XV. Opportunity to Improvise

Without thinking twice I fired at the Ice Queen. She fired back at me, but our bullets only collided with each other. We exchanged fire until she could get close, at that moment I rose up and aimed at her head.

Her reflexes were fast as she then disarmed me. She aimed her gun at my head, that I then disarmed like she did to me earlier.

Now being unarmed, it turned into a brawl in manor's spacious alley. Each of us traded blows though I have to admit being punched by her is like getting a hammer in the face.

The Ice Queen's movements are as fluid as a ballerina who took boxing on the side, while I was a drunk toddler compared to her. It was like I was no longer punching but instead using my momentum to swat out her hits.

I got a few good licks in yet for every square punch that went in three comes back to me at twice the force. As the Ice Queen launched a haymaker, it made me stumble to the ground. She raised her foot to stomp me, but Strife threw himself at her.

Strife and the Ice Queen are pretty much evenly matched this time around. Maybe because Strife has tapped on his animalistic instincts to kill. But it was barely enough, Strife stumbled to the ground like me.

I took that opportunity to get myself back into the fight. It was a relentless exchange from killer to toddler. As Strife delivered the heavy blows while I could be considered as a breather for the Ice Queen.

But it was really never enough. The Ice Queen handed our asses yet again. She stood over us, pulled out her gun and aimed at us.

Before she could pull the trigger, Celestine approached from behind. Gave the Ice Queen a flying scissor takedown. Yet the Ice Queen didn't budge as she simply pushed Celestine aside.

Celestine looked at the Ice Queen, as she then revealed a button. It was a button for a magnetic grapple, she pressed it and it sent the Ice Queen flying.

It pinned her to the wall. The four of us approached the now captured Ice Queen.

"With you being here, that confirms our theory that the duke is behind all this." Celestine remarked.

The Ice Queen just scoffed at her.

I picked up my gun, cocked it and pressed it against the Ice Queen's head.

"We're gonna put you on record and you'll tell us everything we need to know about the duke. All the conspiracies, dark secrets, and everything in between. Don't leave anything behind… Even his skin care routine."

The Ice Queen curled her brow at me.

"Do you know anything about the duke's motives?" Julia asked the Ice Queen.

There was no response.

"Alright what do we have to do to get you to talk?" I asked the Ice Queen with a bit of an irritated voice.

"Die." The Ice Queen coldly replied.

It was then when we heard a loud shout. All of us looked back to see the remaining militant force. They fired at us, it gave us no choice but to lead everyone inside the panic room.

Strife and I proved a covering fire with everyone safely onboard, we locked the doors down and stepped a few feet away from the door.

We got inside the panic room, and even this place looked expensive. On the side is a small bathroom, a wall with a big screen TV, and a closet. Not to mention a giant fur carpet on the floor.

"Well so much for your plan to capture the Ice Queen." Celestine looked at me with her piercing glare.

We felt safe for a moment until we heard the militant group just freed the Ice Queen. I couldn't hear anything, just a few muffled voices.

Everyone took the opportunity to catch their breath. That opportunity however was short lived as we heard the thundering crash of what I could only describe to be a sledge hammer.

My eyes widened and so did Celestine's. Yavin moved across the room to open the TV, there we saw the militant team outside besides the Ice Queen. They are already working on breaching the door

"That can't be good." Julia remarked.

"Alright this panic room better have an escape route somewhere" I told Geoff.

"That's not how a panic room works" Strife interjected.

We all stood there with the continuous thuds of the battering ram.

"Please relax Mr. Rover, we got that covered." Yavin assured us.

"You know, I never thought we'd use it in my lifetime." General Satsuki told her brother.

"So do I."

Yavin uncovered a small section of the carpet revealing a trap door. He worked to open it and it revealed another hallway that only he knows where.

"Please, after you princess." Yavin offered the passage to Nico.

Nico took Yavin's hand but was stopped by Julia.

"Wait! Rover's plan might still work." Julia looked at General Satsuki.

All of us were left confused.

"Princess, stand over the TV. I want to look into the camera, greet everyone by telling them you're alive, and tell us everything that's happened to you." Julia crouched over Nico with a comforting voice.

Julia fiddled around with holowatch for a moment, she then turned to Nico who stood where she was instructed.

"Alright ready, in three… two… one…" Julia signalled and smiled at Nico.

Nico looked at the camera, like it was a cue to change her posture and aura. Everyone in the room was, the only sound was the thuds of the battering ram's continuous motion.

"Citizens of Kyatto, good evening. This is Princess Nico, the last surviving member of the royal family."

Nico's opening sent chills down my spine. That phrase alone reminded me of this child's background. And I wouldn't be alone as everyone in Kyatto heard their assumed dead princess, alive giving her speech.

I could only assume what is happening now. The duke is either frantically finding a way to shut down the broadcast or he's ordering his merry band of mercs to back off. Either way the banging outside stopped.

Nico continued her speech, she explained everything. Essentially telling them the story I've heard for about five times now. But this time she added the attack on the Satsuki manor, and her request to arrest the duke for treason.

"If my uncle is captured, I then wish to see him in the court of law to answer for the crimes he did to my family and this planet." Nico capped off her speech maturely with no hint of anger or vengeance.