Chapter 10

Looking out at what’s essentially a mini army, one part of my brain prepares a will. Another wonders whether the army will kill me or if prison culture will. One part is terrified of Prim’s blank expression, and another prays that Varialax doesn’t make this more violent than it needs to be.

One part has me hold the door juuust right to where the mage can’t be seen, and the final part spends every last brain cell computing the perfect expression to bail me out of this situation once and for all.

“...This isn’t the bathroom?”

Well, I tried.

General Kent responds accordingly by putting his hand on his forehead and shaking it. The people in sunglasses simply raise their single eyebrow, and Prim covers her face while groaning my name.

“I should have you rotting away in a cell right now…” The general begins. “However-”

“To be fair,” I start. “You locked me in a room for 17 hours without a bathroom or any way to contact anyone, so that’s gotta be some form of abus- wait, did you say however?” I ask with my eyebrows raised.

“I did, as a matter of fact. Now if you would let me finish,” He continues. “Captain Key here informed me that she contacted both the CIA and NSA and that they were both on their way to claim responsibility for you.”

My jaw drops as he continues to speak. “My only job right now is to make sure you don’t try anything funny and that nobody dies. That being said.” He turns towards the four agents. “He’s your problem now.”

Breaking into a cold sweat, I turn toward the four agents in suits, two looking at me and the other two looking at their tablets.

One of them steps towards me with her sunglasses still on. I raise my hand to say something, but nothing comes out.

I’ve genuinely run out of things to say.

The agent looks at me for a few moments before finally…

“…Mr. Monarch Omnis Key, yes?” She says to me.

…Omnis?

“W-wait, Omnis?” I ask cocking my head.

“…I have a middle name?” I ask, staring into blankness.

“Of course you do. We talked to your mother, father, and your sister.” The agent explains.

I turn toward Prim. “…I HAVE A MIDDLE NAME?!” I shout at Prim as she breathes sharply and looks to the side.

“Oh, but Mr. Key, there’s so much more interesting information about you.” The agent says to me, causing me to step back physically.

“Agent Cruz,” one of the agents with a tablet says to the agent in front of me, causing her to turn. He then continues. “We’ve just finished the background checks on his social media.”

“Oh, I don’t post much there anyways-” I begin, but I’m interrupted.

“His main and his five alts.” The other agent says as she looks up from her tablet.

A few moments of silence go by, and I sigh deeply. “…I just want to say that everything I post is ironic, and I am in no way any threat to national security.”

“Oh, trust us, we know. Judging by your taste in anime.” The agent with the tablet says. I can hear a snicker coming from one of the guards.

I’m now checking off “Being roasted by federal agents” as something I can use as self-deprecation humor.

“Stop turning so pale. We’re not out to hurt you.” Agent Cruz says to me as she looks at my face.

“You say that, but…” I trail off as I look at the armed guards behind the agents.

“Oh them?” She says as she looks back at the soldiers. “Only a couple of them are here for you. The rest of them…”

Agent Cruz motions towards the door behind me. The guards respond in unison by moving toward the door behind me.

My heart rate rises. How the heck do they know about- never mind. Of course they would somehow know. But I can just let her… not after all that!

“Whoa, hey-” I put my hands up as I stammer, trying to think of anything to say. “I assure you she means no har-“

“We know.” Agent Cruz cuts me off as she stares at my confused face. “Captain Key, if you would~”

“This base has cameras and wiretaps in EVERY ROOM, Monarch,” Prim tells me while looking down.

“…Y-you knew?” I ask her. “You ALL saw me talking to her?”

“And what a fine job you did, Monarch.” Agent Cruz says. “You managed to extract critical information from her. And with near zero intimidation.”

She continues as she adjusts her glasses. “Thanks to you, we know she’s not hostile, which is why we didn’t breach and neutralize her.”

“Captain Key also wouldn’t stop screaming about how much danger you would be in.” General Kent chimes in. “Though I’d beg to differ about that.”

“You should thank your mother and sister.” One of the presumed NSA agents says without even looking up from his tablet. “Your situation would’ve been much worse if it wasn’t for your sister calling us and your mother cutting deals with the CIA. All for her beloved son.”

She…what?!

“Now, if you would kindly move out of our way…” Agent Cruz says, walking towards me. “We have a ‘mage’ to relocate to a holding cell.”

My legs freeze. My eyes dart between the agents, the guards moving in, and my sister looking away.

“W-wait, doesn’t she have rights?” I ask frantically.

“Oh?” Agent Cruz says as she closes in. “You wanna be her lawyer? Or should I treat this as you ‘harboring a fugitive?’ After all your sister and mother did for you?”

“…‘Tis enough,” a small voice squeaks from behind me.

Even though it’s such a quiet and soft-spoken voice, it’s enough to make everyone snap toward it. Jimena peaks her head from the doorway and begins to walk out slowly. She keeps her head high and her eyes forward but keeps a hand on me—Prim glares intensely as she witnesses the contact.

“I beseech thee,” She begins. “Do not inflict harm upon him on account of my person.”

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A chuckle escapes from Agent Cruz’s mouth as she begins to speak. “Well, I’ll be. The mage herself in the flesh.”

General Kent’s face scrounges up at Jimena as she looks around, taking quiet but jagged breaths. I swear I can hear her heartbeat.

A guard raises his M4 at Jimena, with other guards following suit with their weapons. Agent Cruz holds up her arm between the guards and Jimena. The guards look at each other before slowly putting down their guns.

When this happens, Jimena’s gaze meets my sister, who has started to hold her burns. Prim’s breathing is heavier.

“Thou is injured, is thou not?” Jimena speaks to Prim as she scans her.

Prim scans her back before responding. “... maybe. What about it?”

“Those burns do appear grievous. I can proffer aid in alleviating such distress if thou wouldst permit me.” Jimena explains.

General Kent steps in, yelling, causing Jimena to jump. “THERE WILL BE NO SUCH-”

“No!” Agent Cruz snaps at General Kent. “I’d like to see this. Besides, she knows attacking her in front of all these guards is suicide.”

Jimena gulps and nods at Agent Cruz while reaching into a pocket. All eyes stare daggers at the mage as she pulls out a crystal that radiates aqua blue and nature green.

“Thine arm, if thy would,” Jimena says as she extends hers toward Prim.

Prim, raising an eyebrow, looks over toward Agent Cruz, who gives her a nod. Then, she slowly places her burn-ridden arm into Jimena’s hands. “If you hurt this arm, I’ll use the other one to put your face through that wall,” Prim tells her.

Ignoring her, Jimena grips one hand with the crystal as the other holds Prim’s arm. She mutters, and a cool gentle breeze hits everyone in the hallway. Prim’s eyes travel below her and grow wide as a green and blue magical circle forms and begins to spin slowly.

The gradient circle causes Prim and Jimena’s hair to flutter as light appears between Jimena’s hand and Prim’s wound. Agent Cruz stares with almost a giddy smile. General Kent steps back and keeps one hand on his magnum. The NSA agents are recording with their tablets.

“Witchcraft…” One of the guards mutters as he raises his gun, pointing at Jimena’s head.

…!! Variala-

“Phew…” Jimena lets out a sigh of relief and takes a step back. She gently puts her hand on her chest and gives a short bow and a nod.

Prim can only stare at all the ugly burns, marks, and wounds gone from her arm.

The rest of the room completely freezes as eyes widen, jaws drop, and breathing stops.

That is all except for Jimena, who holds her crystal tight to her chest and looks down. “Doth… I bring thee greater ease?” She squeaks out.

Prim examines her arm and compares it to her other burnt one. She can only sputter in response. “How did… but... The pain!” She says. “It’s gone.”

“Well I’ll be….” Agent Cruz says with a smile creeping on her face.

“Baw gawd.” A guard in the back mutters.

“You got that, right?” One NSA agent asks the other as they keep recording and nod in response.

Everyone in the hall lowers their weapons as tension is replaced with astonishment.

“Forgive me.” Jimena begins. “I cannot provide thee with greater restoration. Mine ability to conjure magic is restrained, for I lack a staff to amplify my powers.”

A guard takes out his phone and walks up to the general, showing him something and murmuring. The other CIA agent joins them as the guard repeatedly points at Jimena.

Then, General Kent walks up to the magical girl. With a sharp look, he begins to speak to her.

“I will only ask this once. Can you do that again?” He asks her. Jimena gulps but straightens herself before responding.

“Indeed. Yet with a staff in hand, I could-”

“I heard what you said.” General Kent cuts her off. “We have collected weapons from your fallen ‘kind.’”

General Kent narrows his eyes. “If we get you a staff, can you quickly heal multiple injuries?”

“Indeed,” Jimena confirms.

“Mm.” The general nods. “Follow me to the med bay. Prim, you’re with us. You all as well.” He says, looking at the army of guards.

“General,” Agent Cruz waves for his attention. “Mind if I keep two of them?”

General Kent responds in kind by rolling his eyes, calling out two guards, and pointing them to Cruz.

Just as I wonder about my fate, Prim swings beside me while Kent is distracted. Burns still scar most of her body, but she puts on an apparent bravado.

“I’m… sorry, Monarch.” She says without even looking at me. “Mom and I… we had to… listen, the deal-”

“Captain Key!” General Kent calls her.

Prim snaps her head toward the General and opens her mouth, only to hesitate and look toward the ground. She takes a deep breath and says, “Yes sir.” Before walking toward him.

However, as she walks away, she side-eyes me with a sharp look on her face before muttering something.

“You can’t trust Cruz.”

?!

“Prim, wait-”

“Monarch~” Cruz’s voice calls for my name. I see her looking back at me with a smirk on her face. “You’re coming, right?”

I look in the other direction and see two guards standing beside me. I can’t see their faces due to the masks and goggles they are wearing.

I don’t think I have much of a choice. I take one last look at my sister and Jimena walking away and proceed to step next to Agent Cruz with the two guards behind me.

“So glad we can finally have some time to ourselves.” Agent Cruz says while flipping her blonde hair.

“Yeah, just you, me, and the two guards with M4s.” I say, looking behind us.

“Oh them?” Cruz says while looking back. “They’re just insurance.”

“Great. Now insurance looks scary to both me and my wallet.” I say while rolling my eyes, earning a chuckle from Cruz.

“Oh Monarch,” Cruz sighs. “You really are as witty as your mom says you are.”

“Yeah, about that,” I begin. “Just… what kind of deal did she make with you anyways? W-what does the CIA want with our family?”

“Well, in short, you Monarch.” She finally looks at me.

I raise my eyebrows briefly, narrow them as I look down, and then look back up at Cruz before responding.

“...You mean Varialax.” I correct.

“Well, yes, obviously Varialax. But also you.” She says as she looks away and back at me.

I raise a single eyebrow before shaking my head and looking back up at her.

“...Why?” I say frankly.

“You really haven’t figured it out yet?” Agent Cruz asks, chuckling. I respond in kind by throwing my arms up in a shrug with wide eyes. Agent Cruz clears her throat before explaining.

“Not only did everyone see what you did in that closet, everybody heard it to. As I said, you got crucial information about the unknown enemies we’re dealing with.” Cruz explains. “Thanks to you, we know that one: They are indeed from another world, two: Some beings there knew about our world PRIOR to coming here, three: That ring acts as a universal translator, and four: ‘Magic’ seems heavily involved wherever they’re from.”

“Well, I’m glad someone was taking notes,” I say, looking down.

“Wooow. It’s almost as if that’s part of my job.” Agent Cruz says as she takes out her phone. “Although, that first claim… is questionable.”

“But I’m still confused. I already talked to her. What do you want with me now?” I ask, looking back at her.

“While you were sleeping for the last 17 hours, the military has managed to maintain some semblance of order by reclaiming some of the cities and territories lost to the chaos.” She explains. “Amidst that chaos, many invaders have surrendered or were forcibly captured per our orders.” She says, pointing at herself.

She continues to talk and text rapidly on her phone. “Some of those prisoners of war are now being held in this very base.”

My heart sinks.

“Wait! Don’t tell me-”

“That’s right, Monarch. I’m going need you to rev up those talking skills again.” She says as she finally looks at me again.

“No! No way!” I say as I stop walking, causing the guards to stumble behind me. “J-Jimena was just a one-time thing! A-a fluke, a total accident! I can’t do that again!!”

“You don’t have a choice, Monarch.” Agent Cruz says as she turns around laughing. “Any guess as to why that is?”

I lower my head and begin to shiver. I grit my teeth and form a fist in my hands.

I wish I could say I took a moment to think about it.

But I know better.

“...My mom made a deal with the devil, didn’t she?” I say, looking at Cruz with my eyebrows furrowed.

“No, she didn’t.” She says, laughing. “You, on the other hand, literally just might.”