"I'm your commanding officer. That's Captain Lescheres, not princess."
"Whatever, princess." She crossed her arms. I was sympathetic but if she couldn't be professional, then she shouldn't be here. Her aptitude aside, if she couldn't follow orders, she was going to be a problem.
"Captain Lescheres," I repeated.
"Princess."
Oh, this was going to be fun. I could just feel it.
One of my better teammates took the cigarette out of his mouth and saluted. "Shinya Togane, at your service, Captain Lescheres."
"Glen Weber, ma'am!" He also saluted. At least I would have two subordinates I could count on.
I looked at her. "Jacqueline Porter, but if you ever call me Jac, I'll introduce your face to the ground, princess. Everyone calls me Jac."
Oh yeah, we were going to have a lot of fun.
"I'm Evelyn Lescheres."
Shinya frowned. "Evelyn Lescheres? Are you related to thy Evelyn Lescheres?"
Jac looked at him. "Who?"
Glen sighed. It was long and suffering. "Evelyn Lescheres is one of Sword's best hunters. She served with Sword for over fifty years."
"How old is the croon?"
I suppressed the urge to kill her. I was young and beautiful again, but that was still new. Commenting on my age brought back those violent impulses. Thankfully I've never been an impulsive person.
"Seventy-Eight. I heard they're going to force her into retirement. Damn shame."
"Better sending her off to the old ladies' home than putting her next to me. I'm not going to trust an old bat whose body is shutting down to watch my back."
She was asking for it alright.
"That is a shame," Shinya said, taking a drag of his cigarette. "In her prime, she had a gold combat rating."
"What's so impressive about that? We're rated gold too," Jac countered.
Shinya shook his head. "She had that rating before she graduated."
Glen whistled. "That's impressive."
Jac snorted. "So what? I graduated with a silver rating. It took me two years to make gold and I did after shattering your record, Shinya. I think I'm more impressed. I have to be the youngest hunter with this high of a combat rating."
I slowly let the anger drain out of me. It would take time, but I was sure I could put a collar on Jac and domesticate her. I had plenty of time for that. No need to rush. It would help if I didn't get under her skin too much.
"My aunt is Evelyn Lescheres," I lied, giving them the cover story. "She's already retired. The last I heard, she excepted a job at the Victoria Institute as an instructor for the advanced class."
"That's good to hear. It would be a shame to let her experience all go to waste."
If they only knew.
"How old are you, princess?"
Seventy-Eight. "Nineteen," I lied. Lying about my cover story was becoming second nature.
"Nineteen? What, are you fucking kidding me?"
"Is that a problem?"
"It damn well is a fucking problem. Who in their right mind puts a nineteen-year-old in charge of a hunting team like ours, huh? Have you even graduated from the institute?"
Fifty-eight years ago. "Yes, I have. Last year."
"Bullshit. How about we check your records?"
"You'll find them classified. I was a part of a special program, not affiliated with a particular institute."
"So we can't confirm? How convenient."
"Evelyn wouldn't be here if she wasn't a member of Sword," Shinya said. "The fact that she's made it past the first floor is proof enough of that."
"Sure. Whatever."
My team all had gold combat ratings. That was good. Other than Jac, this team might be worth something. Just one person was missing. "Where is Inspector Sparks?"
"Right here, ma'am." A grey-haired man appeared in the doorway, his face full of lines. He wore a suit that looked like it was personally tailored for him. Despite his age, he was in great shape and I could see the muscles bulging underneath. "Andrew Sparks, reporting for duty."
Jac took one look at the older man and laugh. "Jeez, first Evelyn Lescheres and now him. Are we running a retirement home or something?"
Glen ignored her and walked over to the inspector, offering his hand. "I'm Glen Weber, sir. it's an honor to meet you."
At least Glen and Shinya had good sense. Inspector Sparks was a legend, though I never had the pleasure of working with the man.
The inspector shook his hand. Glen grimaced a little. "Damn, this is the team they assign me to? When I was told I would be an inspector for one Trident Team, I assumed this would be full of experienced hunters. You're all so young. I'm surprised Sword has such faith in you."
"I couldn't tell you why Sword has so much hope in us, but we will do our best to live up to the expectations placed upon us."
Inspector Spark raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Really? I read your files, though they left out any pictures and ages. Top graduates. Inherent talent forged by fire in the field. This is the dream team alright. You might be a little on the young side, but I look forward to working with you all. It's been a long time since I was assigned to a hunter team."
"You're speaking as if we should know you."
I was about to say, but Shinya beat me to it: "Andrew Sparks is one of the best inspectors of this century and the last. He has uncovered thousands of strixes, lycans, and titans throughout his career. How do you not know who he is?"
"I'm not that famous," Inspector Sparks insisted.
"That isn't true," I said. Now was the time to insert myself into the conversation, before Jac says something stupid and makes the inspector ask for a new assignment. "Evelyn Lescheres. I'm the captain of this team. The Evelyn Lescheres you're thinking about is my aunt."
"Is that how whey they put you in charge? Family nepotism?"
"Sword has strict rules regarding familial ties and favoritism of any kind. My aunt's word wouldn't have been enough to get me this position. What I have, I've earned." It was a good thing I wasn't an old lady anymore, or I would have ripped her a new one. "My aunt didn't want me to join Sword. She insisted that I go to university and become a civil servant or enter the private sector."
That was true enough. If I had a child, I wouldn't have let them anywhere near Sword, but especially as a hunter. Being an inspector or a hunter was dangerous. I had seen so many fellow hunters and even more, inspectors cut down in the line of duty. If my child had wanted to work for Sword, I would make sure they got a desk job, or a support position. Far away from the action on the front lines.
Jac sneered at me, but she didn't say anything else. Other than being a pain and calling me princess, she hadn't been insubordinate with me yet. As long as she followed orders, I might even tolerate the nickname.
"I never got the chance to work with your aunt. That's something I regret. I've read the stories about her exploits and I'm a little jealous. I wish my career had been that exciting."
From what I knew about his career, it had been plenty exciting. After dealing with Jac for less than ten minutes, it was nice seeing someone who was a little more humble.
Not to say that Glen or Shinya wasn't humble, but I didn't know them very well.
"So, you're some kind of super inspector, is that it?"
"I wouldn't go that far, but I have been told that I excel at my field, for whatever that's worth."
"Not much."
Glen sighed and rounded on her. "Do you have to act like that?"
"Act like what, big boy?"
"That. Right there. You're treating us like garbage. Show some respect."
Jac was in his face. "Why don't you try and earn some respect, big guy? Or should I get on my knees and kiss your cock?"
"Alright, that's enough!" I used my commanding voice. It was a tone I perfected when I used to work with teams. Back before I was too old and no team would take me. Before I had slipped into a silver combat rating. "Jac, take it down a notch."
"Excuse me?"
I locked eyes with her. She was glaring, but I knew her type. I hadn't ever seen someone so extreme in Sword itself, but I had put plenty of guys with her attitude in check and I wasn't afraid of her. Looking away would be seen as a weakness, so I held her eyes. "You've been nothing but combative and confrontational since I arrived. You have gone out of your way to disrespect your fellow hunters and now another colleague. This ends here. If you can't control your mouth, I'll have you reassigned. I don't care how talented you are."
I thought she might put up a bigger fight, maybe even cross the line, but after staring me down like an animal, Jac turned away.
"Have I come at a bad time?"
I waved his concern away. "Not at all. We're happy to have you."
"Is it true that you're a celestial?" Glen asked. Jac whipped her head back. Oh great.
Inspector Sparks laughed. "Yes indeed. My astral form has helped me so dozens of cases over the years. I know most celestials prefer careers that will keep them safe and out of the crossfire, but I can't say that I agree with their train of thought.
Jac opened her mouth, but I silenced her with a look. She was not going to start anything again. Not on my watch.
"I'm sorry I'm so late, but I was overseeing the transportation of your new hardsuits."
"That's not an inspector's job, is it?"
"No, but these were special circumstances. When I was assigned to this team and Neptune, my superiors in Jupiter sent me with a gift."
"Sword Joint Command sent us new hardsuits?" Shinya clarified.
"That is what I was asked to deliver."
"Why weren't they sent here from one of the factories?"
"Simple. These suits have not yet been given over to mass production."
"These aren't mass produced?" I cut in. "Then what are they?"
"An upgrade on the Ares Hardsuits. The most advanced prototype hardsuits ever created. Well, ever created in Aquroya. We have no way to know what Nox in Lumios and Golden Shield in the USSS have created, but we are confident that this prototype is the most advanced hardsuit ever created. It's been named Athena-01."
The Ares Hardsuits had been in use since 2600, with numerous upgrades and changes over the years. Yet it seemed that Project Phoenix wasn't the only project that Sword had been dumping money into.
"Four state-of-the-art prototypes?" I asked. Inspector Sparks nodded. "Any reason that they're giving these new hardsuits to us?"
"As you all know, it is believed that two progenitors, possibly three, have come to Neptune. With their full courts. Rumors of a powerful lycan pack calling this city home for years are starting to look less like a rumor. If that isn't all, the titan radical Kamui had come to this city. He wants to start his revolution here. That's why Sword is increasing the Neptune budget twofold, and they've given your teams the new Athena Hardsuits."
I hadn't heard about Kamui coming here. Calling him a radical wasn't an understatement. He advocated violent revolution against the human race. He viewed the infected as the oppressed, even though most unregistered infected had a habit of killing humans. Well, other than the celestials, governments and organizations all across Artemis have found that celestials are incredibly useful. That gives them some protection in our society.
"So, where are these new hardsuits?" I asked.
Inspector Sparks grinned. "Down in the loading dock. Come on, I'll show you."
***
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They looked the same as the Ares models, perhaps a shade or two sleeker, but otherwise, I couldn't tell the difference. Unlike the Ares Hardsuits, the Athenas were colored black. Most hardsuits in urban environments were white, better to reflect the sun, but all the Athena Hardsuits were pitch black."These are going to be hell to wear in the summer," Jac said. For once, I agreed with her."The Athena Hardsuits has built-in climate control," Inspector Sparks said. "Or so I'm told. I haven't worn a hardsuit since my time at the institute. For all I know, every hardsuit comes with built-in climate control.""Believe me, that's not the case," I said. I walked over to the first suit and ran my hand across the old metal. "Have these been registered to our IDs?""Before they were even shipped out," Inspector Sparks said.The armor was in three pieces: the helmets, the torso, and the waist. We had come here to try the armor out, so I picked up the waist and slid one leg in at a time. Each pi
I was confident that whoever he had been, Damien was smarter than me. Before my rebirth, if you could call it that, I had forgotten everything from my calculus class. Hell, I forgot trigonometry and was in danger of forgetting advanced Algebra. But when I sat down in Professor Verner's class and connected my linker to the room, I discovered that math wasn't as difficult as I remembered. In fact, it was too easy.No, easy wasn't the right description for this. It was beyond easy. It was as if my old self had been sat in a third-grade classroom and was asked to do basic arithmetic. That's how easy pre-calculus was for me. The equations just clicked and everything made sense. I was the first one down with the work that day and Professor Verner messaged me my results: a perfect score.There had always been a part of me that wanted to do things over again. I had wanted to go back in time and redo my life, just without the sickness. Another part of me knew I wouldn't have been able to keep
"You know what we are and you're okay with it?" I asked. The woman opened the door all the way and leaned in the doorway. Now that I had a full view of her, I noticed how attractive she was. Not as attractive as my knights, but she was pretty close.I wondered if their attractiveness had something to do with changing them. That was something I would ask. Later.The girl nodded. "Oh yeah, we know. Why wouldn't we be okay with it?""... Because we'll be sucking your blood?"I remembered interviews and news segments when Twilight was at the height of its popularity. The vampire cast had fans asking people to bite them. Was she the same way? Did vampires just have some innate appeal that mere mortals couldn't understand?"Nanase, you explain everything," Kaya commanded. "I'm hungry.""Don't give me orders."Kaya grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her inside. The girl even giggled like this was some love affair. Kaya sat on the couch and positioned the girl on her lap. When Kaya opened her
I almost took Mireille's head off. Which would have been bad, since decapitation was the only way to kill a knight. I was in a blood frenzy, the urge to hunt and kill so dominant. But a part of me must have recognized her on some base level because I was able to restrain myself.Mireille set the girl gently on the couch and laid her down. My mind returned to me as she fluttered across the room, bringing the girl a glass of water and a red pill. "This will help replenish the blood she lost. By tomorrow, she will be back to normal."That was good because I wasn't sure how close I was to killing her. If Mireille hadn't been there and I had kept going... I'd have blood on my hands. Damien, and before him Julius, must have had plenty of blood on their hands, but whoever they had been, they weren't me. I didn't want to be a murderer.The scent of blood hung in the air of the room, and though the burning in my throat had been quenched, I wanted more. The need was weaker now. The drive was me
Evelyn VIIThe director leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Shinya will be placed in command of your team, effective immediately."That took me by surprise. "What?"The director sighed. "You heard me. Shinya will be placed in command.""Why? Have I not performed my duties to the expectations Sword placed on me? In what regard have I failed?"This was crap. I had gone above and beyond in my whole career. Even after getting this new body, I haven't let my performance suffer.The director shook his head. "You misunderstand me. Your performance has been excellent, the same as it was before the change. If anything, you seem to be going beyond. You are being removed from the team entirely.""Why?" We had just become a team. I was getting to know them. We haven't had the chance to learn to work together."You've been removed from my jurisdiction." He clicked his linker and an image appeared between us. It was one page and it had all the right files and information an official Sword order w
Evelyn VIIIIf Neptune was a fusion of Tokyo and Paris, then Pluto followed the same system. I couldn't be sure since I had never stepped foot on Earth, much less in the United States or China, but people said that Pluto was a fusion between Los Vegas and Macau. In the day it glittered with new shiny buildings and at night it was a neon paradise.On the surface level, it looked like a clean city, if a unique looking one. But I knew the truth. This place was the seediest settlement in all of Aquroya. I was born here. I grew up here. I hated this city.If being back here wasn't bad enough, Pluto was built smack in the middle of the only desert on this continent. Making it hot as hell. At least my card had air conditioning. I wouldn't have survived the heat otherwise.At one point in my life, I was used to the desert heat. That was long ago. Now it was just hot. Hot as satans ass crack.They wanted me at the Pluto Branch Office, but I stopped by my new apartment first. It had an undergro
Evelyn IX"You can't mean... Project SUPERMAN experimented on children?""Children that had yet to go through puberty," Miyuki said quietly. "They did not go as far as kidnapping children from parents, but they sent their agents to pose as prospective adoptive parents. They adopted ten orphans with the promise of better lives. It was all above board, so much so that they didn't raise a single red flag. Not one. The adoption agency was non the wiser and certainly, authorities didn't pick up on anything.""What happened to them?" I demanded."Them? Do you mean the children? Or the people that ran Project SUPERMAN?""Both of them!""Division Zero is the safeguard from internal abuse of power within Sword, as you know. Zero picked up on black funds that were being filtered to Project SUPERMAN. They uncovered its continued existence and from there Zero has systematically dismantled SUPERMAN.""Were they all caught?""All of them? Of course not. Their shadow benefactor that funneled the mon
Alaric XI was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. I had accessed my strix powers quicker than was natural, but I chalked it up to being someone else. While I did have control over them, it wasn't the fine control that Yayoi and Kaya demonstrated later on.I thought I had good control, but the control Yayoi and Kaya could wield... I was like an infant. Supposedly Damien had even more control and raw power than any of his knights, but those skills didn't transfer.Why hadn't they? I could speak and read and write Japanese and French, skills I could only have inherited from Damien. I had a level of control that should have taken time for me to learn, skills that I could have only inherited from my other self.So why didn't I have all his control? Or just his raw power? I could feel that power deep inside of me, just below the surface. It felt like I was on a lake, but there was a thick layer of ice separating me from the water below. I tried to chip away at it with my hands, but I
In the fullness of time, we would come to find that the bandits were the foolish ones. No one in their right mind would call that place home.There was something worse than bandits in those mountains and we were front and center to see it.We had just gotten near the bottom of the mountains after a week of walking. All around the mountain was what looked like an African savanna. There was one long dirt road that ran straight through the tall grass and scattered trees. I imagined a lion laying in wait for us in that tall grass. Yep, we would be taking the dirt path.Euphy was groaning about lunch, and Gwen was all smiles."How about we make camp here? We can cook those rabbits."I'm glad we had Gwen with us. She wasn't just a top-class magician, she could create magic traps. Traps designed for catching something to eat.I looked at the sky. The sun was still high. "I think we should keep moving. We want to find civilization, don't we.""We already have," Euphy reminded me."Civilization
The Girl with Auburn HairIn the early morning light, the valley was beautiful. As the sun got higher in the sky, mist rose from the trees and covered the mountains. It wasn't the color-changing fog of Attea's creation, but a common, white mist. As the sun climber further into the sky, the mist burned away. The lake shimmered in the sunlight as a breeze gently rocked through the valley.There was something ethereal about this place. It felt out of an anime or fantasy book, untouched by human hands. I lived my whole life in San Francisco. When I was younger, my parents took me to see the Redwoods, but that was the only time I left the city. It was a very long time ago. To me, the world had become a concrete jungle.Wind Port was a lot better to look at, but it was still a city. Where ever we were, there wasn't a single sign of civilization. And it was beautiful. This place looked like it was out of a dream.I couldn't get the boar out of my head. Through the night, it haunted me. A dum
When the wolves began to surround her, the Knight expected attack. Instead the wolves turned tail and sprinted up the stairs.In the direction of one of the evacuations. The Knight had started to regard the wolves as young. Gifted, talented, but young. Head strong. Not the kind of beasts that she would have to worry about being clever. At least, not yet. The Knight didn't have any intention of letting them live that long.She underestimated them. She she flew up the stairs after them, desperate to make sure the evacuation wasn't interrupted.The wolve nearest her, the male, turned on her like a dime. He jumped off the wall and tackled her, it's mouth ripping into her shoulder.He tour a chunk out of her skin.
The Knight was starting to feel a little bad about it. It was like taking candy fro. a baby. These wolves were the babies and she was the mean and she was the frightening old hag in this children's story. It wasn't that the wolves were bad. In fact, for being so young (and they were young, if their scents told her anything), they fought extremely well. They had trained to fight as a pack anf there was nothing to critique.It was just a shame they ran into her, a monster so old. One who had feed on so much blood it might as well fill an ocean.Still, she wouldn't underestimate them. As the three wolves positioned themselves around her, she prepared to end their lives.
Her office was in ruins and now she was pissed. She shouldn't be. She would have to abandon the office regardless, because the wolves decided to come.It all looped back again to the wolves. The Knight was going to have to destroy her office before Sword got here, so she was going to take her agression out on the mutts that caused all of this.The two wolves divided, coming at her from different sides. The Knight kept her eyes on the female, listening intently to the male behind her.When he moved, she heard it and he jumped over the charging beast.The Knight raked her claws across its back, drawing blood.
The office was a clean and polished white. It looked even more professional than than the government offices she used to work in. From the office, you had a great view of the arra called the quad. There was a creepy bronze statue of Nathaniel Gilbert, the founder of the city. The Gilbert family were apparently rich as all hell and still contributed so much to the school. And now her office was in pieces. Granted, she was the one who propelled the wolf through, but she wasn't about to admit that.At least she heard a resounding CRACK!The other two hesitated. "Well? Come at me, mutts."
When she saw the woman on the stairs, Bianca growled. The scene of the dead radiated off of her. Not the blood of her victims, no. The deep, decaying scent of death that a rotting body produces.There were only two thinga that made that scent: the aforementioned rotting bodies and the strix.Not a strigo ot a striges, but a true creature of the night. Either a knight or a progenitor. The woman smirked as her fingernails extended into claws. She leaped down the stairs and attacked them head on, despite being out numbered.Bianca barked, the sign to scatter, but it was too late. The strix jump tackled her.
"Where are the wolves?" she asked."They have entered the tunnels, commander," one of her officers replied."When will they breach the lower levels?""Less than five minutes.""Very well. It's been a long time since I've skinned a mutt. Maybe I'll make a pelt. Continue the evacuation. I want everything out by lunch time.""You think the mutts will make it down here?""I'm not worried about the animals, but Sword is coming. For us and the mutts. This facility is compromised. We're leaving.""Understood, commander.""Alert security. I don't want any of them up there with us. Have them on guard while we evacuate."
It came to an end when The Guard was cornered by one of the wolf mutts. In that moment, he thought his life was over.He had chased the female to one of the old board rooms the humans used. The room was small and he was sure it would restrict her movements. With his strength and the pistol, he'd be able to overpower her.That was his original plan. And it semed to work, for a second. He ran straight in after the female bitch in the leg.The only problem was how close to the door she was. She rammed him through the room. She sank her teeth in his skin and ripped off his arm. She would have taken his head off if he hadn't fallen through a window.