Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

I didn’t undo the transformation right away. I had Talia close up the wound on my hand as I made preparations. My heart should have been pounding in my chest, but I felt nothing. I felt empty, hollow, and also… dread.

Facing myself in the mirror, and at my limit, I knew. The moment my uniform falters… I was going to be in trouble. Gripping the sink in the warehouse’s office space, I loosened my grip slightly, allowing the uniform to fade.

The moment it vanished, it hit. A sudden wave of vertigo. My entire body, being lurched. I very nearly fell over as I braced myself against the sink. My stomach lurched and the contents of my stomach vacated out, right into the nearby toilet.

The ice I so often clung to melted away, vanished, leaving nothing behind. I felt empty. The world spun. I hurled again, but nothing came out as I dry heaved. It was a blur; I don’t know how I managed to pull myself up and splash cold water on my face. My forehead was burning. My body felt weak, hot, burning.

I changed, dressed. I did not eat anything as I wasn’t sure I could stomach it. I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Not with what was happening. It was backlash, I was sure of it. I’d kept my uniform on to avoid the cycle, and I was now paying the price.

I hadn’t forced it, no, but what I was feeling was a complete, and sudden flush of all the magical energy in my body. I felt ready to keel over. I wished for nothing more than to simply collapse into bed and sleep.

Only, there was still work to do. The pain in my soul helped keep me focused. The prickles of agony kept me aware as I drove. Still, how I managed to pull into the office’s lot, I wasn’t sure. Though, I do think I might have parked extremely poorly.

I stumbled out, somehow managing to get myself into the building. I couldn’t take the stairs. Just a single flight would probably see me pass out from exhaustion. As I took the elevator up, I checked the time. And time had marched on, making it evening.

I had a few scant hours before work ended. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I failed to get a gold coin, nearly got myself and others killed with my whole death march.

I couldn’t help but question if I had really made the best decision. Yet, when the elevator door’s opened, I was greeted by something almost foreign. A bustling division, filled with people working at an unprecedented pace.

I stumbled in, wondering if I was seeing things, if I was somehow hallucinating.

“Prima, you arrived!” Liche announced from her station, standing up she ran over. “We’re nearly done, your timing is perfect!” She continued.

I blanked. Stared at her, at a loss. Before I could even muster a response though, another voice cut in.

“You look terrible.” It was Leo, he looked worried, but there was more to it.

“What happened?” I asked, mouth dry. “What is this?”

“I’m not sure how to explain it…” Leo said. Liche was no better. Only that…

“Shortly after you left, Terada suddenly changed.” Liche offered up.

“Right, what she said, only, it was a bit crazy. Nobody knows why, or how it happened, but one moment he was listless, the next he was completely invested.” Leo followed up with.

I looked to Liche for answers, even Joan, but neither seemed to know how this happened, let alone why. Only that it had happened, and with a quick explanation it became clear, the division had rallied.

Shortly after I left, and with the explanation that I was looking for alternative solutions, and not that I was giving up, that alone seemed to be the catalyst for Terada’s change. Surely, he wasn’t fully aware of just what I was doing, but… For it to have this kind of effect?

The final touches were being put on the project, and though the final result wasn’t the best, it was far beyond the previous result. How they managed this, was because everyone, just about everyone had worked themselves to the bone. Working every hour they possibly could, even from home, exchanging numbers, constantly bouncing around calls and messages.

At hearing all this, I collapsed into the nearest chair available and… crashed. I didn’t have long to rest though, as the time to deliver the final result arrived. There was an issue, however…

“The Executive isn’t currently in. I heard he was at a meeting of some sort, so you’ll need to deliver it by hand.” Leo said, handing me the finished product, a final disc containing all of our work. He told me where he was, where I needed to be.

I didn’t question it. Rather, from what I briefly grasped, it had to do with the recent database issue. Which meant, it was something serious enough to draw his attention away.

Pocketing the disc into my inner suit jacket pocket, I made my way to the elevator. The small rest I had been given did wonders for my current state, but I wasn’t suddenly better. If I moved too fast the world still spun. I felt clammy, hot and cold. Among many other unpleasant sensations that threatened to have me collapse into a heap. That, and the overpowering sensation of powerlessness. Of pervading weakness that worked its way to the bone.

Stepping into the elevator, just moments before the door could seal shut, a hand cut it off. Forcing the door back open. The owner of the hand, Terada. “My car is in the garage; I can take you.”

I was going to argue, but having to find parking in my current state, along with the walk alone… I wasn’t sure which would get me killed, so I agreed. Terada stepped inside, and the pair of us shared the cabin. Neither spoke up, at least, not at first as it shuddered to a start.

“I’ve been wanting to talk with you.” Terada started. Something in his tone setting me on edge, but for what reason, I couldn’t say.

“About what?”

“A lot of things.” He answered back, “About your start, about what you did when you took control, and everything up to now.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, nor did I have the energy to engage, but this felt important. Pivotal even. “You could start from the beginning.” I answer, “We have a bit of a drive, don’t we?”

“We do, but I figured I’d get a start on it…” Is what he said, and then he continued. “When you first came into the office, I was suspicious of you, your work history. For your age, it was rather extensive.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, but I kept quiet.

“Quickly, you proved your worth. If anything, you became irreplaceable in a short period of time. The man that held your position was a close friend of mine, he never blamed me for being hospitalized for having to retire early, but…”

He trailed off, but the intent was clear. He blamed himself for what happened.

“When he left, I was seriously considering quitting. Just, giving up. A part of me thinks I should have done so a long time ago.”

“Then I came.” I filled in the silence. He nods.

“Yes, and worse, as you proved yourself capable in one field, you followed up proving yourself capable in another field. The moment I realized you’d taken the reins, I double-checked your files, your experience. And I realized something…”

He paused and let those words settle.

“I realized I underestimated you.” His voice was low, but I could feel the intent behind them. “I knew that I needed to curtail you. If I let you run wild, you’d ruin everything… or well, that was what I thought. That’s what I feared, and maybe I was right, but I can’t help but think, that if instead of fighting you, if I’d supported you…”

Another pregnant pause.

“No… If I’d only just done what you did. Could I have turned this division around? Could I have prevented my friend from collapsing from overwork? Could I have prevented this division from becoming what it is today?”

His hands clenched hard enough that I could hear his joints creak.

“Instead, of working with you. Instead of doing what I should have done decades ago, instead of that, I chose to put you in your place.”

“Put me in my place, you?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, me. I was the one that spread those rumors about you. I was the one that made sure they were shared to everyone.”

I didn’t know what to say, but…

“Sad, right? I even recruited Tom to act as my messenger. I threatened him. Told him that if he didn’t, I’d throw him under the table for what he did. He didn’t want too, not at first, not with how you were working with him, but I just had to raise the stakes and he fell in line.”

“And what was the plan with me? The rumors, that whole mess, was that just you trying to tame me?”

“Yes, a scandal like that, and if I did it right, I could get you and Leo both pinned down.”

“But you didn’t pull the trigger.” I answered, knowing full-well he never did that.

“No, I did not. When the division, predictably started going to shit, pardon my language, you ponied up. You didn’t back down, no, you started giving more of your time and energy. You even started making reparations, making progress to making us whole. I was fully prepared, at any moment to put you back in line, but…”

“But?” I asked.

“You were right. I was a coward. I never did anything. The whole reason we were in this situation was because of me, because I couldn’t get over what happened all those decades ago. Because of me, my ego, my own stupidity, I let those closest to me suffer for nothing.”

Blood dripped down his hands. His jaw clenched so hard I feared his teeth might crack. The man before me, was not the same man I knew before. He was not a doomed captain, not a listless ghost, no, the man before me was one who had faced his sins, who had seen his own portrait and despised it for what it was.

It made my heart thump. It stirred something inside me seeing him like that. Like I was seeing a dead star re-ignite. Or perhaps a long-lost hero finally returning from his long journey.

Standing beside him, I felt it. That I was standing beside someone that would start a new era in the industry.

I’d hit the jackpot, apparently. Having left the division alone proved prescient. Nort that I could have ever possibly known. Perhaps this was a culmination of all the work I put in? Perhaps my own earnestness, my own input had been just enough to push Terada back onto the right path?

“Which is why, I’d like to say, I hope to continue working with you, Prima.” Terada, extends his hand. I don’t even look at it as I clasp it back.

“And feel the same way, Terada.” His grip was firm, unlike my own. I could feel his pulse, his thumping heart in his hand. The warmth radiating out of it made me feel alive, rejuvenated.

And like that, the elevator shuddered to a stop. Ending what felt like an unusually long ride.

We stepped out, into the parking garage under the office. “As I said, I’m not parked far from here.” Terada said, moving at quite a pace. I fell in behind him as the two of us made our way further in.

Yet just a few dozen steps in and he stopped suddenly, causing me to walk right into him. I opened my mouth to ask why he stopped, only to pause at an unusual sight. A figure barring our way. A familiar one at that.

“Kenta?” I voiced out, confused. Terada was oddly tense. And I didn’t blame him. Something felt off somehow.

Kenta didn’t look at me. The youngest, well, formerly youngest member of the division. He was young, the protégé of Terada. Yet, why was he here? Why was he barring the way?

“Kenta, why are you here? Did something come up?” Terada asked, and notably, he was placed between me and the young man.

“Yes, actually…” He sounded nervous, Kenta did. “You’re delivering the finished disc, right?” He asked, something in his tone not quite right.

“We are.” Terada replied back.

“Well, I can take it for you. I’m actually heading that way now.” He says, with a not quite natural smile. Which only adds to the oddity that was Kenta, and not just that, his posture, his attire…

He wasn’t wearing a suit. Not the usual office attire. Just sweats, a hoodie. His hair looked like a mess, bags under his eyes.

Had something happened while I was gone?

“You’re supposed to be on break Kenta.” Terada answered back. “You should be resting, not here.”

“Yeah, but I heard you finished, how could I miss that?”

The tension did not lessen.

“So, yeah, how about I take the files off your hands, and I make the delivery myself?”

Neither of us spoke. Eventually, Kenta sighed and of all things, pulled out a gun. The sudden brandishing of his gun had both Terada and I tense, I tried to push myself forward, but Terada pushed me back, and not just that, but covered me with his body.

Kenta clicked his tongue. “I don’t want to do this, but I can’t have you deliver that.”

“You really think we’ll just hand it over?” Terada asks. “This represents decades of blood, sweat, and tears. This work, represents everything this division has gone through.”

Kenta laughs. An ugly laugh while waving his gun around, while always making sure it was pointed in our direction. “You think that makes up for all those years of abuse old man? You’ve been king of the hill far too long. Do you even know how long I’ve been waiting for you to kick the bucket or quit so I could take your position? Now all you’re talking about and everyone else is talking about is you getting back into the game. You think I want to spend the next couple of decades living in your shadow!?”

“Kenta… I know how hard it must be, but with your skill, your talent, you could easily make something of yourself. If you want a referral, just about anyone in the industry would hire you.” Terada says and takes a step forward.

“You think I want that!? Even if I join another team, you think they’ll take me for who I am? No, all everyone will think of is you, they’ll constantly compare my work to yours, everyone already does!”

Terada opens his mouth to speak, to say something, but as he does so he takes another step forward. “Don’t! Not another step!” Kenta shouts, noticing Terada’s movements.

“Look, Kenta, you wouldn’t…” Terada starts, taking another step, but… The concrete right before Terada explodes as a bullet cracks into it. The sound of the gun going off rings in the enclosed space.

I stare, ears ringing, smoke rises out of the barrel as Kenta stands across from us.

“I’m not bluffing, take another step and I will shoot!” He shouts before taking a breath. “Look, just hand it over, okay? Then I can move on, live my own life and you can live your own life? Sound good? I mean, that little disc is hardly worth your life, right?”

Neither of us speak back. Technically, what Kenta said was right. It wasn’t worth dying over. At least, not normally. Something else must be going on, but…

I mean… surely the files were backed up? Surely, this wasn’t the only copy? We could easily hand this over, go back and get a copy, right?

Yet, glancing over to Terada it was clear…

“You didn’t make copies!?” I said aloud, and aghast.

“We didn’t have time… we were in a rush, we barely managed to compile everything on that disc. If something happens to that disc, the whole project is bust.”

I wanted to swear, no, I did. I mean, who does that!? Terada at least had the presence of mind to look embarrassed, but… if he’d just done his job properly, we wouldn’t be in this mess!

I really did want to tear into him, but we had other, pressing matters to attend to, like a gun being pointed at us.

Kenta looked calm enough, but I could see he was shaking. He didn’t look like he wanted to kill us, which was a plus. Nor did it seem like his plan was to kill us. It really did seem like he just wanted the disc.

Before that though, “Why are you doing this, rather, why now, why here?” I had to ask.

“Timing, that’s all. I’d thought you backed out when you didn’t show up earlier this week, that despite everything they said, that you realized how futile this project was. I said as such, and Terada decided we’d go all in, and I decided I had enough.”

He pauses a moment, eyes us both. “As for why I’m here, it wouldn’t look good if the team I left suddenly succeeded, wouldn’t it? I mean, even then, it’s not like whatever you have is worth dying over, right? So, hand it over nicely, and we can go our separate ways.”

He seemed calm enough. Terada didn’t refute him. However, I didn’t think it was so cut and dry. Kenta must have made backroom deals. Probably had opportunities lined up and was going to leave, but… with the state of our project, and now?

I had a feeling he was rug pulled. That whoever was planning to hire him on gave him an ultimatum once they realized we might have a chance to succeed. Clearly, this involved corporate back dealings, but weren’t there rules for this?

It would explain why nobody has bothered to intervene, why he seemed so confident despite my clear delaying tactic. There had to be cameras down here, and for nobody to hear a gunshot of all things…

Something must be happening. Or have happened within the security department.

Above all that, one thing Kenta said truly resonated with me. Our lives were worth more than this. As it was, I could maybe take a round or two? Though, I wasn’t sure. Just moving about made the world spin, I felt awfully weak. Trying to run him down might just get us killed.

If I hadn’t gone into the depths, if I had held back, or stayed behind, could I have avoided this? Was there even a point of lamenting over those choices.

In the end, I only had one response. “Very well, you are right. Our lives are worth more than whatever is on this disc.”

After all, Terada had re-awakened, he was worth far more than this simple disc, and as for missing the deadline, considering the circumstances, I’m certain I could get the executive to give us more time to work.

Really, this wasn’t something worth dying over… Hell,. Even without as proper copy, it wouldn’t take long to compile everything, maybe a few days at best. We’d miss the deadline, Kenta would achieve his goal, and everything would be fine.

Kenta smiled, “I knew you were smart. I just wish you had taken my invitation way back, and then we could be working together and not in this situation.”

Was he talking about when he asked me out? Had he known back then, was he selling out even then? It’s entirely possible he was aware of Terada’s little game. Was that an attempt to get me on his side? Only, it was a very poor one.

Still, I took the disc out of my inner jacket pocket. On seeing it, his eyes lit up, yet as I approached, he stopped me. “Drop it there, on the ground and step back, both of you.”

As commanded, I did it. I eyed Terada and he was quiet but didn’t seem ready to do anything stupid. Once we were far enough away, Kenta stepped forward.

There was an instant, where, when he leaned down to pick up the disc that he lowered his gun. His eyes were off us. A momentary opening.

I didn’t even think of taking the chance.

Terada though…

Before I could even process what I was seeing, he bolted forward.