A/N: Changed the rating to mature since there will be a bit of gore in this chapter. I'll also put in a warning so you can avoid the scene entirely.
Chapter 14 I'm here.
You had been running at a medium pace and were just near the spot marked in the files. So you slowed down, being more cautious, as to not be caught off guard. Right now the biggest priority was finding an entrance.
The plan was to leave a few units behind, as well as not mess with the computers. If you were to get time breathing room the police had to have something to investigate.
Either Tabane would poke around or enough information would make its way out to the press for you to figure out the exact reason Selena had been taken.
The place wasn't very suspicious, pretty much a typical demolished city. Like many others that had been abandoned after the initial years after the IS introduction. But that also meant there were enough spots to hide an entrance.
You looked at the screen of the gauntlet and saw you were right above the general center of the complex. While arriving here you had checked one of the borders. So you continued to the next point, staying on the street to avoid detection more easily.
It took a couple of hours more but you were saved by a combination of desperation and luck. After having no success you made your way up to a roof and managed to see a silhouette moving amongst the rubble. Since the person didn't seem to be wearing a uniform you followed it.
While making your way through, drawing closer to the figure you realised it was a male. So it was likely the security was something more standard, like a code, card or sensor. So you would have to knock the person out before he entered to cover all your bases.
It took a little while but you noticed the guy was more cautious, watching his back. So you moved closer, in parallel to him until he entered a building. At that point you dashed to a side and grabbed a piece of rubble, throwing it nearby.
As the man returned to the entrance of the building you jumped through a window hole and came up behind him, covering his mouth and squeezing his neck until he passed out.
At that point you dragged the man to the entrance, tied him up in case he woke up and began analysing the seemingly plain wall, before moving to the floor. And after a little longer you slid a block of concrete, revealing a scanner.
After placing one of the guy's hands on it a trap door opened and, after taking his hoodie and putting it on, descended. And it was a good thing you did, since a camera was almost staring you in the face, which was luckily converted by the hood for the most part.
The pace was quite wide, a few closets and boxes lining the walls. You opened one and found a lab coat, gloves and surgical masks. Smiling a little you grabbed them and put them on as you were walking, passing through a door and entering a corridor. You then stopped between two cameras and checked the scanner screen on your gauntlet. One unit was nearby but the rest weren't moving, probably deactivated to recharge.
So you looked around the room while the guard passed. It was mostly storage, the walls lined with vials of a light pink liquid, different dates on each of them. You decided to take one from the most recent lot, making sure you made it as unnoticeable as possible.
Afterwards you continued deeper in the bowels of the structure. There were a few larger rooms, which seemed to host medical equipment and even a place that looked like a lounge or communal area. You avoided looking too much at the latter, since people were walking around in it.
"Hey!" a person said from behind you. "Where are you heading?" he continued, speaking in English, with a noticeable accent.
You couldn't respond and blow your cover so you stumbled forward and placed a hand on the wall, before falling down. The person behind you began running and placed a hand on you, turning you on your back. Before he could do anything you punched him in the face with your gauntlet, the added weight of it making the hit pretty much an instant knockout.
After that you dragged the limp body in a nearby room and closed the door behind you. You didn't have time to tie the person up, because a camera had most likely seen you.
You decided to head to the spot where most units were detected since a possible holding cell was a place of possible issues. Judging by the signal strength it was somewhat near to the center of the complex, which at least would make the escape easier.
Unfortunately another unit currently on patrol was in the hallway you were running through. The only reason the alarms hadn't gone off was probably the fact you were wearing the lab coat.
"Stop right there and show me your identification." the voice of the pilot demanded.
You kept the pace up and raised your hand, pushing a button on the gauntlet. Within a second the pilot was ejected and the unit returned to its inactive state. Taking advantage of the confusion of the woman you struck her ear, knocking out the communication device in it.
She began fighting back and you exchanged a few blows until you landed a good hit on her stomach, following it up with a knee to the chin which put her out of commission.
However, soon after that you heard an announcement through a speaker:
"Intruder alert. Please proceed to one of the panic rooms while the threat is eliminated."
It made sense that the place didn't employ a normal alarm system, since that might give them away. The patrols were probably also meant more to prevent conflicts between people and deal with those that broke the rules.
Right now you were their only target, but luckily people were moving, so you went through a room, came out on the other side and moved alongside a group, looking away every time a unit passed by. You had also hidden your hoodie, since now it was a distinguishing feature.
Unfortunately you soon had to fall behind and move away, running into another IS pilot almost immediately. Luckily you managed to notice the unit before entering the corridor it was in so you activated the gauntlet and placed it above a door.
As soon as the unit entered the room it deactivated and you went in, using a metallic crate that was lying nearby to tackle the pilot while avoiding being hit. Then, without stopping to remove the core, since it would take a few minutes to reactivate, you leapt over the inactive unit and grabbed the gauntlet from the floor.
Most of the units were gone from the presumed charging area. Most of them were stationed at a couple of points, probably safe rooms while one other was moving after you.
Upon throwing open another door you found rows of rooms with glass doors. The walls and floor seemed to be cushioned and a bed, as well as a toilet was inside. You slowed down, looking through each. Then you saw it.
Somewhat graphic description warning
A frail figure, laying on the bed seemingly unconscious. Her hands wrapped in red bandages, an eye covered with a large bandage. The cushioning here was ripped and you could see the signs on her fingernails. Bruises covered what the bandages didn't.
End of description
"SELENA!!" you shouted, ripping your mask off.
You kicked through the door a couple of times to get it open and ran straight to the bed. As soon as you were there, leaning in to take Selena in your arms you felt a sharp pain in your hand and a small impact on your hip. She had bitten you and was attempting to kick you away.
"Don't touch me!!" she shouted in fear after realising how hopeless her attempt had been.
You pulled her closer in a tight hug as she kept struggling. You were frozen for a second. What an idiotic thing to imagine. That she would recognise you under these conditions…
A wall nearby burst into pieces. The pilot from the nearby exit appeared, looking straight at you. With a point of your finger her weapon disappeared. While she was still shocked you straight up jumped and punched her, your gauntlet passing through the shield of the unit. As she stumbled to the ground in surprise more than pain you started swinging at her over and over, until you saw red in front of your eyes.
Feeling awful about yourself you carried your struggling sister out of the room and placed her in a wheelchair at the end of the hall, struggling not to vomit as you tied her arms and legs into place. By now she was crying and pleading with you to just kill her.
You made your way to the safe room using the hole in the wall. At the other end was an exit. You made your way to it and pushed the button. Tabane was on the other side, having followed your movements and she grabbed the entire wheelchair, running up the stairs. You struggled to keep up with her.
At the top of the stairs a carrot shaped pod was waiting. You went to untie Selena, who was now out cold. Her bandages were wet and trickles of blood made their way down her arms and legs. She had reopened her wounds. Tabane opened the pod while you grabbed her and put her in.
"Goodbye." Tabane said just as you were turning around, pushing a button.
You dived out of the pod while it was closing but your foot got stuck inside. With a bit of effort you pulled it out, leaving your boot behind.
"WHAT WAS THAT!!" you screamed.
You didn't get an answer though, because Tabane grabbed you by the waist and made a dash. Soon she reached another pod and jumped in alongside you, just as an IS was making its way out of the ground where you had emerged.
"I… thought you were going with her." Tabane said.
You looked away and your shoulders started shaking. After seeing her state you doubted she could see you in the same light. Besides there was something else to take care of.
You looked at the gauntlet. The only thing that stood a chance against the IS. Your work for the last years… It needed to be destroyed. Because the least you owed your sister was a world where she could still stand at the top. Untouchable. So that something like this may never happen to her again.
Timeskip (3rd person)
The hospital room was bright. The white of the walls, reflecting light in a way that was blinding to the young woman on the bed. She had just woken up and was struggling, for reasons unknown to the doctors.
"Immobilize her!" a nurse shouted.
"Don't!" an authoritative voice replied, stopping the people who were moving around the room.
After a few moments the room remained quiet. The woman who had spoken whispered something and everyone else got out. She then sat on a chair next to the bed.
"Where am I? What are you doing to me?"
"You're safe. You know this place." Chifuyu said.
"…When was I rescued? The last thing I remember is being taken for more experiments..." the other woman replied after a bit, still in a daze from the anesthetic.
"A few days ago." came the reply. "I'll leave a few things for you to look at when you wake up."
There was no response, as silence descended upon the room, only a soft breath being audible. So soft that Chifuyu hugged her shoulders, shuddering a little. Still, she soon returned to her usual attitude, going out and giving some special instructions to the staff.
The school was in the middle of preparations for some important events so as much as she wanted to stay Orimura sensei had to return to her duties. And things were also getting a bit out of control with some of the news being spread.
Your POV
"We can assure you our police force and army are making efforts to discover this person as soon as possible…" the presenter said before you managed to turn off the TV.
Putting aside the remote you stood up, your body still a little sore from the exercise the other day. On a table to the side was a small, cylindrical device and next to it a few other materials. You ignored all of them, looking at that vial from the lab.
You'd have to move from this place soon. Not that living with Tabane wasn't interesting. You just needed a little more breathing room to check the substance you had taken.
"Ready to have some fun today?" Tabane asked from the adjacent room.
"One second." you responded, looking at your work again before placing the small glass cylinder back in its place.
A/N: Wanted to get this chapter out sooner because I'm quite excited about the possibilities going forward. I hope there was something to enjoy here.
The previous part has also been updated with a new option if you want to check it out.