Kinda Long chapter today... my chap length isn't reliable.
well, don't think anyone is going to complain about this though.
Enjoy the read everyone ^^
I actually also wanted to tell everyone that you can ask questions about the Story whenever you feel like it. Because I feel like I've left quite the amount of plotholes throughout the Story.
And yea.... cliffhangers are my thing.
Sorry not sorry :P
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Hahaha, I don't like this.
I mustered my surrounding. After a pretty short flight with the helicopter where I had lost all sense of time we had arrived... somewhere. As soon as they had opened the side doors my eyes had started to spas out. Some kind of interference made my vision go blurry. Additionally to this my limbs started to feel heavy and sluggish. Christian seemed the same, though Ignar did not show any signs of being affected too.
I could barely make out the building in front of me but from what I could see it had a simply rectangular shape and next to none windows. Then the soldiers slowly but surely push us towards the entrance.
The instant I take a step inside the compound my vision left me entirely making me stop shortly. Then someone poked me into the side and a voice talked to me. Probably one of the soldiers.
"Ma'm please keep walking."
I turn towards him not seeing anything around me. His sentence had seemed so far away for some reason and I couldn't feel anything in my limbs anymore, though they still moved. Silently I answer him with a croaking voice.
"I can't see and my body is not reacting how I want it to. I-"
Another man interrupts me. This time it was the commissioner... Ostrid.
"Keep walking. This compound is secured by multiple layers. The most complex machinery inside of your body is being shut down by our defensive systems. Your vision will return to you once we reach the interrogation room."
So they had these kinds of things here. And here I had thought that we had the most advanced technology in the military.
At some point the three of us were separated and I was told to sit down somewhere. From what I could feel with Liams power there were multiple people very close by and someone in front of me. Though I was still not well versed enough to find out what they were doing exactly.
"You're vision will return now but keep in mind that we can take it away from you anytime we see fit."
A female voice in front politely informed me before my eyesight returned with serious interference issues.
I guess it wasn't perfect but it would have to do. In front of me sitting on the opposite side of a metal table was a middle aged woman with a uniform barring any kind of rank or insignia. She had short brown hair and sharp features. This coupled with the blankness of her clothes made her seem quite dangerous. She didn't wait long for me to recover.
"You're name is Alexis Mercer? Just answer the questions and this will be over before you know it."
I remembered what I had been told by my comrades and simply nodded.
"Yes Ma'm that is correct."
She wrote something down on a sheet of paper I had not noticed before. To be precise she had multiple envelopes in front of her.
"Good, do you know why you are here?"
"I think so Ma'm, command will want to know about the circumstances of our mission concerning "Child's play"."
Mustering me she tilts her head.
"That is only half correct. We have already gotten all of the information from Commander Ithild."
Commander? Wasn't she just our Captain? If she had noticed my small confusion she did not show it and kept going.
"As a matter of fact the three of you that have been brought here are under suspicion of working together with the enemy. Michael Kisk, the operative in charge of our esper division that got killed. We are wondering how they got compromised. The only ones aware of their group was a very small amount of people in high command, Captain Ithild and the entirety of A3. Also the three operatives under Kisk where very experienced, to think they were discovered normally is unthinkable. As such, let me ask you one simple question, do you work for anyone related to any of the major esper groups in the world?"
That had been quite direct but I could answer this truthfully without holding anything back.
"No Ma'm. I do not. My loyalty does not belong with any of those, neither with the Fallen, with "Arthus Welten" or HALO."
Her eyes squinted for one split of a second before she wrote something down again.
"It's always easier this way. My job here is done, at least we know you're not a mole."
Ey? What? This is it?
My face must have given away my confusion since the woman in front of me politely tells me.
"I can easily read your intentions and tell if you're lying or not. I'm not the one responsible for questioning you, somebody else will come afterwards and talk to you then. My job was to assess whether you are loyal or not since - and let us be honest here - you are the most suspicious one of the entirety of A3."
With that she stands up and leaves me behind baffled.
The door opens and this time I instantly jump up and salute. There are some people that you always know you have to pay at least respect to. And the person walking in behind the woman had the aura of capability and competence. He was taller than me by at least one head and had was cleanly shaved wearing nothing on his bald head. His uniform was hung with medals and the starts on his shoulders clearly stated his rank to everyone around him.
Then the General turned towards me.
"Please sit down soldier, I am only here because I was tasked with proposing a deal to you."
I was confused and fell back into my chair. I thought I would simply be asked questions concerning or mission, not something as simple as this.
As the General sat down in front of me two guards followed him and positioned themselves at the door. It seems that they still worried a bit about my loyalty.
"So you are Alexis Mercer... I wondered why Captain Ithild would recruit you but after reading your file we know at least that you're an outstanding individual. Which is exactly why I came here to talk to you."
He leaded back in his chair seeming exhausted from something. Then he looked directly into my eyes.
"Command wants to recruit you as well. After this ordeal we need someone to keep an eye on A3. As an outsider that is impossible. Which is exactly why we came to you."
What.
They want me to do WHAT?!
My left eye twitches once before I answer him.
"You cannot possibly think that I would do such a thing now would you? A3 is absolutely loyal and would never betray this. And I will most certainly NOT spy on my comrades for you."
Wearing a disappointed look he takes one of the envelopes.
"We expected this outcome but do not presume we will stop here. You will work for us, there is no way around it."
Then he throws multiple pictures on the table and turns them so I can see what is on them.
"After the catastrophe that was caused in your home town you where put into the military school of New Hampshire. This should interest you if you truly are that Alexis Mercer."
I wanted to laugh. My inner self smiling at their stupidity. Normally this would work against anyone, it truly was a strong leverage against someone like me...
Or at least against someone I should be. But like this?
In front of me where multiple pictures of two humans, both on a bed attached to medical machines. They where undoubtedly my parents.
But my parents were dead. What they had were my dolls.
I shook my head at him.
"You are mistaken sir. I will not help you. Nobody of A3 will ever help you to spy on their comrades. I have not been part of them for a long time but from this alone I have gotten a taste of their bond and I will not betray this bond."
His eyes opened in surprise at my answer.
"These are your parents GIRL. If they do not get medical attention that only we can provide they will undoubtedly die. They have a serious disease. Their cells are dying off and only we can keep them alive. You would let the people that raised you DIE?"
I know I seemed heartless but it did not matter, they had no leverage against me.
"General, with all due respect. My parents are already dead, I. Will. Not. Help. You."
His entire behavior changes and his features turn hard.
"You are either obsessively devoted or simply bar any emotion. But if this is how you want to be, so be it."
With that he stands up and motions towards one side of the room. I could feel multiple individuals on the other side.
"She's free for questioning, do what you must Commissioners."
Then my vision turns black again. Though I can feel the General leaving the room. The following hours were very weird for me. They left me alone for quite the long time inside of the empty room. Though I just sat there and thought about what I should do next.
Then finally I felt someone approaching. I knew this aura, it was the Commissioner that had brought us here. Ostrid. He was clearly heading towards me and before I knew it the door had opened and he stepped inside.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Mercer. I've been told about your case and that you are probably loyal to us. As such I want you to give me a detailed report on the mission that took place yesterday. I must inform you that any information you withhold will be considered a punishable act."
Then he sits in front of me and even thought I cannot see him I can feel his professionalism in the air through the way I could sense him with Liams power.
I nodded and started explaining what had happened. I saw no use in going head to head with him right now. I would tell Karen everything regarding this matter as soon as I'll get back. The thought of it almost made me smile.
Almost.
Ostrid never interrupted me, he simply listened to what I told him an occasionally wrote something down on a sheet of paper much like the woman that had come to me first. I ended with how
"Ok, I have no reason to not believe you right now. Commander Ithild had already told us as much but we had to make sure."
Again with the commander.
"My part here is done since I'm just here to get your report, we still will not release you just yet though. I hope you will have patience."
With that he seems to get up from his chair.
"What else is there that you need to know? I have shown my loyalty and given you my report. I see no reason why I would still need to remain here."
The aura in front of me remains unmoving.
"I could not care less if you metallic abominations stayed on your missions or here but command ordered me otherwise. As such neither you or I have any influence on these and we will both accept this. Now wait here until you are being told otherwise."
He seemed angry and walked out of the room. I laughed once. Abominations? Somebody doesn't seem to like modifications. Leaning back in my chair I try to reach out for Liam, sadly it seems that he is too far away since I cannot get into contact with him.
Haaaa.
I don't want to be here. The general probably thought they had found a reliable source for information in A3. Just because of those dolls. I wonder how they would fix this, I was pretty sure that they couldn't just let me go back to Karen and tell her the entire thing.
Quite funny if you ask me but annoying regardless.
It did not take long until I once more felt people moving towards my cell one of them feeling eerily familiar. Then it opened and from what I could gather two soldiers, the general from before and an unknown person walked inside.
"Alexis Mercer, since you have abandoned your parents you leave us no choice."
I heard his voice and I smiled.
"Hello once again General. Excuse my behavior towards you but it seems I have lost any respect for you."
The soldiers behind took a sharp breath, they probably did not think I'd be this disrespectful towards him. He himself didn't seemed fazed though. Instead he seemed to talk to the last person in the room.
"Ma'm, let's get this over with."
A female answers him without any mark of concern in her voice.
"Yes Sir. As soon as it is injected she will follow your command. Though she will act more suspiciously in the process."
Inject?
A small part of me felt afraid. Without seeing anything I had no idea what they were up to and from what I could gather it could be nothing good. If they injected any substance my body knew I would not care too much but I had no way to reliably deal with the unknown.
"General, what are you planning to do with me?"
I asked into the darkness and he quickly answered me.
"We had hoped to settle this without having to resort to this. You will follow my commands Miss Mercer. If you want to or not it does not matter. Ma'm if you would."
The female headed towards me.
Shit.
I try to back off but my limbs only react weakly and I only manage to throw my chair back and fall onto the ground.
Shit.
"Miss, please just stay still. It will be better that way."
I knew I was screwed as long as I couldn't see. As such I felt like I had no other choice but to start using my power.
At first I tried to use my gravitation to crush the person in front of me. Nobody would get close to me if their own weight exceeded a ton.
"Go die in hell you bastards."
I was mad.
Nothing happened, without stopping she kept going and I slowly crawled further back.
"Girl, we have two soldiers here that can strengthen anyone in a certain radius. You're gravitation is useless right now and you can barely move, just give up. Take it as karma for giving up on your parents."
Giving up on parents?
My rage hit a new level as I thought about them. I smile at the General madly.
I didn't care about consequences right now. I would rather fight and die than become a mindless spy.
"You will die General."
Was my cold response.
Then I did something I had thought I would never have to do. I knew I could regenerate limbs whenever I had the time. It would either take a long time or a great amount of energy. But it was not limited to simple regeneration. I started to concentrate and gave orders to my cells.
"What in the world?"
The woman in front of me backed off suddenly. She had long brown hair and was shorter than I had expected. I laughed once as I see the eyes of the people in the room widen in disbelieve.
They stared at my forehead. To be precise at the two dark grey eyes that had formed there.
I had never done this for a simple reason. It looked truly abnormal but who cared about this right now. I most certainly did not and I had already decided for the four people in front of me to die.
My smile turned wicked as I broke the door behind them with a strong gravitational pull.
Both soldiers lifted their rifles and aimed at my body. But I didn't care, the field I had put around me would pull their bullets straight to the ground before hitting me.
"What in the world are you Mercer?"
It was the woman in front of me. She had a long syringe in her hand but seemed to have forgotten about it. Only disbelieve remained in her features. I didn't care about her that much as I focused on my legs.
Rebuilding them from scratch would take too much so I simply forced myself to form muscle fiber around my almost useless metal parts. It would look ugly but it would have to do. Then I stood up.
Seemingly in panic the General takes a device out of his pocket and presses some buttons.
"Why are you able to move?"
He asked as I get up but I don't bother to answer. I simply do the same with my arms. Then I took my first staggering step towards them still smiling.
"I do not care anymore General. You will die today."
Instantly the two riflemen open fire on me but not one bullet hits its target as they all crash into the ground harmlessly. I take my opportunity and jump past the dumbfounded woman. It was an ugly maneuver and I more or less stumbled into him. But it was more than enough, since all I had to do was touch him.
As I press my fist into his face I let my DNA roam freely into his body. He dies before hitting the ground. The remaining three back off further from me while I struggle to stand up once more. Parts of the fiber had ripped and I had to reform them once more. The other soldier did not wait for me to finish though. After noticing that bullets wouldn't work he threw away his rifle and pulled out a combat knife and kicking at my left leg to keep me down. Due to my sluggish movement I could not avoid his knife and he stabbed me into my throat.
My smile did not move. Rather I started laughing. I open my mouth.
"Others have died exactly because they thought it was over soldier."
Then I grab a hold of his exposed hand. Surprisingly hard it took me a full four seconds to invade his body but he soon joins his comrade on the ground.
After regenerating everything I stood up once more and faced the woman. I was furious at her too and now that she was unprotected she was already lying on the ground with a pained facial expression.
I had no sympathy for her and simply increased the pressure until her body was crushed on the floor.
Then it was time for my final victim. The General was kneeling in front of me with sweat on his bare forehead. Through his teeth he started talking.
"Mercer, you have no idea what you have done. Now we have an actual reason to not let you go. Too many people are watching right now. You are finished."
His face turned into a smile filled with victory. Sadly he was right, I had already killed three of the military personnel. But I was not going to stop now.
"It is truly sad that you will not get to see me getting punished for what I have done. You brought this upon yourself General. I will never betray A3 and I will resist anyone trying to force me to do it."
He shakes his head.
"It does not matter. I will laugh at you from the afterlife while they hunt you down."
I open my mouth to snap back at him but get interrupted by another male voice.
"General Marvis. Sadly I have to inform you that this is incorrect. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you idiots doing this? Nobody will see anything of what happened here anytime soon."