wait, again.

Simonides was done waiting.

Heber stood in front of Simonides. The young man already knew what Simonides wanted, but refused him access. “I can’t let you see them yet, sir! As their doctor, they need their rest. The mental fatigue for most of them was far beyond any safe limits. They are not ready, they’re too exhausted.”

A narrow look carved into Simonides’ eyes. He refused to back down. “Heber, as I recall you’re not a real doctor, only a nurse. You can’t give me any orders.”

Grinding his teeth a little, Simonides had hit the sensitive point in Heber. Heber tried to hold his ground against the Captain, but had nothing left to stand upon. He fell back on the only thing he had left. “Doctor Silas gave these orders.”

“I’ve not heard this from the doctor. Can you find him for me, so that I may speak with him?”

Heber started to move in the direction, but motioned to the Captain. “If you follow me, sir. I can take you to him.”

“I’ll stay here. It would cause more trouble in a place already so busy.”

Thinning his features, Heber was left in a terrible position and could only rush off to find the doctor before the situation grew worse.

Once Heber left sight of Simonides range, he pushed through the cloth divide between the sections. He found all of the MPs he sent out and those he put on patrol in the room. Bakkhos stared up at him from a relaxed position on the cot with a bit of a smirk on his lips.

“Still clever, while you’re being cruel, I see,” commented Bakkhos. The middle-aged man lifted himself up a little from the cot to meet Simonides.

Simonides pulled over a stool and sat down next to Bakkhos. The harsh expression remained on his face. “I didn’t come for idle chatter.”

The smirk disappeared from Bakkhos. It made him appear almost tired. “I can see the look in your eyes. Things are different and you want some answers from what we learned during our fights with the kids.”

“What do you know?”

“Straight to the point.” An arm came up from under the sheet to rest on his knee. He leaned in a little, preparing for his tale. “We’ve all seen it, even you, Captain. Something’s not right with them. They don’t behave to our expectations. They do things that should be impossible.”

Past fights he watched played through Simonides’ mind. He assumed it was something he didn’t understand about their powers. Yet his gut told him he missed something. ‘He’s figured it out. What makes them different.’ The answer seemed within reach finally. Simonides leaned in, almost desperate. “What is it about them that is so different? Are they that much more powerful of MPs?”

Bakkhos shook his head. “It’s easy to think that, but no, that's not even anywhere close to the truth. The reality is that they are reality, strange as it sounds.” His confusing words made Simonides' expression sharpen. “I mean they aren’t one of us. There’s a reason they speak a different language and it’s not because they’re exiles. They aren’t even Atlanteans or Meso Prosecho users. They are foreigners, Japanese since that’s what language they speak.”

Some of the pieces fell into place for Simonides, but it only introduced new questions. It made his mind spin in circles. A horrible realization came to him through all of the confusion. “How can that be possible? If they aren’t MPs then they should just be normal humans.”

A sigh came from Bakkhos. He placed a hand where Chiharu struck him. “I would normally agree, but these are the facts, even if we can’t explain them. It’s why our fights aren’t like normal fights between two MP users.”

Coughing from the corner, Photine forced herself up with her body still suffering from physical stress on top of the mental stress they all felt. “I think I can give a partial answer to it.”

Bakkhos perked up, curious to Photine’s interruption. “Oh? You learn something from them?”

“What did they tell you?” ordered Simonides, already turned around in his stool to meet Photine.

Photine dropped back down in the cot unable to keep herself from getting lightheaded. “I thought she was just lying to me, but what I saw was just too impossible to be explained in any other way. They aren’t normal humans anymore. The one I spoke to called herself Masa. The way she spoke made it seem like an event happened recently to change them.”

“It was one of us, she said,” spoke up Stamatia, her fatigue kept her voice soft. “She said she was Japanese. Fumiko Terauchi was her name. She said one of us was to blame for what happened to them.”

“One of us?” repeated Simonides. The new pieces of information sent his mind running everywhere to put things together. It was the answer that explained everything, but it was an impossible answer. Until they arrived, there were two facts about humanity, those without the Meso Prosecho power and those with it. ‘This throws everything we know away. It completely changes everything! It changes how we fight them! This is it! This is what I needed, what Athene was trying to tell me!’ Simonides stood up thinking he was done.

“There’s more you need to know,” called Bakkhos. “The way to defeat them.”

Simonides froze on his words. It was more than he hoped. “If you know how to defeat them, why didn’t you win?”

“Because there is a condition to defeating them.”

“A condition?”

“We are the only ones that can defeat them, because of our power.” Bakkhos began to jester with his hands to get his point across. “In a normal fight between two MPs, it comes down to superior power and concentration. The stronger Field beats the weaker Field. However, they don’t use Fields to create their powers. Their powers are real. This means that we can void their powers, but the condition is that we must know what all of their powers are. If we miss even one then it may be enough for them to win, but with all of their powers negated they’ll be normal again.”

He understood Bakkhos clearly. It exceeded his expectations. ‘I can end this! I can bring an end to this while they’re still in my territory. The Omega Division won’t need to be involved.’ Simonides looked around at all of his men. A plan already began to form in his mind. “I’m going to need all of your help. I need to know everything you know about each of them.”

Afternoon quickly passed into evening for Team Yumi. The shifts came to an end and the rest was all they could spare. They all gathered back in the camp to push out. A lot of ground remained for them to cover to meet back up with Yuki. However, when Chiharu went to pick up Nerine, she moved on her own. It pulled them all back.

Seiji pushed through them realizing that she was waking up. He knelt down at her side watching her slowly come back around. Once her eyes opened, he leaned in a little concerned. “Are you alright? Does it still hurt?”

Nerine met eyes with Seiji feeling a little lost in them and not hearing his words. However, she glanced over to see others behind him. She tried to draw away pushing with her arms, but realized they were gone. ‘My arms! I don’t have my arms! I-I—’ Panic settled into Nerine causing her to fall over in the grass with no support.

He quickly grabbed her, but she fought his hold. “I’m trying to help you! Stop squirming about!” The strength in his body overcame Nerine’s frantic flopping. However, it didn’t stop her from screaming. “The hell? Now you’re screaming!”

Unable to watch the scene longer, Fumiko stepped in to put her hand on Seiji’s shoulder. He snapped back, almost tossing her away. She kept her ground with him and worked to calm herself. Once her breathing and heart beating slowed, she felt ready to speak. “She can’t understand you, Seiji. Remember, we speak different languages.”

“Eh?” Seiji looked back at Nerine trying to understand what Fumiko talked about. He saw the frightened look in her face. “Oh, how the hell do we talk to her?”

“She’s going to have to do it. Her power can allow us to talk. Once she calms down, she’ll probably figure it out.”

It took longer for the hint to pass through Seiji. He saw Nerine struggling in his hands. Seiji pushed her back up against the tree to help her. Once it looked like she wasn’t going to fall over, he backed away. His hand rubbed through his hair confused. “Don’t understand what your problem is. You weren’t scared before.”

“Really, Seiji. The things you chose to be ignorant about.”

Nerine panted heavily. She heard her heart pounding in her chest. All of the images of the night came back to her. She remembered how she lost her arms. The fight and Seiji protecting her flooded her mind. It eased her a little. He was next to her. ‘He’s not dead. I’m glad…but…’ She looked around at her surroundings feeling confused. It became immediately apparent she was no longer in the camp.

After examining the environment, her eyes came back to the ones in front of her. She heard them speaking, but didn’t understand what they said. ‘They look like they know him. Are these his comrades? What happened to me? Why am I with them?’ A bit of panic returned for Nerine as she felt uncertain in her new situation. She needed to understand why they took her.

A thin ripple came from her body expanding through the foliage of the forest. Nothing changed physically, but it was enough. Her mind still felt light from all the stress she put on herself in her fight. Nerine swallowed slowly. “Why am I here?” She glanced over at Seiji.

Seiji almost jumped with excitement. The glow in his eyes was clear to everyone. “Nerine! We can chat again! But seriously, what the hell with screaming in my ear!” He leaned in as he spoke with no mind for boundaries or the scene.

She felt a little odd for being scolded for screaming, but it did make her feel a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she replied meekly, with a little red coming across her nose. Her eyes suddenly focused on the sight of Seiji’s bandaged arm. The scene from the fight returned to her. She wanted to stretch her hand out, but nothing was there to move. “Does it hurt?”

“Huh?” Seiji’s face changed a little in confusion, but he looked down at where her eyes fixed on him. He lifted his arm to show her. A quick flex of his muscles proved it still functioned. “Not all! It’s a little weird, but it works. So I’m not complaining.” Seiji gave a carefree smile back at her.

Seiji’s smile infected Nerine. She found herself returning it. It no longer felt so bad. “I’m glad.”

Fumiko cleared her throat to get their attention. She smiled at the two of them, but not in the same way. “As enjoyable as it is watching two lovers chat, there’re some more important matters we need to discuss.”

Both of them turned a deep shade of red. They spoke together in protest. “We are not!”

Their denial ended up causing Yumi and Fumiko to giggle a little between them. However, Fumiko returned to a serious expression quickly. She leaned forward on one foot. “Teasing aside, we have some questions for you before we can proceed.”