Silent Mobius Fan Fiction ❯ Red Destiny - Book 1: New York ❯ Glacialis ( Chapter 11 )

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

 

Book 1: New York

 

Chapter 11: Glacialis

 

Authors: OSTOCOM

 

Email and website: see our profile

 

Rating: R for language and violence (mostly language…three guesses why.)

 

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See Authors' Notes for complete disclaimer.

 

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The sounds of the television echoed through Adara's townhome.

 

<<Belle, please! We have to get out of here! It isn't safe anymore!>>

 

<<No, Brady! We're so close to discovering who murdered our father all those years ago! We can't stop now!>>

 

The music swelled as a figure stepped out of the shadows. <<Ah, Belle. Do you truly want to know the truth behind your father's death?>>

 

Belle and Brady gasped as the figure was revealed. <<Stefano! But, we all saw you die in your hospital bed over five years ago! How? How could you still be alive?>>

 

<<I am Stefano's clone! He made me to carry on his great master plan after his death! And John Black interfered with his plans one too many times! Hahahahaha!>> He turned steely eyes on the two Black children. <<And now, it is time to join your father in death. Then Marlena and I can finally be together!>> The music swelled dramatically again.

 

"Figures," Feri murmured as she crunched a carrot stick. "Thirty years and nothing's really changed." She let herself be drawn back into the unfolding drama on the screen. There was nothing like daytime soaps to take one's mind off one's problems.

 

"Feritzia!"

 

Feri steadfastly ignored the sharp voice and put even more effort into concentrating on the TV.

 

"Feritzia!" Adara entered the room, again attempting to get the younger woman's attention. When there was no response, she sighed in annoyance and proceeded to grab the remote and shut off whatever had so captivated her houseguest.

 

Blue-black hair swished angrily as Feritzia whipped around to glare at the intruder. "I was watching that!"

 

"And I was *trying* to get your attention," Adara said evenly, unimpressed with the air of righteous anger Feritzia was projecting. "It's been an entire week since you've been at work. Isn't it about time you got over yourself and came back?"

 

"I *resigned* Adara, remember? Just like you all wanted me to. You're better off without me anyway."

 

Adara just rolled her eyes. "Feritzia, you don't believe that any more than you believe that the sky is fuchsia. You're just being petty because we hurt your feelings. But guess what? You hurt ours too. So suck it up and deal."

 

"Give me one good reason I should come back to work for you ingrates!" the young woman yelled as she jumped off the couch to face her opponent.

 

"I can give you several," Adara shot back. She ticked off the various points on her fingers. "One: technically, you're still dead. You have no serial identification number and thus no way to get gainful employment anywhere else. Two: were you to attempt to *get* a serial identification number, your birth certificate states that you were born in 1981, which means you should be a hell of a lot older than you are, and no one's going to believe it's yours. Three: I'm not sure quite how you managed to do it, but you've already racked up quite an amount of debt on your company-issued credit cards. I can guarantee you Uncle Sam is going to want that money back one way or another. Four: rent is due in two weeks and frankly, if you're not living here you have nowhere else to go. Don't believe me? Look back over numbers one to three."

 

She paused. "Is that enough, or should I continue?"

 

Feritzia said nothing, just continuing to glare in Adara's general direction.

 

The auburn-haired woman sighed. "Feri, just come back to work. You're scheduled for the night shift this evening."

 

"Well when you put it *that* way, how can I *possibly* refuse?" she asked sarcastically.

 

"Feritzia…" Adara growled warningly.

 

"Ugh! Fine, I'll go back to work. But only because I *know* you all are floundering without me. I mean, I don't know *how* you coped before me. Did you manage to kill *any* Hawks before I arrived?"

 

Adara felt her left eyebrow begin to twitch violently.

 

"So, my next shift is at 8, right?" She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh my God! I have to go shopping today! That means I only have 7 hours to find the right pair of shoes at Top Shop! Adara, why didn't you *tell* me?" Feritzia rushed out of the room, muttering under her breath about ungrateful commanders with no fashion sense.

 

Adara sighed and exchanged a glance with Maris, who had entered the room just as Feritzia was leaving. "Well, looks like everything is back to normal. Right?"

 

Maris just shrugged.

 

------

 

There was another explosion. People screamed, running down the street on the verge of mass hysteria.

 

Several women, however, were not running. One cradled a ball of flame between her hands, a large alien-looking creature standing before her. One of seven of the creature's blue-purplish tentacles sprang toward her, only to be burned by the flame. It recoiled in pain, but quickly healed.

 

The woman whispered soft words as the creature attacked again, only to retreat. After completing the last of the incantation, the ball of flame had split into eight orbs of flame. Then they slowly spun in a circle, gaining speed before flying in the direction of the creature, gaining the woman the needed distraction to run and join her other teammates. Adara adjusted her rapidly falling bun and then reached for her gun.

 

"Where the hell is Ensign Ricci?" she shouted over the noise of the street. Maris gripped Nauticus and marched forward.

 

"The hell if I know," Maris yelled, "but the bitch is in for a fucking wake-up call when I find her." The former New England fisherwoman stepped into the range of the creature, incanted a spell quickly and slashed. One of the tentacles fell off, another quickly following after simultaneous blasts from Calixta and Adara.

 

The Lucifer Hawk howled in pain and projected another beam of destruction at the building behind them. Unfortunately for the ECC, the shopping center still held a few last-minute shoppers before the end of the night, thus spilling the now-hysterical populace into the street and into harm's way.

 

A small group of teenage girls ran by them screaming at the top of their lungs that they were going to die, all the while protecting their purchases. Maris glared at them, thinking of the missing Ensign Ricci. "Why don't you just shut up and RUN," she snapped, then turned back to the monster and hacked off another tentacle. "And why don't you just die?"

 

Another beam of destruction went crashing into the street, exploding the two police vehicles near the department store. The officers ran, trying to keep the populace calm and shooting bullets in vain against the adversary. Miakoda sent forth another spell protecting the fleeing people from the melee, but a few fell, injured by falling debris from the now-burning building. Another explosion followed and the wall fell, but the brownish-gold shield held, protecting the people as they scuttled out of the way. Unable to hold it any longer, Miakoda let the shield disperse. The debris fell to the street, the heavy metal "Macy's" sign breaking into smaller pieces.

 

The five women surrounded the weakened creature. Each attacked, finally destroying the demon. Adara put her gun away then turned, only to watch the building burn and another explosion hit. "I hate gas lines," she mumbled. "I thought all the buildings would be upgraded by now."

 

"So much for Macy's," Calixta chimed in. "Think they'll still have the parade?"

 

Miakoda turned at the comment. "Does that even matter?" she asked.

 

"Does anyone care?" Amber asked. All of them fell silent. "That's what I figured."

 

Adara dusted off her soiled uniform, her eyes intently searching for any sign of the one member of the ECC unaccounted for. When she spoke, her tone rang with contempt and anger. "Where is Ensign Ricci?" she said through clenched teeth.

 

Through the smoke, a small, almost frail woman wearing the ECC uniform appeared. She scurried from open patch to open patch of asphalt, avoiding the bricks and bits of flaming debris around her. Her blue-black hair and silver streak swayed in her ever-present ponytail as the ECC recognized their M.I.A. comrade. In Feritzia's hands were two shopping bags. When she finally reached the group of women, Adara's hand briefly lit with flame, then extinguished. There was a noticeable temperature difference in the fire elemental's immediate vicinity. "Ensign Ricci," she intoned. Feritzia halted.

 

"What'd I miss?" she asked innocently. The other women gaped at her. "I got a great deal at Nordie's half-year sale. Wanna see?"

 

------

 

"'I got a great deal at Nordie's half-year sale. Wanna see?'" Mackenzie deadpanned. She glanced up from the report at Feritzia who stood rigidly at attention, her hands shaking slightly at her sides. "You actually said that, Ricci?" the commander asked. The woman remained still. "Answer the question. That is an order," she said forcefully.

 

Feritzia blinked rapidly and then swallowed. "Yes," she replied quietly.

 

Mackenzie stood up from behind the desk. "I can't hear you," she said.

 

Feritzia stopped shaking and stepped forward. "Yes, sir," she said loudly, with a slight quiver toward the end. "Yes, sir, I said that...sir." The last word ended quietly.

 

Mackenzie sighed softly and replaced the papers back in the report. "Well, Ricci," she began, "under normal circumstances, I'd have you court-martialed. However, the paperwork for your official recruitment has been tragically lost, and I can't court-martial someone who's not officially in the Navy." Feritzia relaxed slightly. "Unfortunately for you, although your powers are still needed against the Lucifer Hawk, you have no recorded training. I'm afraid that you, *Ms.* Ricci are going to have to complete recruit training again."

 

The young woman visibly trembled.

 

"I'm also going to request extra survival training." Mackenzie met Feritzia's gaze. "The Navy, of course, apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused." Feritzia began to open her mouth, but quickly shut it as she noticed Mackenzie's expression twist into a scowl. Mackenzie looked at her hands and opened the report yet again. "You'll be leaving immediately for Illinois for recruit training. From your previous three attempts, I believe you'll remember what will happen over the next eight weeks.

 

"As for the rest of you…" She turned to the other ECC members standing at attention at the back of the room. Her voice dropped again to a dangerous tone. "You're not off of the hook. This...altercation resulted in the loss of three NYPD vehicles, the destruction of property, and a hysterical public that caused great trouble to explain and cover up both in the governmental and public venues. A lot of our budget has been cut." Calixa's shoulders sagged slightly. "That is all. Dismissed."

 

------

 

"Feri just needs to get over herself."

 

"Really, some courtesy would be nice on occasion."

 

"And whatever 'Daddy' said, it doesn't matter now. I don't think she understands that she's no longer under 'Daddy's' care anymore."

 

"I'm sure she was his little princess." Laughter rang throughout the group. "I can just see him giving her anything she wanted. Shoes, dresses, cars. I hate to think..."

 

Warm tears pooled on the bottom lids as Feritzia tried to blink them back. Her lips tilted down in a frown as she fought the urge to go defend herself, knowing that no one would listen or understand. Her small fists curled, her knuckles white as she slid undetected into the bathroom. More laughter filtered into the chamber, seeming to echo throughout the tiled walls.

 

"I bet she had everything she wanted. I can just see her with her mom in Macy's trying on the latest Cannel."

 

"It's Chanel," Feri mumbled in correction. She closed her aquamarine eyes, letting the gathering tears fall. (And they're wrong…I never got to share anything with my mother.)

 

\\"Why do you always have to clear everything through your daughter!" a woman's shrill voice wailed. Small aqua eyes peered through the slightly ajar door to the kitchen, watching as the woman positively strutted up to the taller man, her manicured hands clutching his larger, rougher ones. She looked up to him, pleading. "Please Lazzaro. We've got a good thing going here. I think that we can make it," she argued. "I'm sure that in time, that Feritzia will come to like—"

 

"No," the man replied. "She doesn't change her mind. And I can't have my only daughter and my future wife at odds with each other, Diane." She quickly let go of his hands, exasperated.

 

"Has there ever been a time that she did like the woman you were dating?" she asked.

 

Lazzaro shook his head, but his face remained impassive. "No."

 

"Then is there ever going to be a time that she will like the woman you want to marry?" she asked, her voice rising. "How long are you going to let her control your life?"

 

"What do you know?" cried a teenaged girl as she ran from her hiding place. She placed herself between the two adults, her disgusted gaze darting back and forth between them. "You aren't my mother! I don't need a mother!"

 

The older woman stepped closer to confront the teenager. "Then you can at least let your father be happy!" she yelled back. "He's earned that much after all these years."

 

"All you want is Daddy's money!" the younger woman accused. "You're all the same! All you want is the car and the house and designer clothes."

 

"That doesn't matter to me," the woman argued.

 

"It doesn't matter now," the girl replied. "But it will. And then you'll want to take him away from me." Suddenly, the argument seemed to halt as the girl burst into tears and ran from the kitchen.

 

"Feritzia!" the man called after her.

 

The woman grabbed his sleeve. "Please Lazzaro," she pleaded. "Don't—"

 

He raised his hand, silencing her. "It's over, Diane," he said quietly. "Please leave." A brief moment passed between them before she released her grip, gathered her suit jacket, her purse, and left the house. Lazzaro sighed, then followed his daughter.\\

 

Feritzia's hand went to her eye, wiping her tears, her fingers tracing over her tear-shaped birthmark. (Daddy always said it was because I was crying when Mommy died,) she thought. Her aqua eyes examined the liquid on the tips of her fingers, which shook slightly as she lowered her head. She closed her eyes, longing for some measure of comfort.

 

"You're wrong, Maris," she whispered. "Daddy may have bought me anything I wanted, but he couldn't bring back Mom."

 

------

 

"Now!" Calixta shouted as Feritzia froze the small Category 3 in mid-air. After remaining in mid-air for a few seconds, the image pixilated and dispersed along with the rest of the surrounding New York buildings, leaving the two women standing in the empty room. Feritzia took in a deep breath and stepped toward the door.

 

"Another part of my 'recruit training' complete...I guess," she mumbled.

 

Calixta patted her on the back as they walked. "Good job," she said as she opened the door, gesturing for Feritzia to follow. "Thankfully, Mackenzie worked out something so you didn't have to complete all of recruit training again. One more session at the base and you'll be ready for survival training."

 

The ice mage groaned in frustration. Turning on her heel, she faced her with a scowl on her face. "But I might have to eat *bugs,* Calixta," she whined, her arms gesturing wildly on her sides. "I can't stand bugs. They're gross and squishy and dirty and generally...ewww."

 

Biting back a smile, Calixta tried to console her. "At least you're not taking the full survival training," she offered. "And Mackenzie saved you from a recruiter's hair cut."

 

Feritzia groaned again. "The bob," she said fiercely. "A hair cut that should have stayed in the 1920s." The women walked further down the hall and stopped outside Calixta's office.

 

"I've got something for you," Calixta said as they entered the office. Feritzia glanced at her suspiciously. Calixta carefully lowered a box from an upper shelf and placed it on the desk.

 

"What's that?" Feritzia asked, looking at the long wooden box.

 

Calixta smiled enigmatically. "Mackenzie and Adara wanted to wait until you had control over your powers again before returning it to you," she said.

 

"Returning it to me?" Feritzia asked. "Return what?"

 

"This," she replied. "It was buried in the ice with you when we found you." The red-haired woman opened the box, revealing a crystal-like sword about a meter long with a swirling scabbard around the handle, which was also made of the crystal-like metal. Feritzia glanced at the sword and froze.

 

\\The cool surface was solid, almost marble-like in her hand. As she lifted her arm, a glimmering strand of glass-like ice entered her vision. On the tip was a red, viscous substance that dripped onto the floor. Blood. She looked around, finding a crouching young boy, holding the side of his arm and crying for his mother. The ice could cut, she realized. It wasn't melting. Yet it was clear, unclouded like similar crystals found in nature. It was perfectly clear, and lethal. Her mouth gaped open slightly, the scabbard swirling around her hand in fine arcs, protecting her hand from harm as she held it.\\

 

Calixta watched her teammate first freeze, then pale. "What's wrong, Feri?" she asked.

 

The younger woman shook her head and shifted in her seat. "I've held this sword before," she said.

 

Calixta looked confused. "But it's been here the entire time."

 

"No, I mean before you found me," Feritzia replied. "I've held it before. It...it can cut." Her voice got quieter, more uneven as she spoke. Her eyes were wide with fear.

 

"Do you know what it's used for?" Calixta asked. "Do you know what it is? We couldn't find out."

 

Feritzia stared at the sword, the memory replaying again in her mind. She touched the sword, quickly pulling her hand back. It was cold, just as she remembered it.

 

"I don't know what it was used for," she replied. "But if feels like ice, like I have power within it. It's reminds me of those glass triangles to make pretty rainbows..." Her hand closed around the handle as she slowly lifted it. "It's Prism."

 

------

 

Miakoda gathered up the cards and adjusted her green visor. "Who's in this round?" she asked.

 

"Everyone, I think," Adara said. "Feritzia?"

 

Feritzia huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "This is *such* a stupid game!"

 

"Ahh, you're just saying that because you're losing," Maris noted. She only had a few more chips than Feritzia, but the fact didn't seem to bother her.

 

"I'm *not* playing anymore," Feritzia insisted.

 

"Sore loser!" Maris said, smirking.

 

"It's all right," Miakoda said. "She doesn't have to play. We can divide up her chips."

 

"Barely," Calixta mumbled.

 

Feritzia glared at Calixta. "Fine," she said. "I'm leaving."

 

"Good," said Maris. "I like your chips better anyway. And the first thing I'm doing with your winnings is buying myself a hat with a lobster on top. Or maybe I'll give it to you, since you were nice enough to help me out…"

 

Feritzia's eyes widened in horror. "*My* chips are *not* funding that fashion atrocity!" she screeched. She turned to Miakoda and commanded, "Deal me in."

 

Miakoda suppressed a smile. "All right," she said. "Everybody ante up." Poker chips clicked as the players threw them into the center of the table.

 

Calixta nudged Miakoda just before she started shuffling. "May as well make it worth her while," Calixta whispered. "Keep the game going a bit longer, you know."

 

Miakoda nodded, and shuffled expertly. Only a professional gambler would have noticed that she was stacking the deck. Then Miakoda cut the cards with one hand and began dealing.

 

Feritzia picked up her cards and stared at them, puzzled. "If you have five numbers all in a row, is that good?" she asked.

 

"Aw, shit!" exclaimed Maris, throwing her cards onto the table. "Fold." Everyone else likewise folded, and Amber looked regretfully at two eights and a pair of jacks.

 

"So, did I win?" Feritzia asked.

 

"Yes, you won," Adara said. "Although I don't know how." She eyed Miakoda skeptically.

 

The Navajo woman shrugged. "The spirits must be with her," she said, smiling.

 

"Some spirits," Amber muttered.

 

"I *won!*" Feritzia shrieked. "This game is so much *fun!*" She pulled all the chips toward her and began stacking them neatly.

 

Miakoda shuffled again. Adara watched her carefully. "Sometimes I wonder if you're stacking the deck," she said.

 

Calixta grinned. "I assure you, Commander, the cards are sufficiently randomized."

 

After modest bets from Adara and Feritzia, Maris took the rest of her chips and threw them into the center of the table. "I raise you all…however much that is."

 

"Seventy-five?" Calixta asked, counting it quickly.

 

"Yeah," Maris said. "Seventy-five." She leaned forward aggressively. "Anyone want to take me on?"

 

Next to her, Amber looked at her cards and sighed. "Fold."

 

Calixta looked at her cards and then back at Maris, who was smirking. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off her face…but unfortunately, a pair of tens probably wasn't going to beat whatever Maris had. "Fold," she said reluctantly.

 

Miakoda also folded, but Adara took some of her chips and placed them in the center of the table. "I'll see you," she said.

 

"Fine," Maris said. "Kiss those chips good-bye, cause your sorry ass ain't ever seeing them again."

 

Feritzia narrowed her eyes and counted her remaining chips. "You are *so* bluffing," she said. She shoved her remaining chips, which totaled exactly seventy-five, to the center of the table. "Let's see if you're as good as you think you are."

 

Maris threw her cards face-up on the table. "Club flush. If either of you sorry-ass pansies can beat that, go right ahead."

 

Adara turned her cards face-up. "I guess I should have known three sixes were bad luck," she sighed.

 

"Well?" Maris said. "Can Feritzia play with the big girls, or do we have to send her back to the kiddie playground?"

 

Feritzia blushed furiously, and tears sprang to her eyes. "Fine!" she shouted. "Let's make fun of Feritzia! Feritzia can't play poker! Feritzia can't do anything right! Feritzia's just a stupid little girl who messes everything up! That's what you all think, isn't it?" She threw her cards on the table and stalked out of the room.

 

Miakoda glanced at the cards strewn across the table. "She had a royal flush," she murmured, her voice tinged with awe.

 

Everyone looked at each other awkwardly. "I'll be right back," said Calixta as she got up and followed Feritzia out of the room.

 

------

 

Feritzia leaned against a wall, crying. Calixta walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Feri?" she said.

 

"Go away," Feritzia sobbed. "I'm sick of people seeing me crying."

 

"Fine," Calixta said. "I'll close my eyes, then."

 

Curious, Feritzia turned around, and saw that Calixta did indeed have her eyes firmly shut. She smiled a little in spite of herself.

 

"You want to know what I think?"

 

Feritzia jumped. It was strange hearing Calixta's voice without seeing her eyes. And the last thing she wanted right now was pity, or a lecture, or any attention at all. She just wanted Calixta to go away. "No," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I don't."

 

"Well, I'm insulted," Calixta said. "If I could see you, I'd slap you where you stand."

 

The calm, mild tones of Calixta's voice convinced Feritzia that she wasn't insulted at all. This infuriated Feritzia for some reason. "Well, all you have to do is open your eyes," she said irritably.

 

Calixta's brown eyes popped open. "You're right," she said. "That's much better."

 

"So," said Feritzia, beginning to get annoyed, "aren't you going to slap me?"

 

"Why should I?"

 

"Because I can't do anything right!" shouted Feritzia. "Because I can't get along with anyone, because I can't keep myself from getting angry, or crying, or—or being stupid or silly just because I can't win at poker, and what kind of loser can't even play poker?"

 

"Well," Calixta said soothingly, "at least you have enough sense not to buy a lobster hat."

 

Feritzia laughed, but then choked up as she started sobbing again. "B-but that doesn't matter, I mean, not really, because at least Maris doesn't m-mess up fights with the Lucifer Hawks—"

 

"She has before, though," Calixta interrupted.

 

"—and Adara is furious with me because I almost got people k-killed again—"

 

"Adara has absolutely no room to talk," Calixta said sharply. "Trust me, she's made her share of mistakes, too. We all have."

"But I make more of them than anyone else!" Feritzia shouted. "And I don't want it to be my fault if someone dies. And I'm tired of everyone thinking that I don't care about them, because it's not true!"

 

Calixta let a long silence slide by, and then sighed. "I know," she said. "I know."

 

"And I know what my problems are, but I don't know what to do about them!"

 

"Yes, you do."

 

"I do?" Feritzia turned to Calixta, eyes wide in astonishment.

 

"All you have to do," Calixta said, "is open your eyes."

 

Feritzia blinked. "I don't understand."

 

"Sometimes I get upset about things, and I focus on myself, and on how I'm feeling, and it's like closing my eyes to the outside world," Calixta said. "I don't see anything except what's going on inside my head. I can't tell how other people feel, or what they need, or figure out how to do what I need to do. But when I look outside myself, and watch what's really happening, I find that I can deal with things better."

 

"So…watching will help me fight Lucifer Hawks?"

"Well, fighting Lucifer Hawks is a lot like playing poker," Calixta said. "There are three parts to it: skill, experience, and knowing your opponent. The last one is by far the most important. And if you watch your opponent, you get an idea of what you're up against…"

 

"…and how to win," Feritzia finished.

 

"Usually, yes. And another thing."

 

"What's that?" Feritzia asked.

 

"If you watch people and try to see what they really think, need, and want, you may find that people don't hate you nearly as much as you think. And speaking of poker—"

 

"I'm already out."

 

"Not if I give you 200 worth of chips." Calixta grinned.

 

"Well…" Feritzia weighed her options. "I guess I'll play until I run out again."

 

"Good. And I'll give you a free hint I've learned by watching these games. When Maris is bluffing, she takes a swig from her beer bottle first. It's a pretty obvious tell."

 

"Thanks!" Feritzia beamed.

 

"No problem," Calixta said, winking. "Just promise me that if you beat her, you'll give her a good trash talk. It'll make her respect you more."

 

"I promise," Feritzia said, her eyes glinting.

 

"Good," Calixta said. "Back to the game, then."

 

------

 

Feritzia looked from her cards back to Adara's bid of fifteen on the table. She had two pair, which was the first good hand she'd had since coming back. Also, fifteen was a fairly low bid for Adara. "I'll raise you five," she concluded, tossing a chip into the pile.

 

"Whatsa matter, you spineless landlubbers?" Maris demanded. She guzzled some beer and slammed the bottle on the table. "Can't handle the big stakes?" She swept the rest of her chips into the center of the table. "I'll raise you all this big-ass pile of chips here…if you can handle it."

 

Amber's eyes narrowed as she reached for her chips. Suddenly she felt a swift kick to her shin. "Ow!" she exclaimed. She rubbed her shin and glared at Calixta, who smiled innocently. Well, she wasn't about to be intimidated by such amateurish tactics. "I'll see your—ow!" Amber turned to Calixta. "Do you mind?"

 

Calixta shrugged. "I'd hate for you to lose."

 

"Lose what? My leg?"

 

Calixta smiled enigmatically. Amber stared at her, eyes aflame. Finally, the Mexican woman turned back to Maris. "Fold."

 

Calixta smiled, and sighed inwardly as she turned a full house face down. "Fold."

 

Miakoda glanced swiftly at Calixta and understood. "Fold."

 

Adara assessed her hand, looked at her dwindling pile of chips, and concluded that she should also fold.

 

Feritzia counted the appropriate number of chips and threw them into the pile. "I'll see you," she said.

 

"Aw, shit," Maris said. She flipped her cards face up. "Pair of twos."

 

Feritzia smiled smugly. "You know, I don't think that beats two pair." She turned her cards up triumphantly.

 

"Fucking hell!" Maris exclaimed. She stared at her cards. "Guess I'm out."

 

"And you call yourself a card shark." Feritzia grinned, savoring the moment. "You look more like a guppy to me. Do we need to take you out to the kiddie pool?"

 

Maris took a swig of beer. "Nah," she said. "Let's just take it outside. Fight it out." She jabbed at the air with her fists.

 

"Um…" Feritzia swallowed and looked nervously at Calixta, who smiled and nodded encouragingly. (This wasn't part of the plan,) she thought. (If anything goes wrong, I'm going to kill you and make sure you get buried in an ugly dress.)

 

"Okay," she said, standing up to her full height and speaking with a bluster she didn't feel. "Let's fight! You know I'll kick your skinny New England…butt."

 

Maris roared with laughter. "In those shoes? Come on!"

 

Feritzia looked down at her stiletto-heeled lace-up shoes. "What? I like these shoes!"

 

"Next round!" Miakoda said hastily. Feritzia sat back down, and Maris grabbed her beer bottle off the table and stood against the wall to watch. Miakoda shuffled and dealt to the remaining five players.

 

Adara looked at her cards with great interest, and suddenly they burst into flames. "Damn!" she exclaimed. She quickly smothered the cards with her hand and extinguished the fire. "I got a little too excited there."

 

"Good hand?" Maris asked carelessly.

 

Adara stared regretfully at the charred black cards. "It *was* a straight flush."

 

"It's all right," Miakoda said. "I have another deck." She took it out and began shuffling again.

 

Just then, Mackenzie entered the room. Miakoda immediately dropped the cards and stood up at attention. The others followed suit.

 

"At ease," Mackenzie said. "There's no trouble right now." Everyone relaxed, and Mackenzie smiled. "What are you playing?"

 

"Five card stud, no wilds," Miakoda responded promptly.

 

"May I join you?"

 

"Of course," Miakoda replied.

 

"You can have my seat," Maris said. "I just lost."

 

"Thank you," Mackenzie said, smiling graciously. Just as she sat down, the alarm began ringing.

 

Calixta pulled out her portable computer and linked to the alarm system. "It's in an alley at 7th and West 124th."

 

"Cards can wait," Mackenzie said. "Get moving."

 

She didn't have to tell them twice—or even once, for that matter. The ECC members jumped up and ran to the STAV, ready for a fight.

 

------

 

The ECC fought in a cramped alleyway, mindful of the large group of people gathered at the nearby theatre on the other side of the block. Spotlights swooped through the air, while on the other side of the building, globes of fire and eerie green-orange orbs of energy whizzed by to hit the trash bins and other objects in the alley. Cornered and losing strength quickly, the Hawk fought against another graviton strike quickly followed by another near-strike from Nauticus.

 

"God damn it," Maris cursed under her breath. "Hurry up with the spell Miakoda. We don't have all night!"

 

Adara took up her position to the right of Maris, thus surrounding the Category 2 Hawk. Calixta fired another round at the Hawk, sending it in the direction opposite her where Amber fired another round. Maris sliced off a section of the amoeba-like creature.

 

Another globe of fire hit the Hawk, as well as a jab from a new weapon, Prism. Feritzia slashed again. The sword caused the Hawk to squeal again in pain.

 

"Miakoda, now!" Adara ordered. The Native American closed her eyes and focused, her hands drawn together as if in prayer. A brownish glow took on the air around Miakoda as she incanted. Her hands extended, a ghostly image of an eagle spread from her hands and upward out of sight, until a pillar of light filtered down from the sky—a brilliant bluish white that seemed to first spotlight the Hawk, then immobilize it. The ECC members relaxed a little as it stood stationary and shrieked a high pitch that was distinctly inhuman. Feritzia looked at the creature as it turned from orange to brown and finally to black, and began to shrink while it screamed. Her eyes grew wide and she froze.

 

\\Cement grey surrounded her within the room. At her feet, the six pointed star extended out to the perimeter where six people stood at the points. She raised her head and met the eyes of a large man with jet-black hair and turquoise eyes that almost glowed. He seemed to not notice her as she pleaded for him to help her. He, like the other five, wore similar robes of black with red trim, as they all spoke in a language foreign to her. Whether it was human or alien, she did not know, but the guttural tones only added to her apprehension.

 

Suddenly, her movements and thoughts weren't her own. Her head tilted back, her eyes gazing at a point on the low cement ceiling. She spoke words she did not know and felt power she did not have over take her while she became imprisoned within her own mind. The bluish white light surrounded her. She screamed.\\

 

The light faded from the sky, leaving no trace of the Hawk. A piercing scream cut through the night as Feritzia fell forward, grasping her head. Her sword rolled on the wet pavement before her and Calixta knelt at her side. Babbling incoherently, the ice mage wept.

 

------

 

"Come in," Adara ordered lightly. The door opened slowly, allowing Feritzia to pass quickly and quietly through before closing again with an audible click. She faced her commanding officer at attention.

 

"Reporting as ordered, sir," she said. Her tone was neutral, and it lacked the usual edge of defiance displayed when Adara was around.

 

The auburn-haired woman rose to her feet, gesturing to the two seats in front of her. "At ease," she said. "Have a seat." Feritzia broke her stiff posture, settling into the seat, but refrained from truly being comfortable. Adara took her seat as well and looked at the ensign.

 

Feritzia's eyes were still slightly red from the emotional outburst from only a few hours ago. She seemed distant, almost resigned. Despite the annoyance that Feritzia often caused within the ranks of the ECC, Adara was worried. Something had cracked within the young woman, and it was her job to make sure it was mended as quickly as possible. With the constant increase in Hawk attacks and no one else to fall back on, the ECC needed all the people they had. Thoughts of the impending words with Mackenzie and potentially Marshall made her internally flinch at what privileges and budgets they would cut next should Feritzia be called unfit for service. She sighed, rolling her chair closer to her desk, and the woman across from her. Pursing her lips, she gathered her thoughts and then began.

 

"Ensign Ricci," she started then lowered her tone, "Feritzia. I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier tonight." She paused until Feritzia met her gaze. "I need to know if you're all right."

 

Feritzia's aqua eyes looked down at the floor and she blinked rapidly before sighing dramatically. She looked earnestly at Adara. "Permission to speak freely, sir," she asked.

 

Adara nodded. "Granted," she said.

 

Feritzia tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed again before continuing. "I know that we don't exactly, well, get along...well." She gestured with her hands. Adara nodded, encouraging her to go on. "But I need your help. What happened was that I saw..." She faded away and then started a new train of thought altogether. "Do you promise that this will not get back to the rest of the ECC?" she asked.

 

Adara restrained shock from surfacing on her features then swallowed. "You have my word," she said. Feritzia nodded slightly. She fidgeted with her hands for a few moments, seemingly stalling. Adara was beginning to get impatient when Feritzia finally spoke.

 

"I think I'm getting my memories back," she said very softly. "Memories of what happened before I was…trapped. I remember being in a room. It might have been underground. I remember a star, like the ones we wear. I remember..." she swallowed at the fear that burned behind her eyes. She blinked then continued. "I remember these people. They were saying things and I was scared. I was wrapped in a pillar of light and I screamed." She licked her lips and fidgeted again. "I recognized someone."

 

Adara waited. "Who was it?" she asked.

 

Feritzia let the tears fall again. "Jerel," she whispered. She cried quietly before looking at Adara. "Help me find out what happened to me," she pleaded. "I need to know what happened."

 

Adara quickly began to formulate a suspicion in her mind. She needed to talk to Mackenzie. She nodded. "I'll help you find out," she replied, standing up to escort Feritzia to the door. "Be assured that what was said in here stays in here. I'll have to pull some strings, but we'll figure out what happened to you." She opened the door. "Dismissed."

 

Feritzia started to walk passed her but turned and stopped. She took a breath. "Thank you," she said wiping her eyes. "But if I'm right, I'm the one to blame for this anyway." She saluted and walked down the hall.

 

Adara watched her leave before slowly closing the door and reaching for the phone. Her fingers automatically dialled her commanding officer. "Sir, it's Adara," she said into the receiver. "I need to ask a favor."

 

------

 

"Feritziaaaa!" Maris roared at the top of her lungs, and listened as her shout echoed throughout the huge guest house. After a few minutes of impatient pacing, the sound of high heels on ceramic tile answered her, and a highly annoyed Feritzia strolled into the room.

 

"What's the matter now?" Feritzia groaned, twisting indigo hair between her fingers and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "You going swimming?" she asked, noticing the swimsuit that Maris was dressed in.

 

"The matter is your damn dishes." Maris ignored the last comment, and gestured towards the sink full of slimy, crusty dishes and utensils. "These have been here for the entire week, if not longer. If these are ever going to be usable again, you better clean them up sometime this fucking decade!"

 

Feritzia rolled her eyes. "Come *on*, it's not my problem. Somebody else'll take care of it. If you're going to call me down here, at least make it something important."

 

"Somebody else'll take care of it?!" Maris repeated incredulously. "Who else? I sure as hell ain't doing 'em! Can't you clean up your own damn mess?!"

 

"The maid will take care of it." Feritzia waved absently, and started to head back upstairs.

 

"*We* don't have a maid!" Maris's reproach stopped Feritzia short. "*Adara* has a lady that comes to clean twice a month! And she has enough to do without worrying about your fucking dishes!"

 

"Hey, I'm not the only one who doesn't do chores around here," Feritzia shot back. "Half of those dishes in there are yours. If you care so much, you can clean them."

 

"I…just..SAID I wasn't cleaning them!" Maris charged around so that she was facing Feritzia again. "I at least get my chores done more often than you. Can't you last *one* hour without making someone else do something for you?"

 

"I just don't see why I should bother with it if I don't care, and you're just as much to blame as me. Besides, I just did my nails, and dishwasher soap does absolute murder to nail polish."

 

Maris held shaking hands a few inches away from her thighs, as if barely restraining herself from doing absolute murder to Feritzia. "I honestly cannot wait *another* minute until you move out of this fucking house *forever,*" she said between gritted teeth. "Day after day…all I do is hear you bitch about so much worthless crap!"

 

Feritzia just narrowed her eyes and took a step back, as if trying to avoid an unpleasant odor from Maris. "And all I do is listen to you curse at anything that goes wrong. This isn't your house either, Maris, so why don't *you* move out?"

 

"If only I could!" Maris twitched somewhat. "I've been saving up what I can from my salary this last month so that I can afford a down-payment! All *you've* been doing with your money is buying more goddamn shoes!"

 

"I don't see your point," Feritzia said, examining her nails.

 

Maris didn't answer for a minute, and her face turned several interesting shades of red. Finally, she responded with a typical "Fuck this!" and stormed out of the kitchen.

 

Feritzia watched her go with a look of disdain, and then removed a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator. She looked around for cups, and then realized why Maris had been so angry…all of the cups were still in the sink with the rest of the dirty dishes. All that were left were mugs and wine glasses, and those were just no good for water. Feritzia pursed her lips, absolutely refusing to wash any dishes now and prove Maris right. But that still meant she was without the sparkling water. (This is all Maris's fault! She should've told me there were no cups!) Feritzia thought furiously; the bottle clenched in her fingers started to frost over.

 

"Ma-ris!" Feritzia called out, hoping she could annoy Maris into washing some dishes for her. There was no answer. Feritzia wandered around several rooms, calling out for Maris, and still getting no response. The more she looked, the more irritated she became…a simple glass of water shouldn't require *this* much effort. Finally it dawned on her where Maris was…the same place Maris always went to "get away from Feri's goddamn bitching."

 

Feritzia marched back though several more rooms until she reached the backyard patio and adjoining pool. Maris was doing laps until she noticed Feritzia, then she dived down to the bottom.

 

"Maris!" Feritzia approached the pool cautiously, and leaned over Maris's position. "Maris, come up here, I need you to do something!"

 

There was no reply. Feritzia fumed, suddenly furious with the knowledge that Maris didn't need to come up for air. "Fine then…if you wanna stay down there, then stay down there!" she said with an icy glare.

 

------

 

Adara entered her guest house with a feeling of uneasiness…it was unnaturally quiet, at least as far as Maris and Feri were concerned. Her uneasiness turned into irritation as she noticed a pile of crusty dishes in the sink…no doubt another product of their eternal stubbornness. "Maris! Feritzia!" Adara called out. Her voice just echoed back to her, and Adara began to wonder how much yelling these walls were receiving.

 

Finally, Feritzia trudged into the kitchen, examining her nails and holding a bottle of sparkling water. "Hey, Adara. What is it?" she said in a tone that indicated she didn't care in the least what it was.

 

Adara sighed. "The chief wants us back at Headquarters, suited up and ready to go. Some kind of Hawk problem we need to handle out of state. I tried to call you, but no one answered." Adara finished her statement with an accusing glare.

 

"Oh, I thought it was a telemarketer." Feritzia shrugged.

 

"Telemarketers don't call on the private ECC line," Adara said, twitching. "But it's a little late for that! Just hurry up and get dressed. And where the heck is Maris?"

 

Feritzia shrugged again. "Don't ask me. Probably off catching lobsters or something gross like that." She shuffled off towards her bedroom.

 

Adara left Feritzia to her own devices, hoping that she would at least be halfway dressed in the next half hour. She searched around the guest house for Maris, but couldn't seem to find her. Finally, out on the patio, she thought she heard a dull thumping noise. (Don't tell me Feri did something as childish as locking Maris in the closet…) Adara thought suddenly. She followed the noise until she walked outside to the pool…and stopped cold.

 

Covering the entire pool was a sheet of ice nearly half a foot thick. Maris's silhouette was barely visible beneath the ice, pounding on the barrier and going through just about every obscene word in her vocabulary.

 

Adara groaned aloud, and wondered why, of all the people who couldn't afford their own housing, it had to be Maris and Feritzia. (Whoever thought water and ice would clash this badly?)

 

------

 

Calixta lowered the 'Aurora' close to the water's edge, grimacing at the tight squeeze presented below her. The normally bustling dock was now eerily quiet, although that was not necessarily good news for the ECC.

 

"Looks like the naval department finally got their act together for this," Miakoda commented, scanning the horizon. "I don't see any civilians around."

 

"Good thing too, because those reports were right," Calixta said, studying her scanners with a frown. "There are two Hawks out there…extra-large Category Twos, by the look of it."

 

"All right, we'll try and get these Hawks to separate. I get the sense that we don't quite have the strength to take on both at once. Maris, Amber and Miakoda will take one, and the rest of us will get the other. You all are given permission to use whatever means necessary to bring these two down." Adara's words were confident, but her feelings were anything but. She then turned to Feritzia, who was sitting stiffly in her chair and gripping Prism. "I don't think I need to reiterate the seriousness of the situation. I expect all of you to be paying close attention to this fight, and not make any stupid mistakes."

 

Feritzia shot back a confident "yes sir," but her hands squeezed around Prism trembled. She knew that she hadn't done so well in their last few training sessions, but she hadn't been the only one who'd made mistakes, and she couldn't help feeling that Adara was singling her out.

 

They clambered out of the 'Aurora' one by one, squinting at the cold ocean wind that suddenly bit at their skin. Maris took in a deep breath and stretched, looking very invigorated. "At last, some real room to work! This feels a lot like home."

 

"I still don't see how you could stand to live here," Feritzia muttered, rubbing her shoulders. "It's freezing!"

 

"Little Miss Ice Mage thinks it's too cold?" Maris mocked, leaning in a little too close for comfort. "Considering an incident concerning the dishes and a swimming pool, I'd say it's no less than you deserve. If you don't want to do any work, then just sit back and let Nauticus and me take care of things. You'd probably just mess things up, anyway."

 

Feritzia glared back at Maris, who was giving her a haughty look. "I can fight Lucifer Hawks just as well as you can, if not better. And now that I have Prism, there's no way those Hawks can beat me."

 

"I guess we'll just have to see who has the better sword," Maris challenged, and walked off to join Amber and Miakoda. Feritzia didn't answer, and wondered if Maris was just acting tough, especially with the strong feeling of ice magic in the air. If there was more ice magic present, it would certainly help Feri more than anyone else.

 

Adara came up beside Feritzia as Calixta's voice came from the 'Aurora.' "The Hawks are taking the bait…one is moving towards each group."

 

"I don't see anything," Adara said, despising the ever-present coastal fog.

 

"That's because you're not underwater," Calixta explained. "I think the one coming our way is a water Lucifer Hawk."

 

"Perfect…and Maris is on the other end of the dock," Adara groaned. She knew that her fire powers were not going to be much of a threat against a water Hawk. "Feri, I'm counting on you for this one. Just try and freeze the Hawk in place, and we'll go at it."

 

"Salt water doesn't freeze," Feritzia pointed out. "I'd just have to wait until it surfaced anyway."

 

"Just do whatever you can," Adara snapped back.

 

Right as they turned to face the ocean, a massive bulge broke the calm surface, charging towards the dock at a breakneck speed. Before anyone could even blink, an enormous tentacle whipped from the water around Adara's leg, throwing her onto her back. The tentacle receded back towards the water, dragging Adara along with it. "Feritzia!" Adara yelled between thumps on wood.

 

Feritzia charged forward, holding Prism in an attack position. She drove the sword into the tentacle, and yelled out a spell to freeze it in place. However, the Hawk barely flinched at the attack, and continued to drag Adara away. Just before Adara reached the end of the dock, she grabbed her gun from its holster and shot herself free.

 

"I tried to get it, I don't know what happened—" Feritzia blurted as Adara got to her feet, shaken and furious.

 

A half dozen more tentacles shot out of the water, along with a monstrous fish-like head lined with jagged teeth. Adara and Feritzia avoided the whipping tentacles as best they could, although it was impossible to get a lock on the Hawk's head because of them. Calixta took the hint, and flew the 'Aurora' close behind her teammates. "Let's see how well *you* dodge,* Calixta yelled, and fired a torrent of missiles at the Hawk's head.

 

Their opponent let out a garbled moan of pain, and the ocean around them frothed from the explosions. However, when the spray settled, the Hawk appeared only somewhat scarred. If nothing else, it seemed some of the missiles had bounced off its skin. "Okay, so dodging wasn't necessary. Aren't you the special one," Calixta scoffed down at the dock.

 

"Calixta, you do realize we're the only ones that can hear you," Adara called back.

 

"Right," Calixta said. "Sorry."

 

When the Hawk couldn't seem to reach the two humans, it resorted to smashing the dock to splinters, causing its opponents to retreat. Adara threw a handful of fireballs at the Lucifer Hawk, and they seemed to do some damage, but most of the flames were extinguished by the seawater. "Feritzia, get in there!" Adara yelled.

 

Feritzia nodded, and tried her best to stand her ground against the collapsing dock. She concentrated all of her will into her hands and Prism, feeling her blood run cold with the power of ice. More than anything, she wanted to defeat this Lucifer Hawk…she wanted to prove that she was fast, that she was capable, that she was better than all of them at this dangerous job. She was tired of Adara's scolding, Maris's jeers, Miakoda's aloofness, Amber's disappointment, Calixta's sympathy and Mackenzie's authority. She concentrated her energy until her hands went numb all the way up to her elbows, then released it in an immense spell at the Lucifer Hawk. It hit the Hawk between the eyes, spreading ice down its snout and along its webbed spikes. The Hawk let out a squeak as the ice solidified in its blood, freezing it in place. Feritzia felt a grin spread across her face.

 

Just then, the Lucifer Hawk stirred, and thrust its head up violently. Huge chunks of ice flew from its body as if it were shaking off water. Pieces of the ice smashed through the dock, and barely missed both Adara and the 'Aurora.' Feritzia then realized where the ice magic was coming from… (That Lucifer Hawk is using the same magic I am!)

 

The sound of splintering metal caused Adara and Feritzia to turn around. The 'Aurora' was teetering precariously in midair; one of the small steering wings torn in half. Calixta was yelling something incomprehensible, and doing her best to keep the STAV aloft. A massive Lucifer Hawk suddenly appeared above it, and sneered down at them.

 

"Where the heck are the others?!" Adara said between gritted teeth.

 

Her question was answered by Maris, Miakoda and Amber running up alongside the concrete walk to their position. "We tried to keep him there…but he just…" Amber huffed, out of breath. Miakoda's jacket was stained with dark red splotches, although she was choosing to ignore this fact.

 

"Why didn't you tell me you guys had a water Hawk?! Let me at him!" Maris said. She stripped off her ECC uniform, revealing a black wetsuit underneath. Holding Nauticus to her side, she dived into the water without another word.

 

"Feritzia, you let Maris handle the water Hawk! I don't want you freezing Nauticus or something ridiculous like that," Adara demanded.

 

"I wasn't going to—"

 

"Calixta, land the 'Aurora' now!" Adara said, watched as the second Hawk circled the STAV menacingly.

 

"I can't do anything if I'm on the ground!" Calixta yelled back.

 

"You can't do anything if you're dead, either," Adara growled, not in the mood to argue with her subordinates. "Land the 'Aurora,' and you can help fight on foot."

 

The Hawk swung its arm suddenly, knocking the back fin off the vehicle and sending it into a tailspin. It landed roughly on the concrete, thick smoke, spewing from the rear.

 

"Calixta!" several voices shouted at once.

 

Calixta emerged from under the 'Aurora,' coughing and drawing her weapon. She stared in horror at the wrecked STAV, then turned her fury towards the Hawk. "I speak for the taxpayers of America when I say you are going *down*!"

 

Feritzia studied the new Hawk carefully, and felt the same sort of power she'd felt from the first one…both their opponents were endowed with ice magic. She just couldn't understand why Adara or Miakoda couldn't sense it as well. "Adara, these Lucifer Hawks are—"

 

"Feritzia, stop talking and get helping! Distract it while Miakoda and I take this thing down."

 

Feritzia fumed. How was she supposed to use ice magic against this Lucifer Hawk when it was unaffected by her spells? Amber and Calixta were firing repeatedly at the Hawk, but it was dodging all of their bullets. (Perhaps if I can get it to stay still while Calixta and Amber shoot it…)

 

She concentrated again, and this time directed her spell at the sea-dampened ground. A thin layer of ice quickly spread out around the Hawk, causing it to slip and land hard. It didn't do much good, however, as the ice also spread under Calixta and Amber's feet. Their boots skidded on the unstable ground, and they were unable to recover as quickly as the Lucifer Hawk.

 

Miakoda grabbed several sprigs of herbs from her pouch and held them away from her. She closed her eyes and began to chant in Navajo. Adara sparked a small flame beneath the herbs, which quickly consumed them in a burst of blue and purple smoke. Miakoda scattered the ashes and brought her hands in to her chest. Calixta, Amber and Feritzia scrambled to get out of the way, seeing that she was preparing to launch a large spell. The Lucifer Hawk, sensing the Miakoda was apparently defenseless, charged forward.

 

"Mai-coh!" Miakoda cried, her voice reverberating in the cold air.

 

Just as the Hawk was upon her, a huge silver-gray image of a wolf appeared from her outstretched arms. The wolf let out an unearthly howl before closing its jaws around the Hawk's throat.

 

The Hawk roared, clawing at the blue-green blood that was spilling from its cut throat. The wolf disappeared into the ocean mist, and Miakoda collapsed from exhaustion as soon as it was gone. The Hawk writhed on the icy ground, attempting to reach one of the ECC members in its death throes. Several bullets from Amber and Calixta and a fire spell from Adara finally finished off their enemy.

 

Amber glared at Feritzia, brushing the ice off her pants. "Careful with those spells, okay? We're not on ice skates, here."

 

"I was just trying to—"

 

Feritzia was interrupted once again by the water Lucifer Hawk. It broke the water in an explosion of sound, and flung Maris back onto land. She got back to her feet, wincing, and tossed her dripping hair out of her eyes. "Damn bastard's slippery as an eel! I can't ever get a good hit on him."

 

//Ms. Lynn, it also seems that this creature is resistant to the attacks you are using,// Nauticus commented.

 

Feritzia stared into the Lucifer Hawk, and it stared back at her. Even with its dull, fish-like eyes, it seemed to be looking at her with an air of superiority, mocking her frustration. It knew that her powers were not very effective against it, and it intended to use that fact to its advantage. It was intending to make her powers seem useless…and her teammates believed it.

 

Feritzia felt an intense fury burning away the ice in her body. (I'm sick of everyone being against me…not just these Hawks, but also my teammates! And it's because of them that I can never keep anyone happy!)

 

The fury intensified until Feritzia's fingers turned blue. She pointed Prism at the Lucifer Hawk and directed all of her energy at it, not caring whether or not it also used ice magic. The ice spell struck the Hawk dead-on…and bounced right off. A hailstorm of ice rained back on the ECC, covering the broken dock in frozen pebbles and producing several shouts from the women. Feritzia covered her face from the ice crystals, but also from the looks she knew she was getting from her teammates.

 

"Maris, do you want to try that one spell we found?" Adara called out as the Lucifer Hawk charged forward again.

 

"You bet," Maris answered, holding Nauticus at a ready position. Adara had discovered the combination spell while searching through some old books of hers, and she and Maris had been practicing it for the past few weeks. It seemed like an appropriate time to put it to the test.

 

/Rain of fire, rain of ice/

/Opposing forces meet to make/

/A rain of wind and blood/

/I call upon the life-giver/

/Urias sel hydris/

/Yurias kel hydris/

/Lurias tel hydris!/

 

As Maris said her half of the spell in Atlantean, a swirling whirlpool of seawater originated from Nauticus, causing the Lucifer Hawk to halt momentarily. At the same time, Adara completed her half in English:

 

/Rain of fire, rain of ice/

/Opposing forces meet to make/

/A rain of wind and blood/

/I call upon the death-bringer/

/Lurias tel pyris/

/Yurias kel pyris/

/Urias sel pyris!/

 

From Adara's hands, a column of flame spread and encircled Maris's whirlpool. Fire and water met in a stormcloud of steam and heat. The vortex of boiling water collided with the Hawk and surrounded it. From somewhere within the cloud of steam and water, an inhuman shriek of pain was heard; the sound of a creature being boiled alive. The steam from the whirlpool spread out until it covered everything they could see, and there was a brief moment of panic when any warnings of danger were completely hidden. As the steam finally died away, so did the Hawk's shriek. When the air was clear once again, all that was left was half-melted ice on the broken dock.

 

"See? Lobsters really do scream when you boil 'em alive," Maris said with satisfaction.

 

The ECC slowly recovered themselves, some quicker than others. Adara turned angrily to Feritzia, who was standing wet and bewildered.

 

"I thought I said for everyone to watch what they were doing! Did you even stop to *think* about the people around you?! You had us running for our lives more often than the Lucifer Hawks!"

 

Feritzia's shoulders slumped. The Hawks were dead, but the frustration hadn't gone away. "I was trying my best…but those Lucifer Hawks were using my spells…"

 

"Yes, and more effectively than you," Adara interrupted. The field commander took a deep breath and then walked toward the STAV to asses the damage.

 

Maris came up behind Feritzia and added, "Told you to let me handle things. By the way…your shoes are wet."

 

"I don't care about the shoes…" Feritzia started to say, but Maris stopped listening. Feritzia looked around for anyone who would listen to her, but Amber was helping Miakoda with her wounds, and Calixta was too distraught over the damage to the 'Aurora' to notice anything else. Even if they did speak to her, Feritzia knew what sort of feelings she'd receive…resentment, disappointment and sympathy. (They're no better than me…so why is everything my fault?)

 

------

 

Mackenzie flipped through the reports a second time, then looked back up at her subordinates. They all wore identical looks of both satisfaction and hesitance, except for Feritzia, who didn't bother with the satisfaction.

 

"I see you managed to destroy both the Lucifer Hawks, but not without damaging the surrounding area, the STAV, and yourselves," Mackenzie stated plainly.

 

"I'll be fine," Miakoda reassured her. "Just some scratches…it should be healed in a few days."

 

Mackenzie knew that Miakoda was underestimating her injuries, but decided not to press the matter…Miakoda was at least a little more realistic than Calixta. "And Ensign Ricci…" Feritzia froze. "I have some conflicting reports concerning your conduct during this battle."

 

"There was nothing wrong with my conduct—"

 

"Ensign Ricci, I already have your opinion on this matter. The problem is that this is obviously not the first complaint I've heard about you." Mackenzie tapped the papers into a neat stack. "We did come here to fight those particular Lucifer Hawks. However, Equine Cleanup and Control is also going to begin evaluation by the naval committee concerning our budget and our progress," Mackenzie continued amidst groans from the other six women. "Reports of your misconduct have reached the Chief of Naval Operations…you're to report to him at 15:00 hours two days from now at his office. I suggest you wear something nice," she finished curtly.

 

The other women suddenly became very quiet. Sure they all had their complaints about Feri, but they never thought it would get her in trouble with anyone higher than Mackenzie. Feritzia gulped visibly.

 

"Dismissed."

 

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Feritzia: Just when things couldn't get any worse…they get a lot better! Someone important to me has returned! But I can't shake this feeling that there's something different about him…and I'm not sure how my teammates will react if they find out who he really is.

 

Chapter 12: Time Enough