GERMANY - 12 APRIL 2020
The midday sun was not as hot as it should be. It had been partly cloudy the whole day, they had been walking for hours, they we tried and hungry, and the safe house was still an hour away. From there they would catch a ride to Berlin. They first had to make their way through this forest and get to that cabin.
A simple mission really. Intelligence gathering over a period of six months so they can infiltrate the German government. Simple. Why their mother didn't just drop them of in Berlin and not this forest they will never know. Actually they do know. She is a snake, a cruel women, the devils daughter recanted. "One more hour. Just three kilometers more." The eldest to the group said. They continued on in silence.
Suddenly they heard gun fire and the speeding of cars in the distance. They froze, looked at each other before they made a break for it. The loud chaos was getting closer, so they run faster. That's when they hears the tell tail sound s of a car being flipped over. They stopped in their tracks to turn around. That's when they saw her. A beauty in her movements. "Marinette tell me you are recording this." Jason said as he stared in awe.
"Way ahead of you." She replied, phone out and amazement in her voice.
"Should we not be running for shelter?" Damian said as he stared at his older siblings in fond amusement.
"We'll get to it in a moment." Jason replied just as they saw the Amazonian warrior swing a car into the one heading straight towards her. Then she turned and saw them. Marinette waved. The look of surprise on the worrier's face will be forever be captured on her phone.
-
When Diana followed the artifact smugglers that day she didn't expect to she three children - who looked vaguely familiar now that she looks at them properly - staring at her. She made her way towards them. "Hi? May I help you?" The girl switched her phone off quickly before replaying.
"No thank you. We'll be on our way."
"No wait. Do I know you from somewhere?" The eldest boy stiffened just the slightest. So small that you had to know to look for it.
"No you don't. Good day mam." They all turned around to leave. Something was bugging her. The two eldest looked so very familiar.
Three years ago, a chase into a sand storm. The two were there. Cairo.
"What happened to the scrolls that were taken from the museum?" They froze. So it is them. The child assassins. "I won't turn you in, but you do need to come with me."
The twins looked at each other. What other option do they have. If they don't, they risk the mission further. They don't need to be put on The Bat's radar. Fine, okay. "Don't tell Batman please. That's all we ask." Marinette answered.
Diana looked at them. Studied them really. "Come with me."
---
The shadows of the fire danced across their faces as they sat in silence, trying to regain their energy from the first half of the war. It was just the twins and Diana. They sat closer to the shore, the only fire on the beach. Everyone else made their fires on the hill, different groups scatted everywhere on the greenery.
The silence was broken by an amused sounding huff from Diana, the twins looked up at her. "You know I showed you 'Lilo and Stitch' so you could try and take up surfing, or dancing." She let out an amused huff again. "I guess quoting from the movie before a war works too." Marinette ducked her head in embarrassment and Jason let out a soft startled laugh. It went quite after that.
"What happened after Germany? You guys disappeared one morning and then I see you two years later in the Order uniform." Her voice was low, soft. Not reprimanding. Just curios and a little worried. The days after the six months had been the hardest.
"Our mission ended and Talia had come to collect us. It was only a few months ago that we escaped and found grandfather. You know why we had to leave after Damian turned ten. We did think of returning to you, but we had to completely disappear and grandfather was our only option." Jason said after a moment, faced turned to the sea. "Bàoqiàn ràng nǐ dānxīnle." It was quite for a longer moment, just soaking up the very little peace they had before dawn.
"I'm just glad you're okay. A note would be nice next time." She said with a soft laugh
"Promise." Marinette answered with a small smirk. "By the way, I got into MIT. I start next semester."
Both her aunt and brother whipped their heads in her direction so quickly, she's surprised they didn't get whip-lash. "So you went with tech. I thought you were gonna go into fashion." Jason said, eyes still wide. The excitement is clear as day.
"I am going into fashion, just my own way. Start my own line someday. I just want to explore more science. Biotechnology more specifically."
"I am proud of you Mari. Both of you. You know that right?" Diana said with a wide smile on her face. The twins smiled back. Their future is looking bright for a change.
---
MAY 2020, GERMANY - BERLIN
"Simple task, two teams. I go with Jason and, Marinette and Damian will go together. First team to get everything on your list first and makes it to self-cheak out first gets to choose the movie. Losers wash the dishes."
"Prepare to get smoked!" Marinette said as Damian got into the cart.
They lost by fifteen minutes. Lilo and Stitch was chosen.
--
JUNE 2020, BERLIN
"Dames, what is nephew in Chinese?" She asked softly as to disturb the other people looking at the art.
"Zhízi. Nephew is zhízi." He answered absentmindedly, still looking at the art.
"So you are my xiǎo zhízi?" She asked with a smile.
"Little nephew? But I'm not little!" He whined.
"To me, you are basically an infant." She said with amusement as she walked to the next painting. He followed her with a pout.
--
JULY 2020, BERLIN
"I'm not planning to leave you. I'll always be a phone call away." She said as she sat next to her niece on the sofa. It was quite for a long while they sipped their tea.
"We know." She didn't have to explain further.
--
AUGUST 2020, BERLIN
"Come on Jase! This should be easy for you!" Diana said as she skated circles around him.
"Whoever said skateboarding was easy was lying to me!" He shouted back at his aunt.
"Are you calling me a lair?" The amusement was dripping from her voice.
He grumbled as he tried to skate in a straight line once again. He fell, Diana laughed as she helped him up.
---
The shadows danced across the books as they walked thought the library with fire lit torches. Greek, Latin, Egyptian hieroglyphs and many more ancient language titles passed their vision as they made their way to the deepest darkest part of the library.
"I found something. Look at this." Nino said as he shined the light near a book in his hand. "Hel, the Queen of Death. It says that she answers to no one, has an army of her own, and has the power that rivals that of the Norse fates." He continued to look through the book, not noticing at the looks of surprise Kagami and Damian exchanged.
"Cousin, you know how to read Old Norse?" The awe was clear in his voice.
"Since I was six, why?" He answered as if it was nothing still continuing to read the book.
"People don't just know how to read ancient languages, especially a language that people don't know what it sounds like. Who taught you?" Kagami asked. Nino shrugged.
Damian and Kagami left it at that. No point. "Anyway, we will be going up against the power of the nine cosmos. Any ideas?"
"Yes, but it's messy. We may need to somehow recreate the World Fire that Fire Giant Surtr unleashed to bring down the Nine Realms. There is a spell to create the fire, but no one has tried. We don't need to take out the cosmos that we are trying to save." Nino said as he finally looked up from the book. A grimace graces his features.
"Tawagoto." She says it with such tiredness and a hidden resolve. "I think I can create something adjacent to this fire. Let's go tell the other and bring the book. I have a feeling that we might need it."
---
As Nino explained the information to their two team mates and the three Amazons, they didn't see the look Marinette gave to Kagami. The hard, broken, look. The look that made her eyes shine, but not with excitement or joy. Kagami stared back at her, a resolved truth. Tears stung behind her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She tried to offer a smile, she really did, but judging by the look of her partners face it didn't do anything other than hollow her eyes. The shine becoming more evident.
A quite hush fell over the group as they soaked in the information. "Please excuse me." Marinette said as she made her way further down the beach. The brokenness to her voice is what made everyone look at her worry. Jason was about to follow her when Kagami stopped him.
"Matte." She took a breath. "I have to be the one to talk her." There was something in her voice that allowed her to chase after his sister. He nodded.
"What just happened?" Jason said as he looked at the rest of the group in confusement. Nobody answered. They were in a similar state of shock.
---
Serpens. Snake, Latin. Slippery and deceitful, venomous and powerful, tricksters in their own right. Fierce in their love, protective of their young, insightful and wise.
This is his friend, teacher, "The last dragon will breath her last fire at dusk." and now his bearer of bad news.
"It's too soon Serpens. Does her mother know?" Alfred asked as he walked over to his friend.
"That's why I'm here. You have to make the trip to Japan, tell her family. Kagami Asaki Tsurugi will die at dusk. Stay there until the war ends. I have to go and tell the Grand Guardian." His voice was solemn and sorrowful and regretful.
"Very well. Farewell old friend." Alfred said with a soft nod. Serpens disappeared back into the shadows and then another quake was heard. He turned to his grandchildren. "Pack for a week. We leave in thirty minutes." They went silently.
---
When he sent them to this war, he had asked and prepared them for the consequences. Told them that there might be casualties. Told them the realty of war. War means death on both sides. Good or evil. But that doesn't mean that hearing about the death of a comrade makes it any easier.
"Dusk. A little poetic don't you think Serpens?" He huffed at Serpens fond eye roll. "Did you know that dragons are born and wake at dawn?"
"Your point Wang?"
"I have no point. I am merely pointing out that the last dragon will breath her last fire at dusk. The last fire of the day. It's poetic and something that will only happen once ever in the history of this universe."
Serpens huffed with another eye roll. It's a wonder his eyes have not fallen off. "You will meet Alfred in Japan." Then disappeared, just as a portal opened. A different figure stepped out.
"You shouldn't antagonize him uncle." The figure commented, but the amusement was clear as day in his voice. Jamal, with little Chris on his hip. A thumb in his mouth, head on his fathers shoulder and eyes close to sleep.
"I only antagonize him out of good fun. The news I have is not. You heard about Kagami?"
"Yes. Alfred called while I was putting Chris to bed. Is it not soon?"
"Unfortunately, it is not. We just wait now for the permanent defeat of Hel."
---
It was quiet. To quiet. They stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes firmly on the ocean, silent tears made their way down their faces.
"Aisuru I-"
"You know what creating that fire means. That's you life Kagami. You're fu-" She didn't have to raise her voice to get the message across.
"I know. I know it's my life, and I know I'm a liar, but this is the only choice and you know that very well." Her voice was filled with a hard edge.
"Why you?" She asked with a broken tiredness, resting her head on her partners shoulder. The tears didn't stop. Kagami stayed for a while.
"Because I am the storm that is needed." She said as she stood in front of Marinette, hands on her lovers, and kissed her. They rested their foreheads together, just breathing each. For the very last time. Marinette wrapped her arms around Kagami's neck and kissed her again.
"Then bring the storm. Bring hell Asaki."
Kagami smirked as she gave her final kiss.
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2165 words.
Translation:
Bàoqiàn ràng nǐ dānxīnle. - Sorry for worrying you. (Chinese)
Tawagoto - Shit. (Japanese)
Matte - Wait. (Japanese)
¬StarvirgoBK