Disclaimer:
This work is fiction. The work is presented under fair protection where applicable.
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You should not read this work if you are not of legal age where you reside. This work may contain concepts or written actions that some readers may find excessive or disturbing. This may include (but not be limited to) rape, BDSM, or death.
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Chapter 6
<Lancaster Arena, New American League>
The pokegirl grinned, relaxing her grip just enough for Tanya to begin forcing air into her lungs. “That’s more like-“
Then there was an explosion.
Tanya surged out of her opponent’s grip, a strange keening noise whistling from her mouth as she fought. Camilla recognized it immediately as a crushed windpipe and began to run in to assist the injured Blazicunt, but there was no need. The fire had caught the other pokegirl unawares and a crushing blow to the head had finished the job.
Camilla skidded to a halt, grabbing Tanya and embracing her as she continued to scream. “I’ve got you,” she hurriedly soothed. “Tanya. I got you. You’re okay. You’re okay.”
Slowly the noise petered out, Tanya wheezing as she tried to get enough oxygen to her body. Camilla laid her down, fumbling at her armor and scowling when she remembered where Tanya’s pokeball was. “Get this armor off me!”
“Multiple hostiles still active,” ODIN replied. “Order denied.”
“DAMNIT ODIN!”
“Order denied.” ODIN’s cool voice snapped Camilla out of her haze and she grabbed at Tanya.
“Hang in there, firebird,” she whispered, feeling along the newly evolved pokegirl’s neck until she felt an odd lump. Carefully she applied pressure, praying that it was a tear and not a broken neck.
Beneath her Tanya gasped, her irregular breaths slowing. Camilla sighed in relief when she felt the structure under her fingers begin to function normally. “Don’t talk or move your head. When you’ve calmed down enough, slowly blink twice.”
It took a few minutes before Tanya blinked. “Okay. You’re injured pretty badly. I’m going to let go, and you need to keep breathing slowly without moving your head. Don’t talk, no big breaths. Once I get you against the wall you need to rest your own hand against your neck to make sure your windpipe stays intact.” She slowly removed her hand, waiting and carefully lifting Tanya when the Blazicunt didn’t appear to be struggling.
Tanya sat back, pushing her hand up against her neck as Camilla had instructed while she watched the human prepare. Her eyes were full of unasked questions.
“I’m going to get the police, if they’re not already on the way. And I need to track down the other criminals. Rui’s back behind us, and Vira. You’re hurt the worst. Rest.”
Tanya barely nodded her head, watching Camilla move down the hall.
Unfortunately the others had vanished, and by the time Camilla had taken her armor off and made it back there was a mass of attention in the office area.
“I’m her tamer!” Camilla cried, pushing past a wall of police and kneeling in front of Tanya. “Are you okay?”
Tanya gingerly lowered the water she had been sipping. “Yeah.” Her voice was hoarse, a nearby NurseJoy stepping over.
“You’re her tamer? Where’s her pokeball?” Camilla held it up, flinching when the NurseJoy snatched it away and instantly recalled the Blazicunt. “Here.” She handed it back. “Take her to the pokecenter immediately. She’s suffered from multiple hairline fractures of her vertebrate and a ruptured trachea, not to mention the litany of other injuries. She needs intensive care. Are the other two yours as well?”
“Yes. I’m a Journeyman.” Camilla held up her license but the nurse didn’t even look.
“I understand that you had to stay out of the line of fire, but next time, it might be a good idea to keep their pokeballs nearby them.” The pokegirl scowled. “The poor Electrocat has her tail in a bucket of ice.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Your pokegirl said you did everything you could to help her.” The NurseJoy’s expression softened. “Just do better.”
Camilla nodded, walking through the destroyed offices until she could see Vira and Rui sitting together.
“Girls!” The two turned, Vira standing when Camilla ran up. “Are you all right?”
“We’re fine. Tanya?” Rui prompted.
Camilla raised the pokeball. “She’s alive. Beat to hell, but alive. She evolved halfway through and went to town.”
Rui sighed in relief. “I hoped that was what happened.” She raised her arms. “Pokeball, please. My tail hurts.”
Camilla recalled her and looked at Vira. “You all right?”
The Lioness nodded. “A couple of scratches. Not much else.”
Camilla nodded back, glancing surreptitiously around them. “Let’s get out of here.”
They’d almost made it when a voice called them back from near the gawking crowd. It was their contact, an undercover officer.
The plainclothes man looked around as if he was confused. “What happened here? Did you see anything? I was in the stands, and there was a bang…”
“A bunch of robbers, I think.” Camilla replied. “Lots of them. The ones with the loot got away. At least one man and one woman.”
The man’s eyes glinted. “Wow, that’s crazy. Good thing the police were here in time to stop them.” He jerked his head slightly at the door. “I’m sure they’ll be chasing down the rest as soon as they recover.”
Camilla’s mouth thinned. The meaning was clear. “I hope they catch them soon.”
The officer melted back into the crowd and Camilla shoved her way onto the street, heading straight for the pokecenter.
“Did he mean-“
“Yeah,” Camilla growled. “The thing is, I lost the runners. Was too busy trying to save Tanya’s life.” She spat on the ground. “We’re quitting this city as soon as I can. No amount of money is worth risking any of our lives.”
“You think they went back to their hideout?”
Camilla slowed. “I forgot about that.”
Vira grinned savagely. “Do we get to assault it now, or is the criminal wrong again?”
Camilla shot her a glance. “…no. I mean, yes. Yes no. Yes we do, no you’re not.”
Vira snickered.
Rui was back in action after a cursory check-up, but Tanya was in no shape to fight. The evolution had drained her mentally and even as she came out of the healing machine healthy and whole, her exhaustion was written across her face. So it was three women who slipped into the alleyway a half hour later.
Camilla was already back in her armor and she pointed up. “Any guesses on the layout?”
Vira craned her neck to see the window Camilla was referring to. “Up there? Probably the same building. It seems like an apartment complex.”
“I got into official contact with the officer. He’s cleared us for an assault, as long as we get it done before the uniforms show up. The main force will be here in an hour or two, just enough time for the robbers to regroup and scatter.”
Vira nodded. “So what do we do?”
“I go in through the window.” Vira’s eyes bugged out when Camilla lifted off the ground. “You two go knock.”
Rui’s eyes were as wide as Vira’s when Camilla lifted up, gently opening the window and slipping into the building.
“Holy shit. She can fly.”
Camilla slowly crept through the darkened apartment. After a moment her vision tinted green when her nightvision kicked in and she could see scattered piles dotted around. Clothes, gear, she was pretty sure one pile was full of broken junk. Or loot, as the gang probably saw it.
She approached the door, gazing down at the crack by the floor. There was light so she switched off her nightvision, carefully teasing the door towards her.
Somewhere nearby she heard a noise and waited until a few voices began to talk before slipping out and peering over the stairway.
There were two male gang members by the front door. One was watching the door, the other gesturing. A few seconds passed before Vira or Rui knocked again and one of the men hid his weapon from view before opening the door.
Camilla drew back, flipping her power to full and shooting down the hallway as the door exploded inwards. Vira stood tall, one arm grappling with the weapon while her other took the surprised second man in the neck. Satisfied that the two pokegirls would hold the attention of the building, Camilla dashed from room to room until she saw a string of still functioning lights.
Following them she turned a corner to see two men arguing while a pokegirls stood nearby. She recognized two of the three as the runners and leveled her weapons, sinking two shots into the pokegirl. The girl dropped without a sound as the humans scrambled for cover. With a bit of annoyance Camilla noticed that one of the two had knocked the bag over, spilling papers, coins, and credit chips everywhere. The papers blew around, their constant motion fouling her senses. She almost didn’t see one of the men reaching up with a pistol but dodged in time, his shot going wide.
“SURRENDER!” Camilla roared, blasting the man’s cover.
Silence fell over the room for a few seconds before both men rose, one leveling a strange rifle while the other aimed his pistol.
Camilla slid sideways, her thrusters jinking her forwards and backwards as she aimed. The pistol wielder dropped with a cry, one of her blasts playing over his chest, but the other one, the one who had been new, dodged her attacks and fired.
The rifle spat energy, the shot catching Camilla’s arm at the elbow. Camilla winced when she felt the force behind it and spun, using her momentum to dissipate some of the impact. Even still she could see her systems going haywire as the plasma stuck to her and short-circuited her servos.
The man tossed the smoking gun aside, striding forwards when Camilla dropped to her knees. “How’s that feel, eh?” he roared, drawing a foot back and kicking her in the side of her head. Camilla winced when she fell over, the impact sending stars across her vision. “Can’t fucking move, can you, bitch?” He grabbed her helmet, curling his fingers under the visor. “Let’s see your pretty face, eh?”
Camilla caught her breath while the man screamed, eventually losing his grip and landing backwards to spasm across the ground. “Well. I’m glad the contact defenses still work, Mistress,” ODIN said smugly. “I am working to analyze the strange energy now.”
“Don’t bother. It’s a plasma charge.” Camilla slammed her arm against the ground, scraping the worst of the offending material from her armor. “I’m almost positive that kind of tech isn’t common knowledge on this world. It’s barely entered the public eye on ours.”
“You are likely correct, Mistress.”
“These two are done. I’m moving back to the main building.” Camilla stood, staggering out and sighing in relief.
Vira was perched on the banister and she waved. “Yo. Place is clear.” She raised an eyebrow when Camilla slumped against the wall. “You good?”
“They had something dangerous in there,” Camilla replied. “Shorted me out. I’ll be fine.”
Vira nodded. “It was only the two at the door and three pokegirls in the back room. The girls surrendered immediately. How about you?”
“Two humans, one pokegirl. All down.”
“Cool. Cops are on their way.” She gestured at the armor. “Are you going to take that off?”
Camilla shook her head slightly. “I’ve been seen using it now. Secret’s out.”
Vira shrugged. “Sounds good. You said we’re leaving?”
Camilla scowled. “We’ve done our job, and more. I’ll push for hazard pay, even though we probably won’t get any, and then we’re out of here.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camilla had been pleasantly surprised by the results of her negotiation. All it had taken was a casual mention of the weapon and the police chief was falling over himself to buy their silence. She’d walked away with almost double their weekly pay for the incident.
But she’d walked. Lancaster was a mess and she wanted nothing more to do with the city. If what she’d heard was true, the Mountaineers were on the verge of being called in anyways. From what she knew about the organization, they were much more suitable to handle the underworld network that appeared to be strangling the town.
“Tanya! How are you doing?”
The Blazicunt shot her a double thumbs up. “I feel good. Energized. Whole.”
Camilla grinned. “Told you you just needed the right push.”
Tanya made a face. “I’d rather not have that push be the threat of horrifying death, thanks.”
Camilla’s grin faded. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Tanya nodded back. It had been close. Too close.
“So where are we headed now?” Vira threw her arm over Camilla’s shoulder as they walked. “Where next do the dastardly four strike fear in the hearts of criminals?”
Camilla stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”
“Trying to lighten the mood.” Vira grumbled. “We do need a name, though. You’re a superhero and we’re your team.”
“That’s…” Camilla trailed off. “That’s not the worst idea. We could start by figuring out your hero names.”
Vira grinned. “I’m Sledge.”
“Yeah, I remember you saying that back in Philly,” Camilla said curiously. “Where’d it come from?”
“It came from her using a sledgehammer as a weapon,” Rui explained. “That was a sight to see.”
Vira preened. “Not my fault the rock wasn’t giving up.”
“Yes it was.” Rui sighed when Vira laughed. “I don’t know if you should keep that name. Aren’t we trying to move beyond our past?”
“I’m kind of proud of that time,” Vira admitted. “Sure, it was then, but it was still fun.”
“A sledgehammer isn’t the nicest of weapons,” Camilla warned.
Vira pouted. “Are you saying it’s not a good guy weapon?”
“Not really.”
“Well I don’t use one right now, so it’s fine.” Vira smirked at her glowering Tamer. “What! I don’t.”
“Were you good with it?”
The question caught Vira off guard. “Uh, I used it for a while until I had to get rid of it. Why?”
“If you’re better with a blunt weapon, we can get you one.”
Vira squinted at Camilla. “I thought you were just saying it’s not a good guy weapon.”
“Since when have you cared about something like that?” Camilla asked. “If it’s what you want, you’ll get it. Isn’t that right?”
Vira frowned but nodded. “Usually.”
“Then we need to get you something a little less lethal than a chunk of metal smashing through the head of anyone who gets in your way,” Camilla replied.
Vira winced and nodded. “I see your point. What do you suggest?”
“You probably used a two handed hammer.”
Vira nodded again.
“I’m sure a good smith can make you a one handed version, something that will still break bones and crack skulls, without the deadly force of a usual sledgehammer.” Camilla cocked her head. “Plus, that leaves a hand free for you, right? Either to fight with or hold something else.”
Vira brightened. “I like how you think.”
“It’s what I do,” Camilla chuckled. “I’ve designed dozens, maybe hundreds of weapons for other superheroes. Rui, any ideas on your name?”
The Electrocat shook her head. “I was thinking something with my lightning body technique, but it doesn’t quite fit. ‘Monstercat’ maybe.”
Camilla shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be a single word. Mine is Metal Maiden.”
Rui groaned. “That’s so cool. And it’s perfect to describe what you do.”
“You could do something electric,” Tanya piped up. “Bolt, or Lightning, or something.”
Rui made a face. “Bolt sounds stupid. Lightning is too long.”
“Flash,” Vira offered. “Because whenever you go full strength on your technique, you flash around faster than I can follow.”
“Flash.” Rui mused. “I like the idea.”
“Seems a bit short, don’t you think?” Camilla asked. “Flash doesn’t really mean anything on its own. Maybe you run around pulling your clothes off.”
Rui purpled when the other two snickered. “Hey!” She hesitated. “Look, you don’t have to make it sound like a bad thing.”
Camilla blinked as the others began to openly laugh. “Wait, what?”
Rui glanced away. “I can’t wear loose clothes when I use the technique, or the electricity can rebound.”
“So that’s why you have the leotard.”
Rui sighed. “Yeah. But it works best when I’m completely naked.”
“It’s true!” Vira howled, clutching Tanya for support as the two continued laughing. “She used to streak around the house all the time because she forgets she’s nude!”
Rui made a rude gesture in their direction. “Maybe I shouldn’t use Flash.”
“No. Own it.” Camilla took her hand. “Nobody is going to laugh at a Goddess.”
Rui looked confused for a moment before smiling. “Flash Goddess. Is that what you mean?”
“Mmhm.”
“Flash Goddess.” Rui rolled the words around in her mouth. “I like it. Can I change the name later too?”
“You don’t even need one,” Camilla laughed. “This is only if you want one.”
“No, I like it.” Rui grinned. “Much better than Sledge.”
“Rude,” Vira grumbled.
“What about me?” Tanya asked.
“Camilla already gave you yours,” Vira replied. When Tanya looked at her in confusion she grinned. “Firebird.”
Tanya’s eyes widened, then she blushed, and finally she whirled away. “That’s-“ she started.
“How’d you know that name?” Camilla snarled. “That’s what I call her in private. It’s what one of her childhood friends nicknamed her.”
“I heard you say it back in our apartment,” Vira replied. “I’m sorry, is it not good? I thought it fit. You’re a Blazicunt. A Firebird.”
Tanya covered her face in her hands. “It’s embarrassing.”
“What, because she whispers it in your ear during sex?” Vira deftly avoided Camilla when the human lunged at her. “I think that’s cute.”
“Shut UP, Vira.” Camilla hissed, trying and failing to catch the Lioness again. “Tanya, how about-?”
“Own it, right?” Tanya interrupted. “You’re right. It fits.” She turned to Camilla with a fire in her eyes. “I’m your Firebird.”
Vira chuckled, finally letting Camilla catch her. “You’re damn right you are. Our Firebird, you beautiful woman.” Tanya seemed unsure of how to react to Vira’s praise so the Lioness waved one arm in her direction. “You went crazy back in the arena. Back in the day, I would have loved to have a dozen just like you. You’ve got a fighter’s spirit.”
“Thanks, I guess?” Tanya mumbled.
“That settles it then.” Vira pulled free. “Our tamer is the Metal Maiden, I’m Sledge, Rui is the Flash Goddess, and you’re Firebird.”
“I was going to suggest Meteor,” Camilla finally got out.
Tanya giggled. “That’s a good one, but I’ll stick with what fits best.”
“Now that that’s settled, what’s our name as a team?”
Camilla shook her head at Vira’s question. “I don’t know.”
“Have you had one before?”
Camilla nodded. “Yeah. I was a Vindicator.”
“Vindicator?” Vira tapped her chin. “That means, like, victory or something, right?”
“Vindicate usually means to justify or validate.” Camilla explained. “Although we used it for another meaning. Revenge. We couldn’t be in the way of every psychopath with an agenda, but we sure as hell were going to go after them.”
Vira’s fangs glinted when she smiled. “Why take revenge when you can assault them before they do anything?”
“Of course you’d suggest something like that,” Camilla sighed.
“I’m serious. No vengeance, no revenge, none of that, because to take actions like that it means someone was hurt.” Her smile grew predatory. “We would hunt them before they had the chance.”
Camilla stared at her. “Got a name, oh bloodthirsty one?”
“The Pride.”
“No,” Camilla retorted. “I know you’re a Lioness, but no.”
“The Hunters.”
All eyes turned to Tanya. She looked around. “Hunters. Vira said it herself.”
“That’s-“ Camilla started.
“Huntresses,” Rui blurted out. “We’re the Huntresses. That’s the female version, right? Because we’re all girls.”
“I’m still not sure about that name,” Camilla tried.
“We can change it if we find something better,” Vira almost purred. “I love it.”
Camilla shook her head. “Fine. I’m outnumbered.”
Tanya slowly closed her fist, clenching her fingers until the knuckles turned white. “I’ve been lucky.” Camilla looked over at the tone of her voice. “I’ve managed to stay true to my dream, to find a woman who wants to push me the highest I can go.” She looked back at Camilla. “There are people out there who want to keep people like me from succeeding, aren’t there? I’ve read the stories, seen the shows and movies. They’re not all fake. There’s stories like them happening in the real world every day.”
“You’ve always wanted to be a hero, haven’t you,” Camilla whispered. “Well, fine. You are one now, Firebird. But I won’t let you forget your dreams. You know that, right?”
Tanya smirked and dropped her hand. “I know you won’t.”
Vira was watching the two with a smug grin but it was Rui who interrupted. “Camilla.” She dropped her gaze when the human turned. “I was getting excited with this name thing, but… I don’t know if I can be a superhero. What I’ve done, how I fight… It’s all I know.”
Camilla shot Vira a scathing look. “Whose fault is that?”
“Mine.” Camilla whirled in surprise at the quiet admission. “Don’t blame Vira. All she did was keep me safe as I learned. Taught me control so I didn’t get myself killed.” The young woman raised her gaze to meet Camilla’s and Camilla’s mouth thinned at what she saw there. “I want to say… thank you, for accepting Vira and I, but… should I really be around you? I’m tainted, e-“
“How did you intend on changing that?” Camilla’s voice cut short anything Rui was going to say. “Were you just going to hide it? Was that your plan when you agreed to be with me? Or…” she shook her head. “I get it. You just wanted to be with Vira, and that’s the truth. You were willing to sacrifice your own conscience so that she could be herself.”
Rui didn’t respond.
“Rui, I don’t give a damn what you’ve done, or why.” Camilla knelt down and grabbed the silent Electrocat’s shoulders. “Just like Vira, you’ve done some things that are, by themselves, evil, or wrong. But that does not make you an evil person. You still have a glowing conscience if you’re this worried about who you are. And I can work with that. I will work with you. You may have been the devil to some, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be someone else’s hero.”
“I’m sure those two think you’re incredible.” Rui started at Vira’s voice, the Lioness’ curt tone sinking into her ears. “The two hostages, remember? You said it yourself then. ‘Let me save someone for once.’. And you did. You saved them.”
Camilla stood. “Keep your head up, won’t you?” She smiled and patted Rui’s head. “Nobody is perfect. No hero can always be their best. You’ve had your dark times, but they’re over now. All right?”
Rui barely nodded. “Yeah.”
“Let’s get moving.” Camilla grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulders. “I want to find some new work, and maybe give Tanya a better chance at a real competition. She barely had a chance in Lancaster.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’re sure this is where we’re supposed to meet her?”
Camilla lounged back. “Would you calm down? You’re making me nervous.”
Vira grunted and rubbed her arms, taking shallow breaths as she fought to control her thumping heart. “I don’t like it. She’s late.”
“You’re such a scaredy-cat.” Camilla grumbled. “Where’s the tough gangster gone?”
“She’s a front,” Vira retorted. “You know that, stop teasing me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Camilla watched a woman meander down the street. “Oh, please. Is she serious?”
Vira followed her gaze and sighed. “Wow.”
The woman was nearly tripping over a full body dress that hung so low it was dragging on the ground. The outfit continued upwards with the excess, crowned by a massive bonnet covering her head. As she got closer Camilla held out her hand. “Someone looking for you?”
The woman jumped, glancing in her direction. “Uh-“
“You’re Mary, right?” Camilla rolled her eyes when the woman’s nervous grip tightened on her clothes. “Look, we just want to meet the coordinator you represent. Do you always look like you’re about to faint when talking to a customer?”
The woman quickly shook her head. “n-no, I- I’m sorry, I just don’t… like…” She glanced around again and shuddered.
“But… you asked us to meet you in public.”
“The office is undergoing renovations,” Mary explained. “Please, can we go somewhere a bit more private?”
The three moved off the road, ducking into a covered entryway. Finally Mary seemed to relax, letting out her breath and turning fully to Camilla for the first time.
“Yes. You are Camilla Harrisburg?”
“That’s right.”
“Mr. Brown is interested in meeting Ms. Tanya, though he is not currently working within the circles she specified. Currently, he is coordinating show fights, not true matches as she wished.”
Camilla nodded to herself. “Is there anyone who would be better to talk to around here?”
“In York, no.” Mary withdrew a file and passed it to Camilla. “Here is the contact information for Mr. Barney Kittinger. He is the owner of the American Trials Agency, one of the larger coordination agencies in the league. Unfortunately their headquarters are in the heartland, but they have a branch in Harrisburg.”
Camilla nodded, flicking through the information. “He does everything, I assume?”
“They do, yes.” Mary bobbed her head. “I apologize that I couldn’t be more of assistance today, Ma’am.”
Camilla made an affirmative noise, still reading when Mary disappeared back down the street.
“This seems like a lot of work for us to go through,” Vira grumbled.
“You can’t easily get started as an athlete without an agent, and I am worthless in that regard.” Camilla closed the file. “Her trainer, coach, all that I can do. But I have no connections. That’s what a talent agency is for.”
Vira shrugged and followed her back onto the street. “She’ll get there.”
“She will,” Camilla chuckled to herself. “Harrisburg has our next lead. Poetic, really.”
Vira made a face. “We’ve travelled all the way down here just to head off again?”
“Eh, not right away. We’ve got enough in the bank to stick in one spot for at least a few weeks.” Camilla rolled her shoulders with a sigh. “Thing is, I don’t know any of these cities. Do you?”
Vira shook her head. “I know Philly like the back of my hand and that’s about it. I knew some girls from around the league, but I never went to visit them. There wasn’t ever a reason to.”
“Wait, you’re telling me we might run into random gang bosses that want to pick a fight?”
Vira scowled at her. “Why do you always jump to the worst conclusion? These girls were friends. If anything I might be able to pull some allies out randomly, not enemies.”
“Your enemies were in Philly.”
“Right.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Camilla laughed. “So, you know nothing, I know nothing, I doubt Rui is any better… Tanya might know something? She’s done a lot of research on competitors and such.”
Vira shrugged. “We could always be tourists. I’ve always wondered what that feels like.”
“Eh, tourists get scammed on a regular basis and we’re not rich enough to have that happen to us,” Camilla mused. “We can scout some tourist destinations though.”
“Let’s get back and ask Tanya first,” Vira grumbled.
Tanya and Rui looked up from their game when the two entered their hotel room. “Welcome back!” Tanya watched Camilla toss the file onto the counter. “Any luck?”
“There’s someone we can talk to in Harrisburg. However, before we keep running around the league, I thought we could take some time off. After Lancaster, we need it and deserve it.”
“Thing is, I have no idea what passes for a ‘thing to do’ in any city other than Philly,” Vira grumbled. “Rui, you know any better?”
The Electrocat gave an apologetic shrug. “You kidding? I barely left our apartment unless it was for… a job.”
“I figured as much.” Camilla clapped her hands together. “So! Tanya, what’re the best things to do around York?”
Tanya started. “What? Me?”
“You’re the only one here who cared about going anywhere interesting,” Camilla laughed. “Or me, who knows nothing at all. So? Got anything?”
“Umm… Maybe.” Tanya’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know where they are but I know of a bunch of level 3 and 4 Tamers who retired and did something interesting with their harems. Or in some cases, the harems retired and their Tamer followed along.”
Camilla laughed with the others. “What kind of interesting things are we talking?” Rui asked curiously.
“The former League champion swimmer in the ‘Anything Goes’ category used her prize money to fund a massive conservation aquarium. They help stock declining fish populations and provide an entertainment service at the same time,” Tanya recalled. “There’re dozens of feral rehabilitation centers that are run by private citizens instead of the government. Or, heck, we could just find a nice exhibition hall or arcade or something.”
“Exhibition hall?” Camilla asked curiously. “What are those?”
“I know this one!” Vira chimed in. “So, when a team retires, sometimes they are still in fighting shape, right? They retire because they’re not in their prime, or someone has a major injury, or they’ve just made enough money. So they open these competition centers. Arenas, basically, but not open to the public like Lancaster was. These are really only open to other competitors looking to test their skills.”
Camilla frowned. “Soo…?”
“They’re more like training centers, I guess, but they’re called exhibition halls because the people who run them hold exhibition matches and sell vids. It’s entertainment. You wanted entertainment.”
“Does York have one?”
“I’m sure it has something like it,” Tanya said. “If not an actual established building, someone around here probably makes vids for sale.”
“Hm,” Camilla thought. “That aquarium thing you mentioned, Tanya, that sounds really interesting. Where is it?”
“I really doubt it’s in York,” Tanya giggled. “I remember it being on the coast somewhere. Heck, it’s probably in the heartland. That’s where everything interesting usually is.”
“Hmmmm.”
The four sat quietly for a while before Vira shot to her feet. “Wait, why are we sitting around wondering? Camilla, you have a pokedex, for fuck’s sake. Just access the internet.”
Camilla blinked. “Oh, shit. You’re right.” She sheepishly pulled out the pokedex. “I’m going to be honest, I forget that you have a working network. What with how beat up and old fashioned the world is.”
Vira snorted. “You’re forgiven, because a real connected web didn’t exist until maybe thirty years ago. I managed to grow up with both the resurging technology and normal, physical kind of recreation. In fact, sorry I didn’t mention it until now, that might be something you’d be interested in. You love tech, and the space program is still active.”
“That is something I am very interested in.”
“Do you play video games?” Rui blurted out.
Two sets of eyes turned to her in surprise. “Well, I dabbled,” Camilla replied.
“YOU do?” Vira sputtered.
“Um, there was a video game… I guess they called it a café, but they didn’t serve many drinks or whatever,” Rui muttered. “When I was bored and Vira wasn’t around I’d go there. They added this super crazy machine recently which allowed actual VR play.”
Camilla’s eyebrows shot up. “You have direct mental interfaces on this world? That’s so advanced I’m stunned you’re struggling along with a barely functioning internet.”
“Oh, I don’t… It wasn’t, um, something a human could use,” Rui muttered. “It worked off of pokeball technology. I could stick my registered pokeball in, activate it, and instead of the kind of half-limbo I’d normally get, I would be in a game.” She shrugged. “There are things you could use, but those are only headsets and hap… hip… something feedback controllers.”
“Haptic feedback.”
“Yeah, that.”
“I guess that’s more what I expected.” Camilla paused for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Wait, no it’s not! Even that is advanced. And you mention the machine piggybacking on ‘pokeball technology’ so casually! That’s controlled matter/energy conversion, incredibly advanced tech and you just take it for granted!”
“Neeeeeeerd,” Vira muttered with a giggle.
“Shut it,” Camilla teased back. “Rui, are there any personal devices you could use for gaming? I’d be interested in seeing how much they cost if it’s a hobby you enjoy.”
Rui’s mouth popped open in surprise. “Seriously?”
“I’m not getting anything crazy, though. If a business only just got their hands on this VR tech it’s not consumer-grade.”
“Um, of course,” Rui thought furiously. “I’m sure they sell handhelds. I’ll look into it.”
“Sounds good.” Camilla glanced at Vira. “You’re getting a new, handcrafted leather jacket and a weapon. You’re expensive enough already.”
Vira snickered. “Yeah, guess I am.”
“Um.” Tanya gingerly raised her hand. “What am I allowed to get?”
“What do you want?” Camilla looked around. “We’re discussing having some time off. Rui likes games, Vira likes fights, what do you do in your free time?”
“Well…” Tanya trailed off. “I always spent my free time watching vids. Fighting stuff usually. Tournaments and competitions. I, I didn’t really have a hobby other than that.”
Camilla nodded. “You don’t sound happy about it.”
“Well, I…” Tanya trailed off. “I don’t know, it’s stupid.”
“I wouldn’t say that. There’s something you wanted to pursue, right? I’m telling you that you have… oh, probably a week or two right now to do whatever you’d like.”
Tanya bit her lip. “I… no. You’ll laugh or something.” She hurried on before anyone could argue. “I want to train for competition. Meet veterans. Going to an exhibition hall seems nice.”
Vira glanced at her. “Well I’ve changed my mind. The aquarium sounds interesting. I wonder how they turn fish into entertainment.”
“It’s in the Old Country like Tanya thought,” Camilla reported, her eyes on her pokedex screen. “And that’s well out of our way. I’d like to visit as well, but not right now.”
“Have you girls had lunch yet?” Vira asked abruptly. “Rui, Tanya?”
“Yeah, we did,” Tanya replied. “Why?”
The Lioness glanced at Camilla. “Can we go get something to eat?”
Camilla chuckled. “Of course.” She looked at Rui and Tanya. “We’ll be back soon. Here,” she handed Rui her pokedex, “keep looking for stuff to do.”
Vira led the way out of the hotel, the two finding a restaurant and heading inside. They took a seat near the window to watch the passing traffic but there wasn’t much conversation until after they ordered and their waiter had brought their drinks.
“...I wanted to talk to you about Rui.” Vira finally admitted.
“Really? I thought you were asking me on a date.” Camilla took a sip of her soda. “You don’t usually drop the facade otherwise.”
Vira shrugged. “I do want to spend this time with you, but... I think, that this is important. That you need to know.”
“Okay?”
“Rui is... she’s very... isolated. No, that’s the wrong word. Solitary. She’s very solitary. You joke about how I only care for myself, or how I get what I want, but that’s just the person I pretend to be. I pretend to be strong, to be pushy, or whatever, because it’s what I’m expected to be, right?” Vira stared into her drink. “And sure, I can back that up, and yea, it’s fun to be the leader at times, but Rui... she doesn’t listen to anyone but herself. She listens to me, mostly, because I’m basically her big sister, right? But that’s it. She’s her own woman and she makes sure anyone who tries to mess with her knows it.”
Camilla nodded, prompting Vira to continue.
“I guess what I’m trying to get at is that she’s listening to you. I’ve never heard her so worried about what she’s done. She’s never enjoyed it, sure, but she’s good at it and she focuses on making sure she does it right. I think... I think you’re the role model I was never able to be, and-“
Vira’s sentence was cut off by a commotion outside. Camilla turned to see three men walking towards the restaurant, one looking at something and making aggressive gestures.
“What’s going on?” Vira leaned over the table to follow Camilla’s gaze. “Aw, come on! They’re not coming here, are they?”
“I don’t think so.” Camilla watched the group pass. “They were looking at something.”
Vira sighed. “But we’re having lunch.”
Camilla raised an eyebrow as she settled back into her seat. “Is that a problem?”
Vira looked surprised. “Aren’t you going to...?”
“I’m not a cop. Besides, they haven’t done anything wrong yet. Yelling is rude, but hardly illegal.”
Vira slowly settled back down. “I guess you’re right.”
“And besides all that, we’re alone. I don’t have my suit, Rui and Tanya aren’t here, it’d just be you intervening. I’m not too eager to get into that kind of a fight.” Camilla nodded. “So, you were saying something about me being a role model?”
Vira winced. “Right. That.” She hesitated for a few moments. “She’s looking up to you. With the way she’s acting...”
Camilla continued to engage with Vira but her attention was drifting. The three male voices had swelled to four, then five. And they were getting louder.
She noticed the beams of red light, heard the angry shouting and without thinking lunged across the table to tackle Vira to the ground.
For a brief instant nothing happened. Vira spluttered from her position under Camilla. “The hell are you-“
Then a body crashed through the window above them.
Camilla curled her head to her chest, feeling shards of glass bounce off her back. As soon as the debris had stopped she pushed herself forwards, clearing the way for Vira to surge to her feet. Camilla winced when she felt a stray shard cut her arm but stood as well, looking for whoever had broken the window.
The street was chaos. She counted four women before she had to lunge back behind cover to avoid an errant technique.
“WHY!” Vira screamed in rage. “THE ONE TIME-“
Camilla ignored the roaring Lioness and bent over an unmoving teenager. Her body was lacerated from the window she had flown through and as she watched more blood joined the spreading pool, staining her already pink clothes a deeper red. “Vira, shut the fuck up and help me.”
Her tone snapped Vira out of her rage and the Lioness gasped when she saw the injured girl. “What-?”
“Get me anything I can use to stop this bleeding. Fire to cauterize, bandages, anything!”
Below her the girl’s eyes opened. “I have the situation under control.”
Camilla bit back a curse when the girl fluidly slid to her feet, a black cocoon wrapping around her. She could hear glass tinkling as it fell from the girl’s body and after a minute the darkness vanished.
The girl worked her jaw for a moment, her baleful red eyes picking apart Camilla’s face. “Thank you for your concern.” Camilla shuddered at the emotionless voice. “Take cover.”
The shadows seemed to stick to the girl’s unblemished body when she stepped through the broken window and dove into the fray.
“I...” Vira stared at the ground in confusion for a moment. “Fuck, I’m going to go help.”
Camilla was staring at the melee. “Not your fight.”
“Like hell it-“
“Vira.” Camilla turned to the Lioness. “You’d only get in the way.”
“She’s going to get killed!”
“She won’t.”
In the street the angry Tamers were still duking it out. Another two beams flashed, adding even more pokegirls to the already crowded fight.
The small girl wove between the fighting pokegirls, and each one she passed fell. One of the Tamers noticed her and shouted, his pokegirls turning to face the threat. Without even a smile the girl phased through them and dropped the man like a stone.
Moments later recall beams began to trigger, picking out the fallen Tamer’s pokegirls. A minute later two more of the men dropped, their pokegirls also returning to their pokeballs. The remaining two finally noticed what was happening and ran, leaving their girls to continue fighting.
Camilla leaned back when she heard the shouts of ‘Police!’. “Wonder what started it.”
The pokegirls not in their balls began to break up when uniformed officers surged onto the scene. Vira was watching the commotion but her gaze kept coming back to their ruined table. “I dunno. Damnit.”
An employee ran over. “Miss! Are you alright? Are you both alright? I’m so terribly sorry that this has happened, allow us to get you new plates, your meal is on the house...”
“We hadn’t gotten our food yet.” Camilla kept looking but the small girl was nowhere to be seen. “Can we get it to go?”
“Of course, of course, and please do not worry about payment, we hope you will come back again to enjoy a more peaceful meal...”
Camilla waved the woman off. “It’s fine.”
The woman backed away, still apologizing, and Camilla turned to Vira. “Would you say you’re a strong fighter?”
Vira frowned at the unexpected question. “I think so, yea.”
“You’re not.” Vira started to bristle but stopped at Camilla’s next words. “Compared to the girl just now, you’re an amateur.”
Vira turned to the street, watching the last of the pokegirls get taken away. “Who was she?”
“I don’t know.” Camilla accepted the bag of food their waiter had brought over. “But I want to find out.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The police station was overflowing with the aftermath of the fight. Camilla leaned in towards the booking officer. “I said, she was about five foot, all pink clothes, probably around 17.”
The officer flipped through her recent entries. “I’ve got nothing, ma’am. If she was at the incident? We didn’t pick her up.” She waved her hand. “Now please move along, I’ve got another dozen to process.”
Camilla stepped out of the way to let the next officer come forwards.
“No luck?” Vira twirled their takeout in her hands. “She just vanished?”
“She wasn’t a cop, that’s for sure.” Camilla watched the crowd for any sign of the girl. “Maybe we could come back later when they’re not so busy. Maybe someone’s heard of her.”
“Who are you looking for?” Camilla twisted around to see a slender biker woman watching them. The woman raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think my appearance would draw that reaction from you.”
Camilla realized she was staring and blinked. “I like the... suit.”
The woman chuckled. “You were staring at my choker, not my leathers. Who are you looking for.”
This time it wasn’t a friendly question.
Camilla swallowed. “There was a young girl at the fight. She was injured and I wanted to make sure she’s alright.”
The woman snorted before openly laughing. “You hear that, Victoria? This nice woman is worried about you.”
Camilla watched the woman’s shadow move, the girl from before stepping into view. “Interesting.”
The biker was watching Vira. “So what’s a street thug and her girlfriend doing poking around? For some reason you don’t strike me as the philanthropist type.”
“Not exactly, no,” Camilla replied before Vira could. “Why do you say that about Vira? She’s nice.”
“Did I say she wasn’t?” The biker frowned. “Again, what business do you have with Victoria?”
“I honestly just wanted to be sure she was alright,” Camilla explained. “I mean, she went through the window. She was all cut up.”
Victoria nodded slightly. “Thank you for your concern.”
“You said that before as well,” Camilla replied in annoyance. “I get that I’m a stranger but you don’t have to be so cold.”
The biker placed a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “That’s just who she is. Thank you for worrying for her, but she has us to do that. Besides, she’s a tough one.”
“And who are you?” Camilla asked. “Victoria dove into dozens of fighting pokegirls without a second thought.”
The biker smirked. “My name is Kelly. I think that’s all you really need from me; since you know Victoria is doing fine, we’ll be heading out.”
“So are you Mountaineers?”
Kelly turned to Vira. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you’re either confident, or stupid.”
Kelly’s smirk firmed. “Not everyone you meet has to be an enemy, cat. Maybe one day you’ll figure that out.” She jerked her head. “Come on, Victoria.”
Camilla and Vira watched the other two walk away. “Vira?” Camilla turned to the Lioness. “What did you mean?”
“Like you said, compared to them I’m just an amateur,” Vira muttered. “That kind of confidence only comes from veterans or idiots.”
Camilla glanced back down the street but the two were gone. “And?”
“I think I’ve found something for us to do.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Database Alpha
Camilla Harrisburg AKA “Metal Maiden”
Age: 24
Other Personal Information Hidden
A hero without superhuman powers, Camilla Harrisburg makes up for her lack of super strength or speed with an above average intellect and incredibly sharp intuition. Self taught in numerous scientific disciplines, she creates various weapons and tools to assist her as a superhero. Known primarily for her various suits of power armor, she also is the leading mind behind many of the Vindicators’ recent superconstructions and technological advancements.
Tanya Harrisburg AKA “Firebird”
Classification: Blazicunt
Age: 21
Height: 5’ 11”
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Red
Other Personal Information Hidden
A type of meta-human known as a Pokegirl, Tanya Harrisburg wields considerable super strength and speed as well as elemental powers in the form of fire. Equipped with natural weapons in the form of her claws, she fights best at medium range.
NOTE:Further data required. Database incomplete.
Vira AKA “Sledge”
Classification: Lioness
Age: 28
Height: 6’ 2”
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Other Personal Information Hidden
A type of meta-human known as a Pokegirl, Vira wields excessive physical strength. Equipped with natural weapons in the form of her claws and fangs, she is a natural fighter and highly dangerous in close quarters.
NOTE:Further data required. Database incomplete.
Rui AKA “Flash Goddess”
Classification: Electrocat
Age: 22
Height: 5’ 6”
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Other Personal Information Hidden
A type of meta-human known as a Pokegirl, Rui commands elemental powers in the form of electricity as well as natural weapons in the form of her claws and fangs. While not as strong as her peers, she uses her powers to augment her capabilities, focusing on speed and precision to surgically bring down even the toughest of opponents.
NOTE:Further data required. Database incomplete.
Threat Database Omega
Limited Access Granted
unknown AKA “Truth”
Danger Level: Presumed Epsilon
Personal Data not found.
An unknown type of meta-human that appears to use elemental powers of water. Witness reports indicate Truth commands immense psychic power. Heavy caution is advised on contact.