Chapter Text
It was supposed to be easy. Another location, another target, another kill.
It was rainy then, just how I liked it.
What appeared before me was not some noble or scholar but a wolf.
Her eyes saw mine and I knew I had to fight if I wanted to leave.
Fang met blade and claw met shield. Precise strikes met rigid defense. I met someone strong.
Blood mixed with rainwater as we sensed that we were evenly matched.
But the wolf always comes with a pack and before I knew it, the rain was mixed with bolts and arrows.
The last thing I remember was the wolf standing in the night, her blue hair flowing in the wind and rain.
Angell woke up in a moving van. It was almost completely dark inside but the assassin didn’t mind, she’s worked in the dark for as long as she can remember. And this experience means she’s noticed the other person in the back, and the two officers driving in the front. On her wrists was the dull sensation of metal handcuffs. Angell shifted a bit and confirmed that she had similar cuffs on her ankles.
“Oh, good morning sleepyhead.”
The other person spoke in response to Angell’s stirring. A younger woman from the sound of her voice. Angell wasn’t actually interested in conversation so she stayed silent, waiting for the next move.
“Quiet type huh, doesn’t matter. Name’s Clara, got got by big Stellarium for organizing assassinations. Though it seems I was just a pickup on the way to a much bigger prize.”
Angell was only half listening but from this Clara’s chattering, it seems they’ve been arrested and were being taken to the nearest base of the Stellarium Task Force or STF. This was further supported by the protection spells on the vehicle, this high level magic meant she wasn’t likely to get out without her sword which was missing.
After her introductions, Clara got the message and stayed silent for the rest of the ride. Seeing the cityscape pass by them reminded Angell of her bike and made her wonder if the STF would leave her goldfish unattended. She knew this was all going to end one day but she would have fixed things up if she knew she wasn’t returning.
The van pulled into the STF Regional Headquarters. Loud shouts can be heard outside as the van’s doors opened. At some point Clara had fallen asleep, seems she’s just as accepting of the circumstances as Angell. But that also meant that the agents outside were welcomed not by the high level threat the team said they captured but a girl falling face-first into the pavement as another pair of eyes watched them from the van’s inner shadow.
“Oof, we’re already here?” The woman’s question was answered by the sound of readied weapons. “Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, don’t shoot!” Clara raises her hands in a panic and stands up.
Then what seems to be the team’s leader shouts:
“Don’t move! And you, still in the van! Come out with your hands where we can see them.”
Upon hearing the order, Angell felt it was easier to just play along considering she had neither her weapon nor a real escape plan. With that she slowly exited the vehicle and stood next to Clara with the exact same pose.
STF agents came up behind them and started doing checks for any weapons or other things on them. They also replaced the cuffs on their hands and ankles with three mana-reinforced cuffs: one for the ankle, one of the wrist, and one on the neck. Once the cuffs were put into place, Angell could sense their purpose as she felt her mana channels constrict slightly. As they were being “welcomed” the leader began speaking into their comms.
“Agent Garou, confirming the safe transport and capture of assassin Angell and one other. Proceeding to holding cell.”
With the same strictness, the two criminals were marched to what would be their new rooms. While Angell was deemed skilled, she wasn’t separated from the other detainees and Clara was just one dorm over. In one single night, Angell went from a notorious assassin to an observation subject of the STF.
Life under the STF wasn’t actually all that bad for Angell. After the physical, magical, and psychological exams, she was just told to behave herself. The exams were pretty easy as she just destroyed the tests as needed. In exchange she got a steady supply of food and water, electricity that she didn’t have to charge a generator on, and the occasional companionship of Clara who would ramble about her escapades while Angell listened. While the lack of freedom was a problem, the luxury of not worrying about her precarious expenses was almost worth the exchange.
That was until she got called back to the testing grounds. The training grounds of the STF were wide and bright, with different kinds of practical terrain and quite a lot of spectator seats. It seems battles are meant to be watched so the lights are bright, too bright for Angell. She approaches the officer who talked her through the last set of assessments.
“Detainee 31-047, name Angell. You’ve been called here for a reassessment. Considering you cleanly smashed all our measuring tools, the Field Division has sent someone to help with your assessment.”
The officer walked her to the open area and gave her a sword while releasing the three cuffs. “You will be given a standard training sword and full access to your mana. All you need to do is fight as hard as you can. Who knows, if you win we might give you something as a prize.”
With that small joke mixed with a hint of smugness, the officer left her alone. Apparently she was supposed to find this assessor on her own? No problem . Angell thinks as she widens her perception range with magic. Angell has always been able to channel mana through her eyes, skin, and muscles, at first she just used it to strengthen her physical abilities but over time she also sharpened her sense of the world around her. Sharpened to the point that she could feel the mana all around, and pinpoint the one other person (soul) in the arena.
She leaps forward, guided by the senses that never failed her before. As the target enters her line of sight, she readies her blade for a quick, killing blow.
*Clang*
The sword, probably Nylon, strikes metal with a ringing clarity as the two combatants come face to face. In that moment, Angell locks eyes with another, pale blue pair of eyes. The moment is broken as the shield repels her opening strike.
Angell leaped backward and took in the woman before her. She was a Tixomen-kin, more commonly known as a “Devil Dog,” with blue hair and a good stance. Angell senses the power potential of this individual is high and the circumstances mean she can’t rely on the usual strategies. At least the light lets her have a good look at her opponent and she doesn’t seem to be in a rush to counterattack.
The STF uniform looks pretty good on her, especially with that fearsome mask on her face. Wait no, that’s not important. Perhaps the weeks of no action have made her include the assessor’s beauty in her analysis. It was the beauty of a well-sculpted statue, tall, muscular, emanating strength simply by standing there. Her wolf-like ears are standing to attention and Angell wonders how soft they are. Angell finds herself walking sideways, looking for both an angle of attack and more details of the Tixomen-kin.
“You’re not as excitable as last time, good.”
The silence and Angell’s attention was broken by the sudden comment. They’ve met before? The only person she’s fought and not killed was the STF woman who beat her that rainy night.
“You?” The question appears suddenly and while Angell didn’t plan on talking, she also wanted to know.
“Yeah, they said you destroyed everything and so now I have to take a few blows and estimate your upper limits.” The voice that came out wasn’t one of urgency or fear, almost as if this fight was just another errand. Somehow, Angell didn’t like that. Something within her wanted to make the woman in front of her remember her as more than some random crook.
With that strange resolve, Angell readied her blade once again. Her head clears a bit as she realizes just how much she’s relied on the darkness to guide her. So if she needs darkness, she’ll just make some.
Angell’s original sword doubled as a mana conduit, allowing her to better aim her spells. The Nylon sword wasn’t tempered in her fighting style over the years but she had to make do. The mana flows from the soul, to the hand, to the handle, until it drips from the blade and pools at her feet. Concentration is needed to prepare enough darkness so Angell stands perfectly still. The assessor is watching her intently, waiting to see what happens. Angell stops using her eyes and starts spreading her senses, keeping an “eye” on the soul of the agent before her. This person was just bad news overall, both in terms of physical strength and magical capabilities. In front of anyone else, Angell would’ve retreated and reconsidered her tactics but she was stuck here and so she instead released her magic.
Rahu observed the convict before her, standing perfectly still while leaking mana. It’s been a minute since her last attack and had it not been for the mana, she’d assume Angell just froze over completely. But pooling that much mana in a short time is no joke, so she takes a defensive stance once more.
“This place is too bright.”
In an instant, Rahu’s caution is proven correct as the area is engulfed in darkness. Not just darkness, Rahu finds that all her senses have dulled and so it is only battle instinct that lets her block the strike from behind. While her shield blocked the actual blow, the force of the strike was enough to push the agent back a meter. It seems that was what the subject wanted as now Rahu has to find her again. Rahu readied herself as a flash of yellow appeared followed by two slashes, one hit the shield loudly while the other made a clean hit on her shin.
“Hnng” The pain woke Rahu up as she could no longer underestimate Angell. It wasn’t going to help the assessment but she unlocked her shield’s attack mode and released her own magic. It didn’t matter how fast or hidden an attack was if she could slow down time itself. So she waited and in a split second, released her own magic into the darkness.
Her timing was impeccable. In this slowed time, she could see the glowing yellow eyes and the white slashes approaching her. Three slashes came this time. One at the body, one at the head, and somehow, Rahu saw a blade attempting to cut down her time magic in the air. The moment of foresight she gained was enough though and she ended the spell while angling her shield so that it blocked the body blow while catching the assassin’s blade as it made its way to her head. The force of the blows was too much for the makeshift magic as the darkness itself was blown away, leaving Angell exposed. The woman was actually quite beautiful now that she’s out of the shadows, with her long black hair, yellow eyes, and determined gaze Rahu found herself rating Angell highly in terms of looks.
Rahu also couldn’t deny the strength Angell just hit her with. It took all her focus to hold the blade in place since she couldn’t spare energy to her sore arm. Before Angell’s feet could hit the ground however,
* SNAP *
Reinforced Nylon was supposed to withstand many blows but was ultimately no match for Angell’s full force strike and Rahu’s shield which ended up slicing the blade instead of capturing it in place. The weapon snapped in two and a forward slash devolved into Angell flying into Rahu as they both fell onto the ground.
Rahu found herself on the ground and Angell found herself face-to-face with the STF agent. From this distance, they could look into each other’s eyes and share a moment of quiet. The staring contest ended as Angell’s arms gave up and she let her body lie down on the assessor.
“Too tired. You win.”
With that simple declaration, Angell closed her eyes and took a nap directly on Rahu’s chest. From this angle, Angell’s cat-kin features were a lot more pronounced as her ears relaxed and a very soft purr could be heard in place of a snore. Rahu wonders what emboldened the assassin to take a nap right on her opponent but considering the sword is broken and Angell herself seems to have used most of her mana, Rahu decided not to insist on anything. Instead, she used the remaining time to formulate the report in her head as she and Angell rested in the middle of the training arena. She’s right, this place is way too bright.
After a harrowing battle and an even more harrowing lecture from the other assessor, a shower was in order. After freshening up, Angell made her way back to her room. Surprisingly, Clara’s door was fully open and Clara could be heard inside.
“AARRGGGHHH, how did you do that?!”
Peeking in, Angell could see Clara and another person seated at a table, a game of chess between them. To Angell, it seems like they were on equal footing but she know Clara well enough to sense that her friend was losing, especially as she just stared at the board with her fingers to her temples.
“Now now, miss Clara, you still need to make a move.” The other woman was much calmer. A bit too calm from the looks of it. The uniform she wore was not of the usual STF agents but of the Reuxauffen scholars. She had an air of grace to her but it was the sort of grace that made it hard to approach. Her eyes watched the young convict with a mix of amusement and calculation. Angell knew she was someone to watch out for but the most troubling thing was that whatever power she had was very well hidden. Not mana, not body language, not even her eyes gave any indication to her inner world, a master of hiding her truth.
“But you’ve already won! Any move I can make will either bring me closer to doom or give you the game outright. Grrr. You’re good, Miss Shalom.” Clara’s face could be described as a mix of anger, respect, thinking, and all her teeth at once as she acknowledged her opponent’s skill.
Before anything else could happen, another person’s voice can be heard. “Shalom! So this is where you were; Rahu and I have been looking for you, you know?” Angell turned to see two more women approaching the room: one was Rahu who she had just fought and another was an STF agent she hadn’t seen before. It was surprising to see a Virtue and rare to see an Eiris, this person was both with black wings and a crimson halo. If Angell wasn’t mistaken she’s still a Virtue but she’s never seen either race outside her shows. Regardless, her eyes felt a lot more genuine than the scholar’s and her demeanor was much more approachable than the Tixomen-kin. She quickly entered the room and Angell was once again faced with the wolf. For once, she didn’t have to fight her and it showed on her face; she simply nodded an acknowledgement to Angell before turning her attention back towards the two women exiting the room.
The professor, Shalom it seems, was leaving the room with the other woman. It seems the agent is intimate with the scholar considering how her wing subtly wrapped around Shalom’s waist as they began whispering to one another.
“You know it’s hard enough to find the time to see you and then you run off somewhere.”
“It’s not my fault you and Rahu were busy, is it? So how was it?”
“She’s strong, very strong. But psych says she seems fine enough doing it under us.”
“Hmm, well let me make a suggestion as well: look into prisoner 31-048.”
“What for?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil too many surprises, for you or for the sneak who's been watching us this whole time.”
As Shalom turns, she makes a clear glance at Angell. It sends a shiver and a message: that she knew Angell was listening in.
The party of three left. Clara came out soon after and asked: “Aw, so Miss Shalom did leave”
“Yeah. Who was that Clara?”
“Oh, she called herself Shalom. Seems she does research for STF but don’t ask me why a scholar is strolling around the living quarters, I don’t know either. How about you? Assessment go well?”
“Mmm, it was ok. I’m going to bed.”
“You sure? There’s still dinner if you’d like.”
“I’m tired.” And that was the truth. Between seeing Rahu twice, fighting till exhaustion, and watching those two women, Angell had been mentally and physically drained. She walked with Clara to her own room and after saying goodbye, Angell crashed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Two weeks had passed before something new happened. Angell, Clara, and some of the other inmates were called to a sort of conference room. It was one of the best rooms in the base for looking over the outside. There were the conference room essentials: a big table, an easily projectable wall, some decorations, and a whole lot of personnel coming in and out of the room.
The inmates awkwardly mingled at the far edge of the room as the base head of communications (BHC) was organizing papers at the head of the table. None of them forgot the shackles that held them in check so it was just a matter of waiting to see if this announcement was good or bad news.
“Hello! You’ve been called here today because each of you have been chosen to participate in the STF’s Malefactor program. The Task Force has deemed all of you to be of use to the STF so as a form of repentance, you’ll be enlisted into different STF Units across the region. Think of it as a chance at honest work.”
After that initial explanation, the detainees were called to approach and given their unit assignments. For today, they were expected to meet their unit leaders in one of the smaller conference rooms. One by one, they got their assignments until it was just Angell and Clara left in the room.
“Ok, that should be all of them.” The BHC stood, picked up the documents and walked to the door. “31-047, 31-048, with me.”
“Special treatment huh? Alright then.” Clara seemed very interested so she took the lead and Angell trailed behind. The three of them left the conference room and walked a long way. Wherever they were going, it wasn’t standard.
They eventually arrived at the above ground parking lot. There were no vehicles except for a white van. The head guard led them right behind this mysterious van and read aloud from a piece of paper.
“Detainees Angell and Clara, due to the unique circumstances and prestige of your handling agent, you will now be transferred to Unit 112’s Base Headquarters to immediately begin your tenure as Malefactor class STF Agents.”
“Wait, what?! You’re just gonna ship us off immediately? What happened to getting to know people, huh? What’s so great about this Unit 112 anyway?” Clara would’ve ranted more if not for someone putting a hand on her shoulder. She turns and sees the Virtue from yesterday. Angell sensed someone was approaching but it was still surprising how quickly the other woman got close to Clara.
“So you’re the person Shalom was playing against? Nice to meet you. I’ll be your handling agent, just call me Chief.”
There it was again. That earnestness and gentleness that made her a lot easier to approach despite her position. Her smile said that she’s actually looking forward to working with them and it managed to put Clara at ease.
“Oh, um. Hi, I’m Clara. Nice to meet you.” In front of the pretty and respectful Chief, Clara lost her indignation and awkwardly bowed to the newcomer. “Please take care of me and my friend, miss Chief.”
“Hahaha, it’s fine. No need to be so formal.” Her laugh was quite cute and so were the rest of her mannerisms. After Clara’s bow, Chief turned her attention to the catkin. “Miss Angell, I hope you’re also fine with this? I’ll try to be reasonable with you two even if this isn’t exactly voluntary.”
“It’s all fine by me. Not like we can do anything anyway.” Unlike Clara, Angell doesn’t move an inch. She’s not so easily convinced and keeps a bit of distance between them as they talk.
“Well, that’s fine. We can always chat more once we’re at the base. Speaking of..” Chief turns to the head guard. “Permission to access their shackles.”
“Yes, ma’am.” On the order, the head guard reveals the spells enchanting the three cuffs. Chief approaches them and fiddles with the spell a bit. The result is the magic turning a bright crimson, the same shade as the Chef’s halo, before disappearing again. Angell could sense that this meant they were hers now. With all that accomplished, Chief invited them to enter the van.
“So these are our newbies, Chief?” The driver was a dog-kin girl with ginger hair. She seemed excited at the thought of newcomers and casually chatted up the Chief about various things. It seems Unit 112 was just as relaxed as the Regional HQ since they were already discussing missions and problem areas right in front of Angell and Clara. Eventually the topic moved to the Reuxauffen Academy and Clara felt comfortable enough to chime in. Observing the Chief and the driver, Angell thought this might not be so bad if this was gonna be her Unit in the future.
With that, the four of them set off for Unit 112’s headquarters and the start of Angell and Clara’s new lives as STF Agents.