(Remaster) The Ship of the Tempest

Above the Wastes

SLAM!!

Z73 burst through the door, coming to a halt as she did to look over the rooftop. It wasn't a large area by any means, but it was more than enough for a person like her to move and fight if needed.

Though that's not the important thing, what is important are the two in front of her. Adapter and Marco were indeed up here, both of them sitting on the edge of the rooftop and looking up at the southern lights.

Adapter looked down from them and over her shoulder, giving a little smile to her sister. "I knew you'd make it through that army. Though, I didn't expect to see the sun return all of a sudden, but whatever that was, it cleared out the majority."

"Did they touch Marco..."

"Oh relax, I kept their grubby hands away from my niece. What kind of aunt would I be if I let them just run experiments on her?" Adapter stood up and got Marco up with her, the girl truly being unharmed and completely lucid, especially as her eyes shined upon sight of 73.

"Momma!" She ran right over to 73 and hugged her, the German happily hugging her back rather tightly.

She quickly looked over the girl's body, making absolutely sure there was no differences on her or any weird Siren-y bits poking out of her, to which she found none. "Thank God...Marco, were you ever scared or forced into anything?"

"No, auntie Dapter made sure those mean Sirens didn't get close. She even got me a popsicle!"

"Good...that's good..." She sighed snd felt much of the tension leave her, knowing one of the two main objectives for coming here was completely safe.

Though, that did leave the other reason.

She looked back to Adapter, the Siren sitting back and letting them have their moment before she met her eye. "Again, congrats on getting here, you killed almost every non-influential Siren still on Earth, and even then you offed Puri."

"You know damn well she deserved it."

"Oh no, I fully get it. Hell, I helped you out of that depression she caused remember?"

Moving from the ledge, she came over to the hugging mother-daughter duo and rested an arm on Marco's back, getting the child's attention. "What is it Auntie?"

"Kid, do you wanna head on home? There's some things your mom and I have to go over."

"Awww, I can't stay?"

"It's for the better Marco." Adapter glanced up to 73, who got what she was asking for and only sighed.

Z73 gently pushed Marco away, holding her gently by the shoulders as she composed herself. "Marco, can you please accept? This is for the adults to talk about."

"...Okaaaay..." She looked down and was definitely dejected, but a quick head pat from her aunt helped to lift her mood again.

"Take it easy kid, it's just for a little chat between us. Let's hope it doesn't take long yeah?"

"Mmh..." Marco hugged into Adapter next, who happily took the hug before her eye shined a little brighter, her hand pointing off beside them.

Slowly, a portal formed that linked from their current point back to Marco's bedroom, where the sun currently shined rather brightly through her curtains. "Off you go Marco, and make sure you eat something healthy."

"I will...bye Auntie, bye Momma!" She gave them both quick kisses to the cheek before she ran through, the portal closing behind her and finally leaving just the two there.

All alone and in the dead of the Antarctic night.

...

"Well..." Adapter turned to look back to her sister, a lopsided grin meeting her. "Anything to talk about before we do this?"

"Just one thing. You still adamant on not defecting?"

"Again with that?" The Siren sighed and walked back over to the edge, leaning onto the metal and staring out into the endless white expanses. "I love you sis, believe me, but...well, there's more to it than these people being the ones I devote my loyalty too."

"Then why not tell me? You mentioned it before, but you never explained it." Soon enough Z73 joined her there, the two staring off together, sharing this moment underneath the vibrant skies of the southern hemisphere.

Adapter was quiet for a time, rather letting herself enjoy the moments she had left with Z73 before they finally had to fight and secure the win for either one of their sides. Honestly, she had plenty of things to reflect on over the time she waited with Marco, from their early times of fighting to kill one another, including bringing innocents into the equation, to...well, to now.

It's a miracle, but she guessed that's what happens when anomalies occur.

...

"Alright, I'll say it quick and easy for you, I know you like that." She propped up against the rails to look straight at 73. "While killing Observer Alpha was a step in the right direction, you won't fully win until every single one of the Sirens had been vanquished, at least all the ones that matter."

"Oh...as in the Arbiters and higher ranking ones?"

"Dead on the money. So far you've taken out Alpha and Purifier, Tester went after you once but she got caught by other Kansen and taken out."

Now that was news Z73 never heard of, but hey, that's one less Siren to deal with. "Omitter too right?"

"Yep. Compiler is basically the last one and she's holed up here with the Arbiters, who are all in the basement levels of the compound."

"And...they're waiting to see if you fail, aren't they?"

"Right again."

...

No more words needed to be said, it was an important yet short conversation, and the final pieces of the pie that needed to be filled. They weren't complaining about the lack of importance behind the words said, all that mattered was that it was said.

Now...they had to get to work.

Z73 stepped away from the rail along with Adapter, the two sharing a high-five before they walked apart from one another. Ten paces apart, then fifteen, then twenty...all the way to thirty six paces, across the rooftop from one another before they turned back around to face their sibling.

Aliens vs. Humans, Invaders vs. Defenders, Sirens vs. Kansens...narrow it all down to the truth.

Sister against sister.

...

"Ready 73?" Adapter cracked her fingers, stretching out as she readied for what was to come.

"About as ready as I'll ever be." Z73 did the same, flexing her metal arm and making sure every part worked perfectly.

"Good..."

Now it was time to end it. The rivalry that started with her birth, ended by their hands.

All that it comes to now is to see which side falls first. In one final showdown...

Let the best one win.