NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Hideout
There was no thought behind it, but I threw the covers off my body and bolted out of bed. I hopped into a pair of sweatpants and was halfway down the stairs with my hoodie on as I dropped my phone into my pocket.
I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I ran into the hallway downstairs. Dior stood in the middle of the living room with Kuromaru wrapped in her arms. The black cat looked stunned, but he was still trying to meow and crawl out of her arms to get somewhere. Dior had an uncharacteristically severe expression on her face, and she slowly let go of Kuromaru as she tensed up.
The cat looked straight at me and released a deadpan "Meow."
Then, the black cat vanished in a flash of pale blue smoke before reappearing on the couch. He yawned and settled back down in a ball.
...
Uh.
You know what? Whatever. I won't question it.
"What's going on?" I asked, looking back and forth between the door and Dior.
A loud crunching noise rang outside the house, and I jumped in fright. What the hell was that?
"Dior hears something peeling and breaking the siding on the house," Dior said. The small girl's voice was calm, but it had a sharp edge to it.
Just like that, the last remnants of sleep left my system. "Gah! I wasn't even asleep for three hours. What the heck was that?"
"Sorry, Ikki. As much as Dior would like to go back to bed too, we have a problem to deal with."
Dior withdrew a set of scratched dog tags with concerning burnt edges from her cardigan's coat pockets. That definitely caused me to blink in surprise.
She held a hand to her chest, then placed it over her heart before she began to chant:
"She is the shadow that lurks in the rainforest. The golden deliverance of justice that will not be denied! The wind that brings freedom and liberation to Luzon! She is the hope of tomorrow and the savior of today! The champion of rebellion: Magical Girl Hana of the Dawn!"
Then, the small girl began to glow with a golden aura as the dog tags began to take on a brilliant, golden light.
The sheer blinding energy around her body made me step back, but I was far from scared. In fact, I smiled in awe and admiration at the sight before me. The air around Dior crackled with electricity as her clothing changed into an intricate gold-and-black ensemble fit for a magical girl. Dior twirled around in the middle of the living room like a ballerina, her eyes closed as her entire body glowed with golden light.
In the blink of an eye, she transformed from a short, happy-go-lucky, bubbly girl wearing an oversized cardigan into a tall, elegant warrior. Dior wore an elaborate, golden military-themed battle dress reminiscent of formal military service uniforms. She was beautiful, but her beauty had an edge, making her dangerous, with strong arms and legs. Her skin had gone from an Oceanic tan to a fair, pale tone, and her jaw had a stubborn, mature line.
Dior's gloves, skirt, and combat boots were gold-plated with black trimming, and her matching short cape blew in the wind left by her transformation. She had a pair of thick, gold-rimmed aviator goggles on top of her head. But the most impressive part was Dior's golden scepter, which was easily five feet long with a single white gem at the top. She tapped the end against the ground and held it with both hands like a sorceress's staff.
"Okay, that was pretty damned cool," I commented.
Midori stalked out of the kitchen in her pajamas with a cup of coffee in one hand. "Dior, what were you—"
Her eyes widened as she stopped, taking in Dior's stunning new look.
"Change of clothes?" the Midori asked, laughing.
Dior's expression stayed neutral. "Change of clothes," she spoke in a husky adult's voice. "A single moment, please."
She opened the front door and stepped outside, looking around. Then, she walked to the side of the house, and I heard an unceremonious zapping noise.
Then, she returned inside, rotating one arm in a circle.
"That takes care of that. What's the situation in the city? Is there a Chaos Event happening?" I asked.
"Yeah." Midori nodded. "A dozen simultaneous Level Ones on the outskirts. Not just here, too. There are portal sightings being reported all over the American northeast."
I frowned. "That's... a lot of stuff. Oh boy. That sounds bad."
"You don't know the half of it," Midori continued, downing the last coffee in her hand. "There's also a rumor that the brief Level Three that hit us two weeks isn't the only one to have happened. There's been a lot of random Chaos Events around the world lately. Which... shouldn't happen, given how the neg-entropy fields are tuned around important cities and shipping towns."
"...Something is going on," I guessed.
"Yeah. It's likely."
I scratched the back of my head. "In that case... What can we do to help? Where have the Aberrations been spotted here? How dangerous is it for us right now?"
"The sightings aren't anywhere specific. They're all over the place this time, and a curfew has been announced. I take it that was just a zombie outside, Dior?"
Dior nodded in response. "Affirmative. This one has taken care of the problem."
"We're clear inside the house, then," Midori said, pacing the living room. "If there's one there then there's likely a Chaos Beast of some kind nearby. And definitely more zombies."
"...Then what's our next move?" I asked.
"Well, we should either stay put here, or go over to the hideout where it's fortified. You've seen what a Chaos Event is like," Midori answered thoughtfully.
Talia walked down from upstairs, wearing a t-shirt, jogger pants, and a small backpack over her shoulders. She had a katana strapped to her waist.
"I'd suggest that we evacuate, dear," Talia spoke. "The house will be fine here."
Kuromaru perked up from his spot on the couch and ran over to her to rub against her leg.
"That is an apt suggestion," Dior spoke up, agreeing with Talia. "This one agrees. We should mobilize. Stat."
"Babe, are you sure?" Midori questioned Talia.
"I may have nothing but some basic magic and sword skills to defend myself, but Ikki is even more vulnerable. If we get attacked here, holding off a zombie horde or a Chaos Beast will be a challenge."
"All right. In that case, let's suit up. Make sure to pack anything we need. We might need the firepower if we run into something special," Midori stated.
She returned to the kitchen and opened a hidden panel behind a wall to reveal a safe. She fiddled with it briefly before opening it up and withdrawing several pistols, a shotgun, and a sheathed katana.
"Ikki, on an off chance. Do you know how to handle a gun?" Midori asked.
I gulped, pausing for a second before nodding in affirmation.
"I've been put through classes since I could walk, unfortunately. I'm not too great of a shot but I've been through militia training back home."
Midori handed me a Terran-manufactured pistol and a box of 9mm ammo. I gave her a look of surprise.
"Is a pistol enough for these kind of things?" I asked numbly.
"It'll work enough for some zombies or some Knave class beasts. Anything bigger than that? You'll have some problems. But it's better than nothing. Take it. Load it. Hopefully we won't need it," she said, then moved to fetch her own weapons.
I took the bullets and reloaded the gun, using some of the same techniques I learned back in middle school. Somehow, it felt heavier than it did on the firing range, but I found the feel of it familiar and comforting.
"All right. We'll go over to the hideout for now," Midori stated as she tightened her katana sheath's strap around her hip as she moved toward the door. Kuromaru suddenly stretched his back before dashing through the pet door in the backyard.
"Kuro, please return to us! Do not run off!" Dior called out.
The door slammed shut with a creak, and Midori shushed Dior.
"Let him go. He'll get to the hideout faster than we will. Kuromaru will find us if something happens."
"Kuro..." Dior pouted. She stared at the door as if he would return at any second.
"Come on, girl. Let's go," Midori said and took Dior by the shoulder. I was starkly reminded at that moment that the gorgeous woman in front of me was still a girl a year younger than me.
I took one last look around the house before holstering the pistol and grabbing a bag of supplies off the table. We stepped out of the house, locked the doors behind us, and surveilled the streets.
I looked down the street and was surprised at how empty it was. This was a residential area. If a Chaos Beast was nearby, I could imagine why people were hunkered down in their homes.
We walked for a few minutes down the quiet streets, the two Magical girls taking the lead with Dior at the front.
As we were walking, I heard a strange whimpering noise behind me. I turned around and saw a short and stout woman lurching onto the street from a side alley between two houses in a sprint. Dior reacted almost instantly and whipped around, vaporizing the zombie with a single blast of her scepter.
"That can't be good," Midori stated, narrowing her eyes.
I gave Midori a questioning look.
"That will be the first one of the day," she replied, flicking a bit of ash from her shoulder.
I was about to comment, but a second zombie came stumbling in from the opposite end of the street. Dior whirled around and deleted it as well.
We hurried along to the hideout at the end of the block. I noticed a half-naked zombie limping around the street, trying to stagger toward us. It looked like it had been a middle-aged man. It was covered in bloodstains and foreboding-looking scratches. It was close enough to reach out to me with its arm but wasn't fast enough to touch me before Dior vaporized it.
Our group got to the hideout in a few moments, and I looked at the place while we were stopped. It was a small, two-story house with a door, barred windows, and a loft with a ladder connected to Spencer's workshop. The side of the house had a small deck with some small potted plants and a wide array of equipment, from a pressure washer and a drill stand to a stationary bike. To an unobservant pedestrian, it looked like a typical house from the outside, albeit with some subtle strategic architecture.
Midori and Talia pushed the door open, and we rushed in, locking the heavy steel door behind us. I took a good look around the house. Apart from the living room and the upstairs loft, there was a small dining room, a kitchen, and a study. The bathroom was also on the second floor. The house was small and cozy, almost like a small home from a family movie. A sense of serenity and warmth in the place put me in a more relaxed, albeit still nervous, mood.
Talia hit a button on the wall near the entrance, and I saw metal shutters begin to drop over the windows. Talia then walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few bottles of water from the cooler next to the stove, handing one each to us. I took a long swig from mine, still trying to calm my nerves.
I took my time to sniff at the air. Talia chuckled a bit. I saw Midori glance out the door and shut it slightly at the sight of a few zombies moving toward us from up the block. As a familiar fuzzball popped in through the pet door, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Dior practically squealed with delight as she picked up Kuromaru in a gentle hug.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
"We get in contact with the others and wait it out," Midori replied, walking over to me and handing me my bag. "Make yourself comfortable, Ikki. We'll stay here for a while, and we'll need to keep an eye out."
"Midori, what if the Chaos Beast comes here?" I asked.
"We'll be ready. This is probably just a small outbreak, and we're close to the edge of the city," she replied, pulling out a map and spreading it on the small dining table. "Everything looks good here. We should be safe here."
"I hope you're right," I muttered as I sat at the table and began drinking my water. My hands were shaking slightly.
"We will be, Ikki," Midori responded, giving me a comforting smile. She moved over to a monitor and camera, turning it on. Then, I saw her tap 'Spence' on a GUI as it began to ring.
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and I pulled it out to find a text message from an unknown number.
'Ikki, where are you?'
I stared at the message for a moment and then began to hit the keys on my phone to send a reply.
'Somewhere safe, who is this?'
There was a brief pause before the person on the other end answered.
'It's Natasha. It's crazy out there so I wanted to check up on you.'
A sense of relief flooded me, and I tapped out a response.
'Yes. It's chaotic out there. We're holed up for now at a bunker. Staying low until thing settle down. What about you?'
There was a brief pause again. Then I saw Natasha's reply.
'I'm fine, but I'm stuck in a shelter. Are you close to the edge of the city?'
'Yes.' I responded simply.
I turned my attention back to Midori and the others.
"How's the situation?" I asked.
"Yeah. Chaos Beast activity in the city is minimal right now, but there's a lot of zombies being raised," Midori said. "Ranjika is pretty sure it's just a small outbreak, and the Military will be able to handle it."
Dior shrugged. "They have not requested aid from those of us in Emergency Rescue yet."
She stood up and walked over to Midori, snapping her fingers and whispering to her.
"There were a few more zombies coming up the block. We need to check the cameras," Midori replied. "Just in case, we should keep an eye on them."
Talia nodded, and Midori moved over to a monitor showing the house's front.
Dior coughed to clear her throat. "Now that everyone is safe and secure, this one will sweep the perimeter of zombies so innocents will not be hurt. Please alert me if any trouble arises here."
I flinched in surprise Kuromaru suddenly teleported on her shoulder.
"We'll continue to monitor the situation and see how the Military does," Midori said. "Talia and Ikki — The two of you should get some rest upstairs. I'll stay on guard here."
"Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't feel good about closing my eyes while zombies were shambling around outside.
"I'll be fine," she said. "Rest."
"It's alright," I replied, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "I can watch the monitors with you."
"Meow."
I glanced at Kuromaru, who was looking at me in an almost scolding manner as his tail swished in the air.
Talia tsked and shook her head disapprovingly before chiding me. "Ikki. If the situation calls for it, she'll call for us. I've known Mimi long enough to know she doesn't bullshit and play that Japanese courtesy nonsense. Rest. You look tired. You need to rest. Now, let her do her job, and let's go upstairs."
I stared at Midori in confusion, not knowing what to make of her expression. She glared at me before facing the monitors as a zombie appeared on the camera feed.
"As you wish." I replied. "Let's go then."
I followed Talia up the stairs, exhausted and bone-weary. It had been an eventful day, and I hoped there wouldn't be any more surprises. She led me to yet another guest bedroom, and I must admit it looked super comfy.
There was a small table beside the bed with a laptop and a holographic projector. There was also a small TV on the wall near the couch, with a few shelves of old books over it. The laptop was already on and active, showing a status report of the city projected on the wall.
I collapsed onto the bed with a sigh before unbuckling the holster and the pistol Midori had given me. It was more comfortable than the many mattresses I had slept on, but my heart still pounded from the brief excursion outside.
As I gathered my thoughts, I yelped in surprise as Kuromaru appeared at the foot of my bed in a flash of blue light. The black cat gave me a look of disapproval and made a mewling sound as he curled up in a ball by my right arm. I looked up at Talia for clarification.
"He didn't like you pushing yourself unnecessarily for the sake of being useful, so he insisted on coming up here with you," she replied. "We're really lucky to have Kuro around."
Kuromaru let out a throaty purr and I felt myself relax. This was... nice. I'd never owned a dog or cat before.
"Anyway," Talia continued. "Get some rest, Ikki. I'll be back in a bit."
She switched off the laptop and holoprojector, turned to give me a smile, and left the room. I hesitated before I set my phone on the nightstand, but I set the alarm to wake me up in a few hours.
"Do me a favor, Kuromaru?" I sighed.
The black cat perked his ears up.
"If shit hits the fan, wake me up, okay?" I asked.
He meowed in acknowledgment, and I felt the bed shift as he curled up next to me, providing me with the support and warmth he could while he purred in a rhythm with my breathing.
This is nice.
The purring helped slow my heart rate and breathing back down to normal levels. And then, darkness and silence enveloped me.