The Nest Welcome in the Oldest House

Survival is the ability to swim in strange water

Gravel crunched as the two women stepped through the iron gate. The smell of the adjacent woods wafted around their noses, a delightful aroma that whetted one's appetite. "Home, sweet home." "That's right. And now that we're finally here, Snowball, what have you actually told your little friend about us?" Athena rummaged for the apartment key. "Thought you'd guessed. She wanted to know how we met. So I told her." Crystal pulled her face into a pout, looking incredibly goofy as usual with it. "And how much of the truth did you pack into your narrative?" The brunette shrugged. "I was pretty honest. I didn't want to let her walk into an open knife. Heavens, what was going through your mind anyway, inviting her here?" Now it was Crystal who shrugged. "Well, I thought you'd like another connection to your old life." The look thrown her way was piercing. The blonde raised her hands. " Fine, fine, I wanted to get one over on her. These upper class girls get on my nerves. A dose of reality of how life can really be might do her some good." "What life can be like? Do you actually hear yourself talking?" Anger suddenly flared in both of their gazes. "I don't remember," Crystal said slowly, "that you talked her out of coming to see us. Or did I misunderstand about the mercenaries? Where the hell did you come up with any mercenaries, anyway?" Athena unlocked the door. "I'm just a woman of the world, and I have my contacts like that." She sighed. "Well, I confess I might find it fun to show Nicole our world. But once she's in, she'll never get out. Not everyone is as predisposed as we are, and I don't want to have to listen to her accusations for all eternity."

"Pah. Inconsistent. And you're telling me, YOU're in contact with soldiers from Kosovo? You of all people?" "Laugh all you want. The financial world isn't much nicer than the battlefield. There are enough shareholders who have a former soldier or two on their call list. You should ask around in the nest more often, you'll meet a lot of characters like that among the gals in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia." "So what? Were you going to whet Nicole's appetite for battle by hiring soldiers?" Crys closed the door behind her, locked it thoroughly from the inside. "Provided she really decides to accept my offer, that may be the case. Besides, it's better if she can stand up for herself a bit in a fight. Newcomers don't have it easy." Athena let her eyes wander down the entry hallway. The walls were peppered with all sorts of slashing weapons. "Now tell me, though, what exactly did you tell her about us? You're not likely to have told her about our bloody embrace back then." "Yes, I did. Well," Athena quickly relented, "I toned it down a bit. Told her I had a doctor on the alert." "Sure. A witness about your abductions and subsequent killing. She bought that?" "Well, why not? Money makes the world go round, and conscience is something you have to be able to afford." "Besides," the blonde now grinned as she took off her jacket, "I ripped open your abdominal wall. Cut your hepatic artery. Must have been one hell of a fast surgeon who could have helped you out on that one." "Like I said, I didn't go into that much detail. Honestly, I don't know what possessed me to tell her that much in the first place. Of course I couldn't tell her the truth, but the fact that we've met again after all this time can't be a coincidence. Who knows, maybe she'll accept my offer. Then we'll see." They took off their shoes and stockings, their bare feet splashing on the laminate. "How is she going to be able to reach you anyway?" "I gave her a phone number. To the bureau. As soon as the answering machine goes on, I'll be notified."

Crystal put her hands on her hips. "You have a personal number to the BUREAU?" "Sure I do. Got it for me from O-Ren. We're in the field, after all, so we have to be available to the world out there." "And why don't I have one?" "Ask O-Ren. I guess I'm just more networked. Or do you have contacts all over the world?" They walked down the hall, en route to the living and dining area. At the kitchen table, the former Special Forces soldier stopped, gazed lovingly at him. "Do you want to catch up on some memories before we go?" Athena turned, her gaze taking on a wistful quality. She squinted at the blender. Thought of its blade. The idea was tempting. But then she interrupted her thoughts. Suppressed her dark companion and beckoned her enemy to her. "Tonight. First I want to go to the lair, give the sticks to O-Ren. You know how she is about being kept waiting." "That's right, we've already dangerously overdrawn our account with our little dinner. What's on the USB sticks, anyway?" "Company data. Put out some feelers, picked out names and addresses. I'm sure we'll get another wave of recruits soon." "Great, neurotic women with elite university degrees. That's what the Great Work needs." But Athena waved it off. "Come on, with enough training, these women will make good sisters. Or are you going to say I haven't been able to satisfy you once before?" White teeth flashed as the blonde grinned. "I'll take you at your word. Including tonight." A shiver of anticipation went through the ex-CEO. But for now.... She took off her blazer, folding it carefully. Crystal had pulled down her pants, was now fiddling with her top. After putting away their clothes, they changed. Crystal opted for a pair of half-length waistband pants and a plain T-shirt. Of course, Athena had to show off her upscale taste, with her long, plum-blue silk pants and matching top. "Pretty daring cleavage. Do you think the girls will be distracted by your titties?"

"This top," Athena pointed out with dignity, "not only highlights my natural elegance, wearing it just feels heavenly." "Whatever you say." Crystal tugged exaggeratedly at the collar of her shirt. They had to make an odd couple, the way they were seen. "Are you pulling the string?" The blonde stood next to a nondescript floor lamp. She eyed the fixture, reached for the cord. Athena stood next to her, breathing in and out evenly. The next part was always somehow... uncomfortable. Even if they knew the procedure. Hesitantly, Crystal pulled the cord down. Once. The room was bathed in orange-yellow light. Twice. The light turned blue. Three times. Away. "Prrr. Why does it always smell like suntan lotion in here?" "I don't know. People just associate motels with travel, vacations, stuff like that. Let's look for the common denominator, this place is really creepy." Both women looked around. The mansion in Croatia was no more. They were pretty much in the middle of a reception area. A fan on the ceiling slowly made its rounds. The counter to their right was empty, except for the bell. On a trial basis, Athena let out a ding once. Nothing happened. Meanwhile, Crystal was walking down the hallway, examining the suite doors to the right and left. "Hmm, this one won't open. But I hear a TV static, on the other side. Let's see..."

The next door was also locked, but the third opened without reservation. Inside was a bed, a small desk. And a softly droning radio. Crystal turned it off. "The second door is open." "What's inside?" "A burning table lamp. I'll turn it off. Okay, now the TV in the first room." When the static died down, Crystal clicked her tongue. "Yep, worked. There's a key on the counter." Sure enough, where there had been mere worn counter wood earlier, a set of keys had materialized. She grabbed it and both women walked to the dark door at the end of the hallway. When the key was turned and the door burst open, there was nothing behind it. Just an empty room. Except for the cord dangling from the ceiling. "And one. Two. Three." Away. Their next stop was no less strange, but more spacious. They were in a kind of cave. So large that you could see neither its walls nor its ceiling. What could be seen, however, were the masses of columns that protruded at regular intervals from the darkness. The women paced the floor. No one knew what material it was made of. It was neither sand nor gravel nor stone. It was simply there, surface in a purely geometric context. In this strange environment, the cable car that spanned the black abyss with its columns looked completely out of place. Crystal and Athena climbed into the cabin and took off. "We should put a music system on somehow. The waiting time is really annoying." "Hmmm." "Anyway, why is this thing so slow? As if the house would mind a more powerful engine. We should address that sometime." "The chief janitor doesn't want it, I hear. He likes it quiet." "Pah." They sank into silence. From somewhere, the scent of pine greenery wafted around their noses, paired with the soft murmur of water. "Would like to know if this abyss has a bottom, too. I mean, it's hardly likely to be endless." "Athena?" "Yes?" "Shut up." At that, the brunette gave her enemy a scowl. But she remained silent. For a while. Keeping her gaze fixed on the darkness, she didn't realize until a while later that Crystal wasn't watching the pillars as she was. Her gaze passed through the rock, seeing a distant place in her memory. A beautiful smile played around her face. "Jackrabbit?" "Huh?" "What are you thinking about?" Crystal rubbed her cheek. "About this and that. Did you actually tell Nicole about our second encounter, too?" They exchanged a soft smile. "Only very briefly. I didn't want to scare her." Again, the blonde's gaze drifted into the distance. Mischief sat in Athena's eyes as she spoke. "Were you actually scared that time?" Slowly, the blonde turned her head and looked at the brunette.

"It was.... exciting." "... and besides, I can't help it if that idiot girl drives on without looking." Tapping her pen on the form, Crystal glanced at the customer in front of her. "Mister Chelson, I happen to know the street where your accident occurred. The lady actually would have had the right of way." "Nonsense, I was almost at the intersection." 'I could grab him by the collar right now. Drag him across the table and ram the pen into one of his eyes. Or throat.' She held the thought. It comforted her. "Mister Chelson, be it as it is. When you test drive one of our vehicles, there is always an Accident Damage clause. One thousand dollar deductible, you signed...." "But surely not if I can't do anything about the accident. It's all that stupid bitch's fault, she must have used her rear view mirror to make up herself. In any case, you won't see a penny from me, you'll have to sort it out with that nutcase." 'One tug and he'd be in range. He even bends over a little.' Her hands itched. They itched more and more. She could feel her nerves breaking. How they were snapping like steel cables, one by one. "Mister Chelson, we demand the money from YOU, though! A thousand dollar deductible. You can try to get the money from the other party...." "Doesn't that get into your skull? I'm not going to pay you anything, you got that, pumpkin?" At 'got that' her hand shot forward. At 'pumpkin', he felt the tug. And even before the last syllable sounded, he was lying on his stomach to the table, his head already turning red. 'And now...' Her hand squeezed the pen tightly. "Creasey, what are you doing! Damn it..." 'Now, of course, the boss has to show up. I guess getting his fat ass here sooner wasn't going to happen.' She let go of the obnoxious scumbag in front of her, and he coughed and rolled off the table. "Damn it,Creasey, have you gone crazy?" "No, actually, quite the opposite." The drive back home was like sailing in thick fog. Crystal barely noticed the road, her thoughts feeling like lead being tenaciously poured into a mold. 'There, I'm out of a job. A report is probably in the offing as well. Hooray for Staff Seargent Crystal Creasey.' At least she'd gotten some satisfaction. And the job sucked anyway. 'De oppresso liber, indeed.' A nasty thought, however, flashed in her mind. 'And how are you going to pay your bills now, sweetie?"

"Oh, I wish I'd just decided to die." That was bullshit, of course. She was a fighter, always had been. She would get through this crisis, too. Always one problem at a time. 'But it just doesn't stop. And at home I have... nothing. Not even the dog.' She sighed, breathing out the frustration. A sign appeared in front of her. Williamsville, 20 miles. Crystal took her time. The little house had certainly seen better days. It had belonged to her father and was one of the few things for which she was grateful to her old man. But her strained financial situation allowed little room for renovations, and so her abode was visibly deteriorating. 'America's support toward its veterans is unprecedented.' There was a throbbing behind her temples. With a creak, Crys pulled on the car's handbrake and got out. Walked up the small flight of stairs to the front door. 'I really ought to replace the floorboards.' In general, the whole house was ripe for the wrecking ball. 'Thanks for that, Dad. But you could have at least replaced the plumbing before you croaked.' She turned on the hallway light, a brief crackle sounding. Then the lights brightened. 'That's all I needed. If the electrics give up now...' Another detail immediately displaced the thought. 'Hey, did I leave the living room window open?' Through the crack in the door, she could see the curtains fluttering softly. An uneasy feeling spread through her. Quietly, she crept forward. Peered into the room. And suddenly the door ripped open hard, slamming her right against the wall. But no one was standing behind it, no burglar was lying in wait for her. 'I closed the window properly. I know that.' She circled the low glass coffee table, hurried to the curtains, checked the frames. Sure enough, someone had pried open the damn window. But the room was undecorated. 'Well, either my guest realized there was nothing here and ran for the hills. Or...' Her tense nerves registered a fine screech. Behind her. The muscles worked before her brain became active. Quickly she turned around. Saw the door of the living room closet slide open. A bright face, white teeth bared by grinning devilishly. Oh, she knew that grin. "Honey, I'm home!" An arm shot up in a semicircle from below, Crys registered the throwing projectile, her father's heavy ashtray shot toward her, hitting her in the flank. Not solidly, though, for she had long since leapt aside, only the edge grazing her as she fell to the carpet and rolled off. She came up, in time to see Athena leap out of the closet like a jack-in-the-box. The coffee table was between them, but the former CEO was unfazed. She jumped on it, taking a running start and lunging at her opponent. With a leap backward, Crystal brought herself to safety, her left leg going up and catching her attacker on the cheek. Athena hissed, but did not break off the attack, instead shortening the distance between them. Immediately, distance control went through the soldier's mind. Her upper body went backwards, arms at a near right angle in front of her head, shoulders raised. Legs automatically went further apart. Holding her arms in front of her as a shield, she analyzed the situation. And that was that Athena was already rotating her hips. The kick rushing in an arc was aimed at Cry's thigh, Athena wanted to bring her down. Immediately the right arm of the blonde went down too, deflected the kick to the side. In response, the left shot forward, striking the brunette's pelvic area. Unfortunately, the distance was not quite right, the full force arrived incompletely. But it was enough to make Athena take a step backwards. Now Crystal had time to half circle the table. 'What nonsense, I should have jumped out the window.'

Why hadn't she done that?' Blaming it on her confusion, she snatched the remote off the little table and threw it at the brunette's head. The latter's hands, however, were ready to defend. Anyway, Crystal just wanted to buy more time. Now she was once around the table. But Athena wasn't going to let her enemy get away, she braced her left leg against the carpet and slammed her elbow into Crysi's stomach. 'My luck. Right on the old slash.' Crystal cried out. One knee strike hit her in the same spot, but the second time she managed to get her hand under Athena's lower leg. She yanked the brunette towards her, her own elbow bouncing hard against the brunette's trim nose. Who then let out her own cry of pain and held her face for a few seconds. Valuable seconds in which the blonde could run to the front door. "What the hell!" She rattled the knob. But it didn't fucking open. "Shit!" As if the whole world had conspired against her, now the fucking hinges were stuck too. So Option B. Crystal ran up the stairs, to the bedroom. She still had the option to jump out the window there. Nimbly she ran up the stairs, taking several stairs at once. 'What the hell is that bitch doing here?" she couldn't get a clear thought. As she reached the top, just opening the bedroom door, she heard restrained laughter downstairs. "Ooooh, you dirty..." The laughter grew louder. Frustrated, Crystal looked at the two thick boards that nailed the bedroom window shut. The former SpecOps turned around. Listened for the creaking of stairs. But these remained silent. She looked around the bedroom for a weapon. "You're so defensive. Yet you have Home Field Advantage." 'Bitch, pick your own nose.' All she had left was her father's gun. The old .44 AutoMag had never really been cared for; her dad had only used it to smack her or her mother with the grip. She hurried to the closet and looked for the hated firearm. "What would have happened if I had just hopped out the living room window?" 'I need to know approximately where she is.' Let her keep talking. Athena obliged her. "You would have gotten my caltrops. They're spread out under the window sill." " Unsporting." Yes, the pistol was even still loaded. Two bullets. She cocked the hammer. And walked slowly back down the stairs. No Athena Stone in sight. Carefully, she rattled the door. Still jammed. "How can that be?" Shaking her head, she kept walking, gun at the ready. As she passed the living room door, her enemy struck.

The small glass table flew through the doorframe in a straight line, Crystal instinctively fired, turning her favorite piece of furniture into a pile of shards. The splinters streaked through the area, but Athena apparently didn't care. She stepped right through and onto the glass, shoulder first. Again the pistol banged. Unfortunately too inaccurate, the brunette had thrown herself aside when she saw the position of the barrel, and Crystal's last round slammed into the living room window. "FUCK!" With predatory agility the ex-CEO lunged at the soldier, Crystal could see the bare sole of Athena's foot flying toward her, registered the cuts, the glassy splinters. Which were kicked into her face with force, the explosive pain from the kick followed by the hot burn of the cuts. At this point, however, Crys was busy fending off her opponent's fists, which came crashing down on her like thunderclaps. 'Hey, why is she barefoot anyway?' With her shoulders hunched up, she withstood the blows. Only briefly. For now, she let herself fall, her left leg going forward, between her enemy's feet, her shoulder bouncing against her enemy's right shin, her hands wrapped around the bare heel. With a jolt forward she unbalanced Athena, the brunette fell on her back. From this position, Crys was able to strike her belly quite well, her elbow being the means of choice. But as always, Miss Stone proved tough, ramming her heel against Crystal's upper lip and putting her on her back as well. Together they got down on all fours. And looked each other in the eye. Baring her teeth, Athena growled at her. "Where's Duchess?" Crystal licked her bleeding lip. Briefly, her memories drifted to the dog. "Cancer." A tinge of sadness crossed Athena's face. "Crap." Slowly, they caught their breath. "I really liked that table, you know." "So what, I liked my kitchen, too. And it was from Devol!" "Never heard of it." Besides, Athena had chosen the kitchen as a place to fight back then. Their palms pressed against the floor, their backs tightened. So did their legs. Almost in sync, they leapt forward, hands extended forward, grabbing each other's necks. The blonde landed the first hit, her fist blow catching her opponent on the ear. She herself had to endure a blow to her jaw, but it was acceptable. 'Her ears should be ringing. She's disoriented.' Far from it, Athena roared hatefully and pulled Crys towards her, her forehead ramming brachial against the latter's nose. An ugly cracking sound rang out. There was little pain involved, but the SpecOps saw stars before her eyes. And felt a punch against her stomach, which squeezed the air out of her body. Desperately she struck a straight, caught Athena too, somewhere.

But the blows didn't let up, another hit against her stomach and Crystal collapsed. Narrow but strong fingers grabbed her neck, with momentum the brunette threw herself on her opponent's back. She squeezed. Crys elbowed her ribs, hitting once, twice. But the pressure just wouldn't let up, her larynx was crushed like overripe fruit. Her last thought was actually of the table. 'It belonged to my mother.' Then there was darkness. The sheets felt soft and comfortable. Warm, but not too warm. Her nose sniffed. Smelt appealing, too. She opened her eyes, muttering softly to herself. "Oh, crap. I'm late for work." Hey, why was there a slatted frame over her bed? She blinked. And a piece of cold steel pierced through the mattress above her, was pushed so deep through the material that it even pierced her own mattress. Crystal rolled away from the blade, hitting her shoulder against the wall. A groan escaped her. The steel blocked her escape route from the bunk. Then a thought occurred to her. 'What bunk?' Another blade pierced through the top mattress and came dangerously close to her rib area, was withdrawn again. She roared in anger, horror, frustration. Fumbled backward. And her fingers felt metal. Her eyes went to the wall beside the bed. It was full of blades. Without thinking, Crystal grabbed some kind of stove spike. Just as she was holding her new best friend, the enemy blade came back to her, piercing her shoulder. Crystal yelled out in pain (pain?). Pure instinct made her chase the skewer upward, it slid through the bed like it was butter. And a satisfying yelp sounded on the other side. Crys was breathing heavily, she couldn't really move because of the sword in her shoulder. With some satisfaction, however, she caught sight of the red liquid staining the mattress above her and running down the spit. Another cry of pain rang out. Not above her. Behind her. She lifted her head back. A white door was visible. Beautifully decorated with etchings reminiscent of dense forests. The scream that came to her now from outside the door was cruelly drawn out. Crystal shivered.

"Hey, someone's up early." The blonde grimaced. "You bitch. You miserable, nasty bitch." "Hahahaha." Athena's laughter sounded pressed. More screams rang out. All female, as far as could be determined. "I've always been, ack, a bad sleeper." The former soldier blinked. Listening to the woman above. "Really, I-I've had trouble falling asleep since, chrrr, my teens." Athena laughed rattlingly. 'I must have punctured one of her lungs, the way she sounds.' But her enemy talked blithely on. "There are no locks here. Not for the cabinets, nor fughhh, for the doors, hehe." She took an audible breath. "Anytime. Can one of those bitches come in here. Anytime. At night, too. Cut your lips off while you sleep. Or slice right across your throat. Hehehe." She coughed wetly. "Always been a bad sleeper. But here? Here I sleep like my namesake." Athena Stone took a rattling breath. And spun her blade. It flared in Crystal's shoulder. "Aaaaargh, you whore!" "Ha!" Like a bubble in a foul swamp, memories came flooding back to Crys. Despite the pain, she went stiff. "You killed me!" She felt the reverberation of her crushed larynx. A sinking feeling of pressure. Then an older memory rose in her. "I killed YOU!" Again the wet laughter followed. "Hihihi." Crystal pulled a face. She felt cheated of her victory. Hissed through teeth clenched in pain (pain?). "What's there to laugh about, snowball?" "Ah, nothing. How's your Hmm?" "My what?" She didn't hear another laugh. But though it seemed impossible, she HEARD the smile. "Your Hmm. I overheard y-you and Seargent Dale through the radio that time. Hu, huuun. Before you shot him. There would be that Hmm in you. Hehe. That you can't let out anywhere. So. How about it?" Crystal remembered. Dark anger rose in her. From confusion. Disorientation. Her solid anchor in a world gone mad was this woman, of all people. "My Hmm? That's growing and thriving." She felt it rising inside her. Hot and powerful, it uncoiled inside her. From above, the laughter sounded again. And the first blade that blocked her path was withdrawn. Again it exploded in her shoulder as the blade was brutally ripped out. Without thinking further, Crys gripped the skewer tighter. She just managed to pull it out of Athena before her blade dug into the place where Crystals face had been a moment ago. Hastily, she hurried out of bed, holding the long weapon in front of her. Leaning on her right arm, Athena glared at her, sword in hand. Her left flank was pierced, as suspected the poker had hit a lung. The blonde shook her head. Her shoulder hurt like hell. But the fact that Athena, with a pierced lung, made any effort to jump off the bed at her was more frightening. 'Or that you and I are here at all.' Just as the ex-CEO was about to make her leap off the bed, the door slammed open. "I'm telling you, Yoga Pants is such a..." The sentence broke off abruptly. "Sorry, Liberty, c-can you step, huck, outside for a minute? Miss Creasey and I, chrr, have some unfinished businessss." But the young woman with the dark curls only had Crystal in her eye. Singular, one eye. The other hung as wet goo on her cheek. Gashes covered the entrant's body, one of them, at visceral level, looked quite deep. The curly head growled. Aggressively. 'Well, that's what I call a reunion.' Crystal also recognized the young woman immediately. Remembered the arrow she had rammed into the gal's stomach. 'Not to mention the bullet in her head.' No trace of the bullet wound was left. Crystal blinked, confusedly, trying to keep an eye on Athena as well as Curly. "What are you doing here?" 'Not a very intelligent question, Mississippi girl,' she thought to herself. In answer, lips were pulled back and white teeth were revealed. So was the long knife in her right hand. "Jesus saved me. And by the looks of it, answered my prayers." Still the old clown. Athena, at least, however, was not in a joking mood. "Teri, I'm serious. Fuck off." But the dark-haired woman with the fair tips only laughed wickedly. "Forget it, Athena. You're not my boss anymore." A growl sounded from the bed, low and dark. Crystal took a step back, widening her radius of vision. Teri 'Liberty' stepped into the room, her remaining eye greedily fixed on Crystal. "Well sweetie? In the mood for a little dance?" "Don't screw this one up for me, Teri!" Athena had turned her hips, her attack vector now more focused on her old subordinate. "Oh shut up. You've had your fun with her. Now..." Teri licked her lips greedily. "...Now is my time for vengeance." And with those words, she rushed forward. Athena jumped off the bed, her shoulder bouncing against Teri's neck and throwing the younger girl aside. The latter roared angrily, her long knife making a circle and digging into Athena's forearm.

"Bitch!" Immediately, Teri kicked out sideways, her bare foot slamming into Athena's chest, and slammed her shoulder blades against the bed frame. Crystal plunged the short spear forward, aiming for Teri's throat. Who backed away with her upper body, her other leg went up and kicked the short spear out of the blonde's hand. Teri took advantage of the vulnerability, her knife gripped with both hands, she threw herself forward. Athena kicked her leg away and without elegance the young woman slammed to the ground. Crystal kicked her in the head. Felt good about it. Until the knife dug into the back of her foot, into the ground. The soldier cried out, was pinned down. Tery tried to get up, but Athena kicked her in the stomach. Then once more. She grabbed the bed behind her, intending to finish the job with the third kick. Just as she extended her leg, the younger girl grabbed her foot and twisted it around with all her might. A sickening crunch sounded, followed by a pained scream. Now, finally, Teri managed to scramble to her feet. Just in time to watch Crystal grab the knife handle, overcome by the adrenaline rush. And pulled the blade out of her foot. "Uaaaaar!" Ice blue eyes filled with tears. And stared back at the Curly's head. Teri fell back, her arm reaching for the wall of the bunk beds opposite. Crys kicked her in the stomach, trying to catch the same spot Athena had earlier. She managed to do that to some extent, too. The dark-haired woman grunted, but she was able to catch a curved dagger, pulling her legs up and using their momentum to twist herself into a better position. With the bed frame in the way, it was difficult for Crystal to get to Teri. She crouched down to get a better look at the one-eyed bitch. Steel jingled. Hastily, Crys threw herself to the side, Athena nearly puncturing her left kidney with some kind of kukri. Limping, the blonde got to her feet, Teri swinging out from under the bed. A few inches separated her from her old boss. Who moved her kukri around hypnotizing in figure eights, making rattling sounds and leaning on her healthy foot. The three women kept their distance from each other. Miss 'Liberty' wiped the remnants of her pierced eye from her cheek, bloody blisters formed on Athena's lips. With her injured foot, Crystal could barely stand up straight, trying to suppress the pain (pain?) as best she could. Taxing glances were cast among each other. Short blades swung in different rhythms. Apparently Teri saw Athena as an easier opponent, despite her desire for revenge against Crystal she lunged at the brunette. In a quick loop, Athena swung her blade into Teri's attack range, the young woman yelped, pinky and ring fingers curling to the ground. Defeated she was far from, her knee was jabbed against the ex-CEO's injury and with an inhuman sound Athena collapsed. Crystal took advantage of the distraction, her dagger finding Teri's side, but the blade bounced off her ribs. Caused only an ugly gash. No matter, the younger was off balance, Crys set after her. Slashed at the girl's kidney area with her knee, Teri's forehead slammed noisily against the edge of the bed, she fell towards the door.

Crystal's head also made acquaintance with the bed frame. Landing on the ground, she looked up. Athena had decided to kick her healthy foot against Crys hip and the blonde was now bleeding slightly from her temple. Choking, the CEO came up, hands clasped around the bed frame. The kukri was aimed at Crystal's neck. Then the blonde's field of vision was bathed in rich red. Teri coolly contemplated her handiwork. She had thrust the dagger deep into Athena's neck and then slit her throat. Gurgling, her old boss fell to the ground, warm blood washing around the bare toes of the remaining combatants. "There. Alone at last." Panting, Teri stared at Crystal. The stare was returned, blue ice meeting dark soil. Dry lips were wetted, daggers raised. Cries of pain rang out from outside. But the two opponents had only eye(s) for each other. "Dance with me." " All right." Soon, steel sank into flesh. 'Damn, this blanket smells really nice.' Immediately, a scream rang out. Her initial move was to the wall, her fingers grabbing for the first weapon she could find. Crystal turned to the source of the sound. And had to swallow. The bed across from her was no longer empty. Two women were lying in it. Whereby 'lay' here was to be understood with the greatest of relativity. Actually, only one woman was lying. Caroline 'Dead Sexy' Romero was on her knees. The NRA supporter emitted another scream, her fingers clawed into the red, thick hair beneath her, tearing and tugging. Crystal recognized the redhead as well, after a moment's hesitation. Molly 'Big Red' was lying on her back, yelling wildly at the pain in her scalp. Which came across rather indistinctly, because the anti-gay rights activist had dug her mouth so deep into Caroline's vagina that you could barely make out her face. What could be clearly heard were the sucking and smacking sounds her arduous labor was producing. Caroline threw her head back, roared passionately and tightened her grip, pressing Molly's mouth even closer against her.

Crystal had to swallow. Instantly, both women's eyes went over to the blonde. And immediately went back to their partner, sucking and slurping could be heard, interrupted by screams in all pitches. That was exactly what caused the last drop in Crystal's mental barrel to overflow. The SpecOps jumped out of bed and pushed open the door. Wanted to leave the madness, the absurdity, behind her. But what was revealed to her behind the door was even more insane, even more abstruse. At first, it looked like a prison. The floor, the handrail, the structure. Everything reminded her of it. But the inmates were not locked up. They were running around freely. And they were fighting. Deep red were the floors and slippery with blood. Women lay on top of and next to each other, pounding their opponents with fists. Blades were raked, directly across from Crystal's 'cell' a middle-aged caucasian woman had her stomach split open by her black adversary. Her guts fell noisily to the ground. The black woman let out a howl of victory. With her ice eyes, Crystal saw more. Much more. Below her, on the next floor, she could see a woman with a blonde ponytail who was garroting her equally blonde opponent with a wire noose. A glance to the side revealed an arena attached to the railing. It hung freely above the ground, the attachment to the railing itself apparently sturdy enough. The four occupants inside the ring fought without weapons. But with extreme brutality, one girl, perhaps in her mid-twenties, had her eyes crushed in by fingers. She cried out in pain, continuously hitting the other girl, writhing in agony. Still tried to drag the opponent down with her. The other pair was still a little away from it, one women hanging with her back leaning against the metal struts, while her enemy tried to smash her face in with her knee. 'In hell. I'm in fucking hell.' Crystal ran. Where to, she didn't care! Just away. Hands reached for her, but she shrugged them off. More screams followed, shouts. Sounds of fighting. She ran. 'On the run again, aren't you?' 'Shut up.' 'Just like back home when Dad beat up Mom. You just ran away then, too.' 'Shut up.' Afghanistan, too. 'You could have reported your superiors. But Miss Creasey chose to run away.' 'I said SHUT UP!' 'And you ran away from your job, too. Rather run than face reality. Terrific fighter you are.' 'I wasn't running from Athena Stone!' 'Girl, you're running from her madness right NOW.' 'Why can't anyone ever be on my side? Not even myself, for crying out loud!' Crystal ran. It was true. At least partially. She wasn't afraid of the fight. You either win or you die. But anything where she couldn't use her fists.... It was too demanding for her.

There! That looked like an exit. Like a door of some kind. She ran towards the black frame. 'Where was the door handle? Where...?' There was nothing to open the strange door. She stepped closer, looking for the switch. The black stone block in front of her slid open automatically. Crystal didn't inquire further, crawling under the moving slab, leaving the sounds of battle behind her. She ran. In front of her was a white corridor. Beyond that, there was only darkness. But across the corridor, she saw another frame, another block of black stone. Another door. It had to lead somewhere. She made a rush to leave. "Hey, rookie. Watch where you're stepping." Immediately, the blonde got into fighting position, ready to sell herself as expensively as possible. But the sitting figure to her right made no aggressive moves, didn't even stand up. A muscular woman sat on the white walkway, her legs dangling over the pitch-black abyss. The speaker turned her head, eyed Crystal up and down. "Exciting first day, huh?" She had a pointed face, prominent cheekbones and a matching chin. A broad nose. Straw-blond hair. Green, knowing eyes. Still, the former soldier was ready for anything. After what she just had to see.... "My first day, it wasn't quite as crowded. There were only a few hundred of us then. For God's sake, lower your fists. You're not in any danger, dammit." With a sigh, the woman looked back into the blackness before her. "My name is Sabrina." Crystal pressed her lips together. Relaxed. Or at least tried to. "I'm..." "I know who you are, Crystal Creasey. Whether you like it or not, you're practically a small celebrity amongst us." 'Just great.' "And for what?" Sabrina laughed softly. "Because of Athena. Don't look like that, there's nothing special about you gals, really. It's just that..." She ran a hand through her full hair. "We don't get out here much. Actually, we don't at all. When we heard Athena was sent to bring you in, we were all pretty baffled. It's a first." Crys felt her jaw tighten. 'Athena was supposed to GET ME IN ?!' Sabrina patted the stone with the flat of her hand. "Sit with me. No tricks, you have the word of a Marine." "Really? You're Corps?" "So it is." Crys sat her down next to the other soldier. "So. What's all of this?" "Short version? You're dead." Okay, that hit home. Not unexpected, but it hit her. Crys gasped out. "Is this hell? Are we being punished?" A giggle came in reply. "No. No. At least I don't feel that way. Not anymore. This..." she spread her arms, "This is the Oldest House. Or at least a tiny part of it. And you were brought here because, at least according to your new masters, you belong to us. Characeterly speaking." Crystal understood less and less. Sabrina sighed. "There is no heaven, Crys. No hell. When we die, nothing happens. Everything just goes black and that's it. At least for the most of us." "Aha!?" "Don't look like that, it's hard to explain. Very hard, so let me tell you as I go along. This is the Oldest House. For that, imagine the universe, the one you and I know from school." Crystal nodded. Okay, one thing at a time. "This, our universe. It exists as our scientists describe it. What they don't know, though, is that it's just a kind of.. Leaf. Or maybe a branch. Which belongs to a huge tree. With millions of other leaves and branches. Trillions. Quadrillions."

Sabrina made a throwaway gesture with her hand. "You are no longer on your leaf, your branch. You, or rather your consciousness, your memories.... they were transported here after your death. To the trunk of the tree, so to speak. You are in a parallel universe. Or rather, the origin of all other parallel universes." "Oh, I see. I see." "Hey. I'm trying to help you. And making you understand these things is not at all easy for me. I'm not an egghead, not an expensive SpecOps, just a grumpy front pig." This made Crystal sigh. "Okay, sorry. So. I'm dead. Athena's dead. And you're dead too, I take it?" "Sniper rifle. In the lungs. I can still feel the impact if I concentrate." 

  Sabrina snorted. "Anyway, our masters sent Athena after you to bring you to us. They also built all this for us. The facility. Or as we call it, the nest." "And why?" "Good question." "You don't know?" Sabrina blinked. "I don't know for sure." Which made Crys pull a face. "And who are these masters you speak of?" "Explaining that is even more complicated. You'll hardly see them. Except for our janitor, who takes care of the facility. They're like aliens. Strange. Once they were probably human, but.... well, that's explained in time." "Are we toys? Guinea pigs?" The Marine shrugged. "Maybe the latter. I don't really understand them, they're so far ahead of us in some ways. So otherworldly. So is their technology. Our Nest, your new home, it's a true marvel." "More like a nightmare." Sabrina shook her head vigorously. "That's what I thought at first. The masters, they can manipulate entire planes of existence. And the biology of the beings within them. When they brought us here, gave us new bodies.... Crystal, they did something to us. I was always a good fighter. But I never enjoyed hurting other people. And yet, there was always this dark companion inside me that I couldn't get rid of. Who rejoiced when I let my fists do the talking. Or pressed the trigger finger. Made me do bad things. It is still there, I will not lie about it. Even more powerful. But it's different than before. More steerable. More ordered. When I fight with the other women, it feels so, so magical. Like a thrill of joy. No sadism. The pure pleasure of being able to compete with my opponent, to really dish it out with everything I have at my disposal. We can do anything to each other without consequences. When we blow out each other's life light, we wake up again in our beds. There are three Translation times, that is, when we are resurrected. At eight hundred, sixteen hundred and twenty-four hundred. So we can challenge each other three times a day." "Sounds really magical." " Well now, just listen to me first. We're immortal. I've gotten to know any number of women here quite well. Experienced nearly every kind of death by them. Among them are former psychopaths, murderers, and torturers, but also decent female soldiers, from all over the world. Heck, even some housewives and artists. We all have something in common, that dark companion. And here we can live it out. Not on innocent fellow human beings, but on each other. And believe me, it feels good to let the companion out. In battle, I experience a purity like I've never felt before. It rubs off on all of us. Even the worst viper among us becomes calm, balanced. Fighting is fun, there is simply nothing better. I feel it, we have been reshaped for combat. Our bodies react to it, they become stronger and faster, more and more robust. Our senses are better. Can you see the other corridors from here?" Crystal stared into the darkness. "No." " But I can. There are seven, except this one. Each one leads to a different area of the structure. That firebreak back there," she pointed in the direction of the door Crys was originally going to run toward, "leads to the next block. There are eight of them. Laid out in a honeycomb pattern. Each block has one hundred and twenty-five cells. Six women per cell. Six thousand girls, then. Enough material for all kinds of hostilities and friendships. Heck, we do all kinds of stuff with each other, there are experts in every field here. We exchange ideas. Learning. The sex is just insane. I'm telling you, the afterlife here is not bad at all. For the first time in my existence, I feel free. Secure. With my enemies, I now feel quite connected. They have become sisters. I am happy about their victories as I am about mine. And they feel the same way, you can believe me. Even Pheobe, that bitch. I guarantee you'll feel the same way. Tell me to my face that you felt comfortable in your old life." Sabrina smiled. Crystal was still not convinced. The whole thing sounded more and more like a crazy fantasy.

'Athena bled to death in front of you. Before that, she crushed your throat. When you woke up today, there were no bodies of her or Teri. Instead, there were two very, very dead women who had been at it with each other. One of them was poisoned years ago, the other one had her entire lower body blown off by a mine.' "Okay. Okay, I'll engage in this crazy game. Even though I don't really understand any of it." "The rules will become clearer over time. Little by little. Hey, we've been chatting here for quite a while. Your 'vaiki' is waiting for you." Sabrina pointed toward the gate. Athena stood between the dark pillars. Tilting her head, she looked at the sitting women. "Go to her. She'll get jealous if you don't." Hesitantly, Crystal stood up. 'What does it mean, 'vaiki'? Oh, never mind. For now.' She walked down the white hallway toward her enemy. The only point of orientation in this madhouse. She felt like her old life was crumbling with each step she took. "Hey, soldier!" Crys turned to Sabrina once again. "Welcome to the Oldest House. And its sisterhood."