149 Chapter 125: A Herrscher's Reason to Fight
The year 2000... Cecilia was currently having a vacation with her now husband Siegfried Kaslana. Along with a little girl that graced them as Siegfried quickly got to work.
Kiana Kaslana. A cute little bundle of joy that was birthed back in December 7 1998. Currently in Theresa's hands as Sieg took a picture of them. "Alright, say cheese!" He then showed it to the others and they smiled at the cuteness and energy of Kiana. (pic)
"Whew, that was more tiring than I thought..." Theresa sat down on a bench and thought handling a kid that was stronger than normal was exhausting.
"Thank you aunt Theresa. For coming here today and joining us in Kiana's special photoshoot." Cecilia was wearing a dress and was currently relaxed. Retiring from her duties as an S-rank valkyrie temporarily that disbanded squad snowwolf. As her pregnancy took a toll on her and weakened her more than expected.
"Un, that's my job as your aunt, but I'm a grandma now too huh?" Theresa deflated when she remembered that she is now a certified grandma. Imagining the little Kiana calling her granny put her forever young heart in pain.
"Too bad Addy can't come with us. She said she's preparing for something. She had this serious expression on her face. I think it's very important." Sieg chimed in and the two gave a cramped smile. As they couldn't see Addy very much in the past couple of years. Especially when Kiana was born, as she trained like a maniac to get as much strength as she could.
"Would you like to join us for dinner Theresa? Ziggy's cooking tonight." Cecilia gave an innocent smile and Theresa immediately paled.
"Uh... I have plans you see? Thank you for offering though." She thought Cecilia must be out of her mind, eating Sieg's cooking that is a bio hazard. 'I don't know if Cecilia is weird, or it's the power of love.'
She then observed the scene that played in front of her. It was perfect. No battles, no comrades dying, no unnecessary deaths. "I hope this lasts as long as possible." Theresa mumbled and thought it won't be long until they had to fight again. But she hoped it would be much later down the line.
"Grandma Teri!" Kiana waved at her and Theresa received damage. But she waved back. "Want me to carry you Kiana?" She smiled. But she then received an emergency comm.
"Theresa, there's been a situation in Siberia. I'll send you the specifics, but the problem doesn't warrant a personal appearance from Adelheid yet." Tilie called her and immediately told her what the call was for.
Theresa frowned. Thinking it must be quite important for her grandmother to give her an emergency communication.
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Earlier, Siberia: Babylon labs. It was a tower that was disguised as a honkai reactor. Not that anybody could go near it anyway as Schicksal has barred civvies from going anywhere near.
But actually, it was a laboratory that experimented on children that was honkai resistant. They were more careful, as Tilie knew Ein had eyes on them. But still, some fatalities cannot be avoided.
And the children would still experience pain and would be extremely traumatized. Ein was also quite busy inside the abyss as he neared the completion of his plans. Working 24/7 to tweak the specifics and enact it without hiccups as much as possible. And the flame chasers were quite busy with exterminating honkai beasts left and right as well.
A pair of scientists were running. Panting from exhaustion as they ran from an apparition with glowing red eyes. Giving a face splitting grin that giggled like a girl that was playing.
It then caught up to one of them. And it went through the scientist's legs. "Ahhh! I can't feel my leg! Help me! Don't leave me behind!" He shouted to his colleague. But he was left behind and the other one immediately closed the heavy, steel doors.
Panting as he sighed in relief, thinking that he was safe for now. "Everybody is gone, what the fuck is that!? In just a couple of hours, it took away everyone..." He recalled the reports of missing people and saw them disappear one by one. Shivering in terror as he slumped down to a wall.
He then heard the giggle again. And the ghostly girl went through the doors. With the grin still plastered on its face. "You selfish human, you even left your friend behind. Do you think these doors could stop me? Kukuku~"
"No... No! No! I won't die here! You can't kill me!" He took out a gun and immediately fired at the figure.
But it didn't do anything. And then the bullets were redirected at him. The scientist then immediately lost consciousness as he died like the rest and his body disappeared.
The overseer then launched a full scale investigation immediately. But analysis of the videos didn't give them any information except for some white flashes.
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At Davis Monthan Air Force base. Joachim was currently practicing his powers, using it to deflect military grade weaponry and explosives.
He trained well for one purpose that AE has enforced at its creation. And that is to lure herrschers to their side like how Welt Joyce or kill them so they won't cause problems.
Meanwhile, Welt Joyce didn't want to extend his life like the others and was now an old man. He has helped tremendously with Joachim's training as the herrscher of reason. But he is retired now and just enjoys his days with the other members like how an old grandpa would. Satisfied with his life that he had a family in anti-entropy.
"Welt, we've detected waves of honkai energy at Siberia. And it seems the descent of the 2nd herrscher is near." Einstein told him of their discoveries and Welt narrowed his eyes.
"We make great haste. Contact Tesla and tell her to deploy our mechs nearby the area. We must get her to the side of humanity. Or I will kill her myself if she wishes to harm it." Welt fixed his glasses and thought that the fragile peace would be broken, starting now.
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Theresa reviewed what happened in Siberia and she got cold sweat. "All the staff members disappeared in one night. The cold nights in the tundra, people missing..." She then looked at the picture that they just took with Kiana and frowned heavily.
"Grandma told me that I'll investigate the scene with squad snowwolf. I hope this is just a freak accident and not a major thing." She wished in her heart that it was just an abnormality in the labs.
She then received a call from Tilie again. "You will be going to Siberia Theresa, rendezvous with Patricia Highsmith there and you will investigate inside the labs when you arrive." Tilie said with a sigh.
"Odin and friends refused to accept the mission. Saying that Schicksal started this crap, they better clean it up their own shit." Tilie frowned heavily as she tried to get them in the mission. Instead, she was answered by Kalpas and was told to fuck off.
"I understand grandma, I'll be going to Siberia immediately." Theresa replied and ended the call. Immediately going to the hangar to get into a VTOL so she could travel to Siberia.
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After a few hours of travelling, she arrived at the tower and saw Patricia there. Drinking a can of beer again, making her sigh. "Pat, you shouldn't be drinking... We're here to investigate you know?" Theresa deadpanned at Patricia and she laughed.
"Yo, nice to meet you again Theresa. Addy isn't with you huh? It's a shame, this would be much easier with her involved." She downed the beer, ignoring Theresa's scolding.
"By the way, Ein-sama told me to drink as much as I want. He gave me these after all, I wish I could see him again. What I wouldn't give to have that hunk." Patricia drooled and thought he was perfection.
"Shut up Pat. He's out of your league, Ein-nii is too busy to handle your alcoholism." Theresa snarled, Patricia then laughed and thought it was true. "A girl can dream Theresa. Or you would want to get some of him too?" She teased the little valkyrie and she turned into a stuttering mess.
"Hahaha! Just kidding Theresa, let's go. We need to do our jobs." Theresa pouted at her, they then went inside and investigated the traces.
The two entered a place where there were bullet holes and brass casings. Indicating there was a fight, what sold it though was the blood stains. But there was no body.
"Weird, there's a fight here clearly. But there's no body. Some weird shit must have happened here, maybe a ghost?" Patricia said with a smirk towards Theresa.
"G-ghost? There's no ghosts here Pat..." Theresa got spooked and looked around. Patricia then laughed and they decided to see if it was because of the reactor.
"Let's go to the reactor Theresa, we're valkyries. We can handle the honkai energy there, some more clues might pop up too." Theresa nodded at her suggestion and wanted to get out of the blood stained room too, scared that ghosts might pop out for real.
They arrived at the honkai reactor and saw some residue of energy on the ground. But it was too scarce for a malfunction of the reactor. And too much for a simple leakage.
"Hmm, there's some residue here. But the reactor is fine. We can't have conclusive evidence with just this much." Theresa frowned and thought they were going nowhere.
They then followed the traces. And to their horror, they saw children that were basically in rags. Jailed inside a prison cell. "Pat! Let's go and help the kids immediately!" Theresa barked orders and Pat nodded. "Already on it." They then opened the cell and looked at the children that were scared stiff.
Theresa gnashed her teeth and thought she must have her own facility to train honkai resistant children. Or they will fall prey to Schicksal's experiments and she couldn't do anything against her grandmother.
"Please... Please save us from this terrible place." A girl weakly said with tears in her eyes. They were gifted children that were more resistant to honkai than normal and Schicksal poached them from the villages and settlements in Siberia.
Theresa immediately ran to the thick metal bars and took it off with her bare hands. "It's okay. You're all okay now. You're in good hands." Theresa smiled at them and the girls slowly came out of the cell.
"Thank you for tearing down the door." One of the girls bowed down to Theresa. Making it awkward for her. "Y-you don't need to thank me. And I just didn't find the key is all, that isn't how I open doors normally." She quickly explained.
"Records show that these kids are orphans or children that has been taken in by Schicksal for honkai adaptability tests. Must explain the bandages on some of them." Pat said with a bad taste in her mouth.
"You're all good now. I'll be sending you off to a safe place." Theresa smiled at them, but Patricia thought things won't be as simple as that.
"Schicksal probably gets thousands of these orphans a year Theresa. They're Schicksal property, we should send them to HQ. You know this is a huge violation." Patricia told her what they should do, but she still frowned heavily upon saying it.
"Pat, do you know st. Freya high? Grandma has finally gave me the permission to have an island in the far east. It would be the sanctuary for children that are tested on by honkai experiments. It would be their haven..." Theresa thought she finally got through Tilie and would have a place where children like the ones they just found would become splendid valkyries.
"Stupid dream, for a stupid valkyrie." A purple haired girl mumbled. "Huh? Did you say anything Pat?" Theresa looked at her companion, but she shook her head.
Theresa then called for back up to let the children go to a safe haven. While Patricia investigated the scene further. "Hmm, honkai residue on the doors for the cells. This must be connected to the reactor." She then decided to stay and look for more info.
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"Last night, I drained my powers on those humans. But I can gain more energy from the reactor. I can feel it pulsing within me. I will get stronger..." The purple haired girl reached out to the reactor. (pic)
She then heard a click behind her. "Had enough fun yet? Ghost of Babylon labs?" Patricia appeared and her hunch was right.
"You... The one who wanted to return us to those who tested on us. How did you find me out?" The girl looked at her with rage and hatred in her eyes.
"Oh, I just have keen eyes. The residue here near the reactor matched the ones on the door on the cell." Patricia smirked and the girl glared at her.
"Where's the little nun? Are you here alone?" The little girl absorbed as much honkai energy as she could.
"Sorry to disappoint you ghost, but I brought with me 2 little friends." Patricia brandished her miniguns and aimed it at the girl.
"Hehe. Hahahaha! You think you scare me valkyrie!? You will be the 1st to taste my power! And my revenge against the likes of you..." She laughed maniacally and glared at Patricia with overwhelming hatred.
"Those people who injected us with the honkai. Those who ran all those tests on us... Told us that we were serving a divine purpose to perfect the stigmata for Schicksal valkyries like you! They said orphans like us should feel honored and grateful that we would die for your sake!" She shouted as she thought the world has forsaken them.
Patricia couldn't reply and could only listen. "I refuse to die for anyone's sake! To hell with Schicksal! To hell with the valkyries! You should feel honored to witness and taste true power, human..."
"I'll take that as a greeting to my little friends. Wait, are those spatial distortions!?" Patricia noticed the weird ripples and the battle ensued.
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Thanks for reading guys, the murder loli has started her crusade. And Kallen would be royally pissed at what transpired in babylon labs.
As for Adelheid not informing Ein or the MOTH squad about this, she isn't exactly the smartest tool in the shed. And she can't get a hold of them as they are helping Ein as much as possible with his work.
Especially Vill-v that is the eyes of MOTH. But she is smart enough to know that messing with timelines is very bad. Especially because the will of the honkai would be supporting the 2nd herrscher heavily. And changing that might lead to dire consequences. Such as their branch being pruned from the imaginary tree. And she doesn't know what Ein's true capabilities really are as she couldn't get a feel on him when he sparred with Sushang, a normal human mind simply cannot comprehend it. Anyways, Ciao.
Happy birthday as well Himeko baby girl.
