“Alright, you remember what we talked about?” I asked Brian quietly while I finished putting my gun into my backpack. The stairs down to the shelter sprawled out in front of us, the grim emergency lighting coloring the way an ominous red.
“We snuck here, and you only fought the one dog with your axe,” he nodded vigorously, and I suppressed a smile.
“Thank you for keeping my secret,” I told him softly. “Even though the gun helped us, adults might not like that I have it because I’m not old enough yet. So we’ll just not tell them about it until I can give it back to the security people.”
“Okay,” he replied, clutching his action figure tight.
I finished stowing my gun and ammunition, tucking everything into the folds of my spare outfit to hide them and muffle any noise they might make. Reshouldering my backpack and picking up the ice axe, the last thing I did was to pull my eyepatch out and put it back on. The second it went over my right eye, my HUD disappeared, and I blinked in surprise.
Something to keep in mind for the future, I suppose.
I turned to Brian and held out my free hand. He gave a shameless smile and took it, his small fingers warm against my skin. I still felt myself beginning to tense up slightly at the contact, but I shoved the reaction down with the same familiarity I normally reserved for Lily.
“Alright,” I said, taking a deep breath as I looked down the subway-like entrance. “Let’s go then, shall we?”
“Yeah!” Brian agreed.
I glanced at Selene who was standing next to Brian. I gave her a nod, and suddenly she began to glow. After a moment, she flashed with a violet light and was gone, leaving behind only a few fading particles. A surge of fear stabbed into me even though I knew it was irrational, that she hadn’t really “left” me, just dispelled her physical manifestation. Still…
“You ready?” I thought, hoping it didn’t carry over my anxiety.
[Indeed! Let us be off!] Selene replied cheerfully, and reassurance washed through me.
I took the first steps down slowly, making sure Brian fell into a comfortable pace with my own before I started going at a more even pace. The whole while I made sure to keep my eye on the bottom of the stairs. With Selene not having been able to scout ahead, I felt an irrational nervousness that maybe an Anathema had hidden down there during my fight.
My fears proved unfounded a moment later as we got to the bottom, greeting me with the sight of a long, empty hallway. About halfway down on the right side was a door with a sign marking it as a stairwell, but that observation was secondary to what I saw at the end of the hallway, and I felt myself let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Logically, I knew it was stupid of me to be scared, but that hadn’t stopped the dark whispers inside me from worming their way into my skull about the emergency shield being activated. After all, it had happened once, why couldn’t it happen again? What did it matter that this shelter was supposed to be professionally manned? Doesn’t personal safety and self-interest always win out in the end? Why would this time be any different?
But to my relief, all I saw was a set of large metal doors. A touch screen panel glowed with faint blue light next to them, and I felt my pace quicken as the urgency I’d been fighting finally broke through. Brian and I ended up all but jogging to the panel, my gait an odd, shambling thing as I tried not to put too much weight on my wounded leg. We reached the panel, and I let out a shaky breath as I saw the button labeled “call” on it. Quickly, I released Brian’s hand and pressed the button, noting how my own were shaking.
The sentence “Please wait while security assesses the situation” appeared on the screen, and I felt the impatience rising inside me. I glanced behind me, looking at the long stairway leading up. Even though I knew it was ridiculous to worry about, I couldn’t shake the fear that an Anathema could come barreling down the stairs at any second. I bit my lip, wondering how long it was going to take before somebody-
“We’re opening the doors now!” a woman’s voice suddenly said, and I jumped in surprise as my head snapped back to the panel. Instead of seeing a visual, only the words “Door is opening, please stand back!” were displayed.
The sound of whirring mechanics and gears suddenly resounded, and I stumbled back as the doors slowly began to slide open. It seemed to move at a glacial pace, slowly revealing a large, empty room of smooth white tile with another set of doors across from us. Relatively bright, uncolored lights illuminated the room, and I found myself squinting as my eye adjusted. Once the doors had slid open enough, I gave Brian’s back a gentle push to slide through the still expanding gap. Only once he was through did I follow.
Once we were a few steps into the room, the grinding gears behind us stopped for a moment, then began again. I looked back to see the door now closing itself, and I watched the ominous red hallway with bloody footprints slowly disappear behind solid metal. The doors finished closing, and I let out a sigh.
A deep buzz suddenly went off, making me jump and raise my ice axe slightly.
“Please wait,” a synthetic voice echoed in the room. “Scanning in progress. Interior doors will open momentarily.”
I frowned, but said nothing.
“Scanning?” I asked Selene.
[Some Anathema can disguise themselves as humans, and shelter airlocks are all equipped with scanners just in case. This early in an Usurpation, however, it is unlikely one would appear.]
I carefully tried not to react as realization dawned on me. I’d heard stories of Anathema disguising themselves as humans, but I’d mostly discounted it as internet horror stories. Now that I knew that wasn’t the case, I had a dozen questions on what other things I’d heard of that might be true. That could wait until later, however, and I mentally filed the information away.
“What would they do if one was detected?”
[For normal shelters, a special gas containing silverite filings would be released and effectively melt the Anathema. Because this is a mega shelter, the same thing would happen but would also be followed with the deployment of two 20 millimeter gatling turrets from the ceiling.]
I blinked in surprise, but forced myself not to look up at the ceiling. I knew they would be watching us through cameras, so I kept myself looking forward. Brian shifted uncomfortably next to me. I squeezed his hand, hoping it came across as reassuring while we waited.
The seconds began to stretch into minutes, and as I glanced around, I noticed how stark the scarlet footprints I’d tracked in were on the otherwise white room. Reflexively, I flicked my gaze to the lower left of my vision, only to remember my HUD and therefore health were disabled. Even though Selene hadn’t seemed concerned, I was still slightly worried about how much blood I was tracking around.
“Scanning complete,” the synthetic voice finally called out after almost five minutes. “Interior doors opening.”
As the doors began to slide open, I felt myself holding my breath. A nervous flutter went through my stomach, and I carefully made my expression empty as the tension inside me ratcheted up to eleven. With a familiar methodicalness, I began folding up that anxiety into a small, manageable box as I prepared myself to interact with people once again.
It was weird that I didn’t have that same serrated anxiety when dealing with Brian, but maybe that was because of how much younger he was. Now, though, at the thought of dealing with a bunch of strangers, it was back in full force. The familiar, bile-tinged barbs swirled in my stomach like they always did when I knew I would be forced to interact with people, and I was ready for the wave of light nausea that washed over me. A moment later, I had it under control and pushed to the back of my mind as I shifted to simply focusing on observing and making mental notes.
The doors had opened far enough that one of us could have squeezed through solo, but this time I simply waited. Brian seemed fine waiting with me as well, and I instead carefully looked onwards as the room beyond was revealed.
It was another room made of the same clean white tiles, but this one was slightly circular. Across from us were three separate hallways that seemed to stretch on a good while. Other than the hallways, the only real thing of note in the room was the people inside.
My eyes were instantly drawn to the four of them wearing matching uniforms and holstered guns. They wore the ultramarine blue clothes and black bulletproof vests of Arcadian police officers, and I felt myself tense in recognition. My eyes flicked to the last person in the room, a middle-aged man in a suit and a shaved head. His eyes were wide as he looked at us, and he was a good step behind one of the others.
The only other thing I saw was one of the officers, a young Korean woman, had a wheelchair in front of her. She had silky onyx hair that fell to the middle of her neck, and a soft face with warm hazel eyes. The second she saw me, she gave me a gentle smile. She started walking forward, pushing the wheelchair with her. An older looking officer with salt-and-pepper hair glanced at her as she began to move, his lips twitching in what might have been the start of a smile. Then he followed, and the rest of the officers were right behind him.
“Hey there,” The Korean officer said softly, giving me a gentle smile as she pushed the wheelchair into the airlock room. “I’m Officer Oh with the Arcadian police department’s second division. It’s nice to meet the two of you. How about we get you sitting down? That cut looks pretty nasty.”
Even though she was speaking to me with extra softness, it didn’t come across as condescending. Instead, it held a genuine warmth, and a kindness mingled with worry I hadn’t heard before. The combination took me off guard, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. I glanced at Brian, and saw he was looking at the officers with a relieved smile.
I turned back to the woman and gave her a nod, moving to sit down in the chair. Then I remembered my backpack, and I awkwardly started taking it off, being extra careful not to jostle its contents too much while juggling the ice axe in my hand.
“If it's alright with you, one of us can hold onto that axe,” she said, her voice quiet. “I know it might be hard to believe after what you must have been through, but you’re safe now. I promise.”
I looked up at her in surprise. I had expected a more hardline approach to handing over the ice axe, not what seemed to be a genuine suggestion. More than that, the complete assurance in her voice that she was absolutely convinced I was safe made me want to reflexively push back, to tell her I wasn’t.
But… I am now, aren’t I?
I realized I must have been staring, and I gave myself a small mental shake. Officer Oh just gave me a slow nod, holding out her hand. Carefully, I reached out and handed her the axe. With both hands free and a little more shuffling, I managed to get my backpack off. I clutched it in front of me, letting it rest in my lap as I turned and sat down in the wheelchair. Oh handed the axe off to another officer, who gingerly took it while eying up the black ichor covering it dubiously.
“And what about you?” Oh asked Brian. “Are you hurt at all?”
“No,” Brian gave a vigorous shake of his head. “She kept me safe.”
“I’m sure she did,” Oh murmured, voice trailing off. Then she gave herself a shake, and looked down at me. “Let’s get you to the infirmary, shall we? Or do you want to stick together with… ah, I never asked your names, did I?”
“Um…. I’m Mai, and that’s Brian,” I replied, glancing at him. “He… he’s been through a lot. He got separated from his family, so… I’m not really sure what would be best.”
Something like surprise flickered through her eyes at that, but it was quickly replaced by the gentleness from before. Next to her, the older officer simply gave a nod.
“Why don’t we get him to the barracks?” he grunted, waving at another officer, this one a woman with the glittering bright viridian eyes of a manaborn. “Milly, you mind watching over him?”
“Sure thing, Sarge,” she replied, then turned and pointed to the figure in his hand. “Hey there, sweetie. Is that a Carmine Crusader figurine? My son loves him. Why don’t you tell me about him while we go find a nice place to rest, huh?”
Brian’s eyes went big, and a genuine grin stretched across his face. The woman smiled back and offered her hand to Brian. A second later he was holding it and began talking as they moved into the shelter. With a slight jostle, the wheelchair began moving as we followed. I made sure to hold my backpack tight in my lap, trying my best to unobtrusively glance around to keep an eye on everyone.
“Markus, I’m going to get her stitched and cleaned up,” Oh said, turning the wheelchair to go down a different hallway from the one Brian was heading. To my side, I saw the man in the suit frown severely.
“Now wait just a minute,” he said, his voice severe. “We haven’t heard back in almost twenty minutes, and if she knows anything-”
“Maybe some food too,” Oh interrupted, sounding almost thoughtful. “Something warm, maybe.”
The older officer who must have been Markus simply gave a grunt and vague handwave of affirmation while the businessman sputtered and turned to him. Oh kept pushing me forward, and none of the other officers seemed inclined to follow as we began down the long hallway.
There were plenty of doors, and some of them had small card readers with keypads next to them. Operations, Communications, Camera Room, Storage, and a few other labeled rooms went by before we turned into one that had its door wide open. Inside, there were various beds with curtain partitions lining the sides of the room. Small tables and various medical machines were stationed next to each bed, and at the far end of the room was what looked like a door with a keypad. The officer rolled us up to one of the beds in the middle of the room seemingly at random.
“Alright,” Oh said, turning to look at me. After a moment, she went to the curtains and drew them closed around us. I felt myself stiffen slightly when she turned back to me with a serious expression on her face. “I… know you must have been through a lot, and you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. All I need to know is where you’re hurt, okay?”
I blinked in surprise, but gave her a nod. “Just my leg… and some bruises. Nothing else.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Reaching over to the bedside table, she pulled on some disposable gloves from a box. Then she walked over and kneeled down as she started inspecting the cut on my leg. Her fingers reached out to it, then she stopped and looked up at me, as if asking for permission. I nodded, and she started carefully touching it and moving the rip in my tights around to get a better look at the wound itself.
[Don’t forget to act like you are in pain,] Selene told me. [While they might assume you are in shock or running on adrenaline, it would be better to hide the fact you have already taken pain medication.]
I flinched and sucked in a breath through my teeth at her next touch. She winced and started moving more gently. Keeping careful watch of her movements, I clenched my teeth and twitched at her prodding, slowly squeezing my backpack tighter. After another few moments she let out a sigh.
“Well, it looks bad enough to require some staples,” she said with an apologetic look up at me. “Let me go get you some pain medicine and the rest of the tools. I’ll be right back, alright?”
I nodded, and she got up and left, pushing through the curtain and disappearing. Listening to her footsteps, I waited until I heard her reach the far end of the room. A second later, there was a beep and the click of a door unlocking. After I heard her open the door and close, I shifted slightly in the wheelchair.
“What should I do about the pain medicine?” I thought to Selene. “Will it interfere with what I’ve already taken?”
[You may take it if you wish. The emergency pain-relief medicine you took lasts for four hours and works through a different methodology and combination of chemicals. Whatever they might give you will only help, and I would recommend taking it.]
“Okay… but why aren’t they asking me anything? They’re treating me so-”
Before I could continue, I heard the door open and wheels squeaking along the floor. A moment later, the curtain was pushed aside, and Officer Oh entered with a small metal cart with various bottles and other objects on it. She gave me a lopsided smile as she grabbed some scissors.
“Sorry, but I’m going to cut up your tights. Not that they’re really salvageable anyway.”
She went to work opening up a larger hole to get access to my wound. After that, she grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and a cloth.
“This is going to sting a little,” Oh said, and I gave a nod before she went to work cleaning the area around my cut.
[Ask her why there isn’t a doctor doing this,] Selene suddenly said as I practiced wincing at pain I couldn’t even feel. Curiosity stirred inside me at why Selene was asking, but I decided to follow her lead.
“Um…” I started. “I don’t mean to be rude… but shouldn’t a doctor be doing this?”
Oh looked up at me with something glittering in her eyes.
“What, am I not good enough for you?”
“No, it’s just-” I started hurriedly, but she let out a little laugh. I felt my cheeks warm slightly.
“Kidding, I’m kidding,” she chuckled. “To answer your question, yes, a doctor should be doing this. Just like a doctor should be stationed at this shelter. Unfortunately, whoever was supposed to be here today didn’t show up. So you’re stuck with little ol’ me instead.”
“Sorry,” I quickly replied, looking down. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, ma’am.”
She stopped cleaning my cut for a moment and looked up at me, almost curiously. I kept my eyes firmly planted down as my heart rate picked up slightly. A moment later she gave me a soft smile.
“No offense, taken,” she said. Then she gave me a big grin. “And don’t call me ma’am. Makes me feel too old. Oh is fine, or even Ji-woo. ‘Oh’ can sound a little weird with how much it’s used in English. And you can’t even begin to imagine the jokes the guys at the station give me. Oh no, look who it is, and so on.”
A choked giggle managed to escape me, and I felt my face heating up more. Ji-woo only smiled wider in response.
“Oh boy, Oh geez, Oh great,” she went on as she continued cleaning my cut. “And then there’s the people who don’t even do it on purpose. Those are almost worse because I’m constantly looking around every time I hear the word. Honestly, it's enough to make my neck sore by the end of the day.”
I gave her a grim smile and a little shrug. “I think I have some idea of what you go through.”
She looked up at me, brows furrowed for a moment, and then her eyes widened. “Oh, Mai, I bet you do, don’t you? Where were Mai manners, I hadn’t even considered that. Mai bad. Mai lord it gets old, doesn’t it?”
She managed to draw another subdued giggle from me, and I nodded. Something warm sparkled in her eyes as she looked me over, and she let out a sigh.
“Alright. Well, I’ve got some topical anesthetic I’m going to apply, then we can do the staples. I double-checked the instruction manual, and these staples are fine in water, so we can get you cleaned up properly afterwards without too much hassle.”
I dipped my head in assent, the smile slipping from my face as she opened a bottle and used a q-tip to start putting gel over my cut. I bit down on my teeth again, squinting my eyes slightly as I tensed my muscles. Ji-woo glanced up at me after she finished, and she seemed to hesitate for a second.
“I don’t mean to pry,” she said. “But you have some blood smeared on your cheek under your eyepatch. I know you said you didn’t have anything else besides some bruises…”
She trailed off, and I blinked.
“Oh, umm… no, the patch is just…” I shrugged, and after a second of indecisiveness, just decided to lift it. The brightness of the room made me blink a few times, and my HUD popping up into view was almost as distracting.
“Heterochromia?” she asked in surprise, and I nodded. “Ah, I think I get it. Probably makes people stare, especially with the bright eye colors manaborn have.”
“The eyepatch is almost as bad,” I murmured. “But at least they usually leave me alone because it looks medical.”
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“People,” Ji-woo said emphatically, shaking her head. “Sorry you have to go through that. I think your eyes look really pretty, though, so don’t assume for a second that people think they look bad. Most people are probably just jealous of how stunning it makes you look.”
I felt myself blush, and I murmured a half-hearted thanks. She just gave me a sad smile in response and then slowly poked at my wound again.
“Feel anything?”
“Not really.”
“Good,” she said, picking up something vaguely gun shaped but plastic with a large lever. “Now I’ve done some emergency aid courses, but I’m no professional so you’ll want to get this looked at as soon as the Usurpation’s over. We’ll get you all set up with some paperwork before you leave that’ll make getting these removed and any other care free of hassle.”
I nodded, not that I was too worried. Calling the healthcare policy of Arcadia and her six sister islands generous would be an understatement at best, and generally any injuries caused during an Usurpation were completely covered. She started carefully pushing the skin together around the gash, and now that I didn’t have to watch to make the proper reactions, I looked away. A second later there was a weird clicking sound.
“Will it scar?” I asked absently, eye wandering around the folds of the curtain.
“Almost certainly,” Ji-woo responded with a wince. “But with the paperwork I’m going to draw up, I’m pretty sure they’ll give you that special anti-scarring treatment or at least remove the scar afterward with some of the Zenith tech they have.”
I looked at her in surprise. Except for what the Zenith had first gifted humanity along with the sanctuary islands and the prebuilt sci-fi cities spanning them, any technology from the Zenith had to be acquired from a Magical Girl. That meant they generally reserved using it because of how rare and therefore expensive it was.
Ji-woo saw my incredulous look and gave me a pained smile.
“It’s not everyday someone survives an hour in an Usurpation and makes it to a shelter,” she said gently. “And when they hear you did it while protecting a child, I’m pretty sure they’ll be pulling out all the stops for you.”
Looking at the almost mournful expression on her face, I wasn’t sure what to do. Thankfully, she went back to stapling, leaving me with those words to stew over. Before I could really get further than realizing she was probably right, that I was going to be the center of all kinds of attention I did not need, she stood up, evidently finished as she set down the staple gun.
“So, you said you also had some bruises?” she asked, her voice reserved. “Would you feel comfortable showing me where, just so I can make sure it isn’t anything more serious?”
I felt my breathing hitch in my throat, the blood draining from my face. I was bruised all over my right side, and I couldn’t let her-
“It’s fine if you don’t,” she said hurriedly, seeming to have seen the reaction on my face. “So long as you are sure it is just bruising. I’m sure you would be in more pain if it was anything more, but adrenaline and shock afterward can do weird things. I just don’t want anything more serious going unnoticed.”
“I’m sure,” I said hurriedly, giving a jerky shake of my head. “I just… fell. That’s all.”
“Okay,” Ji-woo said quietly, pausing for a moment. “Well, in that case I have some pain medication here. As long as you don’t have any allergies, I’m going to give you something just a little stronger than over-the-counter pills. If we’re still here in another four hours, you can come find me for another.”
She opened a bottle, shook out a pill, and handed it to me. I eyed it for a second before popping it into my mouth, wondering just how long the Usurpation was going to be, anyway. I knew that Usurpations outside of the seven sanctuary cities were usually a lot longer, but in Arcadia I was fairly sure they didn’t tend to last longer than seven or eight hours at most. Considering the concentration of Magical Girls and Magical Soldiers on the island, it wasn’t surprising they could keep the time down so easily, though.
“So, now that we’ve gotten through all of that, how about we get you a shower and some clean clothes?”
I bobbed my head gratefully. Between the dried sweat and blood, I felt absolutely disgusting. Worse, I was sure I smelled just as bad, but my nose had already acclimated to it. Now that I thought about it, Ji-woo had been awfully close to me and hadn’t said anything about it. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I started to push myself up out of the wheelchair. To my surprise, my muscles barely responded, and I stumbled slightly.
“Woah there,” she held out her hands as if to catch me. “Slowly. You’ve been through a lot, and with the adrenaline leaving you, you’re going to be feeling pretty weak and exhausted.”
Now that she mentioned it, exhaustion was creeping into my muscles and thoughts behind the slowly easing tension. My chest still had that familiar tightness that any amount or hint of social interaction brought, but it was getting hard to outright ignore the fatigue. Still, I couldn’t afford to just let my guard down completely, so I gave Ji-woo a shaky smile as I shouldered my backpack.
She gave me one last critical look, then jerked her head in a “follow me” gesture, pushing through the curtains. I followed after her, and we wound up going down the hall until we reached an intersection with a hall leading to our right. We took the turn, and she turned to look over her shoulder.
“The shelter has three basic wings. The left one that we were just in is for administrative and essential services. The middle one is the ‘residential’ with the various sleeping rooms, common areas, washrooms and such. The one on the right is storage, maintenance, and all the other things that don’t really fit with the first two. Generally, we ask that people stay out of the left wing. Now, there might be some people in the halls, and if anyone tries to bother you now or later, just let me know, okay?”
“Yes ma’am,” I replied reflexively. She looked over her shoulder at me but said nothing as she turned the corner, and I followed.
Sure enough, there were a few people walking through the extra wide hall or otherwise just hanging around. I felt my pulse rise, and then spike dramatically as anyone who saw me stopped whatever they were doing to stare. I turned my attention to the ground, staring down as I hurried after Ji-woo, whose steps seemed to have quickened noticeably.
Suddenly, I was all too aware of how awful I looked in that moment. I choked back the anxiety crawling up my throat and just focused on walking as people looked at the sweat soaked, bloody girl in ripped clothes. As we passed, I heard some whispers begin, and I forced myself to try to ignore them. One foot in front of the other, I hurried after Ji-woo, hoping the showers weren’t that far.
Nevertheless, some of the louder and less considerate people’s whispers came through.
“Holy shit, a survivor? This long into an Usurpation?”
“Damn, looks like she’s been through hell.”
“Idiot, of course she came from outside the shelter! How else would she get hurt like that?”
“No way man, you go ask her how she did it. That officer looks like she’s ready to bite my head off.”
“Man, that girl’s going to be so messed up. Hope she has a good therapist.”
“I heard she saved a boy, too. They’re keeping him in the fourth barracks, but he has an officer keeping people from crowding him.”
“Think we’re going to see her on the news after this, telling her story? They always love getting survivor stories, and I bet she’s got one hell of one to tell.”
“Pfft, she probably just got lucky. That or sacrificed someone to save herself.”
“Did you see her leg? Damn that’s gnarly!”
My cheeks began to burn as I tried to ignore the attention. Thankfully, we reached a set of doors a moment later. Ji-woo led me into the one marked for women, and only after we took another turn did I finally look up. It was a fairly simple but long room with sinks along one wall and shower stalls on the other. Each stall was divided by two separate curtains, giving a small changing area separate from the actual shower.
Ji-woo walked down the line of showers for a moment, as if checking to see if any were occupied. When she was satisfied they weren’t, she turned to me with a lopsided smile.
“Sorry about that. People can be real idiots.”
I shrugged, and the smile fell from her face.
“Well, why don’t you go take a shower. I’ll get somebody to keep people from ‘wandering’ into this shower room while I find you some clothes to wear. There’s already towels and soap in the stalls, and I’ll bring a trash bag to get rid of your current outfit. I don’t think much of it is going to be salvageable, unfortunately.”
Ignoring the spike of pain that came with her assessment, I bobbed my head in agreement. Then I went into one of the stalls and drew the outer curtain closed. While I set down my backpack on the small bench in the changing alcove, I listened to Ji-woo’s echoing footsteps as she left, and I let out an internal sigh of relief when I heard her leave.
[If it is alright with you,] Selene spoke. [Perhaps you could remanifest me.]
“Why?” I thought with a frown.
[Even though I have already promised privacy while you adjust to me being within your head, the extra degree of separation might help you feel it more. I’d also like to explore the shelter and look into some things after you are finished. Until then, I can keep watch on your backpack.]
“Oh… alright.” I thought about it for a second. “Sorry. I know you’re not exactly human and don’t even care about this kind of thing, but…”
[But this is all still incredibly new, and it will take time to adjust how you feel as well as think about our partnership,] Selene finished, her voice soothing. [I assure you, no offense is taken. Besides, being separated when you are not commencing your Magical Girl duties gives me a chance to observe other humans or even interact with other Familiars. Many Magical Girls operate the same way, and it serves as a good way to gather additional information without revealing yourself to others.]
As Selene finished speaking, I felt the familiar sensation of warmth condensing and swirling around in my chest before a tendril reached out to my heart. Bracing myself, I let it touch, and was rewarded with the same brief flair of heat that left a cold emptiness behind. This time I was prepared for the wave of fatigue that washed through me, but I felt myself let out an involuntary gasp as it piled on top of all my previous exhaustion. I blinked, and in the span of that microsecond, Selene was suddenly sitting on the little bench next to my backpack. She gave me a swish of her tails and then scampered out, underneath the curtain.
[I’ll stay out here and only keep an eye on your backpack when Ji-woo returns with your clothes.]
“Thanks,” I thought back. Then, with a sigh, I began pulling off my clothes.
To my horror, it was more of an exercise in peeling them off. Any hope of salvaging them went out the window, and I even put the replacement shirt I’d put on into that category. It was painful knowing how much I was going to pay to replace everything. Still, it was better for my peace of mind to know I wouldn’t be reusing clothes that had been soaked in alien blood… or my own.
The only thing I wouldn’t sacrifice was my eyepatch and maybe my shoes. The eyepatch would go the second I got home for a replacement, but my shoes… I hadn’t quite given up on. Replacement school shoes would be almost forty dollars, and I was already looking at almost two hundred to replace the entirety of my outfit. And unless I wanted to try to make one blazer and school skirt work, I’d need to replace at least those…
I let out a frustrated sigh, and then went to work taking off the bandages wrapped around my left forearm. It didn’t take me long, and when I finished, I found myself staring.
Ah. The regenerative gum must have healed that too… though it still left another scar…
After a moment, I gave a mental shrug and stuffed the bandages into the same backpack pocket that had my bloody shirt. If the garbage bag Ji-woo was getting for me was opaque, I’d transfer both with the rest of my condemned clothes. Somehow, that made me feel better about the possibility of somebody looking through my backpack even though I still had a gun in there.
I turned on the shower, and waited for the water to heat up. Glancing around, I noted the locations of the small washcloth and soap dispensers in the shower, as well as the towels hanging in the changing room while I waited. After I was sure the water was just short of burning me, I stepped in and closed the curtain behind me. The water splashed over me and…
It was heavenly.
For a while, I just let myself enjoy it, the heat melting the tension out of me. Showers had always been my own personal sanctuary, a place where I could just be without worry. The warmth of the water, the pitter-patter of the droplets washing out any sound, the reassuring solitude like I was in my own little world… all of it let me just stop worrying for a moment, and I cherished the serenity while it lasted.
Eventually, my mind wandered to the events of the past hour, and I found myself shaking my head. An hour. It felt like I had been out there for so much longer than that. Every moment of sneaking, planning and fighting, every second a struggle against the fear screaming at the back of my mind…
Something bubbled deep in my chest, and I furiously pushed it down. This was not the time to be breaking down. Not when I wasn’t truly alone.
I grabbed at the washcloth and put myself to work scrubbing. My skin was caked with dried blood starting at my stomach and covering most of my lower half. I made sure to take my time, applying vigorous amounts of soap as I went. It was… a little worrying watching the water pooling on the shower floor changing color as I went. I tried my best to ignore it, and just focus on scraping my skin clean.
Which ended up taking time. A lot of time. Eventually it became hard to tell if my skin was still slightly stained red from the blood or just from scrubbing it raw.
[Ji-woo is coming in with… a very large bag,] Selene told me just as I had finished with my stomach and sat down to clean off the blood on my right calf.
“Hey Mai, it’s me,” Ji-woo called out a moment later. “I got a bunch of clothes for you to choose from because I wasn’t really sure what might fit. I’m just going to pop in for a second to set these down if that’s okay.”
“Alright,” I called back, huddling into myself slightly as I watched the curtain.
I heard the outer one open and after a handful of seconds, it closed again.
“There,” she said. “There’s an extra bag in there for your dirty ones. I’ll be waiting outside for you, but feel free to take your time.”
“Okay… Thank you,” I replied, quickly adding the last part.
“All in a day’s work,” she called back, and I could practically hear the wry grin on her face.
I listened to her leave, then let myself unfurl and continue scouring away the filth.
By the time I was finished, I was starting to get wrinkled. Worse, the exhaustion had set in fully, giving my body all the strength of jelly and mind all the clarity of cotton. It was all I could do to remain standing without swaying back and forth. Although my muscles weren’t aching, my legs felt dangerously wobbly. Worse, I could feel my eyes threatening to just stay closed after every blink.
With a sigh, I redid my hair and body with soap one last time before I turned off the shower, stepped out, and started drying myself. The bag sitting next to my backpack was a large black trash bag, and judging by its size, it was absolutely filled with clothes. I unwrapped it to find a small mountain, and started picking through my selection. I could tell at a glance most of the clothes were too big for me, which wasn’t a surprise considering I frequented the kids section to find things properly my, ah, prestigious size. Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about trying to coordinate any sort of outfit because all the clothes were shades of gray and of the casual wear variety.
It took me a while to find things my size, but I ended up with some comfy sweatpants and a hoodie over a long sleeve shirt. I had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs a little, but the baggy, too long sleeves of the hoodie I left alone to drape over my hands. There was also a pair of slippers in the bag that I put on and found to be of serviceable size. Finally, I pulled on my eyepatch almost as an afterthought.
With that sorted, I unfurled the extra black trash bag I had found with the clothes. A moment later I had all my bloody clothes wrapped up including the shirt and bandages from my backpack. I thought about it for a moment, then decided to store my shoes in their place. I shouldered the pack afterward, then frowned as I held the closed bag of dirty clothes. I looked from the bag of extra clothes to the used towels, wondering how I was supposed to carry it all.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to just ask Ji-woo what to do, and I left the shower stall.
Selene stood on a sink, and her head tilted to the side as she took in my appearance. Seeing myself in the mirror, I was slightly surprised at how different I looked. In the oversized clothes, I somehow looked even younger, like a little girl who was wearing their parent’s clothes.
[Ji-woo didn’t so much as give your backpack a second glance when she put your clothes inside,] Selene noted cheerfully. [Now, if you would be okay with the idea, I’d like to take a look around the shelter. I won’t move out of telepathy range, and you can call me back before you go to sleep to continue guarding you.]
I gave Selene a grateful nod, then headed outside.
To my surprise, there was barely anybody in the hallway. Maybe it had something to do with the way Ji-woo was leaning against the wall, scowling at the various doors. The second she noticed me, her expression changed back to a smile. From underneath her arm, she pulled out a folded blanket, and with a deft motion, unfurled it and draped it around my shoulders.
“Here,” she said, gently taking the trash bag from me. “I’ll trade you.”
“Um…” I started, shifting my backpack to hold in front of me along with the blanket’s sides. “What should I do about the towels and clothes…?”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, adjusting the blanket about me. “I’ll take care of it later. Let’s get you settled down for now.”
She started walking and I followed, pulling the blanket tighter around me while I cradled my backpack with my arms. A few people wandered the halls or else happened to be leaving one room for another, and they almost all stopped to stare. I turned away to stare at the floor, and was slightly surprised when we took a hallway turn to the right.
“Um, isn’t this-”
“The admin wing, yeah,” Ji-woo interrupted with a shrug. “I got permission to set you up in the guard barracks. I figured that way you might get some privacy to rest. Unless you wanted to be with Brian…?”
“No, that’s… that’s okay,” I said, trying to hide the relief in my voice. “I’m not really sure how to handle kids anyway.”
“Well, you seemed to do a good job,” she said softly, suddenly serious as she turned to look me in the eye. “I know it must have been tough… but you managed. And that’s more than most people could have done alone.”
The intensity behind her words made me uncomfortable, so I just gave a little shrug and looked back to the floor. She turned away a moment later and continued walking.
We turned into another room after another minute of walking. It was fairly empty, but along either side were beds built into the walls, turning them into little alcoves with curtains that could be drawn across them. At the far end was what looked like a small kitchen where I saw one of the other officers standing in front of a stove. He had a young looking face with freckles and sandy blond hair. He gave me a smile and nod, before turning to Ji-woo.
“Should be ready to go,” he said, turning off one of the burners. “Kept them both warm but not too hot.”
“Thanks, Marco,” Ji-woo responded, giving him a grateful smile. “Ah, Mai, go ahead and get settled on a bunk. I’ll be right with you.”
She walked over to the oven, and I considered my options before heading to a bunk in the middle of the room, far enough away that I wouldn’t be bothered by anyone entering or next to people in the kitchen area. I pushed my backpack into the far corner of the bunk next to the pillow, shuffled the blanket around me a little tighter, then sat down. I was surprised to find how soft the mattress felt.
I looked up as the officer left, and he gave me a little nod as he passed. Ji-woo was right behind him holding a bowl with steam coming off it and a spoon. She gave me a small smile and reached to the wall next to the bunk, giving it a gentle push. A rectangular section popped out, and she pulled it out before flipping it horizontal, turning it into a small bedside table.
“Here,” she said, setting down the bowl. “I wasn’t sure if you would be hungry, so I just made some tomato soup. Unless you want something else…?”
“No,” I blinked in surprise. “No, that's… good. Thank you.”
I grabbed the bowl and spoon quickly. Considering I had only eaten an hour ago, and it had been a big meal, I wasn’t feeling especially hungry. Between the anxiety, tension, and exhaustion, I wouldn’t have normally even thought of eating.
But I also wasn’t about to turn down free food.
I blew gently on a spoonful of the red liquid before I started digging in. Ji-woo seemed satisfied and went back to the kitchen while I focused on the soup. I couldn’t recall ever having it before, but I found myself enjoying its slightly acidic sweetness. The tanginess got to be a little much without anything to break it up, but I could see how pairing it with something else could work well.
Once the first spoonful was in me, I found myself digging into the bowl with focus. By the time Ji-woo returned from the kitchen with a coffee cup in her hand, I had already managed to empty the bowl. She blinked in surprise, and I felt my cheeks color. I hadn’t thought I was that hungry, either, but once I started…
“There’s more if you’d like seconds,” she said, a hint of concern in her voice, and I quickly shook my head.
“No, I just… kind of got carried away,” I winced. “Sorry.”
She frowned at me, setting down the cup. “There's nothing to be sorry for. Here, I got you something else to help warm you up.”
I nodded, and quickly traded the bowl for the cup, but didn’t immediately drink from it. She gave me a worried smile, and after looking around a moment, sat down next to me on the other end of the bunk.
We sat in silence for a while, and I gave the dark liquid in the cup a few gentle blows. The smell coming from it was rich and dark, and although it tickled at my memory, I couldn’t quite place it.
“So,” Ji-woo said quietly. “You’ve been through a lot. I take it from the uniform you were wearing you’re in high school?”
I glanced at her, then dipped my head in affirmation. I could feel myself beginning to tense up at where her questioning might be going.
“Well. After all this is over, there’s going to be a lot of people who want to talk to you, get your story and that sort of thing. They won’t be particularly gentle about how or what they ask about, because they won’t really understand that you’ve been through an ordeal. Sure, they might actually care about you, but for a lot of them the story will be the important part. It’s unfortunate, but that’s just how it is.”
She leaned back slightly on the bunk, letting out a long sigh.
“It's not completely people’s fault,” she shrugged. “I mean, except for Magical Girls and the Magical Soldiers of the Guardian’s Association, normal people don’t stand a fair chance against Anathema. Which means when somebody does beat them, or at least survives them, they see it as a big deal. Something to be celebrated and shared, to spread the hope around. So when word gets out about a high school girl saving a grade school boy and getting him to a shelter, it's going to be a big deal. And when they hear you were injured but also had an ice axe with Anathema blood on it…”
Ji-woo trailed off and I glanced at her. She was looking down at the floor, a dark expression on her face. She stared for a moment, then shook her head and reached into one of her vest’s pockets. Retrieving a card, she showed it to me before reaching over and setting it down on the table.
“That’s my card,” Ji-woo smiled at me, her voice quiet and impossible soft. “If any of them bother you, or you just want to talk to someone, or need anything, really, feel free to give me a call. Any time, any day. Even if all you want is to say hi and chat about the weather.”
My chest suddenly felt tight as a dozen emotions suddenly burst forth and started swirling inside me. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears as something caught in the back of my throat.
Why? Why is she treating me so nicely? She doesn’t even know me… Why isn’t she asking about what happened? Isn’t she supposed to be finding out how bad the Usurpation is? What’s out there? Isn’t that her job? I don’t understand…
The whirlwind in my chest refused to settle, so I just gave her a nod and raised the cup to my lips to take a sip and hopefully hide my turmoil.
“Anyway,” she patted her kneecaps, her eyes glittering as her voice became thick with emotion. “I just want to let you know, you did something amazing. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, you did, because you saved a life. Beyond all the scary memories, I hope that you can be proud of yourself, because you deserve at least that much, and much more for what you’ve been through.”
The words I’d never heard before hit me right as I tasted the hot chocolate in the cup.
The warm, comforting bliss of the beverage I’d only had for real once before.
When my only friend had brought me to her house and made me feel welcome.
I managed to swallow the sip, and take in a deep, shuddering breath as my exhaustion, tension, anxiety, and emotions all rolled into one and peaked.
Then something in me cracked, and I burst into tears.