Chapter Text
A massive crowd had gathered all around the plaza outside the Arcadion as Lily and Yaana departed for True Vue. They were stopped and waylaid more than a few times by adoring fans—some to congratulate Lily, others requesting autographs or looking for a spot of gossip. After a few impromptu signings, they finally made their way down through the thoroughfare beyond. The sights and smells of freshly cooked treats left their mouths watering, and as they passed by one of the more popular clothing shops Yaana grabbed Lily by the hand and pointed to the door.
"We've been on a roll lately, and after the past two days I'll bet you could use a pick-me up," she said. "Why not treat yourself to some new threads, champ? "
"Are you sure we can afford it?" asked Lily, tilting her head. "All the rroneek we've been eating has been pretty hard on our pockets."
"Don't you worry about that. I'll split the difference with you." Leaning up on the tips of her shoes, she whispered into Lily's long ears. "We've got movie night coming up this weekend, and you know how much Eutrope likes it when you doll yourself up for her."
At this, Lily's gaze drifted to the store, her cheeks reddening slightly at the thought of being undressed—unwrapped—after the lights went out. "Now that you mention it, there was this dress I had my eyes on. The fabric is a bit clingy, but—"
"Excuse me."
Turning aside, they found themselves looking into the stony expression of a Hhetssaro girl. She had light gray hair dyed blonde at the fringes and was wearing a ruffled white blouse decorated with vivid blue lace. And though she carried herself with an air of maturity, she couldn't have been much older than Yaana.
"We're a little busy," Yaana began, only to change her tune as she sized up the stranger. "Haven't I seen you around before?"
"I live in Residential Radius 9-11," the girl replied. "We crossed paths in the lobby two days ago."
"Right!" Yaana snapped her fingers. "I remember now. Your dress really stuck out to me then—you're a Howling Blade fan, aren't you?"
"Indeed. And you two are Black Cat and the Black Vulture." Looking to Lily, the girl gave a quick examination of her posture. "Howling Blade's victory in the cruiserweight division was guaranteed before you appeared. And now you are champion, and the man I adored for years has retired."
"I'm… sorry about that," said Lily, frowning. "I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said there was a good reason for it."
The girl shook her head. "Believe me when I say I bear you no ill will. I merely worry how he fares."
"We had a talk with him after the match," Yaana admitted. "He's content with how things turned out for him, at least. We're still in contact, too—if you'd like, we could pass on a message for you. Maybe set up a meet and greet."
At this, the girl's eyes lit up—the first sign of emotion beyond her quiet stoicism. "That would be appreciated, Miss Black Cat."
"Please," Yaana beamed, "call me Yaana."
"Galbana Lily," Lily nodded, offering her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"You may call me Galatea," said the girl as she shook her hand. Studying Lily's expression, she gave a faint smile. "I know that must come as a surprise. But it has been a trend of late for young Hhetsarro and Shetona to adopt Alexandrian names."
As she removed her tomephone from her pocket, Yaana shook her head. "My sister Eutrope did the same thing. Say, could I get your number? Howling Blade's stopping by Tritails Training soon, so we could do this tonight."
"I'm afraid I have an early shift tomorrow," Galatea clarified, removing a small blue bottle of nail polish and a scrap of paper from her purse. Carefully, daintily, she scribbled a number down on the paper with her nail brush, then handed the paper to Yaana. "But if he is looking for a membership at your gym, I wouldn't mind joining as well."
"I'll talk to him about it, then," Yaana offered, taking the scrap of paper and slipping it and her tomephone into her pocket. "Is there anything else we can help you with?"
"This was more than I could have ever anticipated," said Galatea, curtsying for them both. "Thank you Yaana. Galbana Lily. Pray, have a good evening."
As the Hhetsarro girl hurried off for the north end of True Vue, Lily returned her attention to the clothing shop. "So, about that dress…"
It was fifteen minutes later when the pair arrived at Tritails Training. Lily was hugging a shopping bag to her chest, looking rather pleased with herself, while Yaana was removing her tomephone from her pocket, that she might unlock the front door. Accidentally she pushed the scrap of paper out from her pocket, scrambling to catch it before it blew away.
As she did, she drew close enough to trigger the door's automatic opening mechanism. Silently she stood there, staring into the lighting of her own empty gym, before shooting Lily a nervous glare. "Neyuni knows she's not supposed to leave the door unlocked while I'm out."
"You think something is wrong?" asked Lily, peering into the gym. Something about this felt off to her as well—it reminded her of the day Eutrope had called her over. "… I do too. Let's go check on her and our guest."
They rushed inside, hurrying to the back stairwell as the door shut behind them. Scrambling up the stairs in a matter of seconds, they soon burst into the upstairs kitchen. There were no signs of either a break-in or a struggle, but the door to Eutrope's room was wide open, the mechanism stopped by a lone pillow.
"Neyuni!" Yaana shouted, dashing down the hallway to the door. "Are you there!? Answer… oh no…"
As Lily came up behind her, she peered into the room. There was no sign of their guest, nor the medical equipment she'd been hooked up to. Nor was there any sign of Neyuni, for that matter. It was as if both girls had simply ceased to exist.
"Hold on," Yaana huffed, rapidly tapping on her tomephone. "Her signal's coming from the closet. Check on it while I search our rooms."
Watching Yaana's back as she disappeared into her room, Lily headed into her and Eutrope's bedroom, setting her bag on the bed. Turning around, she caught sight of the closet's open door. All of their clothes had been pulled down and piled together on the floor, as if someone had tried to hide beneath them, yet the pile did not move so much as a single ilm as she approached. Pushing the clothes aside, she found Neyuni's terminal at the bottom of the pile, the screen activating at her touch.
There was a text message on screen, left unsent: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS AND NOTHING ELSE
Gingerly she picked up the terminal and headed out of the room, catching sight of Yaana emerging from her own. The grief-stricken look on her face briefly turned to hope as she turned to Lily, only to fade again as her gaze shifted to the device in her hands. "She never leaves home without her terminal. Lily, what happened to my sisters!?"
"I don't know," said Lily, closing in to hand over the terminal. "It looks like she didn't even get your last message."
Snatching it from her hands, Yaana swiftly read the message left for her. There was no need for words—they'd both understood what it meant. "… I wish you weren't right. Without her terminal, there's no way for us to track her down. You didn't find any kind of ransom note, did you?"
Before Lily could answer, her ears suddenly twitched. The front door to the gym had just opened. Glancing about the room, she let out a loud sigh. "Maybe we've got this all wrong, and they're down in the basement."
"You could be right," Yaana gulped. Her breath was hot, and her throat was drying. "Let's go, Lily."
Lily was the first to exit into the ground floor. To her surprise, relief, and slight disappointment, the man looking about the gym was Retsarra. Surrounding his ankles were three slightly skittish cats—once Hector's, now his. He caught the look on her face, and on Yaana's as well, and narrowed his eyes.
"Did I come at a bad time…?" he asked, looking down at his ankles. "I was going to ask if you could look after these little ones. My apartment doesn't allow pets, you see…"
"That's fine," Yaana answered, her anxiety starting to spike once more. "Listen, Retsarra. There's something we need to tell you—"
The sound of the gym's viewing screen blinking on interrupted her speech. Colorful static and gray lines crawled across its surface as the three of them approached, the hairs on the back of Lily's neck standing on end. Despite growing comfortable with electrope in the past two months, it never sat right with her when they began working seemingly of their own accord.
When at last the three of them were near the benches set out before the screen the static disappeared, revealing the blazing logo of Ascension Arcadia.
"Black Cat. Howling Blade. The Black Vulture." The voice coming from the speakers, familiar yet decidedly odd, was none other than the president himself. "Please, have a seat. I am a busy man, and have much to discuss with the three of you."
The three of them exchanged nervous glances before taking their seats opposite the viewing screen. Behind them, the little cats gathered in a circle.
"Excellent. Now then, Vulture. For your contributions to the excitement provided by Ascension Arcadia, you have my utmost esteem." There was a slight pause in the man's speech, as if preparing his next few words. "… However, I cannot suffer anyone to rewrite my script. And so, as a safeguard against further deviations, I have taken Wicked Thunder and Neyuni into my care."
"You can't just kidnap people from their homes!" Yaana protested, still holding her sister's terminal.
"On the contrary," the president countered. "There is no evidence to suggest I have done any such thing. On that note, I must ask that you cease recording this conversation immediately, and delete the audio file."
Lily's gaze shot to Yaana as the young woman did as she was asked, pointedly showing Neyuni's terminal to the viewing screen.
"How good of you to follow instructions at last," said the president, condescension dripping in his tone. "I assure you, no harm will come to your sisters so long as you continue to do so."
"Mr. President," Retsarra interjected, eyes fixated on the logo before them. "Sir. Might I ask you for the truth about 'psychonekrosis'?"
"The disease is real, young man. There seems little point in denying otherwise among… present company." Clearing his throat, the president continued. "Immortalizing the Brute Bomber despite his suicidal end was a tedious affair. For your sake, I hope you don't intend to make me do so a second time."
"… I thank you for your kindness," Retsarra replied, practically biting the word. "Though without a cure, I fear my retirement will have only bought me a few more years."
"Indeed," the president agreed. "Whether you continue to fight or not, psychonekrosis will be the end of both you and Black Cat. That is, of course, unless you do as I say."
"So you do know of a cure," said Lily, furrowing her brow. "One more accessible than murdering me for my soul, at that."
"Rest assured, Vulture, that option is no longer on the table. You are far too valuable alive to allow such a thing. But as you are looking for a cure, I will offer you all a line of hope." There was another pause, longer this time. "… After some coaxing, Metem divulged to me your desire for a cure. And it just so happens I know where you can find the stimulant you seek. 'The Drop of Life', it is called."
"How can we trust you're not lying?" Yaana demanded to know. "If you've had the cure all along, there wouldn't be any psychonekrosis!"
"Once more you are mistaken, Black Cat. Immortalizing our talents at such a young age ensures they are remembered as they were in their prime—something we could not accomplish if they lived to see infirmity."
"That's—" Yaana began, only to cut herself short. Her fury had reached a crescendo, but it was best for all if she kept her silence.
"I understand," said Retsarra, voicing their shared feelings in a constrained, even tone. "Our faces— our fighting personas—are the product Ascension Arcadia sells to the people of Everkeep. Compared to that, our lives are practically worthless."
"Less than worthless," Lily remarked. "They're a liability, aren't they?"
"That will only be the case if you continue to oppose me. Heed my words, and the matter will be settled amicably."
The words hung in the air for several seconds. It seemed they were getting nowhere arguing with him.
"What do you want from us?" asked Retsarra, his knees clenched firmly in his hands.
"Three simple things—the first, of course, is your silence. Not a word of this is to be repeated to anyone. Secondly, the Black Vulture must continue fighting at the Arcadion. And finally, you three must never again meddle with my script."
"That's it?" asked Yaana, her anger subsiding. "Stay quiet, keep fighting, and behave?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. Ascension Arcadia will carry on as it always has—nothing needs to change." Then, addressing Lily directly, the president continued. "If you become grand champion, Vulture, our soul repository will be at your disposal, and I will even disclose the location of the Drop of Life."
At this, Lily raised her eyebrow. "So Metem told you what I plan on doing with them, I take it?"
"Ultimately, the souls themselves are immaterial to me." As if sensing their confusion, the president began to elaborate. "Surely you must have been curious as to how the souls you picked were always of use to you. That is because the combat data—memories—are loaded separately from the souls themselves."
"That sounds like synthetic auracite," she muttered, more to herself than him.
"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with the term. Regardless, as I said the souls are immaterial—there will always be more. You may dispose of the ones presently stored at your leisure—provided you become grand champion." Seemingly satisfied that the three of them now knew their place, the president brought their meeting to its conclusion. "That is all. I look forward to seeing your exploits at the pinnacle of the Ascension Arcadia Championship, the heavyweight division."
The viewing screen's power was cut just as suddenly as it had been turned on, and for a while the three of them stewed in silence. Each was no doubt trying to make sense of their situation. Though the president had maintained the appearance of being forthright, there were nevertheless a great many questions they no doubt had.
Questions none of them dared to ask aloud. Not while the president might still be watching them.
"So the president was a step ahead of us," Retsarra said at last, breaking the silence. "One wrong move, and Eutrope and Neyuni will come to harm."
"It seems we have no choice," Yaana agreed, looking to her newest sister. "No choice but to place our hopes in you, Ktjn."
"I won't let you down," said Lily, only to catch a side-eye from Retsarra. "I know what it sounds like. But 'Ktjn' is my birth name—the four of us at Tritails Training are family, ever since Eutrope and I…"
As she trailed off, Retsarra flashed a pained smile. "Even though she tried to kill you?"
"That turned out to be less of an obstacle than you'd think," Yaana chimed in, slipping her hands into her pockets. "She even agreed to give up her soul if we couldn't find a cure for Eutrope. They've been nearly inseparable ever since."
"I see. Just like we used to be." With a deep breath and a soft sigh, Retsarra smiled again—genuinely this time. "I would like to say I'm happy for you all, truly. Only, so long as Eutrope and Neyuni's lives hang in the balance, I'm afraid that happiness will have to wait."
"You know, I'm a married woman," Lily pointed out, earning a vacant stare from the man. "What I mean is, Eutrope, my wife Ascilia and I—we're in an open relationship. If Eutrope really wants to get back together with you… well, I won't object."
"I don't believe we should," said Retsarra, shaking his head. "I don't doubt that our friendship remains. But she has moved on, and perhaps it's best if I do, too. But regardless, thank you. For supporting her endeavors where I had… failed."
"And thanks for sticking by us too, Ktjn," Yaana beamed, pulling Lily into a tight hug. As she did, Lily felt her slip something large into her pocket. "As your sister, and your second, I'll continue doing my best to support you."
"As will I," Retsarra agreed. "I won't turn a blind eye to the president's depravity any longer." Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as his cats mewed together. "Never again. I won't let anyone be taken away from me ever again…"
"Thanks, both of you." As Yaana released her grip on Lily's waist, her stomach let out a loud grumble. "But before we start making plans, we ought to have dinner first. Gonna have a lot of leftovers—maybe we could give some to the cats?"
"Actually," Yaana began, motioning to the gym's front door, "I forgot to pick up tonight's fixings. Could you go to the usual place and get them for me? They're already paid for."
"Of course," Lily nodded. "Anything for you, sis."
"If you need help carrying anything—" Retsarra began, only to be cut off as Lily raised a hand.
"Not necessary, sorry. But you can certainly help Yaana set the kitchen for me." Turning away, Lily headed to the door, glancing over her shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."
As she finished listening to the recording on Yaana's tomephone, Shale pinched the bridge of her nose. This was a tremendous mess Lily's newfound family had gotten them into. "That was a very risky move on Yaana's part, just so you know. The president caught her recording this on her sister's terminal—if he realizes she'd been recording him on her own device as well, it could jeopardize her sisters' lives."
"I know," Lily agreed, taking back the tomephone and slipping it into her pocket. "She couldn't communicate the plan to me, mind you. The president knew exactly where we were in the gym, and could hear us too."
"It's safe to say Tritails Training is bugged then. Top to bottom." Turning her attention to the monitor beside her, Shale motioned to the door on the far side of the Backroom. "I'll send someone to map them all for you in three days, under the guise of… let's say fixing the gym's air conditioning. Not remove the bugs, mind. We can't rouse the president's suspicions, not until we've secured Eutrope and Neyuni's locations."
"Do you think you'll be able to rescue them?" she asked, hoping against hope for a yes.
"I can't guarantee that yet, Lily Sorry. But I will say this." Returning her attention to Lily, Shale gave her a firm look. "Ascension Arcadia's president will be held accountable for everything he's done. One way or another." Then, glancing to the back door again, her lips curled into a faint smile. "By the way, her majesty was asking after you. It seems she took it upon herself to deliver some medical equipment to your new home this morning."
"So I'd heard," Lily chuckled. "Whatever possessed her to do that?"
"If I had to guess, it was Alisaie. She loves telling stories about you. 'No foe too ferocious, no task too trifling' and so on. Must have lit a fire in the queen's heart. She took a break from practicing with that tome of hers to deliver Neyuni's order personally." Shale shook her head, then motioned to the door. "She ought to be asleep right now. But if not, you can go and thank her yourself."
"That's alright," said Lily. "I've got to get back to Tritails Training soon. We've got guests over for dinner, and Yaana prefers my cooking to her own."
"Fair enough, then. I'll pass it on when I can." Going back once more to her monitor, Shale waved her away, only to stop. "Oh, and one more thing. This morning Shaloaci posted a contract for the Hunters with your name on it. Only, your little training partners picked it up in your stead."
"Milia and Kasumi, you mean?" At this, Lily couldn't help but worry. "They didn't run into any trouble, did they?"
"They ran into Atticus," said Shale, her reflection in the monitor grinning back at Lily. "And get this—they put the old snake down for good."
"Seriously!?"
"Mhm. But the contract was a bust—Shaloaci got cold feet. I would too if I'd run into the first victim of feral soul infusion." With a soft sigh, Shale continued on. "I wouldn't be surprised if she posted another contract soon, though. She's been adamant about assessing the old rails and rebuilding Yyasulani Station."
"I probably won't be able to help her," said Lily, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm afraid I'll be a busy bee in the near future."
"A… busy bee?" Perking up from her monitor, Shale raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know…?"
"Probably not," Lily laughed. "Thanks again for helping us out. We'd be in a world of hell without you, Shale."
"Don't mention it, Lily."
As the Viera headed out of the Backrooms, Shale returned her attention to the monitor. Bringing her fingers up to her keyboard, she began sifting through information on regulators, and the means by which they could be tracked. As she did, she began to hum a familiar song that had gotten stuck in her mind recently.
B is for Beauty both devious and sweet…