It was so still down there. Nothing was there to find. A blue brine haze and filtered rays. One could lose their mind.
Virginia sat at the bottom of a massive volcanic crater. This crater went as deep as fifty metres below the surface of the sea and stretched into the sky above. A complete silence all around. Three hundred and sixty degrees around her was the faint textures of igneous rock which comprised the walls of the crater. Directly above were two faint concentric circles. The first of a dark blue which denoted the surface of the water, the second of a flickering silver. This second circle was the light which came through the ringed lip of the crater and into the bay below, a glittering rift between realities.
Ahh, it was such a feeling down here. Sensory deprivation was such an alien concept to someone so sensitive. The surface world was one of discord. One of ambition. One of meaning. But down here, the only thing that seemed real was the lack of anything at all. Like a phantom pain from a severed limb. An attempt at reflecting on who that person was before she dove in the water and swam down to here was pointless. Like she was watching a movie about a badly written character. Why did she do this? Why did she do that?
Ten minutes had passed since she last drew breath. She was far past the point where an untrained body would be heaving uncontrollably under the diaphragm’s desperate effort to stay alive. Instead, she sat completely motionless, legs crossed and hands together in her lap. Even under the threat of mortality, Jin’s discipline did not waver. But discipline could not stave off the encroaching darkness. The oxygen in her blood grew thinner and thinner. The darkness began in the corners of her eyes, slowly draining her faculties… Ahh, it was such a feeling.
It was there in that state between life and death that the layers of ego were able to peel away. The person that Jin found beneath all of those layers was a stranger. Her life of conditioning and grooming had been painting layer upon layer over the top of her psyche. She had all but forgotten the original colour. The realisation was horrifying. A nightmarish twist. The shock brought her back to the present. Her body hurt, screaming out for oxygen. She complied, quickly breaststroking her way toward the surface. But more than anything, she swam away from the place she had visited at the bottom of that crater.
As she breached the surface, Jin once again became whole. The layers of ego folded upon her once more. Like waking up from a dream, that horrifying place quickly faded into nonsense. She was once more Jin “Green” Walker, an agent for the Revolutionary Army, and second in command of the Spirit Division. She was a woman who wielded her ambition as an unbreakable sword and wore her mentality as a rigid suit of armour. All introspection was left down there in the briny depths.
It was here inside this crater that the North Blue Revolutionary Army was based. There were half a dozen ships docked on the inside. These used a crack in the volcano to exit into the sea which surrounded Chimney Island. The waters were a turbulent mess, finding a safe passage was all but hopeless for someone who didn’t know the complex patterns of currents that wove around the maze of rock and reef. The spot had hidden the Army for decades. Their home was a column of stone that rose to the sky on all sides. It was both freedom and containment. A place where they could be free from persecution, but also a birdcage which defined that freedom. This dynamic was strikingly similar to her childhood home of Chateau de Gelure which was hidden in a hollowed-out mountain on Drum Island.
She swam to the rock cliff where she climbed out and quickly hopped from foothold to foothold until she was on a ledge which was about twenty metres above sea level. This ledge was a natural veranda of sorts, and looked out on the bay. There she grabbed the towel she had left there and dried off the watertight short cut top and pants. She massaged the water out of her mid-lengthed auburn hair while gazing down at the water, the last pinpricks of memory from that experience leaving her.
A grey-haired man stepped out the shadows behind her. “Get dressed. It’s time for the showcase.” His thick arms crossed in front of him. His face, as well as the rest of his body, was wild and hairy, like a wolf had one day awoken in a humanoid shape. Beneath this first impression was a kind demeanour. This man was Lieutenant Andre “Grey” Fields, and Jin’s direct superior.
He stepped back into the shadow without another word, leaving Jin to herself. The frigidity with how he currently addressed Jin was a result of an uneasy feeling about the young woman. This was nothing new, though. Lieutenant Fields was something of a distant uncle for Jin in the second half of her life. He felt like his reservations that he held of her personality were natural during her teenage years, but seeing her retain or even exacerbate various quirks troubled him. As the lieutenant had described to Captain Kane a few times, he felt she was ‘unbalanced’. Jin knew all about his view of her, but she didn’t care in the slightest. Her view of him was something else entirely, but that topic would take centre stage at a later date. When she was ready, she followed Fields into the shadow, which melded into a manmade cave.
This cave connected into the Revolutionary Base which had been carved out of the volcano. Since Captain Kane’s rise to leadership, the base had transformed from a dank hidey-hole into something that the Army could be proud of. Thirty or so rooms, sleeping quarters to fit five dozen on-site personnel, an armoury and storage to feed and outfit the main fighting force. The command centre was the most important place in the whole base. It was outfitted with state of the art equipment, designed by the ex-Special Science Group member Crystal Dewdrop, to aid in missions. The command centre was only open to select members of the Army, and all information was handled with extreme discipline. From here, the leaders of the Army could interact with those that were in the field. Various forms of support could be given, but the main one was information and coordination with other agents.
Jin dried and dressed herself in a snug tracksuit before meeting Grey and the others in a room about thirty metres across and wide and ten metres up. The surfaces of the walls and floors were polished and smooth. A small portion of the space in the room was taken up with punching bags, weights and benches, cords and machines, and various other gym equipment. This was the work-out area for the base. The sheer amount of rock that had to be removed from the inside of the volcano to make this space was immense.
Due to the Spirit Division’s place atop the hierarchy of the North Blue Revolutionary Army’s fighting forces, they had first dibs on booking out the room for their training exercises. Of course, a strictness was applied to the secrecy of all of the Spirit Division’s training. Most of the Army didn’t know of Rokusheishin, the fighting style practised by the agents, all they knew was that these few people were said to be immensely strong. To observe this strength today, were the three leaders. Captain Edith Kane, Karl Mandible and Crystal Dewdrop.
These three had come to attend the so-called ‘showcase’. It was more or less a check-up on how the division was getting on, and to assess their fighting strength. Due to Captain Kane’s close watch on her personnel, she already knew these things. But the practice was still carried out to add structure. This was, after all, a military operation. Even Virginia Walker could only get away with so much lackadaisical behaviour.
Jin entered, seeing her comrades were already present. The young woman flicked here tousled burnt orange hair back over her shoulders, leaving a few drops of seawater trailing behind her. She straightened her back, standing at her full height. Thin and well-defined eyebrows sat low over piercing green eyes. Her movements lacked the rigidity tell of apprehension. She was perfectly comfortable being measured up by her superiors. It’s not that she didn’t care, but more that she lacked self-doubt.
The three leaders stood against the wall of the gym, in front of an open area where the rest of the agents were lined up, shoulder to shoulder. All the eyes turned to Jin. While still maintaining a reserved discipline, their eyes showed a variety of reactions to Jin’s appearance. From admiration to unease, they all recognised her talent in their own way. Any reservations that anyone could have about her effectiveness in the field had been wiped away by her performance in Project Inkstorm. She had played a key role in the takeover of the World Economic Newspaper, and the North Blue Revolutionary Army’s biggest win.
The current leader of that news company was none other than Karl Mandible, a lanky, middle-aged gentleman who equipped a stern expression at all times. His pale skin and gaunt face seemed to tell of an illness, but if he did have one, it certainly didn’t affect his energy levels. The man was a capitalist titan. The marketplace was his dojo, his assets were his weapons. He had already managed to become quite the success story before Project Inkstorm. He had never been formally recruited into the Army, but he was considered Captain Kane’s second in command regardless. The captain seemed to trust him completely despite his unclear motives. He had built flourishing businesses in his own right while demolishing his competitors. He was already well admired in the North Blue, and served as the perfect frontman for the Revolutionary’s control of the World Economic Newspaper. No one thought it strange that the fearsome tycoon had claimed another prize through his dealings. The reality was that the change in ownership had been much more devious. Jin had seen to it herself that Mr Mandible’s competitors had been defamed or murdered. Karl was one person who would never see the young woman in the same light after those events.
Conversely, one person who never seemed to change their reception of Jin was that of Crystal Dewdrop. She was a small creature, a dwarf that had escaped from the Special Science Group and took refuge in the Army. Crystal is a highly moralistic being. She was horrified once she saw the effect her work had on the world at large. No longer wanting to contribute to the World Government’s dynasty, she fled to the Revolutionaries and began to support them. Thanks to her, they had access to technology far outside the usual for the North Blue. She was responsible for setting up the system in the command centre, as well as creating the headsets that each of the Spirit Division agents owned. Her small figure could often be seen bobbing in and out of the command centre, light hair and skin and those massive saucer eyes. She was the one friendly face that Jin saw when she first arrived in the North. For Crystal, the woman was still the pure girl she had arrived as.
The third leader was none other than Captain Edith Kane. The two hands that had built the North Blue Revolutionary Army into what it was today. The organisation was a reflection of her own character. Discerning, efficient, reserved. Her smooth ebony skin was unmarked by battle, one could mistake her for a civilian if it weren’t for the ice-cold stare. She was the leader that they had needed in times of trouble. There had been more than a few tough choices which had tested her mettle as a leader. She was the person Jin respected most in the world. Kane was a mother figure for the second half of Jin’s life, and someone that she had modelled herself after. Their relationship had been rocky at times, the young charge had the usual teenage identity hiccups.
“Alright, we can start.” Lieutenant Andre ‘Grey’ Fields stepped forward from the lineup. “Partner up and we will begin the drills.” The Spirit Division contained five fully fledged agents which were here today, so this pairing up was clearly excluding Grey from the drills.
Captain Kane cleared her throat. “It’s Mr Mandible’s first time attending a showcase. Lieutenant, would you mind explaining what is going on?”
“I would be happy to. Thank you all for taking the time to attend. Now, are we ready?”
“Yessir!” Four voices shouted in unison.
Jin found herself facing a beautiful fair-skinned woman. Agent Sofia “White” Fors was to be her partner for the showcase. A soft knowing smile was her greeting, but Jin doubted that she was pleased that she had been paired with her. Sofia was of Viking stock, her genes and accent were what remained of the life that she had run away from. She didn’t talk much about that, and Jin didn’t care to pry. As for her assignment, she had heard that she had been doing more up north in the snowy areas of the North Blue. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the political landscape. There was probably something that Kane had in mind for her work, but Jin had been too involved in the local scene to care too much. It was nice to have someone as passive as Sofia on the team. She wasn’t a threat, and certainly wasn’t competition. Also she was a skilled navigator so that was always welcomed.
“Begin!”
The two women put up their hands. Their feet flicked out into a slight squat, grounding their stance. Sofia moved in first, throwing jabs high to draw Jin’s block before aiming low to score a hit. Watching her body position, Jin could see the lack of power behind the jabs and so she leaned into them, not letting any space open up. When Sofia went for the low strike, Jin was already too close for her to use her full leverage. She swayed backward while throwing out the fist. Jin pivoted, letting the blow glance past a soft block with her left hand before landing a vertical chop across her neck and cheek. This sent force down and back, in the same direction Sofia was swaying, setting her off balance. Jin’s forward foot caught the step back, preventing a recovery. Sofia’s arms went up like a chicken trying to take flight. Jin took the opportunity to grab the front of Sofia’s clothing to twist and toss, judo-style. In a quick few movements, the older woman was on her back.
Looking over at the other fight, they were still beginning, still shuffling around and throwing boxes. Virginia walked back, turning away to give Sofia a chance to get up. Giving her a hand would be offensive. Jin glanced at the three leaders, catching all of their gazes. Kane and Mandible’s expressions remained unchanged, but Crystal wowed and put her little hands together in silent applause.
Sofia got up, a defined wrinkle on her brow. Even the patient Miss Fors didn’t enjoy being shown up in front of her bosses so readily. The two turned to face each other. They had warmed up now, time to get serious. They dashed forward. Jin dropped onto her side, supported by one hand and leg to deliver a front kick to Sofia, catching her in the gut and sending her flying into the wall. Sofia twisted midair, her feet planting on the side of the wall before pushing off. Using the momentum she pivoted from side to side while swinging her feet up high to deliver a few deft blows to the head. Jin blocked high, feeling the force on her forearms. These blows could cleanly knock out the average person. An unprotected, full power kick to the head could even kill someone. Sofia was good. She, just like the rest of the Spirit Division, was the cream of the crop of the North Blue Revolutionary Army. They had been hand picked. Those that had the most potential. But still, it wasn’t enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Virginia.
A third high kick came Jin’s way. After the first two, Jin had stepped back and turned side on. Sofia saw this as her chance, aiming the third one at the back of her head. However, Jin was too fast. Her own kick came up to meet Sofia’s leg. A spinning heel kick that jammed in the side of the knee cap. Sofia winced and stumbled back, her weight being supported by her good leg. Jin didn’t let up, planting her kicking foot and springing forward, flashing a jab in Sofia’s face for the purpose of drawing her focus and blocking her line of sight before planting an open palm strike in her gut. Sofia gasped before she felt her good leg give out from below her from a low kick aimed at the side of her quadricep. Once again, she found herself on the ground. This time, panting, sweating and in pain.
Jin turned to the leaders and Lieutenant Fields. “I’m done.”
“The others are still going. Give it another round.” Andre gruffly ordered. They were supposed to keep going until he had told them to stop. For Jin to speak out of turn was insubordination. But then again, that wasn’t anything new and certainly was something that was expected.
The Lieutenant and his second stared at each other for a long five seconds before Captain Kane sighed. “Let’s move on then.”
“Very well. Attention agents.” Fields called to the squad. The four agents lined up once more. “We will now move on to the second and last phase of the showcase. We will now move on to fighting with the Spirit Division’s special fighting style, Rokusheishin, or ‘Six Spirits’. Now, swap partners and let’s begin.”
“I have another idea.” Jin spoke up. She locked eyes with Fields once more. The older man’s jaw locked, channelling his patience through the grinding of his molars. “How about everyone versus me. That should give a better showing of our abilities.”
“Be quiet and get in line.”
“Well, we can do it that way, or maybe you would prefer to take me on yourself. After all, you are a member of this division. Why are you sitting out the showcase?” Fields’ eyes narrowed at the challenge.
“This is the procedure for showcases. I would need permission to change it up. Get in line or you will be reprimanded.” There was a growl in his voice. Jin was being dangerously antagonistic today. But she didn’t feel like she was going to get punished for it. She wasn’t the silly little girl she used to be. She understood the power dynamics in this room well. Her first character studies had been her own comrades, after all. Observing their behaviours and breaking them down into components. Seeing how they reacted to various stimuli. Probing them for quirks and responses.
Andre Fields had provided a weak defence. This was simply a stage to show off their fighting ability. There was no need for strict procedure, and it wasn’t like the division had ever been the place for super disciplined etiquette. Jin recognised the defence for what it was, the attempt to defer responsibility for this confrontation to his superior.
Having his patience tested, Karl Mandible spoke up. “If Miss Walker thinks she is good enough to take on you all at once then I think that is something important to show.” The expressionless, sharply angular face didn’t reveal what he was thinking, but Jin knew that he was curious. Project Inkstorm had made Karl grow interested in Jin and made him notice her for the first time. Seeing the extent to which she could fight was a chance he had not had before.
“I think you are all doing great!” Crystal hopped up and down on the spot. The pint-sized cheerleader wasn’t much help here, but she wanted to encourage them all the same.
‘Whatever you decide is fine.” Kane waved her hand, denying Andre’s attempt to put the decision on her.
Fields sighed. “Fine. Agents White, Red and Yellow versus Agent Green in a showing of the Six Spirits.” Jin tried to not show satisfaction that the lieutenant had chosen to avoid confrontation with her when he was given the chance. The four agents walked out into the middle of the floor. Jin’s opponents formed a triangle around her. They didn’t react to the drama, and if they had some thoughts on it, their espionage training hid them.
“For our guests Mr Mandible and Lieutenant Dewdrop, I shall explain what you are seeing. Rokusheishin is our primary fighting style, and the one I have worked on developing for years.” Fields was indeed the first user of Six Spirits, he had developed the style with Edith Kane. Jin considered this to be his greatest achievement. She could attest for it’s effectiveness herself. However he was no longer the strongest user. “It takes its inspiration from Rokushiki, the ‘Six Powers’ used by World Government agents. Rokushiki aims to understand their techniques by learning how they work and developing counter techniques.Let’s put on a good show. Begin!”
The man in front of Jin bared his teeth in a sneer before charging forward. His name was Nikolaj ‘Red’ Kosak. A stocky balding agent with a distasteful sense of humour. He was a good agent. He and Jin managed to get on pretty well, all things considered. He had skills as an engineer from his years preceding the Spirit Division. Jin remembered one time where Grey had caught him ‘investigating’ a substance dealer down at the docks. “What the hell is the point of paying us?” was one of lines that she heard being yelled from his quarters when his bottles were taken away.
Red seemed all too pleased with having a chance to hit Jin. He ran up to within three metres, leapt at her. With a flash of movement, he pushed his left arm forward and right arm backward, propelling him into a spin from the resultant force. He hardened his right arm to a supernatural level of toughness. He turned into a spinning top of destruction, his iron fist grazing past Jin’s cheek as she swayed back. Even with the graceful art of Rokusheishin, Nikolaj managed to make it rather unsightly to watch him move. With honed flexibility, she bent back into a ‘U’ shape, supporting her weight with her hands as she kicked the ground and then the air, using midair as a platform to propel her kick from a weak position into a deadly attack. She hardened her feet in the same way as he had his arms. The first foot flew into his arm, interrupting his attack. The second one flew into his jaw, rocking his brain. He stumbled back, his legs turning to jelly for a second before he recovered. With a savage twist, he relocated his jaw back into its proper place in his skull.
Grey spoke up again. “Iron Hammer. The fusion of Iron Body and Moon Walk. Users can create purchase off of midair, enabling the break of conventional fighting guidelines. Get pushed off balance? Propel that position in a creative way and now you are in a position to counter attack in a way which the enemy is not expecting. With the hardness of Iron Body, Iron Hammer can turn the human body into a battering ram.”
The youngest agent stepped up next. Christine “Yellow” McMahon. She was a similar girl to Jin in a lot of ways. Only a couple of years her junior, she was an extremely talented youth, and one of the Army’s best. Unfortunately, she was outshone by Jin. This didn’t bother Christine too much though, her motives to serve the army were strong. Her brother used to be part of the Division before her, but he fell in the field. She reserves negative feelings for the Marines. Having someone stronger than her as an ally was useful in causing as much damage as possible. That fire in her belly was worth respecting. And not to mention useful.
She stood ten metres back from Jin and flexed both wrists toward her. Without delay, she began flicking her fingers faster than the average eye could track. Out of the blur came projectiles of wind. Quiet and nigh impossible to see, this technique was an effective replacement for the conventional gunplay of the average pirate. In response, Jin stood there and took the attack, but not before she softened her body to a supernatural level. From the ankles up, she became as spongy as a well- sponge. The projectiles flew into her, the small doses of force making her dance in a spasm. The air bullets sank into her skin until they dispersed. Jin’s skin sprung back into place, leaving her undamaged other than some grazing and a bit of damage to her clothing.
“Nail shot is the combination of Finger Pistol and Tempest Kick. It allows us to fight from range in a quiet way, which is very useful for our profession. Sponge Body is an adaptation of Iron Body. Instead of hardening for defense, we soften. This allows the body to absorb a huge amount of damage and endure pain while remaining conscious.”
Sofia was last to the plate, standing directly opposite of Christine. She opened her palm toward Jin and pushed forward explosively. A wall of wind flew at Jin. A force meant to crush the body in its path. Once again, Jin turned to sponge. The wind hit her, propelling her toward Yellow. She wasn’t going to miss this chance. She pounced at the incoming Jin, her limbs coiling around Jin’s top half. Her limbs moved as if they were jointless. Pythons that were constricting their prey. Without warning, Jin solidified her body once more and kicked upward, changing her direction instantly without warning. With Christine around her shoulders, she slammed her into the stone floor. Taken completely by surprise, the younger woman lay on the floor in a daze. Jin hopped up and walked back into the centre.
“Tempest Push alters Tempest Kick to be more defensive and utility focused. A pushing motion creates a blunt force wave of wind rather than a sharp projectile. While it can still operate as a destructive force, it can also be used to deflect and create distance. Snake Art is an adaptation of Paper Art. Supernatural flexibility allows the user to have a significant advantage in close quarters combat. Very useful for submission and escape. Moon Waltz is a combination of Shave and Moon Walk. A way of moving that is unique to the Spirit Division, it is elegant, incorporating the quick bursts of speed of the former into the versatility of the latter.” Fields grinned, raising his arms to add a sprinkle of grandiosity to his commentary. “With these six pillars, we will stand on an equal playing field as the strongest of the World Government.”
“Now, enough talk. Let’s take this up a notch. You wanted a challenge Virginia? Red, Yellow, White. Attack all at once.” The four agents in the fight went back to their original positions. Christine shook off her bruising and tightened her focus once again on her opponent. Nikolaj let out a youthful giggle and Sofia flexed her joints. “Begin!”
Immediately, Jin exploded into action. Unlike the rest of the showcase where she waited for them to attack and countered, she wanted to get the proactive edge. With a direct line aided with Moon Waltz, she was quickly up in Red’s face. With both palms open, Jin jabbed at him with the fingertips. Her hands hardened with Iron Hammer, they flew back and forth an inch from their intended target, creating a jackhammer style strike. Red countered with his own Iron Hammer, his hardened forearms flying in to intercept the jabs. However, the difference in speed was apparent. Jin landed one blow out of every three, forcing him into stepping back. She continued the onslaught.
The other two agents approached quickly from behind, one at Jin’s 7 o’clock, the other at her 5 o’clock. Red decided to attempt to disengage, tanking a jab to his face by employing Sponge Body. The strike hit his jaw, turning his head into a bean bag. He flicked his foot upwards, not attempting to strike but instead to Tempest Push with the top of his foot, pushing Jin back. Virginia saw this coming, hopping to the right and sending a low kick into the incoming kick. This diverted the path of the Tempest Push, sending the wall of wind into Christine. Yellow was smacked upwards and backwards.
Jin pivoted to face Sofia. There was still a few metres between them. White extended an arm, flicking her finger once to send a Nail Shot at Jin before turning that extended arm into a lance, powered by the Iron Hammer technique and propelling at Jin. Agent Green did not relent, going headfirst into the attack. She flexed her skeleton into an unnatural shape, letting her torso warp to the side. This was to dodge the Nail Shot, but the closeness of the attack meant it grazed past her collar bone, releasing a spurt of blood.
Jin swayed forward with the warped frame, letting her arm snake toward Sofia’s incoming attack. Her forearm coiled around hers. As the Hammer Arm came forward, Jin’s forearm coil condensed like a spring, taking the momentum out of an attack. Having one arm neutralised, she tried a Hammer Arm with the other arm. The strike came out fast, but Jin was there to meet her again. She once again captured the arm with Snake Art. So now they were face to face with their arms locked. Looking into White’s eyes, Jin didn’t see any sort of worry. Was this just composure?
There was no room to hesitate. She brought up her knee as fast as she could to make use of the close range to land a heavy blow. There was no way that White would be able to react in time to ward off the knee. But she knew that. The only action that Sofia took was to employ Snake Art using her own arms, entwining them with Jin’s. So the knee came up, scoring a big hit in the pit of Sofia’s stomach. She wrenched over, a spray of saliva being sprayed on Jin’s face.
Keeping aware of the others, Christine was now back on her feet and about ten metres away. Nikolaj was about- Jin instantly propelled herself up and forward with Moon Waltz, Red had appeared much closer than she had thought he would be. He had suck up behind her, being careful to hide in her blind spot while not sacrificing speed. He tackled her with his full force. Jin aimed to get out of the way as best she could. Her efforts were resisted by White, who had decided to receive that knee in hopes that she could trap Jin for long enough for her teammates to launch their attacks. It was an obstacle, but not an entirely immovable one. Jin half-escaped, flying up and away, but also receiving a blow to the back.
Hauling Sofia with her, Jin was up about two metres in the air, disorientated and entangled. That’s when Yellow appeared below her. Jin turned toward the ground just in time to see Christine plant a rising uppercut Hammer Arm into her cheekbone.
A few seconds passed and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor. Virginia staggered to her feet and wiped the blood and drool off her face. All eyes were on her. Red mock yawned. Yellow stifled a smile. White massaged her gut. Crystal had her hands up to her mouth in a gasp. The other two leaders looked on without a word.
Grey spoke up. “Unfortunately, Agent Green isn’t as good as she thinks she is. Her form needs work. Spirit Division agents fight together very well. They have trained together with years, and know the ins and outs of Rokusheishin and being able to incorporate it in a team setting. The creativity that it affords to the user lets them play off each other in a way that can let them take down a stronger foe.” Then turning directly to Green. “Satisfied?”
“No. One more go.” Jin panted. The right side of her face was black. It burned hot with every syllable. Her will burned brighter. She would need more strength to match her pride. There was no way she was going to make a bad showing here. Even though everyone here knew she was strong already, there was something special about this day. Today was the day she had decided to press the issue of her beginning the project she had been preparing for.
The three opposing agents surrounded her once more. Jin waited for them this time. They all came at her at once. Red Moon Waltzed into the sky and began to rain Nail Shots down on her. His plan was to pin her down for his two teammates. Yellow and White came at her with kicks. Yellow went low, a spinning sweep to target her footing. White went high with a shoulder height roundhouse.
Jin responded by letting her body turn to sponge, her form absorbing the Nail Shots from above. The wind bullets stopped as the kicks came next. Sponge Body was released at the last second. With a speedy Moon Waltz. Jin spun herself horizontal, placing her body in between the trajectories of the two kicks. She would then stamp downward on Yellow’s knee. Jin’s fingers cracked, sending out point-blank Nail Shots of her own at Sofia. Then, just as her feet planted on the ground, she pushed upwards, sending a wave of wind upward at the bug that buzzed overhead.
Yellow definitely felt that, letting out a muffled grunt. Sofia had managed to remain reserved, and had instantly started employing Sponge Body when she saw the kick miss. She had obviously had enough of being hurt by Jin today. Red had ample time to send his own tempest push back, the collision of the attacks sending a gust throughout the room.
Green wasn’t stopping to smell the roses. She shot into the air to chase down the male agent. Being up near the ceiling already, he didn’t have many places to go. Planting two feet on the ceiling, Red pushed off and fell down with one fist out in front of him. This was going to be one brutal Hammer Arm.
Meeting him halfway, Jin employed an approach that only her speed would allow for. With one hand, she tempest pushed the hardened arm out to the side. With the other arm, she grabbed him on the collar and threw him to the ground with his own momentum. He was intending to land hand first, but this throw had him going headfirst into the solid rock. White saw this, managing to Moon Waltz into the path, tackling him to avoid a bad accident.
“Alright, that’s enough! Things are getting too serious. You lot are going to kill each other at this point.” Grey sighed. He wished his people would show a bit more restraint. It would be unfortunate to have his precious personnel killed in training.
The four agents once again lined up. This time, they were a bit more battered up, but they still retained a tight stand to attention. The showcase would conclude from here, but there was something more than Jin wanted to get to while everyone was gathered. She hadn’t had the breakaway performance that she had hoped for herself. It was true that she was still lacking in ability. No one was going to be harder on herself about that. But today her attention lay elsewhere.
She stepped forward. “Thank you for watching. And to my comrades, thank you for participating” she said. Grey’s eyebrows drooped over his eyes. He didn’t speak, deciding to let her get it out of her system. “I have been working on a particular project for a year now. It will give us the upper hand on Chimney Island, and enhance the North Blue Revolutionary Army greatly. Just like Project Inkstorm, this one will be a great step to progressing our agenda.”
Captain Kane met Virginia’s eyes. “Agent Green, we’ve talked about this. We don’t have the personnel or the position yet to pull this off. You’re doing good work. Just wait a little longer.”
“We do have the position. I am sure. I know the main players like the back of my hand. I know how they think. How they act. The time is right, everything is in place. And as for personnel, I am more than capable.” She waved a hand at the stage where they had just fought. Kane tilted her head. She realised that this was why she was acting so antsy today. Jin continued. “I know Grey is busy. Let me head this one up. As long as I have everyone supporting me, I will make sure of this success.”
“Jin… Let’s talk about this later.”
“One chance. I need this. Just one. Please.” It was a beg. She was desperate. Proving herself here was as necessary as her next breath of air. The atmosphere froze. Everyone could feel the emotion from the young agent.
Kane softened just a tad. The dismissal of the captain’s judgement was something that Jin afforded on account of their close(ish) relationship. The young woman was the sapling she had been entrusted with a decade ago. Now her branches reached the canopy. Edith was beginning to realise that she didn’t have the ability to prune her back anymore. For better or worse, The Army was just as much Virginia’s now as it was hers. If Miss Kane wanted Jin to play a pivotal role in the Army’s future, there was going to become a time to let her take a leap from the nest. It seemed like now was the time.
After a long ten seconds of extended eye contact, finally, she relented. “Okay. You have my blessing. You will take point on this mission, and act upon it as you see fit.”
Virginia’s whole being heaved with relief and elation. She allowed a minute to pass by so she could bask in this victory. Meanwhile, Grey argued. “Are you sure about this, Sir?
“Yes, Andre. The opportunity is there. And her preparation is extensive. The truth is, if it had been you heading this, I would have green lit this months ago. It’s ready to go. The one thing I had reservations about… Jin? I know you will do your best. You have plenty of ability. Look after my people.”
“Yes! Of course, Captain. Thank you.” Jin saluted and bowed at the same time in an uncharacteristically clumsy gesture. White let out a dainty giggle and Red grinned. Jin immediately composed herself and began to put the pieces on the board. “Mister Mandible? May I have your cooperation? I will be needing a big contribution from you to make this work.”
The businessman tipped his hat. “You certainly may. I am looking forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve.” His expression didn’t change, but his encouraging words were the more connection that she had ever received from him before. That was Karl, cold but reliable.
She next turned to Crystal. “Lieutenant Dewdrop, would you be able to help at the command centre for field assignments?”
The little dwarf began bouncing up and down. “YAAAY!” She was just overjoyed at being needed and included.
Virginia lastly turned to her fellow agents. “I’ll be needing your help, too. I know I am not the most friendly of coworkers, but it would greatly appreciate your commitment to this project.”
Christine grinned. “Oh stop making such a scene.”
Nikolaj snickered. “You couldn’t keep me out if you tried.”
Sofia smiled, nodded and patted her on the shoulder. This pat turned into a strange group huddle with the four agents excluding Grey, this huddle mostly motivated by an overzealous Red. “Congratulations on your first big gig, boss-lady!” The last term was a bit too sarcastic for Jin’s liking but that was just his usual vibe.
“Don’t forget meee!” Crystal waddled over and latched on to Jin’s leg. Something strange happened to Virginia. She found herself smiling. No, laughing, in fact.
The moment didn’t last for long. Lieutenant Fields cleared his throat. “That concludes the Spirit Division showcase. Thank you all for attending.”
Kane gave a few words of praise. “You guys are looking good. Keep up the training.”
Mandible echoed her sentiment. “Yes, thank you for inviting me along. It was very interesting. And a little frightening.” The two leaders left, pulling a small humanoid in tow like a lost child.
Now it was just the agents left in the room. Grey turned to Green. He looked like he didn’t know what to say at first, but eventually found the words. “I’ve been a bit stand-offish with you lately. It’s because I can feel your anticipation. You’re impatient. I am worried that it is going to impact the mission. You’re self-absorbed. Remember that what we do is for the benefit of the army, not ourselves. Please, don’t put yourself before the mission.”
His verbalised feelings were no revelation to Jin. She nodded, intent on growing his trust in her. “I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
He sighed. She could tell he felt a bit guilty for grilling her to this extent. Even if he was her boss, and a leader in a military outfit, he was a kind person. “I really want you to succeed. I want the best for you, as well as the Army. You can count on my support.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh and don’t leave just yet. I wasn’t joking when I said you have some weaknesses in your technique. Get back on the floor. Let’s get back to training.”
The five members of the Spirit Division went back into their sparring, albeit with a little less intensity. They were in unusually high spirits today. These five had never seemed to exhibit particularly strong camaraderie. Virginia had been zeroed in on her ambition all this time. Stepping back, even for a moment, made her see the scenery around her. The secrets they shared. The years of training they shared. The deadly missions they shared. The dream they shared.
...
"I will name it 'Project Golden Dawn'. The first step into a new age. One fought for by the children of past revolutions. It is named as such because it will be a beginning for all of us. And because it is in the earliest of lights in which the shadows stretch the furthest."
