Epics of Noche 3, Limbo

EON CH 29

DHARMA REFLECTS.

1776, AUGUST 5th,Saturday 5:00 pm.

Dharma steepled her fingers as the pink-haired girl and her lieutenant set up the recording equipment. The two seemed quite familiar with each other as they untangled the mess of wires.

"Gracias again for getting me this interview, Hune," Venny said.

"No probs Venny," June said.

"You two know each other?" Dharma asked.

"SI! We're old friends from middle school! Hune es mi favorita va-knee-jah friend," Venny said. "Been ages since we caught up. We really need to have un girls' day out later."

June chuckled. "We do. I can't believe you've become so famous."

"Y es maravilloso that you're Dharma's right-hand woman," her scorpion tail twitched with glee.

"I remember when you didn't have that tail," June chuckled. "Back when you started dating Rad."

"OH YEAH! Didn't you want to get wings? Big angelic wings, you said?"

"The V.P.D. don't allow mutations since they are considered illegal across the globe."

"Si, I forgot about that," Venny shrugged. "People no care about what's legal and illegal in MoveCity. You trying to change that, si?"

"That's the plan."

"I see, I see. How's Kat doing!"

June smiled. "She's doing good. How's Rad?"

"Great. He's been doing advanced irony. Whatever that means."

Dharma smiled as the two girls chatted. Her eyes softened as the lingered on the pair.

"She would've been their age," she muttered. "If my daughter still lived."

The police chief sighed, it had been twelve years since she failed as a mother. Twelve years and every day became heavier than the last. What could she have done better, how could she have saved her little girl? Dharma couldn't help but reflect on the past.

Her last missing person's poster.

Dharma stared at the image of her little girl before stapling the sheet to the wooden pole. Her daughter had been missing for three days. The Cross Civilian City was chaotic for sure, but not so much as to keep a kid out this long. Something was wrong – she had to find her.

It didn't take long to form a search party. Dharma always had a way with people, she knew how to read them, how to say what she needed to get what she wanted. All the areas her daughter would visit were investigated. Nothing. Not a single trace of where she was.

Then someone reported gang activity at the local arcade. She had a new direction and aimed her questions at the right people. With a bit of leverage, the guy cracked and spilled everything. A few hours later, Dharma and her friends stood before the gang's base.

Rainbow clouds stayed in the air for almost a solid hour – created was used non-stop on both sides. Explosions rocked the street and tore buildings apart. Men with DriveMetal swords and Grim guns cam out and attacked anyone they could find. Yet Dharma and her friends gradually made their way inside the base.

Then she found her. Laying on a dirty mattress, unmoving, and naked; used condoms and empty syringes surrounded the area. Dharma cradled the dead body in her arms, her girl was so small. It reminded her of when she gave birth.