Chapter XV - The Ambushed

"...What?" Minuet said, unbelieving, "The monsters reported in that area don't have any ability to organize any kind of plan. Or ambush at that." She murmurs, "Or...did they..." She shakes her head, setting her mouth into a determined line, "Homishiro, relay the situation to me."

"Team A returned earlier today when the initial mission was completed, leaving Team B to comb the Sector for further disturbances, but were unexpectedly attacked near the edge of the area. They've sent a distress signal to the office for reinforcements."

Minuet nods resolutely, "Has Team A been notified?"

"Yes. They are returning to the scene as we speak"

"That's good then, we'll closely monitor the team in case further backup is needed," She glances at her wrist, "Knowing the Elites, I doubt that is needed."

Homishiro nods, briskly walking away.

"Zagato."

"Y-yes? President?"

Minuet gestures to me, "Take Uishi here to the washroom, then lead her to the student council's door. Take her brother with you as well."

"Got it!" Zagato pushes me from behind, urging me to move, "Follow me, we'll get you cleaned up. Then you'll get a chance to watch the pros at work. A rare chance!"

North follows closely behind me as Zagato leads us out of the cafeteria,

As I walk by, I catch a few snickers, the students staring at me making my social anxiety flare. I tried to ignore the slander, to hold my head high.

"Look..."

'Monster.'

My blood goes cold, my ears ringing.

"Look at that...how humiliating. Go back to the rut you crawled from!" Someone shouted mockingly, drawing a fit of laughter from their friends.

I hang my head, staring at my feet in shame. The liquid substance on my face drips off my chin, splattering across my shoes and the floor, reflecting as blood in my mind's eye.

'Freak!'

The image of a child broken and bruised enters my mind, being thrown at by rocks and gleeful mocking. My head throbs as the picture flickers, blurring into an empty haze, the sound of laughter continuing to echo in my mind.

From the corner of my eye, I catch North flashing THE finger at the table where the student had yelled the taunt. I felt slightly better as I watch their shocked expressions, aghast at the indignant gesture.

Zagato marches us out of the lunchroom, quickly leaving the crowd behind as we finally escape from prying eyes.

"Don't listen to them. Just a bunch of rich jerks who think too highly of themselves," She said, mouth twisting in disgust. "I swear they have more stupidity than nobility in their blood."

North snorts in laughter, "I like this one, you're Zagato right?"

She nods, "My last name, you can call me by my first, Skylar."

"...Sounds familiar..." I mumbled to myself, unable to place where I had heard of the name.

Skylar blinks at me, her coral red irises seemingly trying to discern something from my face. She halts at a door abruptly, opening it, and then lightly pushing me inside.

"Well get yourself cleaned up! The substance dissolves in water, so you should have no problem washing it off."

As if trying to distract me, but though sure enough, as I turned on the tap, the goop on my hands instantly dissipated into the water. I proceeded to splash my face until most of it was gone. Drying off the water off my skin with a paper towel, I look in the mirror to see my own bedraggled reflection looking back at me, pale eyes flashing a sheen of aqua before fluctuating back to a dim shade of silver in the mirror, bare of the once bright jovial gleam it once held in the days of bygone youth, replaced by a cold fire holding on to the last tinders of hope.

"I will avenge you, mother...I'm so close..."

I close my eyes, clutching the towel in my hand, the sound of the ventilation system humming in the background. I open them again, glancing at my red-splotched shirt.

'First...if I can get this material out of my clothes.'

After unsuccessfully trying to wipe it off, I threw my hands up in frustration and walked out of the bathroom, startling the two as I knocked the door open.

North glances at me, and smirks, "You look like you came out of a murder scene sister, seems like your clothes didn't come out unscathed..."

Skylar scratches her cheek, sheepish, "Uh, sorry...but I know just the person to help you will that. I'm sure she should be able to remove the stains for you. Come with me, I'm sure the President's there now."

Now getting a good look at her, Zagato really didn't strike me as your average human. Her unnaturally colored eyes...and just barely noticeable, her pupils almost more like slits than rounded. Her dark hair faded to the same color as her irises, a black and red striped beanie worn over her head.

I wouldn't be surprised if she revealed herself to be non-human, but, if my suspicions are right... I file that thought into the back of my mind, not wanting to make a conjecture based on gut feelings.

Following Skylar through the halls, the windows revealed the darkening sky giving way to the night, as the moon started to shine in place of the sun. Taking its shift to be the night beacon.

Skylar takes us to a set of double doors, both made of dark oak like the one at the headmaster's office, and the library's. But the gold accents- instead shone a light silver, still making them stand out from the other wooden doors down the corridor.

She does three quick knocks, and a voice answers,

"Come in."

The door opens to a well-organized room you would expect for an executive's private meetings, a long table- neatly spaced chairs, and a bunch of file cabinets and a bulletin board on the far side of the room. Windows lined the length of the wall, giving a clear view of what's going on outside.

On the other side, the student, Homishiro was working at a makeshift desk, a radio, and some other instruments on the table. Minuet was quietly observing a big map pinned on the wall, as five glowing red dots were visible, three rapidly moving towards one location- a big x over a marking of trees.

The President looks at us as we enter, greeting us with a smile, "Welcome to the main base of operations, the student council room."

North looks around with interest, looking at some of the reports pinned to the bulletin board.

Zagato steps back out the door, starting to pull it closed, "I will be on my way now, be careful." She grins in farewell before quietly shutting the door behind her as she leaves.

"So-" Minuet started to say.

A high pitch starts to emit from the radio, almost like the sound of grinding metal.

'-SCREEEEE(ch)-'

The sound disappears into static, but it lingers in my ears as the dreadful noise next in line to nails on a chalkboard- a sound worthy of the name, torture.

"Ugh-Homishiro! What was that?"

"I...I'm not positive, but all connections to their comms went dead! What now President?"

Minuet looked visibly troubled, kept her eyes fixed on the map with the five glowing dots.

Then one of the dots starts flashing, blinking in and out, quickly for three times, then slowly three times, and quickly again for three times.

"Morse code," North said. "They're sending an SOS."

Minuet glances at him, her eyes calculating. She then nods, "Yes. Clever use of the trackers...Alright." She walks over to a locker, opening it and pulling out a cloak, she takes out a deadly-looking spear.

With a metal pole, the length nearly the size of her height, a well-designed one-sided blade of white steel iron gleams wickedly in the light.

She quickly pulls a cloak the color of midnight over her school uniform, easily making her blend in with the darkness. She takes off her indoor shoes for some tall leather boots and pulls on some white fabric gloves to finish.

"I'm going in. And you, Kusouishi, come with me." Minuet points to me.

I point to myself, "...Me?"

She glances at me amusingly, before tossing me a sheathed sword.

I catch it instinctively, surprised I did without dropping it onto my foot, which would result in me having no foot at all. Let's be glad that didn't happen.

The president looks me over as if trying to assess me on my gear, in comparison no doubt a bright dotted victim would catch the attention of a hungry monster, making for a quick tasty snack I will.

"Unregistered weapons aren't allowed, but you should still have something to protect yourself with." She said, deciding I will be fine in my red-splotched state- at least if I die I can ask her to pay for my rent. North wouldn't have the need to worry about that anymore.

"You can stay here with Homishiro Uishi, you can assist him with anything needed. If you have any questions, he would be happy to answer them."

"Getting to see the inner workings of the Elite's control base, sounds like a dream come true," North said, clearly containing his excitement at the thought.

"Now come on, they're awaiting our help," Minuet takes my wrist- just like last time, quickly pulling me forward in a fold in reality, "Hold on tight."

The air hums and then distorts into a white blur, I feel the floor disappear from underneath my feet, and then, as soon as it started, it stopped, solid ground reappearing under my shoes, though sinking into several inches of snow. The white blur formed into the blur of a blizzard, still white, and blurry.

Surprisingly, it wasn't freezing. Rather, it was almost warm.

By then I thought I was going insane. In what worldly logic is a snowstorm, warm?

A glow emits next to me, lighting up Minuet's face, her eyes were closed and she drew some runes in the air- she opens her eyes and claps her hands together, "Xovzi." She moves both of her arms aside, almost like forcing something away.

The wind and snow rush outward, and the clouds above us clear, the night sky stars appear, softly illuminating the area.

All the clouds in around a 5 -mile radius had dissipated, revealing the dark, glowing forms of monsters behind a line of trees.

A humanoid figure stands where the forest meets barren land, shadows running off them like steam.

It looks at us with glacial white eyes like an empty void, it opens its mouth horrifyingly, its frigid voice more chilling than the polar winds of the north.

'...Hello...have you...come to play?'