CHAPTER 15 ASSETS

...

“Wait, you're telling me that Originium, the cause of you and other's Oripathy, is the only type of energy used in this world?”

Crownslayer silently nodded her head.

She looked around the room she was ushered into by some guards and what she can guess as officers of this otherworld complex. It was a pretty spacious room, shiny brown wooden floor with the walls accented with various wooden shapes as decoration and rows of decorated lamps in the ceiling, which was something different than the usual blocky strip lights that this organization seemed to have an infatuation with.

Crownslayer's seat was situated in one table at the center of the room while the other tables containing the so-called higher-ups of the otherworldly agency were away from her in a distance, laid in a curved manner, separated by a small upper ledge with some protective glass that looked hastily installed, there weren't many of them though. Aside from the guards, there were only 12 of them sitting there, endlessly questioning her while wearing the same black suit and tie and small metal plaque that was used to identify their names. Apparently there were supposed to be 13 of them today, but he didn't show up.

“How many countries are there exactly?”

“Eighteen? I think?”

“Is your whole world explored already? Apart from this single supercontinent?”

“No, not really?”

“What’s the level of technology between these countries?”

“Technology? Well, it varies.”

“What do you usually eat?”

“Uh? Food?”

Never in her life did Crownslayer think she'd be stuck here answering questions from self proclaimed aliens, but here she is now.

“Do you know a person called W?”

Crownslayer’s ears perked up. She certainly did not expect to hear that name pop up suddenly without warning here.

“Yes. She is- well, a colleague.”

“Also a commander of Reunion, such as yourself?”

“Yes. Wait, what do you all have to do with W?”

“Well, there might be a slight problem we have regarding her treatment of, let's say, one of our informants.”

“W-Wait, if you have any problems like that, I'll talk to them to maybe ease out some peaceful resolutions, if you may.”

“That would actually be quite helpful, Miss Crownslayer. I actually have a question regarding you and your Reunion.”

Crownslayer turned to the person who replied to her. She really didn't know why everyone had decided on calling her with a miss, maybe it was a cultural thing in their world? She focused on the person who addressed her, he looked to be one of the younger ones in the room full of mostly geezers.

“Uh, Sir Oswald Clark?”

The man was slouched onto his seat, with both his hands crossed. At first Crownslayer thought he was a low level officer with the way he did present himself, but the little standing sign that read: “Director of Intelligence and Operations.” Quickly made Crownslayer reconsider her thoughts.

“From what we understand, Reunion is a resistance movement that seeks to remove the chains of discrimination done to the Infected by anti-Infected groups and regimes, am I correct?”

“Yes, that's what we do.”

“The Reunion had invaded Chernobog, correct?”

“Correct.”

“For what reason?”

“Apart from other strategic values, Chernobog had it coming. If only the catastrophe hit all of Ursus.”

“Do you really think, this way of war and fire is the way to a peaceful resolution for the Infected populace?”

“Do not assume that we are the ones who refuse treaties of peace or diplomacy, they- Ursus, are the ones who started it.”

Oswald simply nodded his head. Many such cases.

“The Leader of Reunion is this person named Talulah, right?”

“That is right.”

“Tell me, what's she like?”

Crownslayer contemplated for a bit, drifting away from reality to focus on her thoughts, and the memories she has of her.

“She had always been the smartest out of all of us, the strongest out of all of us. But her ambition, her ambition is like a raging fire, that will never settle, like her arts.”

Oswald caught interest in that specific Word. Arts, it wasn't the first time that they heard of it, mentions of it the newspapers they've scavenged always used the word in some context regarding power, or strength. But in no way properly explained it in simple digestible terms. The analysts kind of just assumed that it's a word that simply meant as a stand in for influence, but other words that were attached to it like, fire or ice, never really made that theory hold any water.

“Miss Crownslayer, what exactly is Arts?”

The girl’s eyes suddenly goggled in realization.

“Ah, I forgot that you, otherworlders are clueless on the manipulation of arts. That's, a bit of a shame.”

Oswald gave her a kind of irritated smile.

“Oh? Well what is it?”

“Arts, or Originium Arts is the ability to transform and manipulate matter and energy to your heart's will, using Originium as a catalyst. Normal folk would need to use arts catalysts to cast arts, but we, the infected? We don't. The Originium embedded in our being would prove to be enough.”

The entire room went haywire with their imaginations with whatever their brains thought when she said “Manipulation and transformation of matter and energy.” Haber, the old scientist who had to be forced away from his lab to come join the assembly was finally showing some interest in what's happening, having some knowledge about the capabilities of Originium from how the portal even worked. He looked at Crownslayer with his thick glasses and eyes now burning in curiosity.

“Miss, this Manipulation and Transformation of Energy and Matter, what do you mean by it?”

“Well, if you take Talulah for example, she could simply generate fire from the tip of her fingertips. And not just simple fire, her formless flames can be as hot as the edge of a volcano or the very core of it itself.”

“And this fire, doesn't affect her?”

“No. It doesn't.”

“I must say, I have a hard time imagining this, arts thing of yours, are you capable of doing it yourself?“

“I have my own, special type of arts. If you will it so, then I can show you.”

…

Rhodes Island

“W-Wait! I-I can explain!”

Shouted a distressed vampire. The reason for the alarming distress being that Amiya and someone named Snafu had caught her doing something that she probably was not supposed to do.

In her massive personal laboratory, filled to the brim with various tech and gadgets that littered the entire place from wall to shelves and wires of various sizes and colors that connected to this and that and other strange looking doohickeys which not one soul in Rhodes Island could understand or comprehend the use for, laid the main evidence for the bloodless vampire’s crime.

In one of the long white tables centered in the middle, was Snafu's duffel bag containing various types of never seen before tech, notably Snafu's items. Of these include some wires, a cellphone, a two-way radio and a gun. Snafu's same handgun that he thought he lost back then.

Now normally, there would be no issue with these items being laid out in the table still in perfect form and condition, but the devil was then seen if one would take a moment to observe the other items in the table with it. Different types of screwdrivers, pliers, and even a modified usb that could fit in the phone's socket that has a suspicious text assigned to it which read “Data Collector”.

Amiya looked into the eyes of the red handed vampire.

"Explain?”

“Y-Yes, actually I haven't touched them yet! I was just getting curious!”

“Mr. Snafu. You can directly take your stuff from the table, please check to see if there have been signs of tampering.”

Amiya said in an authoritative tone of voice where her eyes unflinching never left staring at Closure.

Snafu didn't say anything and only nodded his head, making his way through the various pieces of machinery on the floor to the table where he first took the phone to inspect it. After some fiddling, he then moved towards the radio and fiddled with that as well, then lastly he went to the gun and checked to see its magazine, afterwards he put it in his pocket. All of this was done in complete silence without acknowledging the girl wearing an oversized white T shirt and massive jacket with a thousand straps all over who kindly backed up with both her hands raised when Snafu approached.

“Mr. Snafu, is it fine?”

“They're alright.”

But before Snafu and Amiya could leave Closure’s mancave, the vampire suddenly called out to Snafu, her drive for engineering not letting this opportunity pass by.

“Y-You're that guy right? Snafu?’

The agent turned around to meet the vampire with a rather high tendency for mischief.

“Yeah?”

“You do know your devices are not using any type of Originium power, right?”

Amiya also stared back, the pull of curiosity grabbing her center of attention by the mention of non-originium based technology.

“Huh? Well no shit, they run on electricity.”

Snafu said bluntly, staring at Closure as if she's the one questioning common sense, not knowing he just got himself into more of a deeper hole.

“W-What!? Those things run on electricity?!”

Snafu tilted his head in surprise. Surely they know what electricity is, if they don't then how do they operate this massive landship? And the led lights on the ceiling of this room? Or the monitor in her room displaying some off-brand looking twitter site? Yes, they were obviously of the modern descent. Then why did this young lady just scream as if she just underwent an epiphany?

But before he could ask her why she was screaming in a strange way, Amiya suddenly pulled him out of the room and closed the door of the technophile landfill.

“What did you do that for?”

“We're only here to pick your stuff up, we have no time to waste. Don't you not want to keep Doktah waiting? Besides Kal'tsit is also very, very interested in you now.”

Amiya replied, emphasizing the part where he's now suddenly supposed to meet this Kal'tsit person.

“Okay then.”

After that, Snafu started walking in quick paces with the duffel bag on his back.

“W-Wait! That's not the right way!”

“Don't worry! I'm just going to take a leak! Saw a bathroom around this corner here earlier...”

Snafu's voice faded from Amiya's massive ears as he successfully managed to separate himself from the clingy CEO rabbit for at least a second in the men's bathroom.

There were no people inside. Good thing. He quickly laid out his duffel bag and first checked his phone again. Reboot and it was stuck at the red battery bar screen. That doesn't matter, he pushed specific buttons at specific intervals and it accessed another screen. He pressed on a passcode protected setting labeled “Records” . He scrolled through some records of the phone, records of multiple things such as 12 failed access attempts that were noted a few hours ago, actual battery reports, the deactivation of its signal system due to damage and the important one, an intercepted call attempt record from a few days ago.

…

Some outside Area in Area 555

“And with a little inner manipulation of arts, I could, with enough concentration…”

Crownslayer took one step, then another, then another, but this one, unlike the rest, took the attention of the observers. It was a special kind of step, whereas no one would bat an eye to a normal one for its understandable perceived dullness, this one you see, was far from normal. In fact, it was absolutely unnatural.

Her figure suddenly dispersed into nothingness, it's like its form and record from the waking world was erasing itself from eyesight and fooling the brain's comprehension with an incomprehensible scene, and this quick fleeting moment in where it most likely only took half a second in reality, but in the observer’s view, in where their eyes saw the magical scene for the first time in their life saw it in hours.

Then reality struck like lightning in daylight, the familiar animal-human-like form of the now known hyena-girl restructuring herself into the normal, observable kind of space at over 5 meters beyond her original location.

“I could Blink from one location to another, albeit the distance is quite short.”

Wide-eyed and brain-shook, the observers stared at her like they were 6 year olds witnessing someone pull a coin from their ear for the first time at some party. But as speechless as they were, they definitely cannot just keep gawking at the sight that just happened a few seconds before as the now trembling Crownslayer was now getting mildly discomforted by all the observer's shocked, inquisitive and judging gazes and that this can be quickly observed through a clear look of Crownslayer’s currently frowning face.

“Shiiiiiiiiit! D-Did you see that?”

The person behind the ecstatic voice turned to his fellow.

“Da, I think we all did.”

“Yeah I know, but did you fucking see that?”

“Did your ears also have fallen as low as your brain, Conner?”

“Ahem!” The sound of someone clearing his throat interrupted the chatter.

“Miss Crownslayer, If I remember what you said clearly, then this-uhhh, “Arts” thing, is a type of manipulation of matter and energy, and with it you could do, that. But, how or in what way exactly?”

“It’s kinda hard to explain, once you have it, you manifest it.”

“Ma-ni-fest, it?”

“Yes?”

“Nothing, though I think we'll have to call it a day, for now. Thank you for you cooperation.”

“Oh? Then I guess we're done here.”

“Yes, we are.”

“Wait, you said you were the one responsible for my current medical situation, right?”

The man who had been in-charge of the test, who was about to start walking towards the other scientists near the area, stopped, then turned around, his quite lengthy face and thin scuffled beard meeting her gaze.

“Hmm? Yes, I'm Dr. Stephen Room, scientist and also the medical professional behind your treatments, is there a problem?”

“How long would the treatment last? This place is nice and all, but I can't stay here forever.”

Dr. Room contemplated a bit, this was something they predicted a while ago. They can't keep her in here forever, doing so would only worsen relations with a possible high value client, and her injuries are mysteriously healing themselves quite faster than they had ever expected, especially when the initial overview guessed that she might have been hit by some sort of IED before getting covered by rubble.

The strange thing that bugged Dr. Room though was the entire plan regarding her, as a component of it was : “Build enough trust and or favorability with her in hopes that she might cooperate with us in the future.” In his mind that was complete bollocks, what would happen if the people of this world actually had some sort of inherent trait in them that makes them betray people or something? But the old-timer goombah soprano sitting at the back staring and smiling like he just had a day of nothing but smiling daisies at a park seemed pretty confident about it for some reason, so he guessed he just needed to do his part.

“Your recovery depends on you, Miss. We cannot accurately or perfectly determine the time of recovery but, if you really want an estimate, I'd say at least a few more weeks, but an actual full and perfect recovery would take more. You're lucky the shrapnel wounds weren't horrible.’

Crownslayer made a difficult face, clicking her tongue while accidentally pressing her bandaged arm a bit too hard in annoyance causing her to produce a high-pitched ow.

“Miss, I understand you're frustrated, but please try not to touch-”

“I know, I know.”

She walked away, her tail drooped down, but in her way came with the approach of the familiar geezer.

“You don't look so good.”

“I just- there's a lot I have to do.”

“I'm guessing it's regarding the Reunion? Actually, we may be able to help you in that department.”

But before Alberto could say something more, the sounds of coming footsteps encroached, Crownslayer turned her head to notice the two vets approaching their direction. The same two she had tried to stab, destroy and kill before, but unlike then, they didn't have their weird masks that covered their faces like Sarkaz mercs or the dark bodysuits and vests that were kind of reminiscent of Rhodes Island Elites, with the only difference being that what they wore was remarkably more darker, heavier and completely blank in terms of signs and insignia. But now they were only wearing their khaki colored pants and white T-shirts, with Conner’s sleeves rolled up. Crownslayer physically looked up to be able to see their faces, Conner’s eyes seemed to be fixated on something on top of her head. But the other one, Ivan, she had some curiosities about.

“Hey! You remember us right? Your fucking magic back there was unbelievable!”

“Da, I think I recall you using that against us back then.”

Crownslayer stares intensely into Ivan upon first glance.

“I didn't know there was an Ursine in here.”

“Нет, not from Ursus, my dear Comrade. I don't have teddy bear ears, do I?”

“Tch, you even speak like them.”

“You really don't seem to like the Ursus.”

Alberto interjected, looking a bit curious about her attitude towards the Ursus. From what they know, it was the country which owned the first BFMC-1 that the Reunion Ravaged, which she was a part of, but so far all she had expounded upon willingly was Chernobog was a City that needed to be liberated from the hands of oppressors, and that's why Reunion did what they did. Now America may or may not have burned cities for freedom and liberty for good or not good reasons, but common sense can also recognize that destroying a city would probably be the polar opposite of liberation.

“Well, they are scum.”

“How so?”

Asked Ivan, getting curious if the Russia alternate in this world followed the war bloodied and corruption-heavy steps it did in his.

“Ursus doesn't care about its people, only its image and military might that promotes oppressiveness and hate, not only that but they're our worst enemy.”

“Da, I saw in the newspapers, they do not seem to be in favor of you and your kind.”

Alberto nodded. “Indeed, treating the victims of a cruel disease like lepers.”

“They hate the Infected for simply trying to live.”

Crownslayer said bluntly, steadily getting angry from what Alberto can assume was past memories of negative experiences, or more accurately, trauma.

“That reminds me, Ivan, why did you defect in the first place?” Conner said, suddenly changing the topic. And in response Ivan stared at him with a blank face but with eyebrows that screamed “Isn't it obvious?”.

“Uhh? Why are you staring at me like that? Did you defect because you didn't like your government or something?”

“Нет?” “Huh? Then what?” “Money.” “Huh? Really?” “Life is simple Comrade, don't make it complicated.” “I didn't know capitalists were born in Russia…”

Crownslayer who was overhearing the conversation and going by the fact that these otherworlders seemed to have similar countries in their own world had her curiosity reach a major high point.

“Is Russia in your world like Ursus?”

Ivan turned his head to her.

“I don't know much about Ursus, but from what I know I'd say there are definite similarities, girl.”

“Then, are they the strongest military force in your world?”

Conner, who was in the process of hydrating himself with water from his flask, choked.

“Hmm, well not really.” Was all Ivan said.

…

Remote viewing room

“Well we certainly did not expect magic to actually exist here did we?” Said Laurence, sipping a cup of tea while watching the little test. “I wonder what Haber thinks, he's just in the other room next to us, isn't he?”

Arts was something that was first made known to them by brief mentions on texts and passages of the multiple bits and pieces of newspapers they've gathered firsthand but never truly understood what it even meant, until of course Crownslayer told Alberto.

“Jesus Christ, just as we were getting a hold of our situation here, I don't know what this could mean for us.” Oswald replied.

“I think it is in the range of expectations. We should have been prepared for anything the moment we discovered the first city.”

Laurence took another sip before speaking

“But I think this isn't our first encounter with Arts, isn't the portal powered the very exact same way?”

“That damned portal? Yeah maybe? Either way we have another thing to look out for that we barely even understand.”

Laurence looked at his fellow colleague, looking a bit degraded from the dark circles forming around his eyes.

“Did you get enough sleep?”

“I’ve been turned into a robot, Laurence.”

“A robot? What are you running on? Coffee?”

“Oh I wish, they only serve one cup a day now due to resource problems.”

Laurence stared at him weirdly.

“You're a department head, and you follow the quartermaster's orders?”

…

“Foreigner-1 to Panopticon, We're seeing a situation down here at the slum area, multiple riots seem to have started breaking out like wildfire over the past few minutes, it's getting hot. Over.”

“Panopticon to Foreigner-1, We will leave that info to our pencil-pushers. Do you have any updates on the S.O.S signal that you've picked up recently? Over.”

“Uhh- Negative, records indicate it's an old S.O.S signature that we used in our electronic devices years ago but there would be no reason for that to show up here. We're classifying it as a false positive for the moment, uhh- we'll get back to you once our engineers fix it out, Over.”

“Foreigner-1, We copy, continue your watch. Panopticon Out.”

“Foreigner-4 to Panopticon, The Unidentified Aircraft had left its current position. It is now in the skies of the City and going East. Should we follow its route? Over.”

“Panopticon to Foreigner-4, I give you permission to follow and track the unidentified aircraft. It's getting dark out there, make sure you don't lose track of the aircraft, Out.”

___ A/N

What do you expect will happen in the coming chaps?

Suggest some more ideas!

I read all of your comments and stuff, I just dont normally reply!