THWACK

[Gogo Yubari]

*THWACK*

Six inches of sharpened steel punctured through the side of her skull.

Hot blood ran in rivulets down her cheeks.

Chain slid through limp fingers.
  
[video=youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rrOdcnFbAYhttp://[/video]

Her knees hit the floor.

Her eyes opened. When had she closed them?

She couldn’t move. She was paralysed, stuck fast before a bright white figure. Or, was that right? Was he white, or was he nothing at all? He was talking. He was probably God. She should listen. Damnit, what was he saying? He wasn’t going to repeat himself? Shit. That didn’t seem fair. Didn’t he know she had a headache?

She tried, hard to rewind the last few second in her mind’s eye; a difficult feat, as she could still feel the ache where metal had forcibly scrambled her brains. Go too far back and there’d been sharp agony in her foot, an intake of breath, then, and, then, then she was here.

Okay. Concentrate, Gogo. He’s probably not telling you anything good right now. You did not live a virtuous life.

“You will not be alone in the Omniverse. There are others. Of course, they, too desire Omnilium. Do not fear death. For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn. That’s all you need to know right now. You’ll figure out the rest soon enough. I’ll be watching … and waiting.”

Well. That wasn’t ominous at all.

She opened her eyes. Her lips parted. Her chest heaved. New breath filled her lungs. She stumbled, tripped. She could move again. Trembling fingers raised to the side of her skull, where – she was certain – death had driven straight through skin, flesh and bone to send her down, down, down. Black Mamba was good.  

When she drew her fingers back, they were dirtied, but free of grey matter. The blood flaked away from the side of her skull; a thin crust of death. One which now flaked away between her fingertips as she rubbed them together. Her expression went from comically shocked to contemplative as her eyes drifted over the crumbling scab between her fingertips.

Was that right? Had she died? Was that what had happened?

She tried to hold on to that memory. It threatened to slip away, and she couldn’t keep a grip on that sharp moment of impact. It dulled beneath her attention, sliding out of focus and into an indistinct blur. What Omni had said? That stood out starker. She could remember all of it with stark clarity. Even the bits she had been too dazed to pay attention to.

Everything about the figure was sharp and crisp and defined in her mind. What he had said had the ring of truth to it. Why would he bother to lie? Whilst the exact ending of the fight was increasingly dreamlike, Gogo was certain that she had faced Black Mamba, and she was equally certain that such a fight could only end with one of two possible outcomes. There was no chance that this was some hallucination or coma dream. No. Black Mamba did not leave people in any state to dream. She was a rude awakening.

She wiped the back of her hand across her cheeks. Sticky blood pulled away from her face; tacky, not yet dried, but not free-flowing either.

What was it he had said? That he found her interesting? That was not too surprising, she supposed. She was an entertaining person, so long as your tastes ran towards horror movies.

She allowed the faintest smile to creep onto her features as her eyes lifted from her blood-stained fingertips, and towards the fountain before her. She had always known she was good at what she did, it was pleasing the Divine agreed.

Two brisk steps took Gogo to the fountain, and she dipped her hands into the cool water. It took only a few moments to wash the blood from her face and hair, cleansing away the evidence of her demise, other than a faint sense of tenderness beneath her fingers. 

After cleaning the blood out of her hair, from her face, it was time to think.

It didn’t take her long to go through the basic principles, and their ramifications.

He had said that she could have whatever she wanted if she desired it enough, it would just come naturally. If the sequence of events she thought had happened, had actually happened, she didn’t have long to waste. She needed at least one very important thing, very quickly.

It took several minutes of concentration, but the more she thought on it, the more she found that the strange being was right. She could feel the power within her, and it responded to her desires. Her hand clenched, opened, and then bright white energy pooled in her palm. She’d assumed that there’d be more to it, but in fact, she thought about what she wanted when Black Mamba came calling and in just a few minutes, the heavy chain was wrapped once more about her wrist, and the familiar weight was swinging like a pendulum from her arm.

She cracked her neck, staring at the point where she had materialised.

"Well, Black Mamba?" She said, addressing, seemingly, the world at large. The first words she had spoken since her apparent demise, her voice cool as ice, flat, without even a hint of emotion.

"Round two."

[Gogo Yubari]

An hour passed.

To an observer, the Nexus and its traffic might seem to pivot around the stationary figure standing in front of the Fountain. Even as it underwent one of its periodic shifts, moving from a fountain of clear, cool water to a construction of steel branches, interlocking and sprouting high into the sky behind her, Gogo didn’t deign to spare the movement so much as a glance. The constant flow of people in and around the area? They were so far beneath her notice that it wasn’t even worth considering.

The battle had to be done by now. She would be surprised if Black Mamba lasted even five minutes, let alone an hour.

Which meant that this wasn’t the Afterlife.

The ball and chain spun around several times, wrapping about her arm, until she caught the ball in her palm and sunk the whole lot into the pocket of her skirt. She turned, slowly, taking in the Gates, the people, and the changed form of the Fountain. Black Mamba wasn’t coming. Round Two might never arrive. That meant she had other things to worry about, such as determining where she was, and what that meant.

Omni had certainly been correct that she was not the only one here. As she moved back into motion, one such group of individuals – very definitely there – fanned out around her. They were clad in strange armour, as bright and stark white for the most part of the ground on which they stood. Perhaps these were the natural defenders of this place?

They held automatic weapons, though of a design that Gogo didn’t recognise. They also did not seem to be overly taken in by the fact that she was a teenage girl. In fact, as she watched them move, she became acutely aware of the way they covered each other; their military bearing and precision was impressive.

“You there. Girl. What are you doing?”

The voice of the Stormtrooper was distorted by his mask into a harsh electric burr. Gogo’s brow twitched curiously.

“Oh, hello.” She said, putting on her sweetest voice, her easiest smile – and ensuring that her hand and the weapon remained hidden from view. “My name is Gogo. I was just waiting for a, friend. That strange man said that I wouldn’t be on my own, so he’ll definitely bring my friends here too, yes?”

The Stormtroopers were not fooled by this display. An unknown Prime was a dangerous Prime. They did have a job to do, however.

“New arrival, then.” The Captain buzzed. It was not a question. “Welcome to the Omniverse. My name is Captain Nineteen Thirty Seven. If you want to know the lay of the land, you should consider heading through that gate over there.” He gestured to the construction of steel in the distance. “That’s the way to Coruscant. The safest and most populated city in the Omniverse.”

Gogo gasped, and her free hand slapped the side of her cheek in mock horror. Perhaps she was putting it on a bit too much, but she was having fun with it.

“Safest? Does that mean we’re in danger, Captain?”

[Schwi Dola]

The world looks so hazy. Before her the indomitable form of her lord and creator, the ultimate power Artosh. His wings spread majestically behind him on his thrown with his slightly frowning face resting on his mighty fist. Sound did not come but the panic of Flügel moving about gave the scene a sense of urgency. Voiceless, their mouths moved and spoke to each-other as one after another took off with a determined look.

I tried to move but I was caught in the rite of restoration. This was just like the time when I had killed that little Ex Machina so long ago... these moments etched into my very being. Everything had a strange flow to it, scenes blended and cleared from one to another. Elder Azril poked and prodded by unpowered child-like form. As I had expected before I returned, she teased me and responses to my report about the unusual machine couldn't pierce her thick head.

Ex Machina arrive, invading Avant Heim. Azril gathers her power and tears open a hole in space around three machines. I couldn't warn her, she could never get through her head how powerful an enemy they could be. Yet, I know that at the time this happened I had supported her attack in defense of our lord.

My Lord's voice echoed throughout the world with the oncoming enemy. Oh, this scene happened earlier, why were these out of order? The lowest of enemies sought to challenge our Lord. I have a feeling he didn't mean the Ex Machina that were about to invade at the time but some mysterious faction that controlled them. The only other race below rank 1 known to have committed Deicide besides Flügel, on the threat scale Ex Machina are on the top of the list. What would have happened if we had known that earlier? Would I have ever met my current masters?

-------

Endless White. Suddenly everything changed. Still hazy, I looked around as my thoughts became focused. So I was back within the Omniverse? I can move my body, but a mysterious magic shrouds my presence. So this is what it was like to feel the Resurrection magic of Omni. The shroud feels flimsy enough to force apart, but this is a novel time to see what it does.

"Ahhh, I feel like I just woke from the past. The human idea that life flashes before their eyes before death doesn't apply to Flügel I guess?"

I floated about the area and tried to interact with different things. The fountain, people, and other creatures passed through her without any change. They couldn't hear my voice or feel my passing, yet the floor itself seemed solid to me. Such a strange magic was quite different from my old phasing power. 

In my investigation I found an old looking robotic creature. At least that is what I thought at first but at closer inspection it appeared to be those Stormtroopers I had heard about. The basic troops of The Empire, one of the two largest factions in the Omniverse. I did not yet have their heads, so should I take them? I'm not sure, while I don't have one in my collection their common attribute meant their head would only be rarity 8 at best? Still, as soldiers of the largest faction I should see what they know.

I focus my magic and force off the death shroud, revealing myself. I floated above the ground, over the back of the girl the soldiers spoke to. The stormtroopers immediately focused their weapons on my sudden arrival. 

"My, what do we have here. Stormtroopers I take it? Footsoliders of The Empire, I haven't met one of you before. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

They hesitate in response, waiting until the captain puts down his weapon and the others follow suit. He repeats the same thing he told the girl to me.

The captain adds more on top to answer the girl's question, "The Nexus you stand in is the center-point of the Omniverse and the most lawless of locations. Fights spark between travelers all the time, and as you can see from her this is where dead primes can come back at any given moment. The Empire offers protection, and for a Prime there are ways to show your worth and become a citizen. The entirety of Coruscant is safe under The Empire's protection. The other gates also lead to dangerous smaller factions fighting among each-other for dominance."

Jibril put one finger to her cheek looking up and to the left in thought. "But Camelot is also supposed to be just as strong as the Empire is it not? This is what I might call propaganda is it not?"

"They do not have full control of their Land! While they may have squashed other powers in their verse, their security is in a sorry state. Only in Coruscant is in full control of who enters and who leaves."

I continued to think about what they said. It didn't sound very convincing to her but then Jibril's devotion to her masters could never waver. I looked down at the girl with an oddly expressive face. "What do you think, does this story sound convincing?"

[Gogo Yubari]

Gogo didn’t even flinch when the soldiers raised their weapons in perfect, synchronised union. She tracked their trajectory, and saw that they were pointing above her head. When the next voice butted in, she stepped forward smoothly three paces, and then turned, placing herself in the middle of the massed soldiers before she looked at the being that had spooked them.

Bright pink hair. Wings, but not from the shoulders. This wasn’t a type of person that she recognised. The outfit was very modern for some form of angel, as well. Gogo’s expression remained carefully set as Jibril spoke with the Captain, and the Captain tried to convince her of the righteousness of the Empire versus their apparent competitors.

Her face remained placid; an expression of polite interest shared between both the winged interloper and the Captain who seemed determined to win her approval. She wasn’t certain why, but it seemed that just being chosen to be here at all leant her some level of importance. Perhaps that was just something that came with immortality.

Both the Captain and Jibril were waiting for an answer, though, and she felt like she was obliged to give one, which was a little annoying.

Gogo’s fingers lifted, and she brushed her hair back out of her face. The long, dark strands parted like a wave beneath her touch, and gave her a clear view as she looked up at the brightly-coloured Flugel. The pair could almost be direct opposites. Gogo, in her all-too-familiar schoolgirl uniform, dark-haired and restrained; Jibril, fluttering above all inquisitive energy and brightness.

“Everyone lies.” Gogo said, lifting her shoulders at the words as though this were the most obvious fact to have ever been spoken. She gestured with her left hand, encompassing the gathered troopers, without taking her eyes off Jibril.

“They have a vested interest, so I can’t really blame them. I guess their boss pays them to try and win over newcomers to their team?”

She spared the Captain a glance, then, and even with his face fully covered there was a kind of reluctant acceptance that what she was saying was true writ clear in his body language.

“I don’t know that I’d put it like that, exactly…” He began to bluster, and Gogo cut him off.

“I can’t stand around here all day waiting for my friend to arrive.” She continued, “So, why not go and see what they are putting on the table.”

She smiled. It was cheerful, and innocent, and utterly fake.

“Not.” She continued to lie, “That I know what they want with a simple girl from Tokyo like me~.”

She laughed self-effacingly, and patted the Captain on the shoulder, as though they were friends sharing a joke. The teenager’s voice was light and airy as her attention returned to Jibril.

“You know, if other people want to make offers? It would help if they showed up. Are you going to make a play for my loyalty?”

The question was thrown out casually, but it was there. A tacit acceptance that her allegiance was out there to purchase, if a price could be agreed.

[Schwi Dola]

Before the captain could answer, I floated myself right up in front of the girl. Drooling a little, I put my face up really close to her and eyed every inch of her I could see from the front. She took a step back, as I ignored her personal space.

"Ehheheheh, Tokyo! As in Tokyo, Japan on Earth? An island nation off of the coast of the superpower state China? Is yours a world run entirely by Immanity? Excuse me, I mean Humanity perhaps?"

I quickly reviewed the information I had on masters' home world. It was a cold, unforgiving world in the early 2000s dominated entirely by humans. A world devoid of real magical power, the powerless talking monkeys spread like wildfire dominated the only other life, beasts, and established world-wide control. However, without other races to contend with they fought each-other and many divided by trivial details. Japan itself was known for being very particular on who was allowed to join their nation.

They developed technologies that even with my masters' assurances I still doubted to some extent. How could a magic-less race fly or reach celestial bodies? My doubts, however, did not sway her faith in her masters Sora and Shiro. I can recall when I relied on their facts and they shined, out-maneuvering an army of Flügel with sub-sonic flight speed. Truly a force to be reckoned with.

The captain coughed into his hand, "Ahem, The Empire does not offer free handouts. However, Primes have certain unique talents that make them qualified for some positions that no secondary could hope to accomplish. Primes being those summoned directly by Omni, and secondaries those summoned by others or born in the Omniverse. Swear your loyalty and provide your skills willingly and you will be given fair wages. Opportunities to rise come much more quickly to Primes. If you have power, offer it and you'll be compensated in turn. There is no other organization that can offer what we can."

I ignore the stormtroopers entirely, talking through their little spiel. "Which era, which year of Earth do you come from? Its hard to tell from your outfit, perhaps early 2000s fashion?" I trailed off muttering how she might be from farther in the future in a retro outfit, or from a world where fashion progressed differently. 

"Do you play video games? Are you familiar with the tendency of a certain name to top the charts in thousands of online competitive formats?"

[Gogo Yubari]

Gogo’s eyebrow quirked upwards as the strange creature invaded her personal space. Her hackles rose, and she stepped back again. Drooling and asking many questions, this was a strange being. One whose erratic behaviour was a little annoying, though not yet outright dangerous. Maybe this was normal for her kind? Her right hand curled tighter about the spiked weight in her pocket.

It was an effort to maintain her smiling façade. Rather than focusing directly on Jibril, she allowed her attention to drift to the strange ‘fountain’ behind the woman, the way the glistening spires of metal now interlocked, weaving over one another where there had been an actual fountain of pure white stone and bubbling water not long before.

Nothing in this place made any kind of sense.

“Perhaps we should begin with names?” She said, to Jibril, “I’ve already met the Captain here. My name is Gogo Yubari. Yes, I’m from a world where humans are in charge, Japan is just off the coast of China, and I’m afraid I’m not really into video games. I had a lot of work to do. I didn’t have time for playing very often.”

She smiled, and bowed to the flying woman as though she were truly apologetic for her ignorance on the subject she was asking about, casually letting the question about what precise era she was from float past unanswered. She thought she saw what Jibril was doing, or at least part of it. She was clearly gathering information. Gogo’s paranoia told her that she was – much like Gogo herself – searching for particular people, particular targets. She guessed, from the way the creature misspoke the word Humanity first off, that it was probably an antagonistic relationship.

She was in no hurry to make herself more of a target. Until she understood the rules that she was playing by, here, there was no advantage to exposing herself. Not unless Black Mamba made her return.

She maintained her smile as she returned her attention to the Stormtrooper Captain.

“It is very kind of you to make such an offer, Captain. Nobody ever got anything for free, I understand that! I’ll have to go and learn more about the opportunities you are offering, though.”

Her left hand alighted on her chest, a self-effacing little laugh bubbling up out of her.

“I am, as I say, just a student. I don’t know what help I could be.”

The Captain gave a sharp nod of his helmeted head.

“There are places to study. Libraries and institutions of higher learning. The Empire values loyalty above all else. Pledge yourself to the betterment of The Empire, agree to serve, and you can gain access to knowledge and materials unlike anything you have ever seen before.”

The spiel sounded highly rehearsed, but it also sounded like a good deal to her. Much like the fluttering creature, she needed information if she was going to survive and thrive in this world. It was becoming more and more obvious by the moment that her ignorance could be dangerous.

[Schwi Dola]

I hung in the air with limbs limp, wallowing a little in my despair. "Ahhhnnn, you could be from my masters' world or not but if you don't know anything about video games it doesn't matter that much. I so wish for the day I can find a third person account of my masters from their own world. Perhaps even a first hand account of their encounter with Blank. The idea that such knowledge could exist in this world tantalizes me so!"

The others look at me with different expressions but it mattered naught to me. The value of such knowledge went far beyond what the value of any head the Omniverse had to offer. The gospel I could create from such otherwise unobtainable knowledge would be legendary among Flügel. Her masters' exploits on Disboard were already stuff of legend and they didn't talk much about their old encounters before Disboard. Sora would give her any knowledge she asked for with a solid use and reason, but he would never fully satisfy her true desire to learn about them without beating them at a game. A fool's errand.

Hanging in the air, I listened to the Immanity present. It seemed as though the girl did take to their propaganda after all. She couldn't be blamed, there must be some truth to the stormtrooper's claims about The Empire. There was an appeal to the powerless when a large government offered protection. I would never lower myself to serve such absurd organizations. They lacked true power so built power with the exploitation of the masses. A true power should just exert their power freely, the proof that one has true power.

I right myself and notice a change deep in my wings. Power returning. I hadn't realized just how weak I was upon my resurrection until it started to come back to me. With magical power flowing in my body, I felt a deep desire to kill. Quickly suppressing my desire, I look at those present. The girl showed no special attributes, likely not worth keeping. The soldiers on the other hand had some intrinstic value as part of a major organization. A full set of their ranks would be an impressive collection to show off to my peers.

Now wasn't the time to make the jump. So I look back at the young lady. "A student? I suppose your attire does say schoolgirl..." Looking at her, something seems wrong. If she were really just an ordinary schoolgirl arriving here for the first time, where was the shock or surprise of a bonafide angel appearing from nothing next to her? She showed no fear or uncertainly of Jibril or these stormtroopers. She is not what she appears to be, perhaps more information could be drawn out from her especially if I make an offer that is hard to refuse.

"This may be out of the blue. However, how about a trade? I will give you what you may ask of me if you provide me with written materials from your own world. Particularly educational materials. The Omnilium within you, if you are indeed a prime, can be used to materialize it if you do not have it on you. As I understand it is possible to create things in their original form even if you don't fully understand what you create. I have a deep interest in learning the culture and history of other worlds." My eyes sparkled at the prospect of new knowledge right at my fingertips.

[Gogo Yubari]

“Sorry.” Gogo replied with a cheerful smile at the despair she had inspired in the angelic figure, “I suppose I’m just not that kind of girl~.”

The offer, though, was interesting.

“What I may ask of you, hm?”

The strange flying woman became a lot more interesting with that promise made. Gogo hadn’t actually been to school, ever, but she understood the basic principles and she’d had some textbooks in her time. The Yakuza weren’t too concerned about making sure that she got a rounded and balanced education, but there was an expectation that she’d not be a total idiot.

The girl looked to the Stormtroopers for their opinions, and was met only with blank, expressionless masks. Useless.

“Alright.” She said, “I suppose I can give you something, and it would be a good test of how this works. Making something when I don’t remember all of it, I wouldn’t have thought that’d have worked. Let’s just say you owe me a favour.”

Debt, obligation and favours were important concepts in the world of the Yakuza. Gogo herself might be entirely unbound from them, not particularly caring one way or another what other people expected her to do, but she understood the power that they held over most. It might be useful, in the long run. And if it wasn’t, what had she lost? It would still be an interesting test of her new abilities. Wanting and creating her weapon had been second nature. Populating the inside of a textbook that she’d maybe flicked through once? That was a far more interesting proposition.

Still unwilling to draw her right hand into the open, Gogo instead held out her left and concentrated. Several minutes passed in awkward silence, with the Stormtroopers shifting nervously and uncomfortably as the shimmering rainbow light danced across the girl’s palm, swirling and shifting as it tried to coalesce into the form she had in mind.

What formed was a slender volume – bound in black with kanji printed stark white against it. The Kokutai No Hongi – Cardinal Principles of the National Entity of Japan. Strictly speaking, the work had been banned after the second world war and was by no account mainstream. Xenophobic, nationalistic and shot through with tension as Japan prepared to enter the war that would redefine its entire social and political development for Gogo’s generation, it was nevertheless the first thing she thought of when she thought of ‘history book’. The Yakuza, apparently, had a rather different view of what teenage girls should be learning about their country than the average Japanese high school.

Carelessly, she tossed the book towards Jibril, apparently no longer interested in the work now that she had completed its creation.

“There you go.” She said, easily. “If you want to know about the country I am from, that is probably the best place to go for information. I hope you find it enlightening~.”

Finally, she turned back to the Captain, and gave a loose shrug of her shoulders.

“Why are you still here?” She asked, “Not to be rude, but, you’ve done your job. I’m going to investigate your home. You can probably go now.”

The Captain was taken aback, audible in his voice even through the distortion of his mask. “I was going to offer an escort to the Gate. As the woman says, this is a dangerous-“

Gogo cut him off with a sharp shake of her head.

“I will be fine.” She said, “I have my new friend to watch my back now. Run along.”

A vague gesture in the direction of Jibril, still flicking through the nationalistic literature. Jibril was certainly right about one thing; Gogo had far too much confidence to actually be a normal schoolgirl. There was absolutely no fear of the Stormtroopers in her, at all.