Elsa Apartment: 8 hours remaining for the arrival of Jolbirth
"Aaaaaand .... Open!" After 20 minutes of forcing the lock, Fiona finally had access to the apartment. If the message to deliver the drinks was correct, the blonde's house had dozens of bottles of alcohol. OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE!
After assaulting two more bars (and a liquor store), the protoslime still needed a drink strong enough.One so strong that it stunned her enough not to have to listen to the priestess. And unfortunately, until now it had been a vacuous effort.
The current situation was quite bad for a non-drunk Fiona, continually debating whether to pay attention to who pays her or to do it at her beginnings. A few principles that was the first time she felt! Why in such a bad situation had to develop principles?
"Holy God... the blonde has the garden of the alcoholic eden!" Starting to take bottle after bottle, a flame grew in Fiona's heart. A flame that encouraged her to be responsible and not empty another person's house completely.
"Thank God I'm an expert in controlling the flames!" And ignoring her as she picked up the bottles, I drop them on the sofa in front of the table, followed by herself.The blonde would like to take the burn mark off the sofa, but there would be time to apologize later... if she survived, of course...
The priestess had been trying to communicate with her for hours, but ignorance is more powerful than her transmitter, and it was not until she lit up with a different color that she forced herself to answer.
"Tower, answer tower" The stupid voice of the hierophant covered the entire apartment, as full of pride and arrogance as always.
"The priestess sent you, right? If I hung her up, it's for something! Dont press me!"
"I'm in Hannah's home, and as crowded as this is, it's hard to find a spare minute to take care of your nonsense... Tower, do you have a debt to pay right?" And once again, hierophant was ready to let go of the same old phrase.
"Yes, hierophant... I have a debt that must be paid, and you are the ones who are going to settle it! Now you will say that I am in debt with your kindness, and that I have a duty with the organization, no? If you are in such a hurry, I have a mission to fulfill, and if you do your part, I must do mine! Are you happy?"
"I will never be happy until I get rid of this pathetic city, all that matters is Hannah."
"But can you really have feelings? I thought you were just pretending!"
"Silence tower, dont go over the line with me" There was a lot of noise in the background, and judging as a hierophant I'm shaking the transmitter, I should have been in a very bad situation. "Stop getting drunk and get ready, Valeria, Light and Fynn are your first objectives, we have left you with the necessary bullets in the Bahia Town Hall."
"The town hall? That's about 3 quarters of an hour from here!"
"Stop complaining, tower, you're paid for your efficiency, not your opinions"
As insufferable as ever ... this time Fiona threw the transmitter against the balcony, breaking the window and listening as the building fell down. Killing a vampire by day was not particularly difficult, but killing Valeria? Those were big words.
Opening a new bottle of cognac, Fiona reclined on the sofa, ignoring the smell of burning in the air.The organization believed in the future and in the destiny of the Dirty Lover, believed that only she would be able to create the new world away from the imperfections of humanity, away from their sins ... noble motives that in the end were tinged by the Bloods of the innocents.
If Flynn and the priestess were looking for the same thing, why did not they allied? Why take such different paths? Sun and Moon were meant to be separated? Why was Fiona asking questions whose answer was not at the bottom of a bottle?
The safest thing... that such loneliness was driving her crazy. Maybe it was the best, because if she did not go crazy now, when she pulled the trigger against Hannah's family she would surely do it.
City Hall of Bahia del Sol: 7 and a half hours until the arrival of Jolbirth
The commander in charge of the army put the phone back on. Vagrand sighed as he released the phone again on the table, in five minutes to try again to engage in dialogue.
"He keeps ignoring you, Ben, stop trying, you're not going to get anything out of those people." It was strangely disturbing that Ritchey was so calm in such a dramatic situation. So quiet that it was even becoming a new cocktail.
"Ritchey please, you've seen the news too! That being comes to Bahia for Hannah! I want to be sure that the army will be here to defend my city!" Hitting the table with his fist, Vagrand picked up the phone again to call them back.
"And there you go again... My friend, you never knew when to surrender, right? I suppose you have logic, you were a boxer and all that ... It would be very ugly to ask Veronica to bring me another bar beer? having alcohol seems to me too much for me. "And though Vagrand nodded, Ritchey struck the intercom to ask for it.
And after a new useless call / another attempt to call and four long minutes, Veronica came back loaded with all the cans that were left in the bar. "This is all there is, so we drink peacefully, there are 7 long hours left"
"You're a charm Veronica, you should not go with Juddit and Hannah? I can keep an eye on this old man while you do not have to spend your last hours with two old men like us!" The words full of pain did not match Ritchey's cheerful face, but each one has his way of facing the end.
"Juddit already has a lot of work with all the people she has at home, and now that we have sent Lloyd with them, they should be fine ... who worries me more than my niece and my "sister" are precisely you, old drunks" With a very exaggerated gesture of offense, Ritchey took one of the cans and poured its contents into his new "cocktail".
"Why are you so proud ?!" Vagrand's frustration reached a new level, reaching the point that removing the can from Ritchey's hands drank all his content in one gulp. "They say we have GUN! That we do not need them to kill an imaginary dragon!"
"It was logical that they would not help us, sir... the commander despises Valeria with all his might, remember?"
"But we are not talking about Valeria! We are talking about people's homes! Without GUN we could not even have evacuated Bahia in time! It has cost me many efforts to welcome all the inhabitants of Bahia in the nearby cities , but even so it does not seem really serious for him!"
"You know how things work Ben, we are led by a president who is only a visible head. The one who really makes the decisions is his management team, and the secretary of the state Martin hates the extra-human ones, who would have thrown so many extra-human Army? Because you dont swallow the conspiracies and disobedience theory, right?."
The cocktail was really bad, but not drinking it now would only make Veronica and Benjamin say "I told you so", so holding the breath, Ritchey drank it in one gulp. "Disgusting?" Even if he just nodded, his face said everything Veronica needed. "Sir, I should think about evacuating, your children and your ex-wife are still calling you"
"Veronica, I love my children, I really appreciate Bella, but I'm not going to flee if Hannah stays here, no matter how scared I am right now, what kind of adult would I be if I left the city while a teenager stays to defend her?"
"Sir... I understand, I'll stay with you."
"Then we are already 3! Hey, can we steal a tank? I think I'll shoot it!" And all the seriousness of the matter disappeared in the blink of an eye. Vagrand could not love his best friend, for trying to cheer him up right now.
"I doubt you know how to shoot a tank, Ritchey, but maybe I do..."
"Sir, get the idea out of your head! We do not have anywhere to get a tank at this time, unless..."
As stupid as the idea was, the despair was greater than the subsequent consequences. So crazy as it sounded, such an outlandish idea could work.
Home of the Reyes family: 6 hours before the arrival of Jolbirth
While the team was still debating issues such as how to approach the battle, or what clothes to wear against a Dragon, Dylan just drew the plan of the strategy on the board:
- Sofia, Bolt, Sora, Mirabelle, Lisa would be the vanguard and would be in charge of forcing Jolbirth to land in an area open to the north of Bahia, the place where the new amphitheater in Bahia was supposed to be built.
- Jack with Armor Gun and Lloyd with the police assault rifle would defend Hannah in the second line, while Hannah prepares what she has called the "Oddysey punch"
- Elsa and Chris would stay as far as possible, with the van ready in case a withdrawal was necessary. (It was unlikely that Jolbirth with the enormous thing that the Argentines had described was very agile, so in a bad situation they could always flee through the center of Bahia)
"Well, gentlemen, this is the plan of action, any questions?" Of course, everyone raised their hands at the same time. Dylan sighed as he mentally discarded Elsa and Bolt, who just wanted to say something or stupid or unnecessary. "Sofia, start yourself"
"Hannah should not be in the van? On the second line I doubt Agent Jack can defend her properly"
"HEY, I have more or less clear how this is works!" To prove it, Jack tried to activate the lateral blades, but only managed to activate the nocturnal vision.
Lloyd sighed and pushed Jack back to the sofa, activating the front lights of the suit in the process. "Quiet Miss Sofia, although the spear of the lottery does not know how to wear the armor, I have confidence in my marksmanship as a shooter, and the bullets against extrahuman dragon are specific to pierce scales, so they should affect him especially well."
"I have confidence in you Mr. Lloyd, but my fear is that Hannah is unprotected by her other side"
"Calm lioness! we have everything under control, except for the murderous dragon part... but that's another different point." No matter how hard they worked together, every look from Sofia to Elsa could be considered murder.
"Also sofia... I have my Od... punch... Can I change the name? I have a much better one!" Dylan nodded as he erased the previous one. "Forces punch!"
................................................
It was strange that so much talk and debate remained alive for hours, but at the second name of Hannah everyone would be quiet. Neither Elsa was supporting her in this, and that was her girlfriend. "Come on... to think of another name, darling"
With a common nod, Dylan continued explaining part of the strategy, tactically avoiding every stupid phrase of Jack or Elsa. Using the crane to hit Jolbirth seemed like a good idea, and if it really was a European dragon, and not an Asian one, holding his arms with the safety cables seemed a great contribution.
Little by little, between the ideas of each one and the clarifications of the weaknesses of the dragons by Mirabelle, the strategy gathered strength by leaps and bounds.
Until you reach the final part.
"And... how are you going to defeat him, Hannah? You cant use the aura, can you?" Chris's question planted a new panic seed among all present. If Hannah had to defeat him according to Valeria, and she did not know how to use the aura, the chances of victory plummeted.
"I know... how close doors! Look!" She point her fist at the door, and after a few minutes of absolute concentration, Hannah closed the door to the dining room at a distance. An achievement... really stupid.
It was Sofia who was the first to open her mouth to such a nimble demonstration. "That... it's no use... we're really dead... I'm going to die because fat ass does not know how to do anything but close doors..."
Even Jack seemed completely disheartened.
"Maybe she can close the trachea to the dragon!" And this time, it was Elsa who nobody supported. "Come on, guys... let's not be so pessimistic! From closing doors we can get some use!... guys..."
The tension grew in the environment, while Hannah's fear and despair kept swelling like a balloon. Each time she was less confident that the plan went well, and she could not stop thinking that everyone would die because of her.And the silence continued, to the point that Hannah, in tears, got up and ran out the front door.
"Hannah!" Elsa, Juddit and Bolt ran after her, followed by Sora dodging all the chairs and cushions in the middle of the room.
The other remaining members stayed in the dining room, unable to see any way out of the situation. It was not until Dylan sat on the floor that someone spoke. "I wish there were movement tutors in the real world..." Jack sighed, hoping no one had heard him.
"Movement tutors, what are you talking about, idiot?" Mirabelle hit him in the stomach with one of his tentacles, without much force.
"In pokemon, from emerald edition I think, there are some tutors of movements that in exchange for battle points can teach you unusual attacks to your teach... I was thinking that it would be very useful if one of that existed to teach some aura skill to Hannah..."
"How the hell can you have become a spear, jack?" That was a question that day after day Dylan was still doing.
Hannah ran to the middle of the road, where she fell to her knees on the ground crying inconsolably. In the darkest hours... where all needed her the most... she had failed them. Once again.
The snow was cold, and although Hannah's pajamas did not offer much protection, she did not care for the least.
Dropping forward, she hit the road with all her strength, again and again. The repeated blows eventually bleeding his fists. The blood of the giantess mixed with his tears and with the snow, a perfect picture for the blizzard that housed his heart.
Elsa and Juddit wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but Bolt held both of them by the arm. One glance between them and Bolt and Sora was enough to make them understand that they could do nothing more than wait for Hannah to recover.
The burden of being the Dirty Lover was something none of the four understood, now or maybe ever.
It was a burden that only Hannah's heart could harbor and understand.
Only the sound of a motorcycle managed to get out at 5 in the trance they were in.
"COWARD, HOW CAN YOU CRY AT THESE MOMENTS?"
Valeria skidded in front of Hannah, while she took off her helmet and threw it towards the house. Jumping off the bike, not bothering to put on the brake, I grab Hannah by the neck of her pajamas.
"THIS IS NOT WHAT DIRTY LOVER DOES!
THE DIRTY LOVER WILL RISE AND FIGHT UNTIL IT DOES NOT HAVE A BLOOD DROP IN THE BODY!
THE DIRTY LOVER WILL FIGHT WITHOUT FEAR IN HIS HEART, FULL OF PRIDE AND CONVICTION FOR HIS CAUSE!
A HERO DOESNT SURRENDER! A HERO WILL RISE AND FIGHT ONCE AFTER ANOTHER! "
Hannah did not stop crying while Valeria kept shouting at her, repeating again and again that she was not the hero they were looking for.
"WHY ARE YOU STUBBORN? TO HELL THE DREAMS OF MY MOTHER OR THE PROPHECIES OF MY FATHER! YOU ARE NOT A HERO BECAUSE THEY SAY IT!
HANNAH REYES! YOU ARE A HERO BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YOU! AND LIKE ME ALL OTHERS!"
"No one believes in me! They've seen that I only know how close doors! A special thing that giantesses have and I dont even try to use it! I´M USELESS!"
Valeria took off her backpack and threw it in front of Hannah. What the giantess understood was a kind of indication to open it. "Are you waiting for an invitation? Open it!"
What Hannah got out of the backpack did not make any sense. Wrapped in a huge white handkerchief lay a sword.
His hilt looked like bronze, and it still felt hot, as if it had not yet cooled completely. But the weirdest thing was its edge. Instead of the typical straight edge the sword had two black edges like the night that were crossing like a chain, until ending up connected in a straight and sharp tip.
"This is the sword that my father has asked to forgen for you, a sword born from the depths of my mother's heart, blessed by the light of a sun that never leaves us.
I've stolen it."
"What... have you stolen?"
"Of course, I do not care that I'm not finished yet, I only have 5 hours to teach you everything I know about the aura."
"Are you going to teach me... you?" Hannah's tears stopped flowing, while the giantess's heart burned again little by little.
"Right, I'm the girl who was born without dreams, Hannah, you dont get a title so cool without motives! I'm not an expert, but I should teach you enough so you can improvise on the fly. I always do!"
Hannah wiped her tears with her pajama sleeve, looking at her mother, her girlfriend and her "older sisters", who nodded giving her the strength to trust Valeria. Grabbing the sword by the handle, she used it as a support to get up... to immediately kneel on the floor in front of Valeria
"Miss Valeria... no... Master! Please teach me how to handle the aura! Give me the strength to enlighten your hearts!" That was the spirit of the dirty lover. The spirit that Calia always defended.
"Well, let's not waste time, tell everyone to come out, I'm going to train you all at once!" Juddit nodded, entering the house again and shouting with all his strength to the rest of the team.
Valeria was born without dreams, but when we spoke of willpower, nobody could match her. Sitting down to watch his father prepare things was not a hero's way of acting. And much less to cry on the ground it was.
Everyone had a lot to learn, and very little time to do it... because Jolbirth, the king of the deep mausoleum was approaching the city.