Sarah fiddled with her holo-tablet looking at the time. She glanced up at the dimensional transit coordinator. If this took much longer, she’d be late for soccer practice. She was far too polite a teenager to say anything about the delay. She watched him typing at the computer. The man who was unremarkable in most ways glanced up at her.
“Being upset will not make this any faster, young lady.”
Sarah blushed and put her hands in her hoodie pockets and took a keen interest in a sign with the dimensional transit rules. Not that she wasn’t already intimately familiar with them. Before she came to Earth 3, she’d been paranoid she would bring something, or do something that would get her kicked out. She heard him talking to the computer. She glanced back. It appeared he was rebooting the system. Suddenly the turquoise lights around the dimensional gate flared to life and the portal opened.
“You’re cleared to go through.”
Sarah looked at the gateway hesitantly.
“It’s not going to send me to an Earth where the Care bears are benevolent gods is it?”
The operator frowned.
“No, it only goes one place. Earth Prime. Move it along.”
Sarah winced and nodded.
“Yes sir.”
Sarah walked through the gateway and felt the usual brief stomach turning jolt as her body shifted into another universe. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it. When she arrived on the other side there was a woman in the black armor that Eyre favored in the field. She had blue eyes and blonde hair. She was beautiful. She was only a few years older than Sarah. Maybe twenty.
“Sarah.”
Sarah looked her up and down.
“Yes ma’am?”
Sarah noted a distinct German accent.
“I am Agent I’m Lea Muller. MANA. I’ll be your escort to and from practice.”
Sarah wrapped her hand around the strap of her gym bag tightly.
“Is that necessary?”
“Considering last time, you came through there was an attempt to kidnap you, yes, yes, it is. Please come with me, you’re going to be late. Really you should have been here fifteen minutes ago. You really need to make an effort to be on time.”
Sarah opened her mouth to argue, but she was used to people getting on her case for being late, even when it wasn’t her fault. Surely, they’d just say well you should have been at the transit center half an hour early or something. That was about her conversations about tardiness usually went. Sarah just nodded. She followed Lea towards an armored car that looked rather inconspicuous. Sarah patted the seat beside her in the back of the car before getting comfortable and putting her seatbelt on. Lea glanced at her in the mirror.
“I assure you; You’re going to be safe today, Sarah. I am well trained.”
Sarah nodded to her and folded her hands in her lap and started looking out the window. Munich on Earth Prime was a city of contradictions. Parts were futuristic looking; parts were still stuck like they had been in World War Two. The futuristic buildings reminded Sarah of a game she’d played that she probably shouldn’t have at her age called Cyberpunk. They were driving away from the graffiti covered wall that surrounded the German Exclusion Zone. A place where no life could exist still, all these years later. She supposed it was a better wall then the Berlin wall. Lea didn’t seem to be much of a conversationalist and was silent for the entire drive.
Soccer practice was uneventful, in so much as nothing strange happened. Sarah was treated like a part of the team. Her dinner and chat with the girls at the pub had apparently convinced them she was alright and pure of race. It shouldn’t surprise her, she fit in everywhere she tried too. People just liked her in general if she didn’t do anything to anger them. They were getting changed. The ever present and watchful Lea was in the change room as well. Karin approached Sarah.
“What’s with her?”
Sarah glanced towards Lea.
“She’s here to protect me.”
Karin glanced at Lea too.
“From what?”
Sarah pondered what to say, then spoke.
“Just paranoid teachers. That’s all. It will blow over.”
“Do you want to come to the pub again?”
Sarah glanced at Lea who gave the slightest shake of her head. Part of her was disappointed then she remembered the proudly flown Nazi flag and decided that maybe it wasn’t so bad that she’d have to head right back to the school.
“No, I have to go right back to the school.”
Karin lowered her voice.
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No, no there’s just a boy who has been stalking me.”
“What a creep. What does he look like? We’ll keep an eye out.”
“I don’t think he’s going to show up here, don’t worry.”
“If he does you tell the coach. She’s the school resource police officer.”
“They have those in Germany? I mean in Munich?”
Karin quirked her head to the side at Sarah’s choice of words. She lowered her voice.
“You are a believer in the Reich?”
Sarah’s slip of the tongue was going to be hard to explain away. Should she tell them she’s from another Earth? Or just let them believe she was a Nazi true believer. She closed her eyes and went with the easiest path forward letting them believe that about her made her sick to her stomach, but how much easier would this be if they just thought she was one of them? She spoke a sentence she never would have believed in her life.
“May it last a thousand years.”
Karin’s eyes lit up as Sarah spoke. Sarah closed her eyes slowly and her shoulders slumped. All her talk about being better than them, her hatred of what they represented and the slightest sense of peer pressure she gave in. It was done. From this point forward they would think she was one of them. She had finished tying her shoelaces by this time and slipped the strap of her gym bag over her shoulder.
“Better get going before the MANA Agent drags me out of here.”
“See you tomorrow, Sara.”
Karin’s voice lowered.
“Sister.”
Sarah nodded. She waved to Karin and the rest of the team. Lea escorted her out and opened the door of the APC in disguise. Sarah got in and tossed her bag on the seat. She pulled on her seat belt. Lea got in and started the car and set it into gear. The MANA agent’s blue eyes glanced at Sarah in the mirror.
“You do not seem the type to believe in the Reich.”
Sarah blushed.
“What?”
“You’re from Earth Two. Most people from there I’ve met are disgusted by modern Germans here.”
Sarah wasn’t sure how to respond so she was silent for several seconds her eyes were on the seat in front of her then the flicked upwards and looked in the rear-view mirror.
“It is easier this way.”
Lea nodded.
“We all make sacrifices to fit in, just make sure you don’t start believing.”
Sarah nodded. Lea seemed more relaxed now. Far more then on the ride to the practice pitch. She smiled.
“I was impressed with skill on the pitch. I was also impressed with the discretion you showed in avoiding discussing the real reason for my presence. I will ensure that it is mentioned in my report today. And if there is a bo- What the f…?”
Lea was interrupted by a massive cloud of black smoke nearby. The whole car shook with the ground. Sarah gasped at the sight. It reminded her of videos they’d showed at school on the anniversary of 9-11. Massive clouds of dust and smoke as the building collapsed. The holographic dash of the car flared to life.
“All MANA Agents, all Powered individuals classified as combat capable are activated in Munich. You are tasked to Radlsteg and Tal. All restrictions on power use by all individuals are lifted. Class Sigma Protocol. There has been PL15 event. All other missions are canceled. Proceed with all possible speed.”
Lea flipped on the siren and accelerated. Apparently, whatever Class Sigma Protocol meant; It meant Sarah’s safety was secondary. Lea spoke while ripping through traffic.
“When we get there, you stay out of danger. I cannot ignore this but if anything happens to you Eyre will have my head.”
They were very close and seemed to arrive first on the scene. Lea did a handbrake skid to stop the car and stepped out of the vehicle. Sarah stared as Lea’s body suddenly became covered in red electricity, and she hovered above the pavement floating forward. In the distance a giant figure was coming out of the dust and smoke. It had to be at least twenty feet tall. Lea didn’t even ask for whoever it was to surrender like Sarah would expect as a law officer, she just reached out her hands and a ball of red electricity formed in them and hit whatever it was in the chest.
The giant figure started charging towards them. The violence of his movements and his size blasted the clouds of dust apart. He was a massive man in a suit of some sort of technological power armor. He reached out his hand and a blast of white energy flew towards Lea, and the car Sarah was sitting in. Lea deflected it and it hit the roadway beneath her. She wasn’t able to redirect to the second blast that came from his left hand. It struck her and the car hard. Lea went flying into a school bus. Sarah’s eyes went wide when she noticed it still had children in it. All seemed to be grade school age. The car had skidded several feet, but she was unharmed. It seemed it was made of something more than normal materials. She was staring in fear at Lea who seemed to be dazed.
The armored giant started stomping towards the school bus he was standing over Lea who was struggling to pull herself out of the twisted metal of the school bus. Sarah saw the palms of his hands starting to glow. She realized he didn’t care who got hurt. Something snapped in her and the fear evaporated and she lept out of the car. Her eyes flared bright blue casting a glow in the shadow of the giant man. Blue veins tore through her arms and hands. Her limiter exploded off her, not even a minor hiccup to her accessing her full power. A shimmering blue forcefield took the full brunt of the attack. He tried again after a short recharge period, but his attacks had no effect on the shield. He roared and lifted up a twisted transport truck trailer and it smashed against the barrier uselessly. He yelled in German.
“You will run out of energy eventually little girl.”
Sarah clenched her teeth as another blast of energy washed against the barrier she’d created. She screamed as the blue veins creeped up her neck and into her cheeks. She yelled in between blasts.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Children get Agent out of here! Now!”
Another blast assaulted her barrier. Sarah’s feet skidded back towards the bus. Sarah didn’t dare look back to see if anyone listened to her. He pounded on her barrier several more times with energy, thrown objects and his fists eventually. Her entire body was covered in the blue veins by now. Her eyes were glowing so brightly they were causing the pavement to reflect the glow. Suddenly a car came flying from down the road and hit the armored man in the head. He lost his balance and stumbled. He caught himself on one of the buildings giant pieces of cement fell to the sidewalk below.
The supervillain reached out his hand and blasted whatever had hit him then turned his attention back to Sarah. She’d looked behind her to make sure the bus was empty, and that Lea was safe. She saw no signs of the children of the agent. The barrier had collapsed when she lost focus. He was now aiming his palms at her again. Sarah dove for the ground as a blast obliterated the bus. The only thing remaining were the frame and twisted pieces of charred yellow metal.
Sarah heard screams. She glanced back and the children had been cowering behind it. She yelled at them.
“Get your driver and the agent out of here!”
She desperately looked around for anything to help her out of this situation. She knew she had about five seconds between blasts. She’d been counting it out as he bashed against her shield. Through the dust she saw some broken trees. She was so exhausted, but she needed to buy the kids time to escape. The armored man’s hands began to glow.
“Game over kid. Should have stayed in the car.”
Sarah lost control of her body momentarily and she watched her hand reach out and her eyes flared a brilliant green. Green veins burned their way through her flesh as her body called to all the trees that lined the road to trap the man. A dozen trees shot upwards. Before the man could blast her, his arms were ripped to the sides and the beams hit only air. Tree roots, the fungus that interwove itself under the pavement, plants from buildings, grass turned into vines. Ripping into the armor twisting it. The man was screaming in pain. His suit and size were no match for the force of nature Sarah was able to muster. He shrunk suddenly. The vines lost their grip, and he crawled out of the mass of green and bark. Pieces of shredded armor were falling to the broken pavement below. He charged at Sarah whose body was still not her own. Her body weaved to the side as he tried to strike her. Sarah’s fist glowed blue as her body enhanced her punch with a telekinetic barrier. It shattered what remained of his helmet when she struck him in the side of the head. He went down. He shifted and her body kicked him in the face with another telekinetic barrier of her foot. His face caved inwards as his bones broke. Her foot then formed another barrier and slammed onto one of his arms and legs. She couldn’t control her body but she could see and hear everything. The bones shattered. It was a sickening sound. He stopped moving at that point.
Sarah was able to control her movements again and the adrenaline keeping her on her feet evaporated and she collapsed to her knees. She was struggling to get enough air to compensate for the actions her body had seemed to take on its own accord. The man who she’d just struck down was groaning in pain. He was no longer a threat. She knew that somehow. Her body had shattered his bones to ensure he couldn’t enlarge himself again without ripping his flesh apart. It had done it deliberate and on purpose… something inside her… it knew about superpowers and how to prevent their owners from using them. She dry heaved when she happened to catch a glimpse of the man’s limbs bent at completely unnatural angles.
Sarah couldn’t have told anyone how long she sat there on her knees trying to catch her breath before the armed MANA response team arrived. When she saw the guns aimed at her she was back in the police station again. The ground started shaking. Bullets were fired and were caught in midair, and the response team watched as their weapons shattered. The team was lifted in the air and struggled helplessly against Sarah’s instinctive response to the threat they possessed.
Sarah was snapped out of her flashback suddenly and she was looking into a set of golden eyes. A deathly cold hand was on her chin. The woman who owned the golden eyes was a porcelain goddess. She was wearing a black gown. She smiled at Sarah. Sarah saw fangs. One of the agents approached and the woman lifted her other hand and the agent collapsed to his knees holding his head and began to scream. The woman spoke, Sarah was sure she was no mortal. She would have known it without seeing her, just hear her voice.
“This one is beyond you mortals. She is under our protection.”
The woman turned her attention to Sarah.
“I see great power in you, child. I sense a presence I haven’t felt for… millennia. I see why the Empress is so… protective.”
Sarah had no idea how she knew this woman’s name. Or how she knew how to speak in ancient Egyptian but she did.
“Isis.”
The woman smiled again. Her fangs still extended.
“Yes, you are more then you appear little mortal. Taking down a PL 15 in a tech suit, on your own. Very impressive.”
More armed MANA response units were appearing, some in power armor. Things were starting to align against even a being of Isis’s power. MANA command didn’t seem to know how to respond. A voice called from the alleyway behind Sarah. It was Lea.
“Stand down. She’s a student at Aurelius Academy. As per Protocol Sigma, ‘All’ super powered individuals rated for combat are to respond regardless of limitation on power usage. She is a PL 8 with combat training. She responded.”
Lea showed her identification. Isis released Sarah’s chin and patted her on the shoulders.
“I know we will see each other again… child. See that you keep your fear under control. The mortals are a paranoid lot.”
Isis walked through the wall of MANA agents. They parted giving her as much distance as they could. Sarah watched the goddess leave. Lea kneeled down beside Sarah and put her hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“Thank you for what you did. You were very brave. They shouldn’t have discharged their weapons at you. They violated protocol.”
She looked at Sarah’s ankle which had black scorch marks where the limiter used to be.
“What happened to your limiter?”
Sarah spoke without thinking.
“It was in my way.”
Lea stood up and offered her hand to Sarah.
“Come on, lets get you back to school and let Ops sort out this mess.”
Sarah took her hand. Lea pulled her to her feet and helped her towards the car. Sarah’s body was completely exhausted from channeling so much energy in such a short span. A MANA agent blocked her path.
“Agent Muller, the situation is not contained. We had a PL 20 spike on the sensors.”
Lea looked up at the armored man.
“Commander, with all due respect, I’m injured, and she is only a PL 8 who just fought of a PL 15 in a suit of power armor, alone. She’s exhausted. Neither of us will be of any use against a PL 20, let alone a PL 2. I need to get her back to the academy so they can check her for injuries, and they can patch me up.”
He held up his wrist looking at his holo-tablet’s screen.
“Where is her limiter. I can’t find it.”
“I disengaged it as per Sigma protocol. I knew she could create barriers and there were civilians to be protected.”
“Protocol says combat has ended the device needs to be reengaged.”
“She can barely walk; Do you really think she’s going to be any threat whatsoever in the ten minutes it will take me to get her through the portal? It was destroyed when the suspect shot me.”
“We need to put one on her.”
Lea rolled her eyes.
“Not going to wait thirty minutes to get someone out here to do that when I can get her to the academy in ten minutes where it will just need to be taken off. Don’t like it, take it up with the one giving me my orders.”
“Who is that?”
“You know, the Headmistress of Aurelius Academy, the Former world president, the former director of MANA, the one who formed it… Eyre Aurelius? I’m sure she’ll love to hear how you made me wait with an exhausted possibly injured student for a limiter.”
The man went a bit pale and motioned her past without another word. Lea helped Sarah into the front seat of the armored car. She pulled out and drove around the security area. She glanced at Sarah how was so exhausted she could barely keep her head up. Sarah had her head leaning against the glass of the car.
“I don’t know what the Headmistress’s game is, but you are no PL 8. You’re the strongest super I’ve seen in my lifetime. Even Lady Isis noticed it.”
Sarah’s nodded slightly.
“I knew her… I’ve never met her… and I knew her. She has a daughter, has golden eyes just like hers. She’s not a vampire… she’s a two-year-old. Isis… knows me. We’re friends. But I’ve never met her… how is that possible?”
Lea’s brow creased.
“Look Sarah, I have no idea what is going on here, but you’d best keep quiet about that. After what happened back there, MANA is going to be very curious about you.”
Sarah turned her head to Lea slowly.
“I thought MANA were the good guys.”
Lea shook her head.
“MANA looks out for MANA and Earth Gov. That’s the way it’s always been. Shoot first, ask questions later, like when they attacked you. I’m glad you didn’t get hit. There would have been hell to pay, especially with Isis there and saying you’re under the protection of the Vampires. MANA thinks its all that but the vampires… the vampires they could crush the world under their boot heels. Just keep your head down, keep your mouth shut and do not trust the Headmistress, she’s their empress and the worst of the lot of them when it comes to half-truths and manipulation. You don’t bring a multiverse to heel without some major leg breaking.”
Sarah’s own brow furrowed. She knew Eyre could be trusted. Just like she knew she could trust Isis and Helen. Just like she knew she could love Amee regardless of their matching genders. It was all so confusing.
“You’re wrong. Eyre… the headmistress, she is a good person. The best of people.”
Lea glanced at Sarah.
“Don’t fall for her act kid. She’s got plot within plot going.”
Sarah was so exhausted she had fallen asleep before Lea finished her sentence. Lea carried Sarah across the dimensional boundary after they arrived at MANA Headquarters. They were met by Misha on the other side. He rushed forward when he saw Lea struggling with Sarah’s weight. He took her in his strong arms. Lea leaned on his shoulder as he led them to the waiting SUV. He looked over at Lea who was holding her side now.
“What happened?”
Lea glanced at Misha.
“Super attack in Munich.”
“Targeting her?”
Lea shook her head.
“No, seemed random. Just need to make sure Sarah is unhurt. I need medical attention though.”
“Will take you to hospital.”
Misha called it in to the hospital. Then drove straight there. Lea didn’t even get a chance to limp three steps before she was in a wheelchair. Another arrived for Sarah which Misha transferred her too. The orderly who came for Sarah looked up at him.
“Are you coming sir?”
Misha shook his head.
“No, need to report, take good care, dah?”
The orderly nodded and Misha drove off.
*****
The next morning found Carly and Helen sitting across the desk from Eyre who was looking over a report on her computer with her vivid green eyes. She looked to the pair after she finished. Carly leaned forward and had her hands on the desk.
“Was he after Sarah?”
Eyre shook her head.
“No, there was prison transport to Earth-18 that was attacked. This was a diversion. Sarah isn’t making any friends with the terrorist network though. She finished their distraction off so quickly the diversion failed.”
Helen shook her head.
“Sis, she is no PL 8, and MANA has to know that by now. Hell, there was a PL 20 spike during the battle. She literally vaporized her limiter.”
Eyre frowned.
“Its worse than that. I had a call from Isis this morning. The Imperial Council is concerned about Sarah now.”
“Concerned?”
“Isis has declared she is under vampire protection. Formally!”
Helen shook her head.
“She can’t do that, you’re the Empress only you can declare that.”
Eyre sighed.
“I don’t have the political capital to disagree with her right at this moment. They’re pissed about Korea still. I’m going to have to just go along with it. I’ve already endorsed her decision with the council to Earth Gov. Earth Gov has ordered MANA to be hands off her from now on.”
“As in, all hands off? No protection on Earth Prime?”
Eyre shook her head.
“Only Agents approved by the Council and myself are to act as security for her. If she causes any trouble, it is up to us to enforce the laws with her. She’s not even a vampire for Christ’s sake. What is Isis thinking, she’s just a human.”
Helen pushed her chair back and stood up.
“I’ll have a word with that Egyptian bitch.”
Eyre pointed at Helen’s chair.
“Sit your ass down, child. She’s over six thousand years old and a direct creation of Sextus. Neither of us can do anything to stop her. The only reason she lets me be Empress is out of respect for tradition, and our mother. And let me be clear, she is the reason the council even tolerates me and my antics, they fear her. Let’s not push it.”
Carly looked between the two vampires and Helen glared at Eyre when her sister called her a child. She threw up her hands and sat down.
“Is Sarah safe?”
Eyre nodded.
“Safer than she was. Isis rarely makes her presence known to MANA and Earth Gov. When she does, they tend to listen to her because frankly they have no idea how they would enforce their will on her.”
“What about the terrorists who were after her? They’re going to know how strong she is.”
Eyre shook her head.
“Not necessarily. Lea Muller, the Agent who was present during the fight has said all Sarah did was create a barrier and grow some plants. Neither of which on their own would constitute a PL 20. I suspect that was when she obliterated her limiter. I asked Lea what Sarah said about the limiter and she told me that Sarah said: ‘It was in my way.’ I still think we’re dealing with two different Sarah’s. The one I see in my class… she doesn’t have this kind of control. She has the raw power but to be able to form a telekinetic barrier to punch and kick with? No. She did the big barrier as described by witnesses. The plants, the actual fight with the suspect. No, that was this other presence inside her.”
“Basically, as far as the reports go, she used a PL 8 barrier and a PL 8 plant growth. All within the pounds of her skill and age. I’m fairly sure Isis had something to do with the official reports looking like they do.”
Helen shook her head.
“She can’t be trusted.”
“My mother told me Isis was dangerous, unpredictable and her sworn enemy. Yet when I talk to Isis she approaches my mother with something akin to sisterhood, and a great deal of respect. I am not sure where the disconnect happened. My mother’s journal from the alternate timeline refers to Isis as her friend and confidant. I’m not sure what to believe, but what I do know is she wants to protect Sarah as much as we do, I’m just not sure why.”
Carly rubbed her temples.
“What do we tell Sarah?”
Eyre shook her head.
“Nothing.”
“Eyre, she met Isis. She spoke to her. I heard her talking to Amee. She knows who Isis is. Eyre. She nearly killed a PL 15 in power armor, and she didn’t have a scratch on her. I know no PL 8 fourteen-year-old with almost zero training can do that. She knows it too. She has too. Soon she will start suspecting us of hiding something. I’m not going to be the reason she snaps.”
Carly was standing by now her fingers spread on Eyre’s desk.
“I’m on her side from this minute forward.”
Eyre frowned at Carly but a glance at Helen told her that her sister agreed with Carly’s sentiment.
“Fine, but whatever happens to her is on your heads, both of you.”
Eyre threw her pen at her desk. Carly nodded.
“I will gladly trust Sarah’s judgment over yours. By the way, that ghost boy, he rescued the mouse she resurrected from the lab. It’s still alive. You might want to piss off the next messiah, but I sure as hell don’t. I suggest you don’t try to take him back.”
Carly stormed out. Helen and Eyre stared at each other as the ramifications of what Carly just told them sunk in.