Chapter Text
|New Eridu, Janus Quarter, Sixth Street - Year 1X, AHZD
Belle Arna, one half of Interknot’s Legendary Proxy “Phaethon”, Co-Manager of Sixth Street’s Random Play, and a secret bearer of a legacy an entire magnitude greater than herself, was naturally attuned to her life being a fucking mess.
After at least a decade of “lively times”, it was the norm she had the (mis)fortune of growing ambivalent to. Surviving their home’s full-scale raid and collapse, after her life was irreparably shattered a few days before. Drifting from multiple post-disaster camps each time they ceased providing. Desperate hoarding of their few scavenged belongings because damage, theft, or loss was now unthinkable. Hunting voraciously for some semblance of secure footing to start their lifelong investigation.
Not to mention the constant stares over their backs, dreading the reality where someone, somehow, pegs them as “the Children of the Devil” and calls for righteous action.
The pressure of Proxy work merely adapted the previous hardships into different forms. It rarely eased. It never got lighter.
But Belle had to grow up. They had to, if their goal was ever to become reality.
So, after enough brushes with true horror, fear became a comfort. Terror gave them strength. Agents ceased feeling untouchable to the needs of the living. The Hollows became something to dissect again, not drown in memories toward. And slowly but surely, after settling in Sixth Street and starting their operation proper, “Phaethon” began genuinely treading the once-impossible horizon. A stratum to genuinely surpass one day.
Their scars couldn’t hold them forever. Not for family.
Such distinctions belonged to your eternally broken friendships, of course-
—But even with the Proxy’s now intimate situationship to chaotic overturns…
“What the hell is this?” Quietly strangled out of her worn vocals.
Wise smiled helplessly. She and her brother, trays in hand, had barely made it through the door before the latest development in their sitcom called life caught her gawking.
Seven piles of black fabric were plastered around her room. Like that time the Hares needed space for promotional banners, only just of one color instead of fifty. Each “mound” varying in size and puffiness, standing tall in their unique statures.
Of course, because they were actually cloaks and were currently worn by people at the moment.
Those people being the f*cking Void Hunters.
Plural.
All. Seven. Members.
For the eighth time that night, Belle wondered if she had fallen back asleep. It was entirely possible; the Co-manager was running on barely five hours of sleep. She was thinking about help a minute before. The Void Hunters directly after. This could all fit into some delirium of the subconscious, forged from one of her many preferred fantasies.
I mean, what self-respecting idealist in New Eridu hasn’t thought of something like this? Your favorite set of real-world legends just showing up at your house? Wild fever dream born of her palpable, exhausted frustration. Things were never that convenient for them.
The light soreness in the Manager’s ribs duly informed otherwise. She was definitely awake.
The culprit of such was still present, perched high and comfortably seated atop the largest fella in the room. A massive Intelligence Construct who effortlessly grappled her brother with one hand. His current head accessory, meanwhile, had disarmed three combatants in less than a second—of which Belle still had bruising from. Yet despite their cold opposition filling the air not a few minutes ago, the two were now the picture of serenity, casually scrolling through the Fox Thiren’s phone.
How those were even working was certainly a question. Answered courteously by the walking Torchhead Teach in the flesh, casually pulling out a folding mini control tower from somewhere under his cloak, tinkering with the laptop she left at her desk. And within a minute, all seven models, a hundred years outdated(?), were independently connected to the Interknot with not one internal wire tripped.
Again. Just casually.
The absurd hilarity crashed Belle’s mental hospital of a thought train into reset. Instead, for her own sanity, she slowly, forcibly, recounted how things ended up like this.
<->
The black-robed attacker had finally seen fit to stop silencing any of her screams. With more force than may have been necessary, Belle pushed the relenting Fox Thiren off of her. Immediately, she dashed into her room proper.
The larger figure at the door had thankfully allowed her through. Ignoring both the raucous laughter from the Bird Thiren and the pointed looks from the other weirdos, the Co-manager finally had returned to her brother’s side. He’d recovered and was now standing before the beacon who had caught both of their attentions, in spite of all the unknown terror of being assaulted in one’s own home.
This time, not slightly concussed by impact, the Proxy had a much clearer inspection of the stranger. Black long cloak. Fiery violet “head” (Is that a head?). A distinct lack of breathing or sense of life in front of them. Just like a corpse. Just like their teacher described in wistful detail.
It was him. The Founder Professor. The City’s Defender who’d disappeared into the proverbial and perhaps literal ether for an entire era.
With all the chaos of the last few minutes, Belle found her immediate reaction appropriately justified.
“WHAT THE FU-“
The profanity was cut off. A crack of impact resounded as the large-eared black mass instinctively descended upon the disruptive noise. Phaethon thoroughly tasted the floor once more.
<->
Sooooo, the pink-haired angel stopped dying of laughter at their predicament; the two managers finally accomplished the disarming of any perceived hostilities. In that same time, slowly realizing that the Founding Torchhead’s fellow “intruders” were more than a little familiar—and whose combined presence in total was making Belle see white spots. All of which had done nothing to alleviate her post-awakening headache.
Not that Proxy helped much in her own capacity.
"How are you alive?!"
A second, much more impulsive, much less tactful outburst. All seven snapped to attention like an Ethereal playing Hollow hooky.
Admittedly, Belle probably should have gotten them a little settled in before even asking about that. Her teacher always chided her for letting her emotions dictate much when things became too stressful. She had been working at it. Their career as a Proxy necessitated a cooler head when the path ahead twisted on a whim. But it seemed her stint of sleeplessness had not finished revealing new problems the Manager was currently unable to solve.
She and her brother narrowly talked their way into a few more minutes of reprieve by way of offering complimentary refreshments. After that, well… the Proxy genuinely had no clue.
Only that the conversation would definitely require a few thousand shots of caffeine in her system, of which she had only managed five in their allotted time. The other five went to Wise. She was a good sister like that.
Unlike their resident “ultimate assistant”, whose current self-diagnostics had left both her masters hanging dry. Thank you, Fairy~
Meanwhile, their new guests’ newly connected devices had been shared between several pairs as they sat to reconvene independently. The pale-haired masked man and horned lady sat before the floorboard slat of her bed. The purple-haired woman and her winged partner leaned against her photo wall. The aforementioned fox and construct had taken to the W-Engine shelf. And the professor themselves stood alone near the window alongside his dish. Not one took their eyes off as all manner of searching silently loaded before the two Managers’ eyes. Some amused, others mostly curious.
They were surfing, Belle belatedly realized. Wasn’t that a hilarious mental block the former Student had made for herself? It made sense. Information was gold in any discussion. Her hapless words were not helping.
The Mural in Helios Academy still lingered in her mind. Seven figures of legendary status. Mythical forces of nature whose actions bent the shape of history. The acada- her home alone loved each and every one like they crafted the sky and forged civilization with a wave of their wills.
In a way, that belief hadn’t exactly been wrong. Present day, and their legacy could still be felt in every part of New Eridu.
The Darkwall’s current boundary, allowing Eridu to expand long enough to weather Disaster Zero. The invention of Bangboo, whose existence continued to assist in numerous critical operations around the new capital. The HIA’s numerous developments regarding Hollow Investigation, hailing from the renowned predecessors that founded it. At that same time, the foundation of Proxies, a job she and her brother have counted innumerable blessings upon. Her former home went without mention.
And most recently, a certain thiren swordswoman saving Eous’ life while earnestly hunting an abomination of an Ethereal at least a hundred times her size.
And now here they were.
In her room.
Scrolling.
Important scrolling, no doubt, but seriously…
“Uh.”
Seven gazes fell upon her in an instant—each a distinct echo of focus. The tray in her hands suddenly felt a lot heavier than a moment ago.
“We brought refreshments! And snacks!”
Was the younger Co-manager of Random Play upping her cheer factor tenfold? Yes. Normal behavior. Cordial pleasantries. Shut-up nerves. Her teacher didn’t raise no coward.
For all my proficiency at-
I said shut up! In any case, they clearly weren’t going to hurt her. Anymore. It was fine.
Belle regathered her nerve and made her way to the closest duo. If she was reading their eyes (and this entire situation, her mind piecing together a very strange puzzle with each minute) right, then maybe they would appreciate some casual interaction.
“Would you like some?”
Playing Proxy had the benefit of improving her acting. Rescues clients especially. The Manager dramatically gestured to her tray of canned beverages. Wise backed her up, gesturing to his own tray filled with a multitude of servables for guests. Not that they had anything high quality, but it was passable for short-notice munchies. Eous and 06 walked behind as well. If partially for curiosity and mostly for their older family’s sake. Unarmed Bangboo were generally disarming; both knew that. Belle would have to thank them later.
The purple-haired woman was the first. She had set down her phone and turned to the younger girl in full. Instead of waiting, she met her halfway, releasing the hand of the pink-haired angel, striding at a deliberately casual pace.
She stopped one foot away.
Then... those eyes narrowed. It was quick, silent, and nearly imperceptible, retracting into a violet edge for half a second.
Those seconds were hell.
Piercing slits struck true. The Proxy felt her own unmasking in milliseconds. The bubbly expression she wore. The hum of cheer she was carrying. All the fear and suspicion she understandably held in the back of her mind. They were pulled to the full front by the woman’s visual incision.
Some part of the Proxy helpfully supplied that intense eye contact was an interrogation technique.
The purple eyes had fully reverted by the time her thought completed, filling the white of the taller woman’s sclera as if she solely held basic cordiality. Calmly, she took two cans, passing one to her winged companion, and slowly turned around.
A wide grin, if practiced, split around her side.
“Thank you,” Traded comfortably. Like a sword neatly sheathed after a threat.
Belle nodded back, equal measures assured and rattled, as she went to the next pair. It was not the first appraisal she’d been under; more militaristic clients had at times done something similar. The manager often came off as a bit too perky for the workline of either Proxy or Investigator. If the first encounter didn’t convince them, she was happy to prove them wrong in the field.
Still not my favorite pastime. That woman’s stare made her feel nude. And not in the fun way.
From the corner of her eye, the Manager could feel the pink-haired angel peering between the Proxy and her partner. A look of curiosity. Followed by intrigue. And something much less honest and far more… Fairy when she was particularly uppity. The slowly sharpening smile was practically waving red flags that Belle’s sixth sense had no intention of deconstructing at the moment. Wise arrived with the snacks for the two, and the heat was slowly pulled off of the side of her head.
The second pair was… similar to the first… albeit more straightforward.
“Hey, are you two-?”
If Belle had a metaphor for the freeze she had undergone, it would have been: muted in fear and executed on the spot. In an instant, the Fox Thiren’s eyes bore down at her. The blade already drawn. It pierced into her soul, unwrapping every layer of emotional secrecy, cutting to the last, most innocent self below. Every pretense, mask, deception she could ever mentally place, and probably a few more she hadn’t even conceived.
The Thiren’s calm amber removed all opposition and reached for her objective: the shape of her target’s soul.
Belle could not return a defense. You do not defend against a falling star. It crashes through the opposition. Those in its path pray for mercy. If the first strike had been unnerving, this blow was all-consuming. The younger girl could feel color bleed out of her cheeks as the meteoric impact struck her dead on.
But like the martial woman before, the blade fox severed her glance without fanfare—returning to the serene passivity exuding from her black-cloaked self at the flip of a switch. Pressure scattered like rain as an exhale reached the Proxy’s immediate cognition, the breath she hadn’t even perceived choking down.
Ok, maybe tone down the faux cheer. Did they all have a thing against acting? Or just being overly friendly? The Fox Thiren’s ears flickered once, as if in validation, while their owner passively cut off the outside world.
The large intelligence construct, thankfully, aside from a slight tilt of his head unit, displayed only basic neutrality toward her. No scare. No eyes-based murder. After a moment of contact, he raised both his massive hands and reached for the tray. Two smaller sets of “fingers” within the palms easily grasped the cans.
They were pulled off in swift fashion, with a precise delicacy the Manager had not anticipated. Not even Billy was that deft.
Submanipulators. Functional ones. It’s been a while since she’d seen a model that fine-tuned, if ever. Some of her old classmates would have drooled at its articulation in motion. Old civilization fluidity? I wonder what else he has?
“Gratitude, little one.”
A calm vocalization brought her attention upward. Deep, with a slight digital gravitas the Proxy would expect of his stature. Yet, a note of kindness bled between the lines, subverting the intimidation in its whole. His pale white helm gave the briefest of nods before his appendage lifted, the second beverage grasped by the resting Fox.
A slightly more eased Manager walked off, feeling the blood-red lights of his optics trail her back a moment longer.
Next on the list was—a black glove raised before she could proceed.
“No need, young lady,” gesturing to the voided space set ablaze. A thought came wandering: did he constantly superheat any beverage regardless? Belle held her internal inquiry as the man continued, “I suggest you save those for someone who needs it.”
His posture shifted slightly, tilting forward to the center couch. “Perhaps yourself, if this proceeds as we both predict.”
Another slow nod at the long round of digestion Belle was preparing for this night. Wise’s share of the caffeine had only become more enticing. We should have made more in advance; hindsight and all that.
…Wait a moment. Does that mean we’re actually thinking the same thing? Belle quietly glanced at the professor.
Eleven years younger, and perhaps she would have found accomplished pride in the idea. Instead, the former student shoved the momentary understanding out the window and proceeded to her bed. Things to do, things to do. Eous had cut off trailing her brother and chosen to catch up with her this time.
The last two had stopped midway through the scrolling, with the horned lady passing her phone to the masked emo-looking man and walking ahead like the first pair. Her pace was almost regal, her figure conveying its authority with body language alone.
…The short approach also made one critical physical difference between the two women very clear.
Was she always this tall? The portraits in her old home always seemed to be artistic license. “Larger than life” was a common trope for people like her—a simple metaphor of monumental impact. All of the independent art pieces commissioned were similar.
But no, not an allegory at all. Horns aside, she genuinely towered over both Billy and Anton. Miss “Charon” was already out of the discussion. The lady, a neutral blank expression plastered over her face, took a slow once-over of the drink selection. Incredibly slow.
For a moment, Belle thought she offended her guest’s sensibilities. Again? The young woman braced for death glare number three.
It never arrived. Instead, the lady elegantly grasped three without complaint. Two of her choices… curiously for Intelligence Constructs.
The lady placed one of them, along with a conventional soda, next to her search buddy (the man idly opening one without looking, took a sip through(?) his mask, and subsequently clicked his tongue in irritation), and then walked back to the Manager. Before she could even ask, the other woman knelt to her knees.
Specifically, knelt just before Eous, who had taken to the space just before Belle’s feet.
“Would you like one?” A kind, maternal tone. Her lips turned upward, offering the third drink with all the warmth of a parent speaking to their child. Which would be accurate if she really is who Belle thinks, but…
By the natural laws, that smile. The Proxy swore that direct exposure briefly blinded her. Worse than the time Soldier 11 accidentally left a flashbang in the HDD room post-commission. Note to self: invest in indoor sunglasses.
“En-na? En-nah! (Really kind lady? Thank you!)” She kindly opened the can for their little brother and handed the drink over. His adorable little nubs shook with the simple joy only a Bangboo like Eous could possess. “En-nah? (Can I sit with you?)”
The lady softly chuckled. “Of course.”
He then turned to his older sister. Intentions were made clear.
Belle felt her own lips curl at the interaction. God, why was her little brother so cute? Adorable coercion aside, Eous had a decent knack for filtering out the trustworthy. Simply asking at all meant it was probably fine. She nodded in assent. “Go ahead, you little rascal.”
Eous happily ran the two’s sitting area, flinging right next to the emo-looking stranger without a care in the world. That actually spiked her heart rate: the guy looked pretty engrossed in whatever was on his device. He hadn’t even looked up despite her proximity. And despite the potential codename, the guy really did not match jubilation in appearance.
On second thought, maybe I should…
His hand landed over the top of Eous’s frame. All fingers flattened against his head, rounding the entire crown surface before lifting up. Then down. Then up again.
He’s patting. The gesture was surprisingly tender, even with the “not glancing at the object of affection”. Her little brother welcomed love openly. The horned lady, meanwhile, smiled again (Belle glanced to the wall) before rejoining him on the other side, leaving the Manager alone with the remains of their demolished drink stores.
Ok that’s everyone. Her interim task complete, Belle returned to her room’s exit. It was really the only free space left aside from the couch in the center. Which she obviously was not courting yet, for obvious reasons. Wise finally met her by the door a few minutes later, his tray of goodies empty.
“Miss ‘Ramiel’ said she was a bit… peckish.” The bead of sweat rolling down his side told her all she needed about that interaction. Behind him, the loud munching from the first of five chip bags appropriated, sparkles seemingly radiating from her greasy little devouring. Paired with the long-suffering sighs of her purple-haired partner.
Her brother shook his head. “Are you alright?”
“About as well as I can be.” For being death glared twice at minimal caffeine. “Let’s do this.”
<->
Professor Arche was rarely an idle man. What he wasn’t doing with his hands, he’d be analyzing tenfold. Some called such multi-tasking. He’d correct them. Given his years of optimization, it deserved another classification entirely. “Omni-tasking” was a skill the man took small pride in, teaching it to his apprentices knowing they’d thank him during that midnight experiment session. For the moment, it’s served the purpose of keeping him informed.
From observation data alone, Arche had concluded three points.
One: This was not Eridu. Air pollution alone was enough of an indicator. The capital often held too many ether filters in the air. Other, more important matters had contravened developments on that front. Most were simply content that the city could exist at all to bemoan the air quality too harshly.
Two: They were not in a Hollow. The Zeroth One had a particular signature that ran through all of its branches. Even the most pitiful companion Hollow could not erase such markers. And he felt none of them enclosed within their radius.
Three: They were not supposed to be here.
The most enigmatic of the points by obvious virtues. Helpfully supported by the two outbursts their current hosts blew at him specifically.
Both the brother and sister were wound up tighter than Carole’s mechanical sundial. Sleepless like his apprentice, too: their rest hours could not have exceeded a quarter of the day. Even so, both had not ceased calculating their surroundings, pushing every point of brainpower to unravel the situation. Had they’d been enrolled, Arche’s other students would have gladly inaugurated them.
But their extensive intracranial implant locks(?) aside, the octaves the pair bellowed at them confirmed two more points. One, this was no ploy by them. And two, their appearance was far more anomalous than previously considered.
While civilians often had a habit of placing him and his colleagues above basic normalcy (the things Arche puts up with for ease of funding), they would inevitably de-escalate after a few minutes. Not that their excitement was any less curbed, but rather, a more basic understanding. “They have things to do,” most would reason and leave it at that to make sure less souls go to waste.
Few civilians ever screamed at a guttural level at their appearance… and then continued to stare as if they were ghosts haunting the living. Not after Eridu’s formal establishment, at least.
Time dilation? The abnormal fissure may have held them longer than he had physically perceived. Their creations often held such fun surprises. They may have been reported as MIA or assumed dead, depending on the duration of their absence. Those thoughts pulled him to the laptop set on the center table.
While the two siblings had rambled their way into an exit, the only request was that none of the seven leave the sister’s room for the moment. They said nothing, verbally speaking, regarding explicit prohibitions upon touching anything. Only implicit boundaries regarding intruding on personal belongings.
Was that a Joyous-type rationalization? Most indubitably: the man himself had already taken three pointed glances at the device since their entry. Had that stopped him or the Ace Drunkard from breaching the devices of the far more wealthy and/or volatile, regardless? The vast gigabytes of defensive blackmail in their server were enough of an admission.
“Pass your personal communicators.”
“Oh~? Already committing breaking and entry?” She had already fished out her phone, passing to her partner, who dropped both into his palm. Despite her “critique”, Dan radiated amused cooperation. “But they were so cute~“
“First appraisal does not excuse our current disadvantage.”
A whole magnitude of an understatement, considering every one of them had somehow lost their Karma Core weapons in transit. Including himself, as much of an impossibility that was with its… current implementation.
But no: it too was absent. As had Dan’s wings, plucked right off her rear. Vike’s odachi ripped out of her gauntlet’s holster. A gaping new cavity was formed within the guard of the tincan’s greatsword. Sunbringer and the Ace Drunkard had misplaced their standard and cane despite their death grips on both.
The state of affairs would have been a disaster had neither of their most ether-sensitive confirmed evaporation within the spatial fissure. Not much better, but the fact that his body was still functional seemed like another fluke to add in their increasingly ridiculous predicament. His personal status was relegated to negligibility from the start, so Arche boxed the matter for when the main mission required their immediate attention.
“I am in agreement,” Hoshimi declared, offering her phone alongside a second from the Falkenhaye Tincan’s shoulders. Considering the loss of Tailless, such sentiments were more than expected of the dutiful head. “Those two are no threat on the physical level. That in no way guarantees we are not in the grip of an enemy. Like the grand creatures trapped in aquatic prison tanks.”
…Never mind.
On the other hand, the Swordmaster did possess little personal regard for the family heirloom, before and after it became a Void Hunter weapon. Her care boiled down solely to the fact the katana was ‘useful’ in her function of slaying evil. No matter how ill the newly reforged entity within cursed her name and face for probable generations.
Concerning the possibility of a trap, the whole concept seemed to tickle Joyous’s jocularity more than anything—Ace Proxy snickering softly as his phone was handed off. “Sure. The last thing we’d want to be is Truman Show’d.”
He genuinely considered the scenario for a moment while downing the remains of his flask’s contents. “Breakout sounds like a fun afternoon, though.“
Large hooded ears flicked once at the comment.
Arche facepalmed. Why did they ever attend that day’s lecture? “Joyous, stop egging her on. And for the last time, Hoshimi: the aquarium is not a ‘fish prison’.”
“Correct, Professor. Other sea-based creatures remain trapped alongside their oceanic brethren.” Nodding rapidly as if he validated anything. “With the ill motives of the captors' endlessly deception, they remain an evil that counts its sunrises under my watch.”
“They were sanctioned to house-”
“A more heinous crime: one cowering beneath lawful protection.”
“I’d disagree, but that would be hypocritical.” Mercenary Colonel Vike chimed in, amsued smile unhidden. “She isn’t technically wrong.”
“An observation.” The war construct unhelpfully added. “Fish tanks display little distinction in concept from sanctioned penitentiary cells. Both possess the bare necessities required for their inhabitants to survive. Yet the inhabitants of the former cannot be convicted by conventional norms. Ergo, there is validity in a moral qualm against their permitted existence.”
“Precisely. It was a group ‘Moral Reinforcement’ Training session.” Swordmaster certainly radiated that moral victory.
The last device was handed wordlessly by Sunbringer: her heterochromatic stars firmly averted at the wall. If he were a betting man (his billions in dennies made earlier that morning made that evident), he’d have said she was avoiding her own remark. The Professor was simultaneously grateful yet betrayed all the same.
“I duly revoke all relief held in your safe appearances. The digestive tract of an Ethereal would have been more pleasant company.”
“You were worried?~” Cooed with utmost snark by Dan. “Awwww, Professor. You do have a heart.”
Not dignifying the faux squawking of his colleague, The foremost Professor of his Era swiftly cracked the laptop’s passcode and reaped its enlightenment. Interknot’s base components seem unchanged. Its status foretold nothing, but something to keep in mind in later endeavors. A quick adapter swap, activating the B.A.B.E.L sub-pillar, unlocking his fourteenth hidden backdoor just to be safe, and all seven of their personal devices should be connected in the next few seconds.
Now where is that date? Preliminary guestimates: more than a year. Enough for the world to mourn but not long for the initial absents to-
1X AHZD
Arche’s Thought Express ground to an ear-splitting halt.
<->
Wise had gone through about eight iterations of the inevitable conversation. As with everything in their lives, not one ended in a non-headache-inducing conclusion.
With a heavy heart, he and Belle took the center couch, naturally garnering the attention of all seven displaced figures. Most pointedly: the focus of the Founding Professor himself. It was to be expected, considering how disorganized they may be from their “arrival” (another thing Wise was trying to unravel).
It did not alleviate his rapidly growing anxiety.
Perhaps if this were the younger, more naive student who got his friends kil-, he might have taken the combined attention in stride. Swallowed his fear, then stepped up to the trial with false determination.
No, that’s a lie.
The old Wise would have been sweating even larger buckets than he already was, and that would have gotten all parties nowhere. Wise of the present didn’t need out-of-depth foolery; he needed a genuine solution. Focus. Reason out what’s in front of you. Even as the concept unfolding in his head slowly grew more and more ridiculous.
“Let’s skip the larger formalities.” The Professor finally started. “As you have identified, I am Professor Arche of Helios Academy. These are my colleagues-”
“The Vo-“
“Yes, yes. I’m sure you’re familiar.” The Ancient Man waved them off. “Now, who are the two of you?”
“I’m Wise. And this is my sister Belle.”
“Hiya.” His sister cheerfully answered. Not at all sweating out her own bucket.
“We’re both co-managers of the Video Store you’re standing in: Random Play.”
“Quaint. My apprentices would have like that.” Muttering mostly to himself than to them. Still, it took every measure of self-control Wise had to keep neutral. “Now, Wise. Belle. Explain to us what happened”
“What… happened, Professor?” Confusion fanned in his co-manager’s voice.
“What happened to Eridu? And most importantly, what happened to us?” How Wise could tell the man’s eyes were piercing both Managers, he couldn’t know. “You two are inquisitive remnants of Helios, are you not?“
Belle paled to sheet white.
“I am certain either of your responses will be both measured and satisfactory.”
Wise had not fared much better. “Professor, how…!?”
“And there is my confirmation.” Then to himself again. “Be sure to work on composure for future examinations.”
“Eh?” came from his side. And was that… pride on his end?
“As to your inquiry, there’s a certain level of reverence my student body possesses that- I can see you, Dan. Shush.” The two snapped to the Bird Thiren for a moment. Unapologetic giggling continued behind a raised hand. “Ultimately, your familiar habit of referring to me by title, coupled with a few mannerisms only my direct apprentices would teach.”
I did not move more than an inch in that entire conversation. Was this the observational prowess of their Founder?
“But we can discuss the topic in length later. For now, explain.”
…Wise mulled over their options. Aside from the fact that the man had unmasked both of them in four sentences, the implication of compliance came clearer than a ringing alarm bell. It was painfully evident the older man expected a plain, unblemished truth. Anything less …his senses felt the presence of the two attackers by the window. To say nothing of the martial-looking pair peering by the door, or the remaining ones at Belle’s bed, avidly awaiting their answer.
While their identities likely meant they would take no pleasure in doing so, what information he and Belle did have would be extracted one way or another.
They had connected to Interknot while the two Managers were buying time. They had to know something. And if they understood enough events in full, then this inquiry was less a revelation and closer to corroboration.
But on the other hand, that was just Interknot. It was clear they wanted more than just text on display. There was a truth to be made open, and with the Professor’s pointed focus since they entered the room, they’d already figured whom might have it.
And not many people would take kindly to half-truths in a tentative situation like this. But a student of Helios…
He glanced at Belle. The pained lump his sibling was choking down, her eyes connecting in muted conflict, confirmed their aligning thoughts.
Frankly, Wise had no qualms about detailing everything they knew and more about what had happened eleven years ago. Chaotic greetings aside, if they were anything like their historic images, especially the Professor from Teacher’s stories, then this could be a once-in-a-lifetime boon, a greater turning point in Phaethon’s investigation than even stumbling into Fairy.
The sole problem was…
“Professor.” Belle finally returned, firm and genuine as she could muster. Her eyes haunted by fury, no longer amongst the living. “We would be happy to try explaining everything. Really. It’d probably help both of us immensely right now. But…”
“All of what we can tell you is sensitive information.” He continued, grasping ice that characterized his persona. A persona he’d spent years carving into his face to keep them alive. “Secrets that, if leaked to the wrong ears, could endanger our lives and everything we have. And if your appearance is any indication, I cannot in good faith say our home is secure for any of us.“
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Simply that neither Belle nor I will give you the answers you want under these conditions.”
It wasn’t safe. They hadn’t been truly safe in a long time.
“…”
The silence that followed was some of the worst anticipation the Proxy had experienced. Not just the outcome, but the combined presence that had shown consequences. He held firm. There had been worse things than the pressure of anticipation. This was their honesty. Demands or not, Wise Arna would not endanger Belle or himself by speaking rashly right when everything seemed beyond both their limits.
That contemptible short-sightedness is what got him kill-
After a frozen moment that reigned an eternity, someone broke the silence.
“Pfff.”
The Professor irritably tilted at the source.
“Heheheh- That is… pff… your ‘condition’?” The pale-faced man got out, tired drawl asked again between breaths, crimson eyes stained with a layer of glistening. “Make sure we aren’t eavesdropped and you can cut the knot right now?”
The masked man’s general airiness caught Wise utterly flat-footed as giggles flew into genuine laughter. Amidst the local tension, it was as though a landmine detonated with all the theatrics it would entail. The manager stiffly nodded in lieu of words.
“pftffft- Hahahahahahahaha-” The chuckling continued. Openly. Drawn, ragged with years, yet pure in an almost innocent way. Long enough for Belle to glance at the window, expecting Enzo next door to be filing a noise complaint
“And here I thought it was some contract with that devil holding you two down.” Finally winding down. Wiping a tear from his eyes, he continued, “We’re squared, kids. Go ahead.”
…What?
“Wait, what?” yelped Belle.
“Ok, and that’s how I know we’ve started this wrong.” The purple-haired Colonel shook her head. “Big guy? Mind easing them in?”
Red lines illuminated along the construct’s cloak, eyes flashing in acknowledgement. “I have been passively jamming all of the 32 audio receptors in the vicinity since our arrival. If there are unwanted ears upon the walls, they shall not learn of even a single breath discharged here.”
It took a few seconds longer than it should have for Wise to process the statement in full. Mainly…
Thirty-two? But we only installed twelve! Fairy had recommended makeshift detectors as a protective measure. With enough additums for boundaries between the AI and the siblings, they ended up agreeing. Their business was getting involved in something far bigger than the rebooted Phaethon was equipped to handle. It would pay to be a bit more secure.
Evidently that didn’t matter much in the end. How long were those things there for?
Wise’s shattering sense of privacy and home-compromise paranoia aside… Belle met his eyes again. Much of the discord had drained, wary determination filling back the voided gaps alongside the fear.
There was a reluctance to respond. To hope for something this good. “Are you sure we’ll be fine?”
“Information is one of the sharpest blades one can obtain.” The Swordmaster resolutely replied. “Trust we hold to a mutual desire of keeping all desired ‘armaments’ out of evil’s hands.”
“She means that we’d rather not leak something sensitive either.” The Angel Thiren quickly followed up. “And honestly, I don’t think any of us mean anyone else here harm at this point. You’re clearly upstanding people. We don’t bully kids."
Her smile paused for a moment as she made a show of thinking. "*cept for Arche on sweet Carole, of course. He's a really drillsarg”
“Dan, I swear on causality you-“
“Hey, I’m not the one who phrased this like an interrogation. I’m starting to think Beli actually should get you socialized-”
“Forgive me for a very realistic urge to tear off this bandage as directly as-“
The last legacies of Helios marveled in silence at the proceeding verbal blows, more reminiscent of a discussion Nicole would probably find herself in. Especially with the image of the Founding Professor apparently rising to so much bait.
With the topics hanging in the air… it was almost painfully normal. Is this…?
“Don’t mind them. My friend’s been stressed since you returned,” The stoic visage of the horned Lady interjected before the Professor could finish a new curse toward his winged junior. After another moment of deliberation, he recomposed himself as the angel backed off to face the managers.
“The point being: we are not here to threaten you. Nor do we wish to force out memories I realize are a hardship for you both to recall, let alone recount to strangers.”
The last face of Teacher ran through his mind. The manager nodded.
“We just… wish to know for certain.” Her lips turned down a fraction further. The masked man sobered his earlier attitude and placed his arm at her back. “You both are the only living anchor we have at the moment. This is not a demand… but it is our plea. The choice should be yours.”
Wise took another glance at those present in the room. The fox thiren stood sentinel atop the construct as stoically as when he returned to the room. Yet on closer inspection, her position seemed less rest and more… cling. And despite the verbal tosses the angel Thiren traded with the Professor, she had not moved more than a few feet from the purple-haired woman, nor released their interlocking hands.
And the Professor had not ceased moving—as if every piece of his being was agitated.
The reason why became obvious.
“Belle and I… aren’t the only ones looking for sure footing… aren’t we?”
“Eridu was many things. But I like to believe it became a home we built together.” A muted joy shone in the lady’s wistful eyes. “We wish to hear its fate… from the living.”
“Please?”
Recognition flashed through Belle’s eyes. Wise understood her message well.
Phaethon knew that task better than most. More than a few commissions throughout their career matched. A grieving soul mourning a loss, begging desperately for that last piece of closure. A mother and her outlived child. A husband and his departed wife. “Charon” and her dear team. The Proxies understood that pain of loss vividly.
Just like before, that day when paradise shattered. Their familiar halls covered in soot and blood. Idyllic classmates and staff alike cowering as the attackers cut down. Abominations tore apart everything they ever knew. His sister, cold to the touch. They ran. And ran. Leaving so many faces to die. She told them they had to.
And then that pale-skinned hand. Its grotesque form taking her-
His gaze met Belle’s; intentions fully aligned. A long, deep inhale refilling his lungs. He’d need the oxygen.
Wise turned his eyes to the audience
For Phaethon would never again run from those in need.
“Eridu fell eleven years ago. The old capital collapsed when Hollow Zero expanded rapidly .”
His mind had finished the math by the time he’d chosen their answer. It was unavoidable.
“…Almost a hundred years after the end of your era.”
Delivery struck as a gong—confirmation washed through all figures in the room as a gelid embrace. A grip tightened between the two mercenaries. The fox’s ears slowly lowered from their raised intensity, as the construct’s colors dimmed. The ace’s off hand creased together violently, and the Lady’s dual stars shook with emotions Wise couldn’t begin to comprehend before closing. The torrent of sealed emotions was loosed into the room’s cramped plane.
And then, Professor Arche pulled up a seat before the siblings, arms rigidly digging into his knees as he leaned forward.
“Everything you know. About… all that was lost.” A quiet, firm voice shook. “Please.”
So confess they did.
Their old home. Helios assaulted on the eve of disaster. Its staff slaughtered, students left adrift, and ruins falling into Zero’s void not long after. Their beloved home assaulted by strangers and monsters they’d never seen.
How their Teacher placed Eous and the remains of the HDD in their hands. That she told them to run. To find their sun without her. How they barely escaped the collapsing structure, only to witness the tragedy firsthand. That monstrous white hand dragging their mother into an abyss, the two siblings helpless to save her.
In a day, they were homeless, drifting on the outskirts of rescue camps with nothing but scraps and legacy to their name. A microcosm of the fractured Eridu.
The day after… they were demons. For the culprit deemed responsible for the tragedy of Hollow Zero’s expansion bore the name Carole Arna. Her children became the “spawn of the devil”. Her very touch regarded as blasphemy, megalomania, and unprecedented tragedy. Whose absent presence made any form of retribution against her, no matter how small, an act of righteousness for still breathing New Eridu.
Including her “legacy”. Including her “children”.
And that was how Phaethon, freshly reeling from burns and scars, drifted in silence for eleven years. Each day keeping the truth to their chests, hoping to god that no one else would know their truth. Every effort spent after healing alongside the new capital, finding the real truth about who caused the original fall.
And, if they had any stroke of luck left thereafter, bring their teacher home.
The horned lady finally spoke up. “What of us? Of our successors?”
Belle shook her head. “There were many casualties during the fall. So many heroes stood to stem the tide to save more, and they died for it. There were not many who could succeed you after the disaster. And like Wise said, all of you... couldn’t be there.”
After all, even without the public knowledge of some of their fates… time would have taken them all long before anything could be done.
Yet, the confliction in the lady’s expression spoke otherwise, but she nodded at her answer anyway. Eous tugged at the bottom of her cloak. She rubbed his forehead in appreciation.
“So my apprentice was scapegoated,” the Professor coldly asserted. Even without a face, his flames were contorted in what could only be composed fury. “And her legacy, you both, have had to suffer in place of the real culprit.”
"We're sorry. If-"
“Not your fault kiddos. Sounds exactly what one of those bigwigs would spew.” The masked man offered. “With everyone who knew the little lady gone, nothing opposing the propaganda from taking root. It’s easy enough to hate a single figure for peace of mind.”
Even with the logic displayed, the man spat on the state affairs. “Tch. Bastards, the lot of them. She never deserved that.”
“It certainly protects certain ‘noble images’,” the purple-haired mercenary pointed out, eyes blank and piercing. “An acknowledged culprit: a clean solution to dampen every effort in finding what really happened. Not to mention keeping noses clean to continue their economic hegemony as always. Especially an ultimately choiceless mass of people.”
“You mean T.O.P.S Alliance?” Wise asked.
“Is that what they go by now? Pff, as if their egos needed more inflation.” The angel thiren was somewhere between a laugh and a sneer. “Yes, the merchant guilds have been a pain even a century beforehand. Always demanding some deal with the devil in exchange for basic necessities. Even if they didn’t generate that narrative, of course they’d take the most profitable out.”
“Whatever the truth of her conviction may be, there is little we can do bemoaning the sins long burned in the ground. An objective has been made clear.”
The others turned to the fox thiren.
“We shall help you.”
Wise stood at the declaration.
“Finding the truth. Finding her fate. We will.”
Her tone brooked no argument. A statement as permanent as falling rain.
“…Really?”
“Without hesitation,” continued the construct. “It is clear our absence has left our people scattered, weakened, and ultimately held by a fragile present. Many are surviving but will not be freed to live forever. Not with our enemy still alive and the remaining functions cannibalizing each other.”
“We did not fight for just a temporary peace, only to watch it crumble to the sands once again.” The lady finished.
“Rightfully so.” Rising from his seat, the Professor gestured to his colleagues, all pairs gathering around the Proxies. He lifted his hands to both siblings.
“Wise Arna. Belle Arna.”
It provoked a well of trembling nostalgia to hear those names spoken without hate.
“Never once have I believed in half-promises. Unfinished work is a foreign object, undeserving of a micron within my laboratory. ‘Phaethon’ has pushed this pitch-black investigation alone for long enough. If there is any righteousness concerning my dear apprentice, then it shall be in her just absolution.”
Tentatively, Belle raised her hand to match. Wise did the same.
“Until then. Until the Hollows cease strangulating mankind, we offer ourselves fully. The Void Hunters shall stand with you. And together, we will transcend Helios once more.”
Declaration was as firm as his grip. Wise’s hesitations slowly vanished as hope felt more real. They were here. They wished to help. They would help.
They… we can do this.
“Anyway, Professor. Reintroduce us.”
“Excuse me?” The professor twisting to the purple-haired merc.
“You were too threatening before. And you skipped over us. The first rule in any client relationship is a good presentation of-”
“Do not lecture me on client relations when you both- Fine.”
His voice closer to a scandalized cat. The Professor is much snappier than Wise figured, all things considered.
“Proxy Phaethon. I am Arche, Founding Professor of Helios Academy. These six-“
“Hello~”
“Greetings.”
“Hi there.”
“A fortuitous encounter.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“Sup.”
“-professional buffoons are my colleagues.” His cadence unbroken. “As the first seven to be awarded the title ‘Void Hunter’, we look forward to our lasting collaboration.”
“Hehe,” Belle laughed, her voice much lighter than a moment prior. “I’m Belle, one half of Legendary Proxy Phaethon. Nice to begin working with you all.”
The energy had already infected her dear brother. “I’m Wise, the other half of the infamous Phaethon. Likewise, we won’t disappoint.”
The Proxies stood up, moving toward the door with more vigor than they’d possessed in weeks.
“Well then.” Opening the hinge wide. There was much to be done. “Shall we get to work?”
<->
Omake: Rest Training
The newly forged Phaethon/Void Hunter alliance had immediately run into their first problem.
“Uh. Not to be a killjoy-“
“Not an unwelcome development, young Belle.” Arche commented at the doorway.
“Love you too Arch!” Came from Wise’s room. The Professor fully strode away to her brother's domain.
“But…”
Glancing at the… rather wide intelligence construct now by the window. Why is he actually so huge? By far, one of the largest things in her room now. Indeed, far larger than-
“How are we supposed to get you out?” The door was nowhere near big enough.
All remaining occupants fell silent. Most of all, the construct, who had been staring at the exit since Wise opened it.
Then the sound of metal unsheathing came from above.
“Hoshimi, you better not be approaching that door frame with malicious intent.”
“Correct, Professor.”
“Amendment: you better not be approaching that door frame, period.”
The Swordmaster quietly returned the blade into her friend's mechanical shoulder.
“It appears we both shall be staying for the time being.”
“You guys can take the room.” Despite her brother’s declaration, caffeine had finally worn off, and the black embrace had never felt more enticing. Work could be future Belle's problem. "I’ll sleep downstairs.”
Probably good to hit Fairy first when our AI assistant finally gets back from her power nap. Prevents potential intruder alarm triggers and getting pubsec called on them for nothing. That would spoil the week.
“Understood.” The small little mound of fur, fabric, and the death of the wicked began vibrating.
Belle’s internal alarm bells began ringing.
“Uh, what is she doing?”
Miss Vike strode on by around her colleague. The now-napping Dan in her arms was gently placed on the bed and promptly tucked in. She rounded out the gesture with two kisses to the angel’s face. “Don’t mind her. Just another lovely training routine.”
“Training?” Come to think of it, hadn’t Hoshimi Miyabi said something to that effect?
The construct nodded, folding the limbs under his cape. “This is a rare opportunity where she will abide to sleep but not rest in a familiar location. Parameters thus met the preferred conditions for-”
“Void Hunters! Engage in 'Impromptu Sleeping Bag' training!”
“Professor? what is that supp- what the-!“
Multiple thuds resounded from the other bedroom, followed by her brother’s cry. For Belle, the greatest swordsman in Hoshimi history fuffled her tail to its utter limit before falling within its embrace. At the same time, the massive construct had powered down, and purple-haired mercenary bodily threw herself atop the bed, smothering her bedmate. Even breathing soon came through, and just like that, they shamelessly went out like a light.
Wise peered from outside the doorway, hand running down its entirety. "Joyous just choked the Professor into unconsciousness."
The other Proxy shrugged helplessly from her end. Were they always this... quirky?
After a moment, “Come on. Let’s get the blankets. We can make this future Phaethon’s problem.”
Belle could not have agreed sooner, her thoughts growing more incoherent by the minute. Sleep. Beautiful Sleep. Sleep now~
Random Play remodeling tomorrow.