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The alarms blared. “ Core Suppression of Disciplinary Sephirah, Gebura has commenced.” The sound of panicked feet clattered around the facility. In his seat, Ash tapped his fingers on the desk.
“ Alright people. Let’s begin the performance.” He smirked. “ Everyone ready?”
“ Just don’t fuck it up, bald man.” He heard an agent from Welfare yell at him. Ash laughed.
“ Of course not. Now then. Target is in Disciplinary wielding White and Black weapons. Take her gaze and try not to die, eh mates?” He let out a cold breath. “ And now the waiting begins.”
*************************
“ Why do you want to join us?” Rhiannon asked, her face entirely emotionless. Ash fiddled with the cuff of his shirt.
“ W-Well, I grew up in the area. I know how hard you lot work. You’ve protected us for a long time. How could I not?” He answered. Morgan had grown up in District 9. For a long time, they were on their own with the sound of music. It wasn’t the worst District. He’d heard horror stories of District 23. The ambiance was nice and the streets were even clean. But there were dark sides to every part of the city. There’s used to be the Ghasts, a nasty Syndicate that ran with the Thumb. They crushed the District once upon a time, when he was still a kid. But then the Acapella Syndicate tore them apart in an operatic performance, life got better after that.
“ You're still just a kid. Why join a Syndicate?”
“ With all due respect, Ma’am, I’m 21. And besides, I always had an eye for detail. I think I can do a good job in this line of work.”
“ There’s offices if you want to throw your life away. Or the Associations. We’re a bloody group, you know?”
“ I know. You work for those mad artists, right? But this is a place of music. Of art. It’s why you're so good to us, yeah?” Rhiannon didn’t answer. “ Look. I don’t have what it takes to be a Fixer. When I was young, my leg got stuck under some metal in a fight between the two syndicates. I can’t fight to well cause of the injury, so no office would except me. But I promise. I’m an exceptional watchman. Rats tried to get into Dad’s shop all the time, but they never got passed me. Give me a test. You’ll see.” Rhiannon hummed.
“ One test. You get one test.”
“ Ha. Thanks Ma’am. I won’t disappoint. I swear it.” And he didn’t. It was the start of his life as a member of the Ring.
*************************
Ash listened to the agents struggling with Gebura in disciplinary. “ Let's think. Kaz can last a little while yet but we need to see how she reacts to the damage types. With any luck, she'll stay in Disciplinary but who knows what she's got. we need to be ready for anything.” He muttered. He watched from the camera as Gebura pressed forwards. “ Back line, fall back. You’re in trouble. Front line, hold her back so the back line can get into a better position.”
“ Got it.” An agent from Records called. Even if the others didn’t respond, their actions made it clear they heard him. Ash’s tapping sped up. He tried to calm himself down. This wasn’t good. It had been too long since he’d been in a situation like this. Suddenly, the Mist hoped back and pulled out a gauntlet. Ash tensed.
“ EVERYONE! GET OUT! NOW! Golden glyphs appeared all over the facility. “Shit. Shit. Not good. She’s teleporting?” He watched the agents scramble.
“ Where’d she go, Ash?” The Record Team Ace, Kaz, called.
“ I’m looking.” Ash quickly traced her movements. “ OK. She’s… uh… Just pass Extraction… Morgan? What are you doing you moron?” Ash watches in bewilderment as the head of Extraction grabbed Gebura as she passed by and slammed her into the ground. Ash lets out a hearty laugh. “ Morgan has her contained in Extraction. Go help her out.” They still had some hope after all.
*************************
“ Ash, where are they?” Jaxon shouted.
“ Fourth floor. Second Balcony. Careful mate. Who knows what kinda bullshit the workshops cooked up for ‘em this time.”
“ Keep an eye on the situation, Ashley.” Rhiannon told him coldly. “ Team Adagio. Move in from the left side. Team Allegro, take the rooftops.”
“ On it, boss.” Ash kept his eyes on the situation. He was a part of the Acappella Syndicate, a syndicate that answered directly to the Maestro’s of the ring. Their boss, Rhiannon, was an ex-2nd grade Fixer who’s obsession with music led them here. She was known as Hell’s Conductor for the way she ran her people like a well tuned instrument. They operated out of District 9, the District of music under I Corp’s jurisdiction. They were hunting a Fixer group that decided to press in on their turf as some kind of liberation. Not the wisest course of action.
“ How’s it looking, Ash.”
“ They’re pinned. Hit ‘em where it hurt, eh mate?” There was a chuckling from his comms. Then a ringing as Jaxon’s group pressed in on them.
“ Stigma stuff. Singed my bloody coat.” Jaxon complained. “ We got ‘em but their boss ain’t here.”
“ Any escape route?” Rhiannon asked.
“ Yep. They burned a hole through the floor with some kind of acid.” She hummed. “ Boss?”
“ Allegro, hit the ground. Jaxon, you and Team Adagio follow the hole but be careful. Some residual acid might be still applied. Ashley, find them.”
“ Aye aye.” Ash hit the controls for the drones, Treble and Clef, which fired pulses of sound through the windows on the other floor. He smirked as the echo sense picked them up.
“ Their headed for the rear. You can pick ‘em up there, boss.”
“ Good work, Ashley.” Ash leaned back in his chair. Sometimes, his job was too easy.
*************************
As Gebura recovered from Morgan’s slam, she tossed away her weapons. “ Shit.” Ash went back for the comms. “ She’s got new toys. ALEPH grade. Red and White. Careful people.” Ash watched. Her new weapons were definitely worse than what she had before. He barked an order at Kaz to retreat after he got hit pretty badly by Mimicry. A deafening whistle broke through the facility. “ Damn it. Who’s in charge of that thing?” He growled.
“ Bandana! No!” He heard one of his fellow information department agents call as their partner was ran down. He grumbled as he got up, clearly bloodied up from the affair.
“ I’m… alright, Glasses.” Ash clicked his tongue. Things were going from bad to worse.
“ Everyone fall back and recover. We can take it from the top later.” Ash shouted. As everyone moved, Gebura caught the thing with the blade of Da Capo and sent in flying back. “ Oh come on. That has to be cheating.” Ash growled.
“ Oh no you don’t.” Kaz growled. Both he and Morgan leapt in, crashing their weapons into the train and launching the front car back at the Mist. Ash just watched, confusion evident on his face.
“ How are you…”
“ You know. I’ve just learned to stop questioning these things.” Noah, an agent from disciplinary, muttered. Ash had to agree. In L Corp, nothing made sense. It was a place filled with creatures from the depths of a madman’s imagination. From floating, cross embedded skulls and an alien that warped it’s appearance to match human thoughts to a cleaning machine turned killer robot and a meat grinder that made people go made from the so called music it made to the literal corpse mountain and whatever Nothing There was, this should really just be par for the course at this point.
The Red Mist cut the train in half as it was sent back her way, though clearly struggled with the exertion. With an angry cry, the former fixer rushed in with Da Capo, slashing with a lightning fast blow. Luckily, the agents managed to dodge the blow. “ Front Line, push her up. Back line, reposition. She’s flagging.” And man, did he hope that was true. “ And someone watch the god damned train. If there’s anything left of it, at the very least.”
*************************
The Fixers were well supplied. Too well supplied for a group of only Rank 5 and 6s. Rhiannon knew something was up. Her intel was troubling. “ It seems we’ve caught the attention of the Sevens.”
“ The Seven Association?” Jaxon asked, surprised. “ The hell do they want?”
“ According to the leader of those fixers, I Corp has tasked them with flushing us out.”
“ Those cowards.”
“ Why not deal with us themselves?” Ash asked.
“ The Corporations never do anything themselves unless they have to.” Rhiannon reasoned. “ Seven and Oufi hire out a lot of their fixers for odd jobs in return for information and resources respectively. It’s likely the Sevens are keeping an eye on us to learn how we work.”
“ Watchdogs that they are.” Jaxon sat back. “ So what’s the plan, boss?”
“ We know their base. We simply need to search and destroy. We’ll hit them by night when they least expect it. Deliver a dirge unto them.” She declared. “ Operation will be just like usual. I’ll command Allegro. Jaxon, command Adagio. Ash, your the conductor.”
“ Aye aye, Ma’am. I won’t let you down.”
*************************
“ Open… the Road… of Gold!” Morgan growled.
“ Oh shit. Now what.” Ash sighed as he watched Morgan slam Gebura through a portal using their own Gold Rush. A few seconds later, two bodies crashed down from the ceiling. Ash hoped back in shock. “ Uh. They're in here. Information.” Ash snatched up Moonlight from beside himself. “ So much for standing back and orchestrating.” Ash watched as the other agents filtered in and the Red Mist dodged back, kicking Kaz and stealing his weapon. Ash grits his teeth.
“ Yo, Bald Info man.” An agent from Training called. “ How are the Mountain and Big Bird?” Ash cursed. He’d forgotten them. He looked back and took a small breath of relief.
“ Low but contained. Might not be for much longer though.” Ash struck forward, striking Gebura in the chest with his weapon. She didn’t even flinch. This wasn’t good. He wasn’t good at fighting. Luckily, it didn’t last. Taking a page out of Morgan’s book, she pulled the Road of Gold out and rushed the team. Ash attempted to dive, only to get clipped in the leg. “ Grr. I’ll keep an eye on things. Go. And Careful, Mates.”
“ Good luck, Ash.” One of the agents nodded. Ash climbed back onto his chair. Things were getting heavy.
“ Ha. My bad leg as well. No tact, Gebura. No tact.” He watched as she crashed into Training, tossing her weapons aside as she arrived, ambushing several agents with Da Capo as they arrive. “ Pale and Black. Oh joy. Watch the Blind Bird’s sword.”
Gebura slammed her hammer to the ground as the agents began their assault. A few Agents were sent flying and had to fall back as a small group led by the elite members of Binah’s Extraction team continued the fight. Ash’s tapping rhythm was getting faster by the minute. He had a lot of things to keep watch of. The Big Bird and the Mountain in their neighbouring cells were looking pretty restless and the train was being watched over by a lone clerk, the last agent who was on it having missed the timing and been hit by the train.
He was starting to get flashbacks to that day. So much pressure on his back, just like back then. So much to keep track of. So much pressure. He scowled. And then the tempo raised once again.
*************************
They found the Sevens base in a warehouse district near the bottom corner of the district. Ash sent Treble and Clef into the air and launched a barrage of soundwaves over the district. “ Alright. I got them. Sevens are in a warehouse in the center of the district. Few agents scattered around the place on defence. Keep your guards up. The boss said we’re moving in an Rubato. Take their positions and snuff ‘em out.”
" When am I not careful?” Jaxon joked. Ash decided against answering that. The answer was 30% of the time, which was not high enough for his liking.
“ Adagio, scout ahead. Allegro, we’ll pick off the reinforcements. Stay hidden. We don’t want to tip them off.” Ash watched, rhythmically tapping his finger against the table.
“ Hmm. The Sevens are known for Intelligence gathering. They don’t use any fancy tricks. Just simple swords and throwing knives. But the fact they can arm an entire Office means they have added inventory, even if they aren’t planning usage of it themselves. They may make use of it. With any luck, it’s the flame weapons and acid from Stigma.”
“ That sums it up.” Rhiannon confirmed. “ They should be Section 2. They’re based in H Corp’s nest, so they’re the closest to us.”
“ Pain in the ass people, eh?” Jaxon laughed. “ Why can’t they leave well enough alone?” Ash used Treble and Clef to keep an eye on everything. At first, everything was going well. He noticed Allegro doing it’s job and handling the guards dotted around as Adagio began circling the compound. It looked like an easy job. In reality, it was. But even in easy jobs, thing could go wrong. And so, the tempo raised.
*************************
An alarm blaring made his blood run cold. “ No. No no no no. Not right now.” He watched as Gebura pulled herself up from being knocked down by another agent. She warped away. Ash watched as she collided a fist with a tier 2 Mountain of Smiling Corpses. Big Bird had wisely decided to leave to Welfare instead. “ Uh. So Gebura is fighting the Mountain. Might wanna get down there.” Ash sighed.
As the Agents arrived, Gebura seemed to chuckle. She removed her blade from the mountains side before grabbing it by the head. “ Just in time. Catch.” The mountain was sent flying at the arriving agents.
“ If anyone needs healing, come to Information. Big Bird’s in the lower corridor of Welfare. Same formation as before. Don’t push yourselves.”
“ We’ll be fine.” A Command team member called. Despite this, Ash flinched as he watched another agent impaled through the back by Gebura.
“ Damn it.” He hissed. Was he doing this again? Forced to sit back and watch as more of his fellows fell in battle. He felt his nails dig into the palm of his hand. There had to be something he could do. He dropped to the floor as the train sailed right passed him. “ Jesus. Pay attention, Clerk. We have enough issues without you messing up.”
“ I know. No need to take my head off, dude.” Ash clicked his tongue. As Ash turned his head back to the fight, his heart drop. Gebura had unleashed a slash of pure Pale energy right through the Agents. One of the Agents is torn in half by the blade, their very soul torn asunder. Ash’s body shook as he looked upon the injured from the safety of Information. He glared up at the cameras.
“ How do you stand this, Manager? Hiding away while everyone around you perishes? Have you no guilt to watch and command as you see fit? Well to hell with you.” Ash looked down at the cane next to his desk, faint stars glowing in the glass orb atop the cane. He was a horrible fighter but he couldn’t just let these things stand. “ Fucking damn it.” He muttered. “ Fine. Big Bird is coming your way. Keep an eye out.” He snatched up his cane. He wasn’t about to sit out another hell brawl. Perhaps he could help turn the tide.
*************************
“ Jaxon? Jaxon, respond!” Ash called.
“ Ashley. What happened?”
" I dunno. All of Team Adagio just blipped.”
“ What?” Rhiannon sounded distressed. “ Allegro. Move to assist. Ashley.”
“ Yeah. On it.” Ash activated Treble and Clef. “ Weird. There’s no signs of them anywhere.” Ash’s tapping on the desk became slightly faster. “ Hey boss. I think we’ve been tricked.”
“ Hmm. I see. So that’s it.” She muttered. “ Ashley. Precipitando.”
“ Speeding up are we? Is it really that bad?” Ash muttered. “ Fine. Let’s move.” Ash watched as Rhiannon's team moved in. He felt a cold chill on his skin. Usually, he could tell where everything was due to the echo sensing drones used by his syndicate. Treble and Clef used high powered Sonars to detect even a faint heartbeat in the nearby area. But now, he saw nothing. But he heard a lot over the next few minutes. Mostly the singing blade of Rhiannon. Afterwards, there was silence.
“ Ashley. Enemy silent. Come here.” Her voice was grave. Either way, Ash complied. He saw some of the other members of the Syndicate as he walked through. Some of them gave him a sympathetic look. Ash bit his lip. When he entered the warehouse, he had to cover his mouth to protect himself from the harsh acrid smell that filled it.
“ Gah. What is that?”
“ Look.” Rhiannon gestured to the rooms center. It looked like a bomb had gone off. There was a crater just off the center leaving a crater in the ground. A second look made it apparent why the room smelled like it did. The ground had been melted along with everything around it, either the various crates and other objects the Sevens had set up and, from the appearance of the various limbs and have melted corpses around the crater, people. That’s when he saw it.
“ N-No.” Ash gasped. Lying near the central impact point, face half melted away, was Jaxon. “ Then… these people…”
“ Indeed. The performance of Team Adagio has reached it’s curtain call.” Ash paled. They were all… Was this…
“ Ashley. It wasn’t your fault.” He looked back. “ I don’t say that as a reassurance. They knew what we were up to. The second they knew it was us, they trigger a device from J corp. In a sense, they locked themselves to subdue any sounds we could pick up on. You couldn’t have done anything so there’s no point to feel bad.”
“ But Jaxon… He was a friend.”
“ And his loss will be sorely felt.” She nodded. “ However, I warned you during application that this ours is a bloody performance. Jaxon knew the risks. There’s no point to let his death slow us down.”
“ But that’s-”
“ Cold? Yes. You have to be in this life. The city won’t coddle the soft. Being cold and rational is the only way to survive it.”
“ That’s why you wanted me to see this? To understand the importance of being dead and cold like you?”
“ No. Don’t change. But don’t things personally. You’re a good person, Ashley. You have a lot of talent. I just want you to understand how these things must work.” Ash was silent for a few seconds, his eyes stuck on the devastation in front of him. Then he turned.
“ Right.” He nodded. He got it. Do what you can but if there’s nothing to do, it’s fine. Some people die. It’s sad but they needed to keep on. But the little voice in his head remained. He wanted to help if he could. Even if it wouldn’t change anything in the end. Because maybe, in another life, him being there, fighting alongside his comrades. Perhaps that would be enough one day.
*************************
Ash ran as fast as his bad leg would carry him, coat of his EGO suit blowing in the breeze he created. Not again. Not like Team Adagio. Not like Jaxon. He’d make the difference this time. He had to. As he ran, he heard a rapturous cry from one of the Agents. Had someone else fallen? In the corridor beside him, a portal opened. He fell back in the elevator and watched as Gebura rushed by, grinding her blade against the floor so much it greeted a great gash. He grit his teeth. He needed to be faster.
Ash finally found the rest of the team back in Disciplinary. He could see their injuries for himself now. Torn clothes and bloody gashes. A member of the Extraction Team’s EGO had began taking over, growing over their right arm. Something to deal with later, but for now, he saw Gebura towering over them, Apocalypse in hand. He grit his teeth. The intimidating aura made him sweat. But he tightened his weapon in his grasp. “ Need a hand?”
“ You took your time.” Noah smirked. He looked incredibly winded. If it wasn’t for the blessing of the Knight, who knows if he’d even still be standing.
“ Bad leg. Give me my moment.” Ash lowers his gaze, looking at Gebura. “ Shouldn’t be too shocked she came back here. The injured beast always retreats to her den, after all?”
“ Are we… almost done?” He heard a Central agent ask timidly.
“ Come on. If you want my head, come take it.” The Red Mist declared, levelling Apocalypse at them. Ash spun his cane in one hand. He struck forwards, a few other agents at his back, striking Gebura in the side with Moonlight. Gebura was able to deflect all of their blows. Then the sound of a horn pierced the room. Ash hit the ground. Gebura pulled a scythe from the air and cut in half. “ Damn train!”
“ Die!” The agent with the EGO overtaken hand shouted, slashing at the Red Mist. Ash watched the agent drive their claw into her side. In his head, he could hear the faint sound of a piano as the light of Moonlight glowed faintly. Ah, he thought. So this was EGO corrosion. How quaint. He whistled along slightly before stepping slowly towards Gebura. Gebura swung her sword madly, slashing another agent to pieces before collapsing tired. He saw his chance.
“ Adagio. Allegro.” Ash struck hard, aided by the EGO Corroded Agent and Noah, driving their weapons into her. As she stood back, he leapt back. Gebura raised her sword again, gathering all her power into it. Ash tensed. Then he just closed his eyes. “ Jaxon. I’ll be seeing you soon.” The light in Moonlight glowed intensely as Ash opened his eyes, fearlessly staring down Death as she charged through his fellow agents. He spun the cane in his hands and thrust. He didn’t even feel as Gebura went through him. Well... What else... did I expect? Ash collapses as he is torn to pieces. His last vision is off the Red Mist being struck head on by a train. If he could have laughed, he would have. " What do you know? Guess I did something in the end."
*************************
The Acappella Syndicate and the Sevens fought for 6 months. At the end of that 6 months, with the group stuck in a stalemate and I Corp breathing down their necks, Rhiannon decided to sign an agreement. They cut themselves off from the Ring but were allowed to remain as Fixers. The Acapella Office remained open for another 3 years before Rhiannon retired. It was around that time that Ash got a missive from L Corp, offering him a place as an agent in their main branch. With no other place to go, he accepted.
“ Off then, are we Ashley?” Rhiannon asked him.
“ Aye. Just saying my goodbyes.” He nodded. The woman smiled.
“ You were a good operative.” She told him. “ I wish you well in your endeavours.”
" Aye. And you in yours. Whatever that may be.”
“ Hmm. I was thinking of becoming a pianist.”
“ Oh?”
“ Well, I always did like music. I know how to play a few instruments. So, maybe I’ll be a pianist.” Then she shrugged. “ Or maybe a pianist. Or perhaps I’ll get bored and return to being a Fixer. Who can say? The future is an unseen Opera. No-one yet knows how it ends.”
“ Then I hope your show goes on for a while longer yet.” He smirked. “ And, if that pianist thing works out for you, maybe I’ll come see you one day.”
“ I shall save you a front row seat.” His old boss offered him a handshake. “ May your performance run ala Da Capo.”
“ You and your musical metaphors, boss.” Ash gave her a playful wink as he accepted the handshake. “ Heh. Fine. Then I suppose I’ll see you in the next performance.”
*************************
Ash awoke with a start. He looked at the clock next to him. “ Day 36, huh?” Was that right? He could have swore it was day 39 now. He tried to remember what had happened and why he was feeling so sore. Looking around, it seemed he fell asleep at his desk in information yet again. Too many deaths. Too many reports to write. He sighed. Looking on the computer though, he saw a new one. “Records of the Suppression of Sephirah Gebura? Huh?” Ash raised an eyebrow. “ When did that happen?” He looked over and saw a fellow agent pass him by.
“ Oi. Glasses? You right this?” Glasses looked over his shoulder.
“ No. That’s odd.”
“ Geez.” He sighed. “ Well, whatever. If it’s here it must be important.” Ash hummed. He felt he was forgetting something important. His body was aching all over and this new report. Did something happen? An alarm blaring cut through his thoughts. He checked the cameras. “ Hmm. Paul escaped.”
“ Paul?” Glasses asked. “ Oh. All Around Helper. Why don’t you just call it that?” Ash gave his co-worker a devilish smirk.
“ Well, you know me.” He said. “ Gotta keep you lot on your toes. If I don’t, who else will?”