Chapter Text
The first drops of the next morning began to fall, the wind roared strongly between the buildings, a thunder startled Mumei as she changed the girls' healings, they looked much better, a bruise here and there, the fractures were healing optimally despite the speed, Kiara played with the little puppy on the couch, he looked more animated and also cheered up the girls.
- He is so playful, I love it - said Kiara -.
- I was afraid he would still be down, but Mumei gave him a hand too - commented Amelia -
- Without her we would still be broken and at times like this I wouldn't allow not helping you.
- Amelia just blushed -
On the second floor Kronii was putting together the timelines mentally to cross them, one line they would use to escape and finally they would return to the current one in USA, they would have some time before Fauna detected their escape and created new events to stop them, but she was not successful, she was too unfocused, she could not generate a sensible plan, there were thousands of possibilities but also thousands of problems that could be caused, they needed not to alter any space by going backwards so in a city it was impossible to appear.
- Damn it! - she said as he stood up and walked back and forth.
- Are you alright? - asked Mumei climbing the stairs -
- I don't know how to cross the line to the USA, I know I have to backtrack a bit, but where?
- How about an island?
- Fauna will find us, if there is more plant life more eyes will be on us.
- What about that? I'm sure it won't launch an immediate attack; it must still be in bad shape after the hit.
- I don't know...
- Trust me on what I say, there are several islands to pass through, if it detects us, we'll already be somewhere else.
- All right, I'll take that option.
- Mumei patted her on the shoulder - be more confident, aren't you an expert in what you do?
- This whole thing makes me nervous, understand me.
- I do carelessly, I will support you in whatever is necessary as you have supported me.
Mumei smiled at her and left her calm so he could think again and plot an alternative route as she had told her.
Two more days passed, the rain had stopped, the water left the streets returning the original cause, everything was wet, trees and stones stuck in some roads, dead animals had been left on the muddy ground, also human bodies... now the disease would come.
The public services took charge of cleaning up the mess, the girls were trying to put Amelia's house in order, trying to save some things and repair others, after all it was their house too, Amelia meanwhile went to Henry's house, luckily, he and his parents were well and were not in need of food and basic necessities, that was a relief.
The white flowered vine was still clinging to the fence, Mumei grabbed it pulling it up by the roots and breaking it with her hands, she didn't want to hold hatred inside, but it was so hard to endure Fauna's attacks on her, she considered her as a mentor, she taught her how to care for a living thing, how humans would thrive in her meadows, her creation was a joint work without a doubt, how could she hate her own creations?
Naturally mistakes are eliminated to create something better and without imperfections, life is reborn from the remains, but humans could not do that, even if one died and another was born it would not have the same thoughts or be the same, like a deer does not have the same spots as its mate, something Fauna was overlooking on purpose?
Gura was in charge of feeding the little puppy, they still didn't know what to call him but they had all grown fond of him, she remembered her childhood, she had spent most of her life in an orphanage until she escaped and met Calli by chance, she also lived alone in a risky suburb of New York where the gangsters claimed someone every day, but Calliope kept her safe, they could stay safe in a small ramshackle apartment that only contained the basics to survive, that's why when there was the opportunity to join the army they didn't think twice, her life as such had started there, but it had hurt so much when she revealed her secret to the high command and he turned her in, she had betrayed her, but it didn't matter anymore, somehow she missed him and besides she had found people who cared about her.
- You will be happy, I promise - said Gura to the little dog -.
It wagged its tail as if it was approving what she was saying.
Kronii gathered the girls in the main room to tell them the plan in mind, if everything was strictly controlled one of the most complex parts of the operation would be sorted out and they should only worry about knowing the area where the reactors were.
They were busy leaving the house in good conditions and little Bubba in the care of Mumei, who would go to the USA when everything was ready, all the others approached Kronii.
Well, we are leaving - said Kronii - please don't touch anything.
The humans were surprised, it was something surreal; wrapping them in a kind of barrier Kronii was slowly changing the line, a mountain appeared when the white beam disappeared, under it there were a lot of trees.
- What is this place? - said Ame -
- Newfoundland and Labrador - answered Kronii - I must take a minute to rest.
- This is amazing.
Amelia could not get out of her amazement in just a few seconds they had crossed the sea to a different location thousands of miles away, that woman's skills were amazing, they were so useful but also so dangerous; After the short rest Kronii adjusted her watch and they went back to white, this time arriving to Tennessee in a deserted terrain, timing specifically June 29th 1945.
- We have arrived, this is where they are building those weapons.
- How many are there? - asked Gura -
- I don't know, we have to destroy all the reactors and the plans.
- Won't that make us sick too? - said Calli.
- We must seal them so that the radiation doesn't get out, I'll make an exact plan of the area.
They searched the surroundings for a place to spend the night and prepare for the infiltration, Kronii with her ability convinced a hotel receptionist who allowed her to use one of the rooms, that had been a joke for the girls who had with that the way to break the ice.
- I really don't like to know that we will sabotage that laboratory, in fact, it is a betrayal - commented Gura -.
- Tsk, do you want them to launch those things in a city? It's bullshit, I'd rather have a rifle and shoot in front of me and a soldier - Calli mumbled - this war is bullshit, if I had that chaos girl in front of me, I'd kick her ass.
- You know we don't need you arguing about whether the lab is good or bad - said Kiara - Those things are dangerous for everyone, it's better to destroy them.
The trio continued with the discussion while Ina watched the stars quietly from the balcony, she didn't know that her life was going to change so much in just a couple of years and a 180 degree turn in just a few months, Amelia was close.
- The sky is beautiful; I don't think I had considered that.
- There's so much to see up there, there's so much.
- We can look at it together! - Ame said, "I have a telescope in the attic at home-.
- I'd love to, I've never seen one, I've just been a natural observer," she laughed.
Ina came from a poor family so they wouldn't afford something like that, she had been caught by someone when they were escaping from an American attack, she was always there to look for people like her, the higher ups had gained her trust until that day they sank the Boston.
Kronii, had decided that the small size that a bird could reach would be perfect to observe around and inside the plant, she formed a small ball of energy that simulated the silhouette of a crow and sent it to the Oak Ridge facilities, in the same way his mind was working at a thousand per hour, speculating what Fauna could do, will she have recovered, she thought, it would be terrible if she was in the way at this moment, if they saw something strange with the weather they were going to circumvent it anyway, no matter what.
After long hours of waiting the little crow arrived with news, the laboratory was highly guarded, there were a lot of workers in two reactors working at full speed, infiltrate as soldiers would be the best idea at least they would be allowed to enter, the guardian drew a map which they should follow to reach the reactors and isolate the area in case everything went well.
Calli and Gura would be in charge of getting the uniforms since they knew the locations of the military installations, a task that was not difficult, they entered at night in a stealthy way and were in charge of ransacking the dressing rooms and warehouses, it was so much fun to play with the soldiers who were on guard, several had been left naked tied hand and foot on the floor of the warehouses.
- Well, we brought things to gloat over - said Calli entering with a box full of clothes -.
- There is also a surprise, - said Gura mockingly.
In addition to the clothes, they had stolen weapons to carry, mostly 45 caliber Thompson M1 and M3 sub machine guns.
At the beginning of July and after conscientiously studying their steps Kronii posed as a high-ranking soldier to get them in, ideally, they would stay in pairs watching the internal and external movements of the laboratory until a predetermined date.
- This thing is heavy - complained Ina who was with Kiara -.
- Well even though you trained you've never dressed and walked with all the equipment, it's normal that you don't find it heavy.
- Is it normal that your hands stink of iron?
- Yes, the sweat and the weapon do not accompany - she laugh - Also very few times I have used a large weapon, only in practice.
Ina listened as she walked and looked around the building next to Kiara, it was a very nice place that housed something so dismal she thought, at what point had mankind conceived the idea of massive weapons? To intimidate the one who did not surrender by the good ones?
Calli and Gura were out in the corridors pacing back and forth.
- Can you stop blowing smoke? - Gura said to her.
- It's a free area, I could smoke two if I want to.
- At least change brands, it's too strong.
- When we leave, I'll do it, okay? I know you don't like it
- At least you remember it.
- Calli rolled her eyes - are you going to start already? You're like a wife of years complaining about her husband.
Amelia watched them from the room of one of the reactors, out of the corner of her eye she observed how the operators were working the control consoles, Kronii did the same on the other side watching the workers operating the machinery and how the reactors were made, that same day she would call Mumei.
That same night an abnormal snowfall for the area hit Tennessee, Kronii and Amelia were outside walking around with other soldiers who, alarmed by the strange weather, kept asking nonsense questions, Ame looked at her partner, her face was worried, were they being stalked by nature?
- When will Mumei come?
- She said she would be here tomorrow, I hope.
- Do you think it's that fauna that's doing this?
- I don't think so, I know, it changed everything so fast.
A bad feeling ran down his spine, yet he was confident that his plan would work under any circumstances.
Layer after layer of snow accumulated over the next few days, soldiers had to shovel and make their way back by pouring salt in heaps to melt it, some spaces that were not adapted to receive it gave way under the weight, all the arms of Melton Hill Lake began to overflow to all sides as it filled with snow.
The city could not withstand such a snowfall, and the laboratory was nervous because they did not know what to do in case, they were isolated and had to communicate constantly with the major stakeholders in the matter they produced.
Kronii was sure that the time was right, everyone was puzzled about the situation, but at the same time she was not sure what would happen, this was not in her original plans, she needed Mumei to give her some idea, where the hell had she gone, out of nowhere an Owl landed in the snow covering her completely.
- Ufff how cold - said Mumei sitting on the ground -.
- Damn it Mumei! You had me scared.
- I told you I had trouble getting out, didn't you get the message?
- No, I didn't hear from you until now.
- Then we were blocked, excellent - she got up and shook the snow - Fauna is already here.
Suddenly the earth began to tremble, both looked at each other and ran towards the interior of the complex, earthquake shouting the soldiers who ran towards the exits, the personnel also left their posts to escape from the place.
Kiara and Ina went inside in search of Amelia, Calli and Gura who had not seen them leave.
- Soldiers, stand down! - shouted a major -
- Kiara hit him on the head with the gun and they continued - I'm sorry.
- I hope they are there.
- Girls - shouted Kronii - we must take positions.
- But where is Amelia and the others? - said Kiara -
- They must be in the corridors, I told Amelia to come here when I was out.
Cracks formed that thanks to the snow were not visible, huge thorny tendrils came out of them attacking the walls of the laboratory and razing everything in their path, some soldiers were crushed by the falling concrete or hit by the vegetable tentacles leaving the floor full of blood and guts.
- Finally, I find you, damn it! - shouted Calli who came with the missing girls.
- This is what we were missing, I knew it! - shouted Kronii - we'll go to the reactors, Kiara you and Calli protect the flanks, Ina and Mumei in front and behind, come on Gura, I'll take care of sealing those reactors for you to overload them, Amelia.
- O-okay,- she replied running after Kronii.
The others took positions securing the reactors of the vines, some soldiers fired without success as they were crushed, in the distance Fauna watched directing the attacks with her arms, sending a group of tendrils to the girls to attack and break their defenses.
- This time I won't let you off easy - exclaimed Calli attacking with sharp energy.
Kiara used bursts of fire and flaming projectiles to stop the advance of the approaching mobile stalks, likewise Mumei slashed with her dagger leaving them immobilized, Ina used water tentacles to freeze them and break them into pieces, Gura made sure that no attacks appeared on them.
Kronii quickly sealed one of the reactors in an energy shield while Amelia used the machine to overheat it.
- Hurry! Hurry damn it! - she exclaimed as the first cracks became visible in the concrete.
The steam came out of the cracks opening them and exploding inside leaving a great roar, illuminating everything around, Fauna harassed the girls while they protected the others; fighter planes approached the area shooting and launching rockets towards where the tendrils were born, some in the air were attacked by the same or huge stakes that shot out from around the fuel tanks piercing them making them explode in flames.
- Come on Amelia, there's only one more left! - shouted Kronii while she formed another barrier to the second reactor and made the other one disappears along with its contamination.
Amelia ran towards him climbing the rest of the stairs that remained on the second floor, the control console was damaged.
- The console is damaged! I'll have to try it manually.
- Are you crazy? - shouted Gura - You'll explode in there if you don't get out in time.
Suddenly a burst of gunshots was heard, from the entrance a colored woman had shot at Kronii who fell to the ground undoing the barrier.
- B-Baelz.
- I knew I should have expelled them from the council the first time they disobeyed me, now I have to resort to this unfortunately, if it wasn't for Fauna I wouldn't have noticed and how many mistakes would be made, you know it well Kronii.
- I-I will not let Fauna die because of your orders, nor will I let humanity die - she got up with difficulty -.
Baelz fired again avoiding a possible attack from Kronii, both Amelia and Gura were stunned, until the end when Ame shot back at the girl from the stairs of the second floor.
- Leave her alone! - she shouted as she fired again -
Baelz just dodged them or sometimes they just weren't accurate, with a snap of fingers the metal started to fatigue letting her fall, Amelia closed her eyes as she fell into the void, miraculously Gura was there to catch her.
- We must move fast
- th-thank you Gura, but what can we do now?
Gura stepped between the girls and Baelz.
- This won't come cheap - she cracked her knuckles -.
- Do you think I'm afraid of you? - asked Baelz ironically -
Gura just went to the attack in a fast way, the other girl dodged in the same way, they were barely visible to Amelia's eyes who approached Kronii and put her to safety.
- Kronii, can you hear me?
- Y-yes
- You'll be all right, won't you? - trying to stop some bleeding with her hand - what do I do? What can I do?
- W-without the barrier the explosion will kill them, - she complained - I-I won't be able to heal fast, those bullets.
- Damn it Kronii! - shouted Amelia trying to take out some bullets with her pocketknife -
The shots had been tremendously painful and made for the concepts not to regenerate, Amelia was doing her best to remove them quickly while Gura was fighting against Baelz with a serious disadvantage, Kronii looked with her eyes half closed, a little dizzy due to the loss of blood and energy.
- H-Help us.
- Hold on damn it!
Outside the girls were still holding back the tendrils with obvious exhaustion, Calli was taking several apart almost to their root, one of her arms had been crushed by one of those things leaving a large and exposed fracture, the pain was searing, she wanted to rip it off so it wouldn't screw her up, anger filled her with adrenaline and she kept fighting at the same pace.
Kiara was panting from the body temperature she was maintaining for so long, the loss of sweat was quickly dehydrating her and her muscles were fatiguing as she made the vines that went on the attack burn, she received several cuts from the sharp thorns on the stems, but that would not contain her need to cover Amelia and try to help her, she ignored the fact that another was putting her beloved's life at risk.
Ina for her part continued with the water attacks, using the ice crystals that came off the frozen tendrils as sharp blades, however, she was also already succumbing, her body, although they had trained, could not withstand as much as the others, at any moment she would faint.
Mumei was trying to divert the attention of the tentacles in the air by jumping and climbing them, when she looked towards the building, she saw Kronii being attended by Amelia, that second of lack of concentration was enough for one of them to hit her sending her to the ground with a crash and leaving a big crater.
- You're doing well girl - said Baelz wiping some blood on his nose -.
Gura held herself on the ground with one knee resting on the ground, with a wound in her left eye and some cuts from the punches.
- Of course, I won't let someone like you eliminate me.
Suddenly one of the vegetable arms broke the piece of wall that remained in the reactor room, it had broken the defense on Mumei's side, Baelz and Gura threw themselves to the side while the tendril wrapped itself around the gigantic device.
- It will make it explode - said Amelia as she looked horrified - Kronii!
- S-sorry I couldn't foresee that.
The vegetable mass imprisoned the concrete casing with such force that pieces of it flew out, the others noticed that the remaining tentacles retreated and appeared on the other side covering the reactor.
Kiara without thinking ran, she ran as far as she could entering through an opening, she looked for Amelia with desperation, the plan had failed, for the first time she didn't look optimistic, she was terrified, her eyes met Amelia's and she went to her, she hugged her so tightly.
- Forgive me, forgive me - Kiara repeated in tears -.
- Please be calm - Amelia tried to console her without avoiding crying -
- If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't be in this situation, forgive me!
- You are the best thing that ever happened to me, I have nothing to forgive you for - she answered between tears –
Kiara kissed her forehead, her mouth without thinking about anyone and anything only with a terrible fear that it would be her end and she did not want to leave Amelia alone.
The ground vibrated, the meltdown inside the reactor was becoming imminent, the vines continued to choke it until it exploded. The world seemed to have ended for all of them, a hollow sound echoed everywhere, the tendrils had contained the explosion and absorbed the gigantic emission of radioactive toxicity.
Burned tendrils fell turning to dust
- W-what happened? - asked Baelz
- It was me
Fauna appeared in the center of the room, obviously damaged and bleeding, she had turned ash-colored.
- I was angry, I hated them, I wanted to destroy them, but I am their lap, somehow humans are also mine, I must also take care of them.
With obvious rage Baelz looked for the gun in his uniform, it was on the ground when they had fallen to the ground with Gura, it was for her when at that moment time stopped, Amelia took the gun and in the last seconds left on the clock fired into the girl's chest discharging the weapon.
Time returned to normal, Baelz fell inert leaving a pool of blood while Fauna headed towards Kronii.
- Y-you helped us
- She pointed her finger to the side - I heard you ask for help; you didn't kill me when you had the chance either.
A small white flower had grown between the floor tiles.
- I really appreciate it,- Kronii nodded.
Mumei, badly wounded, came closer thanks to Ina and Calli's help.
- I must also thank you, in spite of everything you left your anger and saved them.
- I will come back again, so I don't mind dying now, you must take care of these humans and erase all this from history, we will meet again.
Little by little his body was transformed into dust being dragged by a soft breeze in the dawn in the same way the body of Baelz was being dragged by it, the brightness of the sun in the snow was annoying but the sky was clear in a beautiful blue.
- Gura, are you okay? - said Ame taking her by the hand and lifting her up.
- Of course, if that broad didn't kill me nothing will.
- Amelia just gave her a little smack on the arm.
- I-I'll take them back to London,-said Kronii getting up slowly.
- No,-said Calli-I'll stay here, after all, this is where I come from.
- Me too - Gura raised his hand - I can live with this airhead - he said referring to Calli - I would beat you - Calli threatened him.
- I would hit you - Calli threatened her with his good hand -
- Haha, I want to see it.
- Don't waste your energy, you must heal yourselves first - Mumei calmed them down -.
- Ina? do you want to come with us? - said Amelia -
- I-I don't want to bother you.
- It's no bother - Kiara smiled - Please, come with us.
Ina smiled and nodded
They took a moment to be healed, Kiara took a breath sitting on the floor, she looked at the flower that had grown between the cement, it was a little edelweiss surrounded in destruction, she looked at Amelia who was helping Mumei to heal a little bit the others, she was her little edelweiss between all her past misfortune, now she only wished to be happy forgetting the war and that humanity was almost lost.
Years went by, the world never knew about the accident, the American army had no record of it and the laboratory did not even exist, the energy the girls had vanished without them remembering it ...
Amelia was walking with Bubba through the Vauxhall Park, it was a warm autumn that 1950 was quite nice to walk and take this boy for a while, if she didn't have to put up with his hyperactivity, she would go in search of Ina who was studying art classes at the Borough Polytechnic.
- How were the classes?
- All very well, it was a little light, fortunately
- Perfect, I was thinking of going to Kiara's work.
- Not a bad idea, it's about time for lunch.
A few months ago, and with the support of Ame and Ina, Kiara had set up a fast-food restaurant that was becoming quite successful with English classics and some other personal additions.
The bell at the entrance of the door rang giving way to the customers.
- Welcome - a girl approached to take their order.
- A coffee and tea please.
The waitress nodded and went for them when the bell rang again, this time Amelia and Ina entered, being the first to approach the bar.
- Good afternoon ~
- Kiara looked at her with obvious joy - good morning, lady, what would you like?
- The usual menu for two please and later my dear at home, thank you.
Amelia half turned around laughing as she took a seat with Ina, Kiara had blushed and immediately asked for the order, the waitress left the cups on the neighboring table.
- Enjoy. - she withdrew -
The women’s at the next table were looking towards the street, but Amelia knew they looked familiar, from where, from when, while she was absorbed in her thoughts the dishes arrived brought by the same waitress, Kiara had been embarrassed and didn't bring them, Ame only held back a giggle.
Minutes later the women had gotten up leaving the payment on the table Amelia noticed that something had fallen from the coat of one of them, she interrupted her conversation with Ina and picked it up leaving quickly to not find them anywhere, when she looked, she noticed that it was a small card that only said "take care".