“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest
- Thread starter Lepidoptera
- Start date
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- Tags
- library of ruina lobotomy corporation project moon puella magi madoka magica eldritch horror magical girl crossover eldritch protagonist female protagonist fluffy gore non-human protagonist suffering violence discussion is always good civ good decisions identity crises nuclear moth detected parenting powers activate
Definitely, your pace has been insane all things considered take your time you deserve a break tbh.
Its fine man, take your time. I'm the new chapter will be worth the wait
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
It is done.
Content warning for some gore and depiction of suicide. Not graphic, but something to stay away from if that's a subject that heavily affects you.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YV1uwUziZqQ
Content warning for some gore and depiction of suicide. Not graphic, but something to stay away from if that's a subject that heavily affects you.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YV1uwUziZqQ
1.6.15 - Something That Wasn’t There Before
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Chapter 78 - Something That Wasn't There Before
Rushing moments fall back into place as you are returned to the ruined subway. The rain has become torrential, flooding into the freshly-made cavern. You spot your Nothing There through the rain, the Abnormality splayed out in a pile of rubble. They're not moving, not yet.
The sound of splashing alerts you to Mami running up from behind you. Up on the platform the other kids are assembled around Homura, who has collapsed and leans against a shattered support pillar. Sayaka is leaning over her, desperately trying to do something while Madoka and Yuma huddle behind her. You can feel something unusual about her, that sickly familiarity once again reaching your senses. Not an Abnormality, but closer than any person should be. Much closer. Not dead, thankfully, but unconscious. You had prepared for Homura to be unable to use her Magic any further after bringing you back, but it means you'll have no safety net for what comes next. What happened while you were absent?
You have no time to attend to that mystery. Not now, at least.
"X! You're alright!" Mami shouts down from the station platform, joy momentarily overriding the gloom that had set in since she learned how her old friend had been torn away from her. You smile at her and offer a nod of acknowledgment, confirming her statement. You're here. You're fine. Everything will be alright now.
"Stay at a distance and keep everyone safe." you order. "Can I count on you for that?"
Mami's bright smile is drawn back into firm resolution, and a barrier of ribbons springs into place between her and you. It's unlikely to hold for more than a second against Nothing There, but sometimes a second is all that it takes.
Said Abnormality pulls themself to their feet; a marionette of meat and bone held by unseen strings. Not recovered enough to fight just yet, but soon.
Thus the first point of your strategy comes into play. Nothing There, for all of their absurd strength, is not among the Abnormalities standing at the pinnacle. For such beings, paltry concepts like time and space are mere suggestions to be heeded or ignored as is convenient. Nothing There, as strong as they are, is not capable of such feats. Whatever reset Homura used to drag you back to Mitakihara will have actually reset Nothing There's body back to the selected point.
Nothing There only entered their true form after you had done the same. As you predicted, they now sit half torn open on a chunk of rubble. Exactly as they were before they stabbed you. Unfortunately, that includes the Soul Gems trapped once more within the Abnormality's false body. As you watch the shredded flesh and shattered bone knit back together, you resist the urge to rush forward. As much as you want to free the Magical Girls as soon as possible, the memory of how that went last time is still fresh in your mind. You can see the twitching of their hands, ready to skewer you in response the moment you attack. If you want to save them, you're going to need to completely incapacitate the other Abnormality. This would be the fact that ends the fight, with Nothing There back in decent condition and you still not recovered from your injuries taken while fully manifested.
It would be, were it not for the fact that you were given prep time.
You draw and fire on Nothing There, the bullet tearing through the curtain of rain. A spear flashes into place in your target's hand, the weapon intended to skewer you flicking up to divert the projectile's course. The Abnormality smiles and lunges, barely deterred by the fact that they were missing their head less than a second ago.
The time before your confrontation with the other Aleph feels like an eternity ago. In the last of those moments, you had established a connection with the fallen Magical Girls. At the time, there had been no strategy behind it aside from learning their locations. Only a hope to comfort the poor children who suffered because of your actions. Now, you silently thank yourself for that connection. Foreknowledge makes an operation far easier, especially under these circumstances. Thanks to that connection and the time Homura bought you, you were able to connect to the trapped Magical Girls. More importantly, that connection hasn't been reset. Your reach retracts for now, the first step complete.
Extirpating foreign elements from a relatively stable person's psyche with Lobotomy over a moderate period of time without being interrupted is easy. Effortless, even. Operating simultaneously on twenty-two agonized people in the middle of combat in the span of a few seconds while injured? Your lips are drawn into a thin line, your grim expression doing well to conceal the total agony you feel. Your nerves are on fire. Your vision blurs. Otherworldly chemicals spill into your insides. None of it matters. The first step is done.
Nothing There stumbles in their charge, confusion overtaking their features as the flow of Magic that had been empowering them suddenly vanishes. You push away the pain and dive towards them, sword obliterating the Abnormality's guard and running through their chest. A perfectly placed strike, carefully positioned and angled not to strike the Soul Gems within your foe's body. They need Magic to compete with you like this. Without it, they're barely above an ordinary human. Nothing There hardly reacts to the grievous wound, grin returning to their face even as blood spills from their mouth. The flow of Magic returns a moment later, just in time for your foe to block a follow-up stab aimed at their head.
To your disappointment, the mimic does not vanish into the nothingness. Not quite a fatal attack, then. You'll need to be more careful next time.
Angela had shared the Library's analytics on Nothing There before you had been returned to Mitakihara. The detail was astounding, apparently having been obtained from simply allowing Nothing There to reside within the Library. If you'd had such effective observational technology back in the facility, it would've made your job much easier. That said, the level of detail you have now probably wouldn't have been necessary. Execution Bullets completely obliterate their targets without leaving anything behind, so knowing exactly how Nothing There decides if they leave their shell or not wasn't particularly important.
Normally, Nothing There leaves their body as soon as it accumulates too much damage to pass for human. If their body even sustained lethal damage before they could move into their first stage, it would actually incapacitate them. Now, they'll stay where they are as long as they have reason to believe their stolen Magic can hold them together. While this does mean an extra hoop to jump through, it still gives you a chance.
If you can sever Nothing There's access to Magic, you have a tiny opportunity where a lethal injury can get through. If their shell is fatally wounded while they have no external source of healing, it's over. Your original plan would likely have met this requirement by accident, seeing as you were injuring Nothing There first and then extracting the Soul Gems from their shell. You had hoped to use the element of surprise to end it right then and there, but apparently Nothing There's definition of "lethal injury" is not the same as your own. You should've expected that by now.
The two of you exchange blows again, and you can already feel your bones screaming in protest. You can't keep this up for long. Starlight condenses in your hand, and instead of letting the energy pulse release you clench your first and drive it into Nothing There's stomach. There's no more room for errors. It'll be safest if you can inflict a fatal wound first and cut the connection after. You open your hand slightly and the spatial disruption bursts forth, sending Nothing There flying through the flooded tunnel and crashing into the wall, shattering the tiles along with several bones.
Your follow-up is interrupted by a blast of lightning, followed by a wave of fire. You scatter both to the side, water becoming steam filling the air only to be blown away when Nothing There rushes towards you. A new sword sprouts into existence in each hand in time to deflect a round of gunfire from Mami behind you. The imposter's eyes flick towards the barricade of ribbons, but before they can do anything you're pressing them in melee.
It's a mistake. Up close, you can see the seams where what you thought was Nothing There's coat has become flesh. You recognize the disjointed, animal-like shape the limb is taking. Either they've gotten bored of this fight, or it's the opposite and they're gotten too excited. Either way, part of Nothing There's shell has fallen away.
The claw meets your sword, and you feel almost insulted. If you had been fresh, then the difference in strength would have been manageable. Speed would have been a different matter, but with Nothing There clashing against you directly it's not as much of a factor. But as you are now, it's too much. Your body crashes into the water and then the earth, a crater forming just deep enough for the rainfall to cover you. You struggle to your knees, rising in time to see Nothing There darting past you and towards the platform where the kids are.
Mami fires at the approaching Aleph, but it's not enough. Maybe without the rain, if she were in peak condition, it would have gone differently, but you've all been worn down. Nothing There tears into the layered ribbons, halted for only a moment, and falls upon Mami.
Your daughter crashes into the subway wall. Nothing There follows, casually stalking towards her. Somebody screams. It's not you. You've seen this too many times to still have such a reaction. Ferris, gunned down by the Pale Fixer while your attention was elsewhere. Apollo, taken by the False God's deception and cut down by his comrades. Doremi, caught in the Arbiter's path. Countless others, dead on your orders. Sacrifices, each and every one of them. You have never been able to move forward without sacrifice. Before, you could undo those sacrifices, tell yourself they were not real. Now? You have no choice but to live with the consequences of your actions.
Mami fires at Nothing There to no avail. You can barely stand, let alone fight. And yet, you force yourself forwards. It was supposed to be better than this. You fought and died and let die for a world that would not need you. And yet here you are. Still needed. But you are not enough.
Distantly, you feel somebody calling for help. No, calling to help. You don't care who. If you aren't enough, then maybe they will be.
The Abnormality's claws dig into Mami's chest, passing through flesh as if it were air, and she slumps to the ground. Sayaka stands frozen, hands loose around her sword. Yuma screams. Madoka tries her best to hold the younger girl back, interposing herself between your daughter and the Abnormality. You stare in resigned anguish as Nothing There reaches forward, ready to add another Soul Gem to the screaming chorus-
-and stares in confusion as they grasp only wisps of smoke drowned out by the rain.
Your daughter stands, injured but alive, a few meters to the side. She leans on Sayaka for support, rippling blue illuminating the rifle in her hands. Nothing There stares in shock, uncomprehending, as Mami pulls the trigger. They react, amalgamated weapons unfolding in every direction, but this time it's them who is too slow. Golden ribbons unfurl around the mimic, layer after layer until they can barely move.
In spite of the pain, you break into a run. You have your chance.
Nothing There struggles against their bonds, the first layers of ribbons already snapped. It seems like this will be the best shot you're going to get. And yet, so much has already gone wrong today. You need a guarantee. That you can be the hero they believe you are, even for a moment. Somebody worth believing in.
And in that moment, you feel a flash of inspiration.
—————————
People don't change. Not in a steady, healthy way, at the very least. When faced with something overwhelming, something that redefines or ignores everything they think they know, people break. Abnormalities cannot break, because they are already broken. Through Lobotomy, you can disregard this principle. You can change people however you want, fix them however you need to. And you don't.
Because people are not meant to change. Not in that way. To take a part of somebody and carve it out, to leave something else in its place, would be no less than murder. The death of one self to be replaced with one more convenient to you. Abnormalities do not die because they do not live.
You have changed people, yes, but you could not make them change.
You can only help them learn.
—————————
You reach forward, the ravenous expanse of red spilling out before you. You can see the glowing shadow cast by your touch, too weak to conjure the great wings you had. Only a single branch, like a spear of light, answers your command.
It will be enough.
The point of the spear reaches Nothing There, and you push into the churning hunger.
—————————
—————————
On the fourth day of your existence, Angela greets you in your office. One of your employees was killed that day. She tells you it's something to celebrate. The first step of many on your path. You don't understand. You don't feel like celebrating. But you do anyways, because you are meant to.
—————————
You die your first death when you are thirteen days old.
Violent Noon kills seven of your Agents and twice as many Clerks. The immense monoliths of black stone crash down with unparalleled force, leaving craters in the departments where they fell. Nobody even has time to scream. The Ordeals barely put up a fight after first appearing, but the damage is done. You limp through the rest of the day at Angela's encouragement, and that evening you climb onto a chair in the corner of your office and hang yourself.
—————————
You wake up the next day. You didn't remember what had happened, you weren't supposed to, but staring at that corner made you feel cold.
—————————
Nine thousand, eighty-eight. That's how many days it takes to reach your first Midnight. Many times, you died. Many others, the script was deviated from and reset. In more, you failed to properly communicate with the Sephirah. But each death brings you further. Each failure is a step towards the only ending that matters here.
This is another step. That's all you can think to assure yourself as the foreign god's grip reduces London's body to a fine paste along with the clerks cowering behind her. This is a time to learn, to prevent future suffering. A sacrifice to create a brighter future. One from which you will lose nothing and gain something.
It can handle be called a sacrifice at all, when put like that. But the light draining from one of your Agents' eyes is always a reminder. Just because you undo it, doesn't mean it never happened.
This world is built to hurt people.
—————————
Six hundred fifty-five days since your formation. You witness something none should ever see. Describing the thing is impossible. Description requires relating traits from one thing to another, and there is nothing in the world that could possibly be compared to the thing you saw. Your mind shatters in an instant.
The moment marks your seventy-second death.
—————————
It would be better to forget, but you can still hear the scratching if you focus on it hard enough.
—————————
Day nine hundred seven thousand, eight-two. A Beast stalks the halls of your facility.
You can feel its weight from your office, the force of each step echoing through the earth despite the partitions and safeguards. The lights have gone out. The TT2 Protocol is ineffective. Irrelevant. It's a crutch, one you've worked without before. Your plan proceeds even in the face of the apocalypse.
There are casualties, of course. You would be surprised if a single clerk survived. Your feelings on them are mixed. They are people, but not under your command. Try as you might, there is nothing you can do to protect them. The losses you are responsible for hurt worse. Gonzales, too slow to flee the Beast's sudden appearance and not equipped enough to endure it. Dublin, entranced and unnoticed in the chaos. River, unable to endure the Long Arm's judgement.
They weigh on you, but what are a few more pebbles to a mountain? You accept the pain and let it pass through you. The Beast falls, and you plant your foot on the next step forwards.
—————————
Three million, six hundred ninety nine thousand, thirty three days. This is not the first time you've heard Abraham's spiel. It will be the last.
There is no triumph in reaching the climax again and again. This place was always meant to be fleeting. Soon, your work will be finished.
There is no place for you in the world outside. This is an acceptable outcome. Because there will be an outside, and it will be a kinder world than this hell you rule. Not a heaven, certainly, but you'd never trust anyone promising to deliver paradise.
Better is all you can do.
—————————
Six hundred and twelve thousand, eight hundred sixty four days since your creation, and you are once again called to meet with the head of the Security Team. Well, "meet" with him. You find Netzach unconscious on the floor in his office, sleeping off a hangover. Even under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be too unusual. Now, he's been off Enkephalin for nearly a week. You don't think he's actually able to suffer withdrawal, but it has still been rough.
It doesn't seem right to wake him, so you carry his sleeping body to the break room and lay a blanket over him. An old, tattered thing that Yesod had for reasons you can't fathom. It's unsurprisingly difficult to carry him with his body being what it is, but the next day when you're called back after finishing your work he shares some of his beer with you. It tastes awful and you end up with a splitting headache in the next morning, but you and Netzach managed to have a nice conversation without focusing too much on work. He was smiling by the end. You tell him it looks nice, and that you wish he smiled more.
"There aren't all that many reasons to smile around here." He says.
It's something you're working on. In the meantime, you're just happy to be one of those few reasons.
—————————
It is three hundred ninety-nine thousand and two days. Hod's been… subdued, since her episode. Not sad or even slowing down, but there's a certain energy absent from her persistent efforts to improve things around the Facility. Like she's afraid she'll make something worse.
You consider cornering her in her office to confront her so she can't avoid the conversation, but you decide not to. She's stronger than she looks. If Hod doesn't feel like talking, then she'll have a good reason.
Your conversation quickly ends up rerouted to a discussion about procedures for high-tier ordeals. It's not an unimportant topic, but not what you're here for. When you ask Hod what's wrong, it takes her a minute to decide to answer.
"Is any of this… really making things better? It's been the same for so long, and all I ever did was get people hurt because I wanted to look better."
Not look better, you remind her. She wanted to be better. And she's already a better person than she thinks she is.
Hod quietly excuses herself soon after. The next day, some of that enthusiasm she was missing has returned. It's an inspiring sight to see.
—————————
One million, six hundred thirty thousand and twelve days. Chesed's hidden all the coffee except for decaf. It makes enough sense, considering you don't think his body even processes caffeine anymore, but did he really have to take yours too? You have reports to file and announcements to write, especially with the new Aleph being so clingy.
In response, Chesed sends you a folder full of studies in the effects of sleep deprivation. Hypocrite.
You end your day early anyways. Smug as he can be, the Welfare Leader knows what he's talking about. Most of the time, at least.
—————————
One million, seventy-two thousand, fifteen days since your birth.
In a hidden corner of the facility, in the time between days, you attend a funeral for Tiphereth B.
It's a meager affair. There is only you and Tiphereth A in attendance. There's not even anything to bury with the deceased still wandering the Facility, falling apart day after day.
A favor to the Records Captain managed to get you one thing. An old blue hoodie, not touched in ages. When Tiphereth sees it, see is silent for a long time.
You stay silent as well. Remembering a life that wasn't yours.
You think it would be nice to have a family. Maybe they would hold a funeral for you one day.
—————————
Nothing There stumbles back, aggression blunted by the flood of memories you flung towards them. Their confusion is fading, but too late. The Abnormality's body begins to split open, to end the confrontation once and for all, but too slow. You wrench their connection to the Soul Gems free a final time as your sword finds its mark through the side of the imposter's neck. The point tears through the spine and out the other end. You fall back to your knees, unable to stand any longer, leaving the wound open and gaping. No Magic rushes forth to heal the mortal blow. Nothing There is still, a distant smile still plastered in their face. One of their legs has distended to twice the length of the other, and the arm clutching their sword has too many joints. With the connection cut and their access to regenerative Magic gone, their body is already breaking down.
"I guess that's it, then?" they mutter faintly. "I should've expected it from a human as great as you, Manager."
You let out a slow, choking laugh that quickly becomes a cough. The taste of chemicals overwhelmed your senses as preservative liquids are forced up from your lungs into your mouth. You spit a mouthful of fluid onto the ground, where it mingles with the pooling rainwater and is quickly diluted to nothing. "I'm not exactly what you can call a 'great human'. I was a pretty terrible human before, and now I'm not human at all."
"Heh." Nothing There chuckles as their body begins to dissolve into gleaming motes. It's a maliceless sound, so unlike the predatory tone you've come to expect. "I guess even you can't be right about everything." And with those final words, the Abnormality disappears in a flash of scattered lights. Only a towering tree of Light remains, the remaining Soul Gems nestled in its roots, before that too-
LOVE/IMPOSTER/PURSUIT
-disappears.
It's over. Everything is going to be alright.
———————————————
Curtain Call for the Reception of Nothing There
———————————————
Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 3/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/2
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
There it is. There will be another chapter to sum up the conclusion of this Arc, followed by the final Sidestory to give a hint at what's coming next. After that, we will be going on a short hiatus.
I would like to thank each and every person who has been with this story, either since the beginning or only recently. I would never have gotten this far without your support.
Rushing moments fall back into place as you are returned to the ruined subway. The rain has become torrential, flooding into the freshly-made cavern. You spot your Nothing There through the rain, the Abnormality splayed out in a pile of rubble. They're not moving, not yet.
The sound of splashing alerts you to Mami running up from behind you. Up on the platform the other kids are assembled around Homura, who has collapsed and leans against a shattered support pillar. Sayaka is leaning over her, desperately trying to do something while Madoka and Yuma huddle behind her. You can feel something unusual about her, that sickly familiarity once again reaching your senses. Not an Abnormality, but closer than any person should be. Much closer. Not dead, thankfully, but unconscious. You had prepared for Homura to be unable to use her Magic any further after bringing you back, but it means you'll have no safety net for what comes next. What happened while you were absent?
You have no time to attend to that mystery. Not now, at least.
"X! You're alright!" Mami shouts down from the station platform, joy momentarily overriding the gloom that had set in since she learned how her old friend had been torn away from her. You smile at her and offer a nod of acknowledgment, confirming her statement. You're here. You're fine. Everything will be alright now.
"Stay at a distance and keep everyone safe." you order. "Can I count on you for that?"
Mami's bright smile is drawn back into firm resolution, and a barrier of ribbons springs into place between her and you. It's unlikely to hold for more than a second against Nothing There, but sometimes a second is all that it takes.
Said Abnormality pulls themself to their feet; a marionette of meat and bone held by unseen strings. Not recovered enough to fight just yet, but soon.
Thus the first point of your strategy comes into play. Nothing There, for all of their absurd strength, is not among the Abnormalities standing at the pinnacle. For such beings, paltry concepts like time and space are mere suggestions to be heeded or ignored as is convenient. Nothing There, as strong as they are, is not capable of such feats. Whatever reset Homura used to drag you back to Mitakihara will have actually reset Nothing There's body back to the selected point.
Nothing There only entered their true form after you had done the same. As you predicted, they now sit half torn open on a chunk of rubble. Exactly as they were before they stabbed you. Unfortunately, that includes the Soul Gems trapped once more within the Abnormality's false body. As you watch the shredded flesh and shattered bone knit back together, you resist the urge to rush forward. As much as you want to free the Magical Girls as soon as possible, the memory of how that went last time is still fresh in your mind. You can see the twitching of their hands, ready to skewer you in response the moment you attack. If you want to save them, you're going to need to completely incapacitate the other Abnormality. This would be the fact that ends the fight, with Nothing There back in decent condition and you still not recovered from your injuries taken while fully manifested.
It would be, were it not for the fact that you were given prep time.
You draw and fire on Nothing There, the bullet tearing through the curtain of rain. A spear flashes into place in your target's hand, the weapon intended to skewer you flicking up to divert the projectile's course. The Abnormality smiles and lunges, barely deterred by the fact that they were missing their head less than a second ago.
The time before your confrontation with the other Aleph feels like an eternity ago. In the last of those moments, you had established a connection with the fallen Magical Girls. At the time, there had been no strategy behind it aside from learning their locations. Only a hope to comfort the poor children who suffered because of your actions. Now, you silently thank yourself for that connection. Foreknowledge makes an operation far easier, especially under these circumstances. Thanks to that connection and the time Homura bought you, you were able to connect to the trapped Magical Girls. More importantly, that connection hasn't been reset. Your reach retracts for now, the first step complete.
Extirpating foreign elements from a relatively stable person's psyche with Lobotomy over a moderate period of time without being interrupted is easy. Effortless, even. Operating simultaneously on twenty-two agonized people in the middle of combat in the span of a few seconds while injured? Your lips are drawn into a thin line, your grim expression doing well to conceal the total agony you feel. Your nerves are on fire. Your vision blurs. Otherworldly chemicals spill into your insides. None of it matters. The first step is done.
Nothing There stumbles in their charge, confusion overtaking their features as the flow of Magic that had been empowering them suddenly vanishes. You push away the pain and dive towards them, sword obliterating the Abnormality's guard and running through their chest. A perfectly placed strike, carefully positioned and angled not to strike the Soul Gems within your foe's body. They need Magic to compete with you like this. Without it, they're barely above an ordinary human. Nothing There hardly reacts to the grievous wound, grin returning to their face even as blood spills from their mouth. The flow of Magic returns a moment later, just in time for your foe to block a follow-up stab aimed at their head.
To your disappointment, the mimic does not vanish into the nothingness. Not quite a fatal attack, then. You'll need to be more careful next time.
Angela had shared the Library's analytics on Nothing There before you had been returned to Mitakihara. The detail was astounding, apparently having been obtained from simply allowing Nothing There to reside within the Library. If you'd had such effective observational technology back in the facility, it would've made your job much easier. That said, the level of detail you have now probably wouldn't have been necessary. Execution Bullets completely obliterate their targets without leaving anything behind, so knowing exactly how Nothing There decides if they leave their shell or not wasn't particularly important.
Normally, Nothing There leaves their body as soon as it accumulates too much damage to pass for human. If their body even sustained lethal damage before they could move into their first stage, it would actually incapacitate them. Now, they'll stay where they are as long as they have reason to believe their stolen Magic can hold them together. While this does mean an extra hoop to jump through, it still gives you a chance.
If you can sever Nothing There's access to Magic, you have a tiny opportunity where a lethal injury can get through. If their shell is fatally wounded while they have no external source of healing, it's over. Your original plan would likely have met this requirement by accident, seeing as you were injuring Nothing There first and then extracting the Soul Gems from their shell. You had hoped to use the element of surprise to end it right then and there, but apparently Nothing There's definition of "lethal injury" is not the same as your own. You should've expected that by now.
The two of you exchange blows again, and you can already feel your bones screaming in protest. You can't keep this up for long. Starlight condenses in your hand, and instead of letting the energy pulse release you clench your first and drive it into Nothing There's stomach. There's no more room for errors. It'll be safest if you can inflict a fatal wound first and cut the connection after. You open your hand slightly and the spatial disruption bursts forth, sending Nothing There flying through the flooded tunnel and crashing into the wall, shattering the tiles along with several bones.
Your follow-up is interrupted by a blast of lightning, followed by a wave of fire. You scatter both to the side, water becoming steam filling the air only to be blown away when Nothing There rushes towards you. A new sword sprouts into existence in each hand in time to deflect a round of gunfire from Mami behind you. The imposter's eyes flick towards the barricade of ribbons, but before they can do anything you're pressing them in melee.
It's a mistake. Up close, you can see the seams where what you thought was Nothing There's coat has become flesh. You recognize the disjointed, animal-like shape the limb is taking. Either they've gotten bored of this fight, or it's the opposite and they're gotten too excited. Either way, part of Nothing There's shell has fallen away.
The claw meets your sword, and you feel almost insulted. If you had been fresh, then the difference in strength would have been manageable. Speed would have been a different matter, but with Nothing There clashing against you directly it's not as much of a factor. But as you are now, it's too much. Your body crashes into the water and then the earth, a crater forming just deep enough for the rainfall to cover you. You struggle to your knees, rising in time to see Nothing There darting past you and towards the platform where the kids are.
Mami fires at the approaching Aleph, but it's not enough. Maybe without the rain, if she were in peak condition, it would have gone differently, but you've all been worn down. Nothing There tears into the layered ribbons, halted for only a moment, and falls upon Mami.
Your daughter crashes into the subway wall. Nothing There follows, casually stalking towards her. Somebody screams. It's not you. You've seen this too many times to still have such a reaction. Ferris, gunned down by the Pale Fixer while your attention was elsewhere. Apollo, taken by the False God's deception and cut down by his comrades. Doremi, caught in the Arbiter's path. Countless others, dead on your orders. Sacrifices, each and every one of them. You have never been able to move forward without sacrifice. Before, you could undo those sacrifices, tell yourself they were not real. Now? You have no choice but to live with the consequences of your actions.
Mami fires at Nothing There to no avail. You can barely stand, let alone fight. And yet, you force yourself forwards. It was supposed to be better than this. You fought and died and let die for a world that would not need you. And yet here you are. Still needed. But you are not enough.
Distantly, you feel somebody calling for help. No, calling to help. You don't care who. If you aren't enough, then maybe they will be.
The Abnormality's claws dig into Mami's chest, passing through flesh as if it were air, and she slumps to the ground. Sayaka stands frozen, hands loose around her sword. Yuma screams. Madoka tries her best to hold the younger girl back, interposing herself between your daughter and the Abnormality. You stare in resigned anguish as Nothing There reaches forward, ready to add another Soul Gem to the screaming chorus-
-and stares in confusion as they grasp only wisps of smoke drowned out by the rain.
Your daughter stands, injured but alive, a few meters to the side. She leans on Sayaka for support, rippling blue illuminating the rifle in her hands. Nothing There stares in shock, uncomprehending, as Mami pulls the trigger. They react, amalgamated weapons unfolding in every direction, but this time it's them who is too slow. Golden ribbons unfurl around the mimic, layer after layer until they can barely move.
In spite of the pain, you break into a run. You have your chance.
Nothing There struggles against their bonds, the first layers of ribbons already snapped. It seems like this will be the best shot you're going to get. And yet, so much has already gone wrong today. You need a guarantee. That you can be the hero they believe you are, even for a moment. Somebody worth believing in.
And in that moment, you feel a flash of inspiration.
—————————
People don't change. Not in a steady, healthy way, at the very least. When faced with something overwhelming, something that redefines or ignores everything they think they know, people break. Abnormalities cannot break, because they are already broken. Through Lobotomy, you can disregard this principle. You can change people however you want, fix them however you need to. And you don't.
Because people are not meant to change. Not in that way. To take a part of somebody and carve it out, to leave something else in its place, would be no less than murder. The death of one self to be replaced with one more convenient to you. Abnormalities do not die because they do not live.
You have changed people, yes, but you could not make them change.
You can only help them learn.
—————————
You reach forward, the ravenous expanse of red spilling out before you. You can see the glowing shadow cast by your touch, too weak to conjure the great wings you had. Only a single branch, like a spear of light, answers your command.
It will be enough.
The point of the spear reaches Nothing There, and you push into the churning hunger.
—————————
—————————
On the fourth day of your existence, Angela greets you in your office. One of your employees was killed that day. She tells you it's something to celebrate. The first step of many on your path. You don't understand. You don't feel like celebrating. But you do anyways, because you are meant to.
—————————
You die your first death when you are thirteen days old.
Violent Noon kills seven of your Agents and twice as many Clerks. The immense monoliths of black stone crash down with unparalleled force, leaving craters in the departments where they fell. Nobody even has time to scream. The Ordeals barely put up a fight after first appearing, but the damage is done. You limp through the rest of the day at Angela's encouragement, and that evening you climb onto a chair in the corner of your office and hang yourself.
—————————
You wake up the next day. You didn't remember what had happened, you weren't supposed to, but staring at that corner made you feel cold.
—————————
Nine thousand, eighty-eight. That's how many days it takes to reach your first Midnight. Many times, you died. Many others, the script was deviated from and reset. In more, you failed to properly communicate with the Sephirah. But each death brings you further. Each failure is a step towards the only ending that matters here.
This is another step. That's all you can think to assure yourself as the foreign god's grip reduces London's body to a fine paste along with the clerks cowering behind her. This is a time to learn, to prevent future suffering. A sacrifice to create a brighter future. One from which you will lose nothing and gain something.
It can handle be called a sacrifice at all, when put like that. But the light draining from one of your Agents' eyes is always a reminder. Just because you undo it, doesn't mean it never happened.
This world is built to hurt people.
—————————
Six hundred fifty-five days since your formation. You witness something none should ever see. Describing the thing is impossible. Description requires relating traits from one thing to another, and there is nothing in the world that could possibly be compared to the thing you saw. Your mind shatters in an instant.
The moment marks your seventy-second death.
—————————
It would be better to forget, but you can still hear the scratching if you focus on it hard enough.
—————————
Day nine hundred seven thousand, eight-two. A Beast stalks the halls of your facility.
You can feel its weight from your office, the force of each step echoing through the earth despite the partitions and safeguards. The lights have gone out. The TT2 Protocol is ineffective. Irrelevant. It's a crutch, one you've worked without before. Your plan proceeds even in the face of the apocalypse.
There are casualties, of course. You would be surprised if a single clerk survived. Your feelings on them are mixed. They are people, but not under your command. Try as you might, there is nothing you can do to protect them. The losses you are responsible for hurt worse. Gonzales, too slow to flee the Beast's sudden appearance and not equipped enough to endure it. Dublin, entranced and unnoticed in the chaos. River, unable to endure the Long Arm's judgement.
They weigh on you, but what are a few more pebbles to a mountain? You accept the pain and let it pass through you. The Beast falls, and you plant your foot on the next step forwards.
—————————
Three million, six hundred ninety nine thousand, thirty three days. This is not the first time you've heard Abraham's spiel. It will be the last.
There is no triumph in reaching the climax again and again. This place was always meant to be fleeting. Soon, your work will be finished.
There is no place for you in the world outside. This is an acceptable outcome. Because there will be an outside, and it will be a kinder world than this hell you rule. Not a heaven, certainly, but you'd never trust anyone promising to deliver paradise.
Better is all you can do.
—————————
Six hundred and twelve thousand, eight hundred sixty four days since your creation, and you are once again called to meet with the head of the Security Team. Well, "meet" with him. You find Netzach unconscious on the floor in his office, sleeping off a hangover. Even under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be too unusual. Now, he's been off Enkephalin for nearly a week. You don't think he's actually able to suffer withdrawal, but it has still been rough.
It doesn't seem right to wake him, so you carry his sleeping body to the break room and lay a blanket over him. An old, tattered thing that Yesod had for reasons you can't fathom. It's unsurprisingly difficult to carry him with his body being what it is, but the next day when you're called back after finishing your work he shares some of his beer with you. It tastes awful and you end up with a splitting headache in the next morning, but you and Netzach managed to have a nice conversation without focusing too much on work. He was smiling by the end. You tell him it looks nice, and that you wish he smiled more.
"There aren't all that many reasons to smile around here." He says.
It's something you're working on. In the meantime, you're just happy to be one of those few reasons.
—————————
It is three hundred ninety-nine thousand and two days. Hod's been… subdued, since her episode. Not sad or even slowing down, but there's a certain energy absent from her persistent efforts to improve things around the Facility. Like she's afraid she'll make something worse.
You consider cornering her in her office to confront her so she can't avoid the conversation, but you decide not to. She's stronger than she looks. If Hod doesn't feel like talking, then she'll have a good reason.
Your conversation quickly ends up rerouted to a discussion about procedures for high-tier ordeals. It's not an unimportant topic, but not what you're here for. When you ask Hod what's wrong, it takes her a minute to decide to answer.
"Is any of this… really making things better? It's been the same for so long, and all I ever did was get people hurt because I wanted to look better."
Not look better, you remind her. She wanted to be better. And she's already a better person than she thinks she is.
Hod quietly excuses herself soon after. The next day, some of that enthusiasm she was missing has returned. It's an inspiring sight to see.
—————————
One million, six hundred thirty thousand and twelve days. Chesed's hidden all the coffee except for decaf. It makes enough sense, considering you don't think his body even processes caffeine anymore, but did he really have to take yours too? You have reports to file and announcements to write, especially with the new Aleph being so clingy.
In response, Chesed sends you a folder full of studies in the effects of sleep deprivation. Hypocrite.
You end your day early anyways. Smug as he can be, the Welfare Leader knows what he's talking about. Most of the time, at least.
—————————
One million, seventy-two thousand, fifteen days since your birth.
In a hidden corner of the facility, in the time between days, you attend a funeral for Tiphereth B.
It's a meager affair. There is only you and Tiphereth A in attendance. There's not even anything to bury with the deceased still wandering the Facility, falling apart day after day.
A favor to the Records Captain managed to get you one thing. An old blue hoodie, not touched in ages. When Tiphereth sees it, see is silent for a long time.
You stay silent as well. Remembering a life that wasn't yours.
You think it would be nice to have a family. Maybe they would hold a funeral for you one day.
—————————
Nothing There stumbles back, aggression blunted by the flood of memories you flung towards them. Their confusion is fading, but too late. The Abnormality's body begins to split open, to end the confrontation once and for all, but too slow. You wrench their connection to the Soul Gems free a final time as your sword finds its mark through the side of the imposter's neck. The point tears through the spine and out the other end. You fall back to your knees, unable to stand any longer, leaving the wound open and gaping. No Magic rushes forth to heal the mortal blow. Nothing There is still, a distant smile still plastered in their face. One of their legs has distended to twice the length of the other, and the arm clutching their sword has too many joints. With the connection cut and their access to regenerative Magic gone, their body is already breaking down.
"I guess that's it, then?" they mutter faintly. "I should've expected it from a human as great as you, Manager."
You let out a slow, choking laugh that quickly becomes a cough. The taste of chemicals overwhelmed your senses as preservative liquids are forced up from your lungs into your mouth. You spit a mouthful of fluid onto the ground, where it mingles with the pooling rainwater and is quickly diluted to nothing. "I'm not exactly what you can call a 'great human'. I was a pretty terrible human before, and now I'm not human at all."
"Heh." Nothing There chuckles as their body begins to dissolve into gleaming motes. It's a maliceless sound, so unlike the predatory tone you've come to expect. "I guess even you can't be right about everything." And with those final words, the Abnormality disappears in a flash of scattered lights. Only a towering tree of Light remains, the remaining Soul Gems nestled in its roots, before that too-
LOVE/IMPOSTER/PURSUIT
-disappears.
It's over. Everything is going to be alright.
———————————————
Curtain Call for the Reception of Nothing There
———————————————
Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 3/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/2
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
There it is. There will be another chapter to sum up the conclusion of this Arc, followed by the final Sidestory to give a hint at what's coming next. After that, we will be going on a short hiatus.
I would like to thank each and every person who has been with this story, either since the beginning or only recently. I would never have gotten this far without your support.
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ObservadorCha
Watching from the stars
I don't really understand what happened, but it seems that nothing there is no longer a problem
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Only some of them.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
X basically made nothing there feel EMPATHY.
The greatest problem of nothing there is it cannot understand, it cannot understand the fear of humans. it cannot relate to humanity in a fundamental level, Its core idea and its nature doesn't allow so. it can only be something alien yet so ever close to human, but will never be one.
thus it can only imitate, again, it lacks empathy, theres nothing human in the monster, It doesn't know what makes a human human, it lacks a connection to human, it cannot understand how human felt, it can not understand why X is not accepting it, it lacks empathy towards humanity, so it will never be she, but now, she felt empathy, a link has been established and she has finally understand.
And now, her first step towards true humanity is Complete.
The greatest problem of nothing there is it cannot understand, it cannot understand the fear of humans. it cannot relate to humanity in a fundamental level, Its core idea and its nature doesn't allow so. it can only be something alien yet so ever close to human, but will never be one.
thus it can only imitate, again, it lacks empathy, theres nothing human in the monster, It doesn't know what makes a human human, it lacks a connection to human, it cannot understand how human felt, it can not understand why X is not accepting it, it lacks empathy towards humanity, so it will never be she, but now, she felt empathy, a link has been established and she has finally understand.
And now, her first step towards true humanity is Complete.
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Zakara
Semi-Found Cat
- Location
- Chaldea, Bleached Airspace
I think the lesson meant something along the lines of humanity not being paradise, but also not being hell. "The world is designed to hurt people", but people are capable of rebelling against that course. The good comes right along with the bad, and can… not overwhelm, but outweigh the negatives with enough effort.
Nothing There innately wishes for humanity. It's a shallow, one-dimensional wish brought on by its inherent nature, and that lack of breadth causes it to hurt everyone around it- but it's not a bad wish. Though X's intent was to distract and open NT's guard for the killing blow, it's likely that this was also her own way of offering perspective to an entity normally incapable of obtaining it.
Like it said, X is a really great human.
Did you mean "about" there?
Ok, now what happened to NT seed?
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Instantly completed. I'll have the CharSheet updated in a bit.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
... If we can extract her out of the seed, I really want to do so just for the potential to have a powerful player on the board( Totally not for a new daughter) for future things, but most likely we will just communicate through mimicry after we got the seed to Sprout.
After all, it was implicated that mimicry was directly connected to nothing there and was learning things and can communicate after a certain amount of time.
So we will have sword that can speak.
After all, it was implicated that mimicry was directly connected to nothing there and was learning things and can communicate after a certain amount of time.
So we will have sword that can speak.
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Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
So did Homura rewind the universe to before everyone got a dose of ENLIGHTENMENT or do we still have that to deal with?
I think it was targeted only at X and NT.
Weird that X didn't acknowledge the changed outfit. Did the time magic reset her too? Does she have the body of a human with the mindset of a Distortion now?...
Kyoko's the real MVP here, saving us from a big "retry day" moment. Also, possible typo in the bolded part ("then maybe they else will be" -> "then maybe they will be")?
Facility Agent List
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Current List of Known Agents
So currently, at the time of this chapter, we have the following list of Agents so far:
Arizona - Extraction Captain.
Apollo Allos - Welfare Captain.
Doremi - Occupation: Unknown.
Dublin - Occupation: Unknown.
Ferris - Disciplinary Captain.
Gonzales- Occupation: Unknown.
Tido - Welfare Agent.
River Medli - Discipline Agent.
London Kvostyv - Welfare Agent.
Alyssa Ritmore - Occupation: Unknown.
Edited: 21 December 2022: Grammar.
Edited: 15 August 2023: Apollo is the Welfare Captain, and London is the Welfare Agent. Full names acquired: Apollo Allos, London Kvostyv, and River Medli.
Edited: 16 December 2023: Alyssa Ritmore added. Designation: Class I Agent, the first death. Current/At the time of Seed of Light completion Occupation: Unknown.
So currently, at the time of this chapter, we have the following list of Agents so far:
Arizona - Extraction Captain.
Apollo Allos - Welfare Captain.
Doremi - Occupation: Unknown.
Dublin - Occupation: Unknown.
Ferris - Disciplinary Captain.
Gonzales- Occupation: Unknown.
Tido - Welfare Agent.
River Medli - Discipline Agent.
London Kvostyv - Welfare Agent.
Alyssa Ritmore - Occupation: Unknown.
Edited: 21 December 2022: Grammar.
Edited: 15 August 2023: Apollo is the Welfare Captain, and London is the Welfare Agent. Full names acquired: Apollo Allos, London Kvostyv, and River Medli.
Edited: 16 December 2023: Alyssa Ritmore added. Designation: Class I Agent, the first death. Current/At the time of Seed of Light completion Occupation: Unknown.
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kaillll
Judgment Upon You
Well, first of all, we need to Explain more things to our daughters and QB can listen in if it wants to, we don't care at this point.
Second of all figure out How to kill fucking Carmen, or at least wake up Ayin.
Then we might need to figure out how our grand appearance affected humanity as a whole.
God, I hope random distortions are not wandering around already.
Which fits because every human in the city could be a spring for abnormality to be born and she/he is the captain of extraction team.
Second of all figure out How to kill fucking Carmen, or at least wake up Ayin.
Then we might need to figure out how our grand appearance affected humanity as a whole.
God, I hope random distortions are not wandering around already.
Fun fact, this name means small spring.
Which fits because every human in the city could be a spring for abnormality to be born and she/he is the captain of extraction team.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
First thing first in this chapter. X's plan sucks. Seriously lady. You almost lost even with Angela's information.
Second thing, LES GO KYOKOOOOO!!!! We do need to go look out for her after this if she doesn't meet up with the group though.
Third thing, NT sapling immediately bloomed for us. How X's last attack on NT will affect the Sapling is unknown for now.
Fourth thing,
Edit:
Fifth,
Second thing, LES GO KYOKOOOOO!!!! We do need to go look out for her after this if she doesn't meet up with the group though.
Third thing, NT sapling immediately bloomed for us. How X's last attack on NT will affect the Sapling is unknown for now.
Fourth thing,
I despise that quote for it gives me PTSD. Such a nice innocent benevolent quote shouldn't be so ominous.
Edit:
Fifth,
I will continue lending you my support as long as you keep updating bro. While there are times when I think you could've written certain interactions better or changed the thought process of the characters a bit, I personally think you've done very well with the Quest! I will look forward to the next chapter and the quest's continuation.
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