[X] Surrender. Detransform and hope the Armoured Riders show mercy on the two girls if they weren't fighting back.
As the Inves died behind Madoka, she realised just how badly the situation had fallen apart.
Immediately in front of her was an Armoured Rider she had never seen or heard of before, who's weapon had somehow disabled Homura with a single tap of the Soul Gem. He held the source of Homura's magic in one hand, as the Soul Gem was dyed such a black that Madoka could barely see the colour in it.
Behind him was Zangetsu. The man who's name had caused Homura's fragile mannerisms to shatter. The man who had killed that Witch in a matter of seconds. The man who would be the death of Madoka, if she kept fighting.
At her feet was Homura. The Magical Girl she had only met a few days ago. The girl who looked up to Madoka and relied on her, leaned on her, used Madoka to keep herself together. Madoka had put on a brave face for her, gotten into arguments with Sayaka to defend her, became an Armoured Rider to make sure she could be happy.
And now she was on the ground, her Soul Gem in the grasp of the mystery man who had attacked her. She had gone down so easily, and Madoka wasn't able to do anything to keep her safe, after all the faith she put in Madoka.
And now there was nobody watching. The man who had defeated Homura so easily, the man who would kill Madoka if there was nothing stopping him, these were the only two people present. Hitomi wasn't here to encourage her. Sayaka wasn't here to protect her. Homura wasn't here to see her fail. There was no audience here, watching Madoka's every move. Kumon wasn't here to look down on her for not being strong enough. Her mother wasn't here to reassure her or help her.
Madoka was alone.
And in that moment alone, Madoka stared death in the face, and blinked.
She didn't want to die.
With Homura breaking down in front of her, Madoka was able to hold it together while Zangetsu approached. But now, Homura's words just kept echoing in Madoka's head.
NOT AGAIN! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU DIE AGAIN!
Madoka wished she could be strong. Whatever the future Madoka had been like to earn Homura's faith, Madoka wished she could be that girl. Madoka wished she could be the girl who proved Baron wrong. Madoka wished she was the girl who others could believe in without being left down. The girl who could believe in herself.
Madoka wished she could be the kind of girl who would keep trying to fight, until Zangetsu was forced to go for the kill.
But Madoka wasn't that girl. Madoka wasn't someone people could rely on, wasn't someone strong, and wasn't someone who could keep fighting until the bitter end. She was weak, she was pathetic, and when the time came for her to protect someone, she hadn't been able to do anything.
The sword fell from her hands as Madoka fell to her knees, and her transformation faded away as the Lockseed in the blade lost it's connection. Kneeling on the hard ground, Madoka hung her head, and stopped moving.
There was silence for a moment, as the Rider above Madoka took a moment to process her surrender.
"...How disappointing." He decided, after a moment. "I had hoped to test my Driver against yours. Ah well."
He picked up the fallen Strawberry Lockseed, and then extended a hand. "Your Driver."
Without looking up, Madoka removed the device from her waist, and put the belt into the armoured hand of the man in yellow. He didn't respond, as he stood up again, and turned away from Madoka and Homura.
"Zangetsu." His voice continued. "I noticed the Witch. Can I borrow the Grief Seed? It'd be a shame, if the girl fell before I could get her to my lab."
There wasn't a reply, but Madoka heard a faint dink, as if something was hitting steel.
"Ah, good, good." The voice continued. "I'll get these two back to the base, then. You'll be making sure the other one has been dealt with?"
"I'll deal with him."
"I'll have her waiting for you." The yellow-armoured Rider replied. Madoka saw his feet move around, as she stared down at Homura.
"Alright, get up." The voice ordered Madoka. "You're going to stay ahead of me, and I'm going to march you to a nice little cell."
Madoka had already given up. She may as well do as he commanded. Getting to her feet, Madoka watched the man pick Homura up, and then gesture to the side.
"That way." He ordered. Madoka obeyed.
~~~~~
It didn't take long for Madoka to be escorted to the cell. Through the forest, through some kind of camp, through a crack like the kind used to summon Inves, and through a laboratory, to a room full of cells that only just let people look to the wider room. There were people staring at Madoka for most of the walk after she had arrived at the camp, and the Armoured Rider had given Homura to some woman in a suit once they had entered the lab.
And now Madoka was alone, with her thoughts.
What was going to happen now?
...Well, the obvious answer was that Madoka was going to have to talk to someone about this. If these were the people who had first invited the Drivers, they would want to know everything about the one Madoka got from the future, and probably everything about the future after that.
Madoka wished she knew more. As it was, she knew little enough that whoever came to interrogate her would probably think she was hiding information. And what would happen after that? Would they kidnap her family? Her friends?
What was her mother going to think, when Madoka didn't come home tonight? What must Hitomi and Sayaka be thinking? Would they ever even find out? Or did they think she just vanished when the bikes had transported her to Helheim?
...Madoka hoped Homura was okay. Maybe she was still unconscious, and didn't know what was happening. That would be for the best. That way, it'd be longer before she came to the realisation that Madoka had failed her.
How pathetic.
There was the sound for a second, of a door opening, and Madoka looked over to see whoever had been sent to question her.
"You seem upset, Miss Kaname." Came the familiar voice. Madoka blinked, as DJ Sagara stepped into the view of her cell, and took a seat. "I think it's time we had a little talk, then."
"...Sagara." Madoka muttered, lifelessly. "Of course. You ran the Inves Game, and Yggdrasil had been providing the Lockseeds. You were in on it too, then?"
"Ah, you seem to be good at putting the dots together, Miss Kaname." The DJ smirked. "Alas, you seem to be missing a few pieces of information. While I suppose I am technically a part of this conspiracy, I'm not truly an active player in it. I allowed the chance for the Inves Game to happen, but from here, my goals are rather... Different, from Yggdrasils."
Madoka stared blankly at DJ Sagara, and the man shrugged.
"If they knew I was here, they'd be rather cross with me, right now." He confessed. "But right now, I have to say, this is more important than me. I'd hate to see a wasted opportunity go by, and do nothing to stop it."
"...What are you talking about?" Madoka asked.
"I do suppose you've had enough vagueness already." Sagara conceded. "Very well, then. Kaname Madoka, do you want to save Akemi Homura?"
"...Of course I do." Madoka replied. It didn't matter if she answered anyway, it wouldn't change anything. "But what can I do? I couldn't even bring myself to fight..."
"Ah, that is understandable, Kaname." Sagara continued. "Akemi's little trip through time did accelerate the timeline somewhat. It's no surprise that you would have been thrown into this unprepared. But, for you to give up now would mean that we never get to see what Akemi saw in you, and that would be a shame.
"Homura didn't see anything in me." Madoka responded. "I'm weak. She latched on to the wrong person. I can't be the person she wants me to be. End of story. Sorry to disappoint."
"I'd rather see that for myself, if you will." Sagara continued. "After all, in the original timeline, the Driver locked onto your gene sequence. At some point, the "You" of then must have stepped up to the plate. There's some combination of factors, capable of pushing you to fight. And I'm curious, Kaname, to see what they are."
"Why?" Madoka asked. "Why do you care?"
"I consider myself an observer." Sagara explained. "And besides, I'm sure that if we could bring out the "You" that Akemi saw, it would be a grand show indeed. All you need to do is take the stage."
Madoka looked around.
"I'm not exactly in the position to do anything here." Madoka observed, humouring him. "Even if they let me go, they wouldn't give me the Driver again. It's done. I'm done. I'm sorry, Sagara. Find someone else."
"Ah, but I think we could fix that." Sagara argued. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled something out, and held them out in front of him, presenting them to Madoka.
Her Driver, and the Strawberry Lockseed.
"Sengoku Ryouma can be rather unobservant, when he finds a fascinating new project." Sagara explained, putting them on the table beside him. "If you want to leave, you would be able to take them. But, I suppose, I should question which path you intend to walk from here.
Madoka looked at Sagara and didn't say anything, and the man shook his head.
"You need to be more lively, Kaname." He decided. "I am offering you the chance to save Akemi, after all. All you have to decide is how."
...She did want Homura to be safe. Even if there was nothing to be done, that small ray of hope Sagara was offering Madoka was like a flame opened for a moth.
"...Go on." Madoka stated, eventually.
"If you simply chose to do nothing, then nothing will happen." Sagara explained. "You will be interrogated. Your Driver will be taken. You will eventually be released, and you will never see Akemi again. But to save her, well..."
He took a blueberry out of his pocket, and put it on the left of the Driver.
"Your first option is to escape." He explained. "Yggdrasil cannot act brazenly to take you back, if it would compromise their public image. And if they true to get at you indirectly, you can find allies to help you. You as you are, are not strong enough. But, if you knew who to speak to, you could push others into conflict with Yggdrasil. Gain more power. If you act fast enough, and tread carefully, you could gather enough power and enough allies to reach Akemi."
He paused, and reached into his pockets again, to place a lemon on the right of the Driver.
"Or perhaps, instead, you could play along." He continued. "The overseer of this project will not tolerate you possessing the Driver, but there are others who would see use of you. If you played into their hands enough, they might eventually see you as an ally. In time, you could gain enough of their trust, and be useful enough, to negotiate Akemi's release. Or go behind their backs and betray that trust to release her yourself."
Looking away from the table and back to Madoka, Sagara seemed to consider something, for a moment.
"Both options have their faults, admittedly." He confessed. "On the one hand, you will need to consider what you are willing to do, to gain power. And on the other hand, Yggdrasil is not going to allow you to save Akemi without asking you to cross a few lines. But, I believe that either option is a better one, to giving up and leaving Akemi's fate to chance."
Smiling, Sagara stood, and approached the bars of the cell door.
"If you want to leave, to fight, then I can make it happen." He explained. "The lock on this door is easily circumvented, and I can pass word to someone who can ensure you are able to leave without encountering Zangetsu. On the other hand, if you can't bring yourself to fight, and instead play along with Sengoku Ryouma's goals, then when he comes here, tell him that Kudo Kugai lives."
Extending a hand through the bars, Sagara's smile widened.
"So? What shall be your decision, Kaname Madoka? Will you take the stage, to save Akemi Homura?"
Madoka stared at his hand for a moment, the very flame of hope he was using to draw her in, and reached for it-
[X] -To ask for escape. The sooner she got out, the better. She needed to save Homura, and she refused to co-operate with the people who took her.
[X] -To thank Sagara, and stay. She couldn't fight Zangetsu, and if it was needed to protect Homura, then crossing a few lines was preferable to dying.
[X] -Only to pull away. There wasn't any point anyway. Let someone else take the stage. Madoka had already proven unworthy of it.
at the end my sentence.
