Epics of Noche 1, Anchor

EON CH 88

I NEED MORE POWER.

1774, OCTOBER 29th SATURDAY 6:00 pm.

Noche stood next to Alice in Medusa's office. It had been twelve hours since their mission ended. The president placed the papers down and sighed.

"Well, you both completed the mission... but the damages were severe and the attacker got away," Medusa said. "Not only that, but two people have gone missing. A mother and daughter. Do either of you know anything about this?"

Noche's eye twitched at the mention of that. She stayed in that surreal realm when Dia took over – she could see everything Dia did... But it was like watching a movie without sound.

That mother and daughter were dead. The tar, no, the corruption destroyed them. They died for the simplest reason – to attack Boots off guard. Noche's fist tightened.

"That is what Dia means by win at any cost," she thought.

Noche swallowed... She killed them.

No, Dia did. Not her. 

Still, if she hadn't taken that deal – Boots would have defeated her. She would have failed. The word sent a chill to her very soul. She would have failed, but that mother and daughter would still be alive.

Despite that, the thought of failure scared her more than the immense guilt weighing down on her heart.

"Nothing ma'am. I know nothing about what happened to them," Noche lied.

Medusa sighed and pinched her forehead.

"Well that's alright. Your job was to protect the factory and you did," she said. "I'll send someone to investigate it – then I can start organizing the holiday party. You're both dismissed."

They both walked out of the room.

"Well... I feel like shit," Noche said.

"Sorry," Alice whispered in a bland tone.

"No you're not."

"I'm sorry enough."

Noche rolled her eyes; she grinned. "I hope I feel pretty merry by the time the holidays hit."

"I'll be feeling a pretty Mary soon."

Noche blinked, a split second later her eyes went wide. Alice walked away with a smile as Noche opened her mouth wordlessly. Shaking her head, she returned to her room as Mary's joyous shouts filled the hall.

Hours had passed.

Noche laid in bed and stared at the ceiling – the little girl's death played over and over again in her head. The dead mother, the mountain sliced in half, the planet lance. Noche sighed.

"A shower will cool me off."

Shards of ice tore at the whip wounds on Noche's back. Eyes lingered on the cuts and bruises Boots had given her. The shower wasn't helping – Noche got out. Using Create, she removed the fog on her cracked mirror and her eyes went wide.

Noche's reflection stared back at her – a reflection that was four years old.

The blonde blinked and took a step closer to the mirror; the reflection did the same. Their hands raised and touched on broken shards – the younger Noche was so small; her fingers didn't go past the current's palm.

Noche's eyes flickered when a woman approached behind baby Noche. She had long black hair and wore a white dress. The mom bent down and hugged the child, whose expression was somber. For a moment, they looked like the mother and daughter who were devoured by the tar.