Suddenly I wake up, from hearing a male voice in my dream. It sounded so real that it woke me up. Kara and Nanako are still lying next to me, sleeping peacefully in the sleeper.

It's still dark outside and when I open the window blinds, I see guards walking with a dog.

There it is again....that voice in my mind. I sit down again, and cover myself with a blanket, then focus on the voice. It doesn't take long for me to understand that it's Hayes.

Oscar just told me that Hayes has been approaching him a few times, but I didn't reply at all to his warnings. Oscar was afraid that our link might be weakening, but now he understands that I was only exhausted last night. It's one important lesson for me to remember....I might be really vulnerable when exhausted. I managed to reassure Oscar, and luckily all seems fine.

I join Oscar in mind-space and he asks me if he should invite Hayes as well. I agree, but first I want Oscar to show Hayes that I'm there now...seeing what Oscar sees.

I see Oscar standing up and slowly walking towards Hayes who takes a few steps back.

"That's far enough." I heard Hayes say, sounding worried.

I ask Oscar to mimic my gestures for a few moments, and he's happy to oblige. First I let Oscar nod a few times.

"You....can you understand me now?"

"Yes." Which is translated by a nod.

"Oscar? Or Essie? Is that you, Essie?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I couldn't sleep and was hoping to learn a bit from Oscar. Studying his movements, that sort of thing. And luckily I found him near the portal."

"No."

"Ah....you can't speak?"

"No. Yes."

"Em...yes or no, Essie? Just pick one."

"No."

"Okay, finally, we are getting somewhere. Did you girls have a relaxing evening? Even though you couldn't go shopping?"

"Yes."

"Good, very good. Did you....wait, what are you doing?" Oscar is stretching his front-right paw towards Hayes.

"Yes."

"So....let me guess....you were reaching for my shoulder. Do you want to meet in mind-space?"

"Yes yes yes."

"Okay, then do it."

 

FLASH

 

 

Hayes and I are now standing in a dark room, where only a bright green light illuminates the immediate area from above.

"Hi, Essie. Sorry, I didn't understand. So...where is this place?" He takes a few moments to look around, but there isn't much to see.

"No problem, sir. And this is just a random place in my mind. I only woke up a few minutes ago, so that's probably the reason why it's so empty right now."

I see Hayes grinning for a moment, but choose not to comment on it. "Again, sorry for waking you."

"Don't worry, what time is it even?"

Hayes looks at his watch, but says "no idea, my watch is gone?"

"That's weird. Perhaps because there's no time here?"

"Interesting. I have to admit, meeting like this isn't as bad as I initially thought." Hayes said.

"I know what you mean. It takes some time getting used to. It's amazing actually. We are connected via many Phantoms. You're even in another world right now, and still our network is somehow connected. But sir....do you want to plan a meeting...in reality?"

"No, just relax a bit longer. I was only taking a breather. Wow!"

Oscar just walked into our mind-space, which is a pretty unusual thing to see, especially for Hayes. Oscar gave us some privacy earlier, but he's definitely here now.

"Hey, Oscar. Are you okay?" I asked.

Oscar looks around and seems totally uninterested in the area around us.
"Yes, Essie, all is fine. Finally we meet, Hayes. Essie seems to respect you."

"Thank you, Oscar. It's good to finally hear your voice."

"Likewise. Welcome to Essie's Swarm. Did you lose your tail in battle?"

"Ah....no, not quite. Essie and I are...different from the other beings walking around there. Essie used to look a lot like I do now...without the tail. But now she's more like the people living on this side of the portal."

"Interesting. Anyway, I apologize for intruding. I just wanted to say that you can always speak to me, Hayes. Touch my nose, or head and we'll share our minds. I would never make the connection without your permission."

"Thank you, Oscar, I will remember that. Essie was right about you, you are a good friend."

"Of course. Excuse me, I will leave you now." And just like that, Oscar left us by walking away into nothingness.

"Can he still hear us?" Hayes asked.

"I guess so. Somehow I think that there is no such thing as privacy in the Swarm. At least, this swarm. Not sure how the Queens do their thing, but I couldn't care any less about them."

"I agree. Any news on that?"

"Nothing whatsoever. They finally seem to understand that I don't want to see them. Any news on Phantom movements on Earth?"

"You know better than that, Essie. Not now. I promise to brief you when the need arises."

"Okay...sure, I understand. So.....I guess I'll go find something to eat, and see where.....mmmm...now that's interesting!"

"Sorry, I didn't get that..wooow....what is this?"

 

Suddenly the scenery around us changes into a daylight setting, and this place feels far away.

A Phantom just walked inside our "meeting" while Hayes was looking really confused. The Phantom looks at him for a second, but then focuses on me.

"My Queen....thank you for freeing us." 

Yes, here we go again. "Hello my friends. Are you nearby?"

"Not yet, we should be near you in a few....minutes you call them." I felt him browse through my memories for a moment.

"Please be careful, do not approach me like that. There are military people nearby, and they might kill you. I don't want you to die."

"Thank you...then what are your orders?"

"First of all....you are most welcome in our Swarm. This is not my Swarm. All of you are welcome to join us, as free beings. We are family, we help each other. I may sound like a Queen, but I will not command you. I might ask you, but will never harm you in any way. Will you stay in this Swarm?"

"Of course....and Essie is your name? Your...Oscar....linked with me just now. May we visit him?"

"How many are there of you?"

"Only about a thousand."

"Only???? My god.....I need you to stay safe right now. Avoid any humans....you can probe my mind to see what I mean." And right after that he scanned my thoughts.

"I understand now. We will stay away from them. When may we join....BETA?"

"You learn fast, my friend! Em....could you please tell me where you are?"

They sent me what feels like a 4D map, which my 3D mind couldn't quite handle. They had to "dumb it down" for me to make any sense.

"Wait....you ARE already on BETA?"

"This is odd. It seems you are right, Essie. You are in another world right now? Your mind is very strong indeed. We were right to link with you. Did you create that portal?"

"I'm afraid I'm not that powerful my friend. You can go see Oscar whenever you wish, it's safe there. Just know that you and your friends are now free. Free forever."

Somehow this particular Phantom told me that he....is a she, so I apologized.

"Thank you, Essie. I see Oscar's location now. Until we meet again." She disconnected or left this space or whatever they call it.

 

 

"Essie? What just happened?"

"Sorry, sir. Just some good news this time."

"Tell me."

"About a thousand phantoms just joined our cause."

"Wow...that is good news, isn't it?"

"Yep. So....I'm getting hungry. Do you want to share a breakfast? We have room service."

"Ha ha ha...no, relax and enjoy. Can you....end this meeting please?"

"Sure thing...ending in...3...2....1...bye."

 

 

When I open my eyes, the two fluffy cuddly creatures are still fast asleep.
"You two are still asleep?" I whispered. "My god, I'm so jealous."

I decided to leave them be, got dressed and walked towards his office anyway. I'm sure he'll be in there around now.

"Hey, good morning. You're up early." Hayes said, grinning.

"Uh-huh, no idea why." I return a grin.

"It's 5 am, Essie. Maybe you should go back to your dog bed, or doggy basket as you like to call it."

"Nuh-huh, not anymore. These mind-things are the equivalent of a cup of coffee...no sleeping for me. Maybe I'll catch some zzzz's this afternoon, don't worry, I'm fine."

"Wanna talk? Something's bothering you?"

"Actually, yes. The Queen...the one from Earth, has been really persistent since our meeting this morning. She probably sensed that many Phantoms had joined my...I mean our Swarm. And she's absolutely pissed about that. I'm afraid she's up to something."

"What do you suggest? You sound like you have a plan?"

"No plan, only saying she's probably up to something. But the additional Phantoms truly reinforced the firewall, so at least that's good news."

"It sure is."

"Oh oooohhh.....Hayes...she wants to talk. Now."

"You've gotta be kidding me! It's 5 am! I didn't even have my coffee yet!"

 

 

FLASH

Again we are in mind-space, but this time involuntarily. I guess Hayes was pulled in as well, probably because we linked a short while earlier.

"Sorry for this, she can't break through the firewall anymore, but she still pulled me here for a meeting and pulled you along with me. Oscar is currently working on blocking her.

She waited, Hayes. The bitch waited until she knew that I was awake so I could experience the fear she's causing. She planned this...really carefully. Definitely intimidating us."

"Fuck, here we go again."

"You are only a spectator now. She might sense you, but she cannot harm you. Our Swarm is now stronger than ever. I trust Oscar to keep us safe. And sir?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me. If she somehow does take control, which she shouldn't......promise me.... do what you need to do.....don't let me become a threat. Promise me!" It seems I can shed a few tears in mind-space as well.

"I promise. Do you want me to have Kara end this by fluffing you?"

"No...I'm okay now. I'm strong...I can do this. We can do this. Besides, I'd rather have you here as a witness."

 

The scenery around us changes once more. We're now deep beneath the surface in the Pacific ocean, standing on the seafloor.

"Finally we meet again." The Queen just joined me. "You are stronger...Essie. But your mind is still much too weak for me. Why else invite this.....infantile onlooker to assist you?" Her giant eye is focused on Hayes for a few moments.

She somehow looks a bit...shorter today? Whatever. "Shhhh...we are calm. Why did you call for us?" And why am I now speaking in majestic plural?

"You are young.......and arrogant. I have infinitely more experience than you do. I asked you here to join me. Let us share mana. Become my daughter. We can transfer your mind to one of our eggs and turn you into a proper Queen. Vow your allegiance to us and we shall find a world for you alone to rule."

"Mmmmm......that's a very tempting proposal. But....absolute power corrupts absolutely. We already ARE a proper Queen.......why don't you join us? We could free the Swarm and achieve the impossible together. They will keep us safe as they have for eons. Think of what we could achieve. We could connect our minds across hundreds of worlds in peace."

"No......while there is wisdom in your words.....there can only be one Unity...no room for any disharmony....this is why you are so very young. Why are you even in such a tiny physical body and still capable of speaking to me? How were you even conceived?"

"That is not important. Our mind is expanding....beyond the needs of a physical body, something you cannot even begin to comprehend. Let us grow together, explore this new form of limitless consciousness. Can there be peace between us? We don't enjoy taking your life."

"No.....if you won't join Unity, you are a threat. You will serve me....."

"No, thank you."

"So young...so arrogant.....see you soon.....in my Swarm."

She leaves me and I can no longer sense her.

 

 

Oscar joined us the moment the Queen disconnected.

"While you distracted the Queen, I was able to break free 2300 more Phantoms." Oscar smiles, which is an odd thing to see a Phantom do. Judging by his confused expression, Hayes must have thought the same.

"Well done, my friend. Together we grow stronger every day."

"We still need many more, Essie. Interesting.....even more have now offered their allegiance to you, and on Earth as well."

"Yes....I can sense them now, Oscar. Thousands more have been freed.

Welcome, my friends. Soon I shall release all of you, but first we need to deal with not one, but two Queens. Once more I shall offer you freedom. I am Essie, and while I may act like a Queen.....I am not. You are my family. We are a family of equals......may you help me to free your family.

Soon.....very soon my friends, you shall be free. The days of your oppression have passed. Reach out to your family and invite them to my...no....to our swarm. For I am not your Queen, but your friend. I don't demand obedience, I only offer friendship."

We then hear a single voice, a voice of many beings speaking as one...."we are One. We are the Swarm. We serve One, we serve Unity."

Hayes looks around, trying to find the source of the voice, but it is all around us.

"You are most welcome, my friends. If any....really....if any of you needs something....tell me. You are not my tools, but my family. I cannot stress this enough. Just wait a bit longer....and soon we will be free...you ...and me....and everyone else too."

I then ask Oscar "How many more do we need before we can take on a Queen?"

"Tens of thousands more. The more the better."

"Then please help me, my friend."

"Yes, Essie. Always."

"How are you holding up? Is there enough mana for all to share?"

"I'm fine now that there are more in our Swarm. But the mana is insufficient. May I propose taking over a mana vein?" Oscar asked.

"Sounds good, but how do you propose we do that?"

"You could focus on one area and invite every feeding Phantom into our Swarm....and kill those who can't be freed. It's an act of mercy. Once the vein is ours.....we can grow even stronger as a Swarm. This is why the Queens are located at mana veins. They need the mana, the power, the strength to control the Swarm."

"May I assume that you have found a suitable location already?" I asked.

"Yes....this world....close to the portal where we met. A powerful mana vein runs over a long distance, allowing many of us to feed at once."

"Very well. I'll discuss this with Hayes first, I cannot decide this for myself. Do you think we need more weapons?"

Oscar scans my mind. "ah, so that's what you meant. Yes. Weapons. Every Phantom who is loyal to you...."

But I interrupted him. "You mean loyal to us?"

He smiles again. "Yes. Loyal to us. Everyone loyal will leave the area. The others....show them mercy by ending them by whatever means possible."

"That sounds like a plan. How many Phantoms are near that mana vein?"

"It's a powerful one.....about 30,000."

"Mmmmm.......thank you Oscar. Just give me some time."

"Not much, Essie. We need the mana...real soon."

Then Oscar leaves us, and only a very worried Hayes remains here with me.

 

"My god, Essie....what have you become!?"

"I am nothing yet. I need to grow in consciousness...become stronger....the Queens can't be beaten with conventional weapons alone."

"Essie....can you truly handle this? I need to know...NOW. Be honest with me."

"Yes, sir. Oscar is there.....he'll keep me from doing anything crazy. But if you want, I won't feel bad if you point a rifle at me 24/7. Will that help?"

"It's a start."

"Okay, then please order the portal room to open up. A few thousand from Earth will join Oscar."

"Right, I'll give the order."

"I'm ending this meeting now, we can see each other in real-time. Ending in....3......2.....1..now."

 

 

When I open my eyes, I see Hayes staring at me, but then he orders the portal room to open up without sounding the base alert. He must really trust me, since he didn't order everyone to prepare for battle.

We walk outside to witness the arrival of those many Phantoms, and it seems that the portal room is already open. Sentry team must have been practicing to speed things up.

We talked for a few minutes about our close encounter with the Queen, and he appreciated that I stayed calm and tried to reason with her. At some point I could feel their approach. "They're here, Hayes."

And at that exact moment, thousands of Phantoms form a long line and rush through the portal at insane speeds for at least five minutes. The crazy part is that they are completely noiseless. They don't make the slightest of noises, which is pretty creepy if you give it some thought. 

"Hayes? You can close the portal room now." Is all I said. And sure enough, the Phantoms have completed their trip to the other side.

Hayes shakes his head, probably from disbelief, and orders the portal room to be closed again.

 

 

After half an hour Kara and Nanako went looking for me, and when they found me talking to Hayes, we decided to order breakfast in his office.

We shared our early morning news with my friends and at some point Hayes suggested that we should take another attempt at shopping. Nanako however apologized and said that she would need to return home soon, so Kara will escort her home in an hour.

Hayes told us that I would soon return to Negawa as well, to resume my diplomatic duties there. He also mentally prepared Nanako for the fact that we would soon place defenses on the other side of the portal, and she accepted this news without protesting. It may seem impossible, but somehow it now looks as if they are slowly starting to get along.

 

After giving Kara a much needed see-you-later-kiss, she and Nanako left us to return to the Palace. Kara will join me here later today, in a few hours or so.

At some point Hayes told me that he needed to return to work, so I decided to go for a walk. Well, it's still the same park, but it beats staying inside all day. And I really could use some fresh air to clear my mind.

 

 

Now imagine my surprise when I met Bravo team once more, standing near one of the tanks halfway between the park's entrance and the buildings, with seemingly nothing to do.

"Heeeeey, look, it's Admiral Essie." Major Rodriguez, their team leader said while leaning against a tree.

"Har dee har har, Major. It's still Airman, but yes, I'm working on it." I made sure to smile.

"Yes, we heard about the promotion. Impressive, congrats." Hurst, one of the other soldiers said.

"Thanks guys. And the funny thing is that it only took a single gunshot to promote me." I shook my head, while rolling my eyes.

"Ha ha ha, true. Sooooo.....it seems like you are off duty?" Richards remarked.

"Yep, everyone's busy, and I'm supposed to relax, but I'm totally, completely, utterly bored already." I scratched my right ear which caused them to stare at it for a moment. 

"That's very fortunate for us, we could use the distraction. How about you join us for a while? We're on guard duty today." Marks said, after which he sighed quite audibly.

"Really? Guarding what?" I look around and don't see anything that should require an experienced unit like them to be used as guards.

"The tanks, Essie." Major Rodriguez said, in an equally unimpressed fashion.

"Huh? Ooohhhhh, how important. Is this perhaps punishment?"

"She's really good, isn't she?" Hurst said while grinning.

"Yes, in a scary way." Richards stated.

The Major ignores them and answers my question. "Yes, Essie, it's punishment. We may have crossed the line when the Colonel asked us to scout the nearby city on BETA."

A grin forms on my lips.
"Riiiiiiight. You guys went undercover, dressing up like Kitsune. How....bad was it?"

"Pretty bad, Essie. A cute Kitsune woman seemed interested in Richards, if you know what I mean. Due to some technical difficulties, his tail couldn't move, and somehow that made her blush since she kept glancing at it. And since we don't understand the language....things got out of hand pretty fast." The Major looked at Richards who avoided any and all eye contact.

After a few moments of silence Richards replies "sir, how could I have known that when their tails stop swaying, that it is supposed to show attraction? I mean, my tail couldn't even move without batteries!"

"Ha ha ha...that's even new for me, Richards. Cool. So what happened? Did she.....kiss you?" I asked, while sounding mushy. I mean, I have to tease him.

"She actually did. But when the Major decided to get the fuck out of there, she kept tailing us."

"Ha ha ha....you have a way with words, Richards." I said. "Then what happened?"

"She...um.....first tilted her head in a cute way and then started to cry when I waved her goodbye. Lucky for us she didn't want to leave the city, so we returned to base ahead of schedule. Bottom line, we were supposed to stay in the background and failed miserably. We heard quite a few Kitsune shouting at us, probably for being disrespectful to her. Suffice to say that we can't return there."

The Major nods. "Let's just say that Hayes was not amused, so as punishment he made us guard these tanks for a few days. He said that some basic training would probably help us contemplate the meaning of professionalism."

"Ha ha ha....poor guys. I actually think that Hayes loved your story and offered you some covert R&R. This beats mess hall duty any time, right?" I said, while snickering.

"You may have a point there, Essie. Definitely Admiral-level thinking, what do you think, Marks?" Richards said.

"I think that we could do some basic training together with her? Isn't that what Hayes wants us to do? Some training?" Marks is obviously grinning again.

"That.......is actually not a bad idea. These tanks won't be going anywhere anytime soon. How about some target practice, Essie?" The Major suggested.

"Sure, beats sitting inside my room all day long. But are we talking about P90s or throwing stones at empty beer cans?" I see all four of them grinning.

The Major replies "neither, Essie. We happen to have a few knives on us, so we could see how far you can throw them. You never know when that skill could become useful on the other side. Just...make sure to throw them away from us."

I glared at the Major. "Maybe you could show me first, so I know where to throw it without accidentally injuring you?"

"Gladly."

He takes a knife from his uniform and throws it into a nearby tree, about 30 feet away.

"Impressive." I said while grinning. "You actually hit the tree!"

"Ha ha ha ha......Essie, you should replace the Major, you'd fit right in." Richards said jokingly.

Major Rodriguez however doesn't seem impressed. "You mean she could replace you, Richards? I won't have any trouble with that. Besides, her tail doesn't require any batteries."

But before Richards could reply, I did. "Oh, but this body came equipped with more than just the fluff, Major. Fox-fire!" And suddenly 7 floating lights are circling around my body, just behind my back.

"Woooooow.....I heard about that, but seeing is believing. My god, Essie, your presence is enlightening." Richards said, barely containing a laugh.

"Ha ha ha....yes, she really lit up my day." Marks added.

"Yeah, you are the light at the end of the tunnel." Hurst commented, trying to sound serious but failing miserably.

I glared at all of them, but my grin is here to stay.

"Essie, when did you see the light?" The Major said.

"Oh c'mon guys!" I said, because this joke has gone far enough.

"Okay, stop teasing her, everyone. In light of recent developments, we should continue our target practice." Richards said.

"I agree, General." Now it's my turn to tease him.

"Ohhhhhhh, I could get used to being called that."

"Knock it off, guys. Essie, what else can your fox-fire do besides replacing a Christmas tree?" The Major said with a big smile.

"Ha ha ha...good one. Honestly, I don't have any clue. They're basically only lights. I use them for reading at night mostly, that kind of stuff. Why? Any ideas?" I look at them, but only Richards seems to have an idea.

"Well......most super heroes can use their abilities in more than one way. Maybe you should ask them to move, or try to throw them. I dunno, I can't imagine that they are for decorative purposes only. But then again, I suck as a Kitsune."

"Ha ha ha ha, okay. Sure, let me give it a try, but no promises, okay?"

"Yup. Try to hit that tree. You know? The one with the knife?" The Major said, earning him another glare from me.

Then I look at him and cross my eyes. "Duhhh......you mean the tree with the green leaves?" I even changed my voice to match a cartoon character.

"Ha ha ha.....she's completely ruined already. Yup, whenever you're ready. Let's see if you can hit the tree with those pretty lights." The Major said.

I shake my head and focus on the tree. I point my right hand at the tree with my arm stretched. I use my left hand to stabilize my right arm, because it seems the most sensible thing to do. When I feel ready to shoot, I shout "fox-fire.....attack!"

What happened next must have pleased the lazy gods, since my innocent little night light turned out to be a lethal weapon.

7 bright blue lights fly towards the tree, lining up after each other like bullets fired from a gun. There's a whooshing sound accompanying them. These bullets however are all fist-sized and fly straight through the tree, leaving a big hole in the tree's trunk. 

But it doesn't end there, no....the next tree, the one after that, and another one.....all holes in their trunks. But even that doesn't stop my little lights, until they accidentally hit a tank which just happens to be standing in the line of fire. 

 

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

 

All 7 lights separately impacted the tank with a loud thud as if I had shot a missile at it.

Lots of birds are flying away all around us, startled by the loud noises. 

I cover my mouth with my right hand and glance at my four buddies, who also now seem dead serious.

We then hear the sounds of trees snapping and falling over, a delayed response to my fox-fire. When I want to ask them what to do next.....the tank exploded!

 

BABOOOOM

 

One heck of a giant and loud explosion just totally, completely and utterly destroyed an Abrams tank. Immediately the sirens are sounding their deafening sound, causing many soldiers to rush everywhere.

 

Bravo team pulls me down, sheltering me from any other potentially dangerous projectiles or shrapnel finding their way to us. Another few smaller explosions indicate that this was a smart thing to do.

I hear soldiers shouting everywhere, and the tank is now ablaze. It's one huge inferno of flames, where fire extinguishers are totally useless.

The PA system is ordering everyone to evacuate to the Gatekeeper area, and Bravo team immediately pulls me into the right direction. 

 

None of us says a single word while rushing towards the entrance, and once more I have difficulties keeping up with them. A few more loud explosions can be heard behind us, and finally I hear the sirens of multiple fire trucks approaching from far away.

After only a few more minutes, I see and hear 3 fire trucks from the Purcellville Fire Department rushing past us.

 

When we finally arrived at the entrance, where many people had gathered, I asked Bravo team to wait. I rush towards the Gatekeeper people and realize that Hayes is probably going to shoot me. I'm dead...soooo dead. At least nobody can tell that I'm a Kitsune, since all my fluff is hidden as usual.

"Guard!" I shout, and wave, trying to get the attention of a Gatekeeper guard.

"We're really busy now, ma'am!" He needed to shout so I could hear him.

"Yes, I know what happened!" I answered, also shouting.

"Follow me!" Was all he said.

I follow the guard into the guard house, which is a pretty confined space to be working in. Luckily it's really well shielded against outside noise. That's probably the real reason why we're here.

"Tell me what happened." The guard asked in a normal tone of voice. He could clearly see that I was really nervous, and he was trying to calm me down by putting his hand on my shoulder for a moment.

"Emmm, yes, I accidentally hit a tank during training and it exploded. We are not under attack. I'll take full responsibility of this fuck-up." I grimaced.

"It's good that you told me, we received a similar notification earlier. Now it's verified. Give me a moment." He immediately took the phone and called someone to stand down the sirens and told them it really looked like an accident.

"Who's your commanding officer, ma'am?"

"It's Colonel Hayes. He's on-site right now." I swallowed. Yep, sooooo dead.

"Understood." He then uses the PA system to say "to all base personnel, this is a message from Emergency Response Team Gatekeeper. It seems an accident involving a tank caused an explosion. Keep all areas clear to allow emergency services to pass. Please assemble near the entrance and stand by for further updates."

He then used the PA system to request Hayes to visit this location at his earliest convenience, since he might be needed elsewhere now. He then tells me to wait outside for my CO, while he puts on an orange reflective jacket with the text "ERT-GATE." 

I follow him outside where he joins other soldiers wearing those jackets, who are currently allowing 2 ambulances to pass. Oh my god, this is all my fault!

 

Bravo team quickly finds me again, and we all know that we are in trouble, so nobody dares to speak.

Only a few minutes later can we see Hayes walking towards the gathered crowd. I wave at him, and he immediately walks over to us.

"Essie, what happened?"

"We are not under attack, sir. This was an accident. I have all the details, but I can't talk here."

"Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"Yes, sir, I'll take full responsibility. I confirm that this was an accident. Bravo team witnessed the event."

"Alright, that works for me. All of you in my office, now."

He didn't even let me reply. He simply rushed over to a truck and ordered the driver to get us back to the buildings. We immediately entered the truck, which seems designed for troop transports, and arrived back at the buildings in no time.

Three minutes later Bravo team and I are standing at attention in Hayes' office. He's standing in front of us, and is joined by General Pearson only moments later.

Okay, if anyone was in doubt, I'm now really dead.

 

"Essie, I need those answers, now." Hayes said, sounding really pissed.

"Sir, yes, sir. All of this is my fault, I'll take full responsibility for what happened, sir!"

"ESSIE! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" He shouted at me, hurting my ears.

"Yes, sir! I joined Bravo team for a conversation. Then I activated my fox-fire. Someone suggested that I should throw it at a nearby tree to see what would happen. When I did, 7 individual fist-sized lights went through a few trees, ultimately impacting a tank in the line of fire. The tank exploded a few moments later. Then the ammunition inside the tank must have caught fire, causing secondary explosions. Bravo team then dragged me to safety where I immediately reported this to Gatekeeper, sir!"

"WHAT did you just say? YOU blew up that tank? Did you really just say that, Airman?" Hayes is beyond pissed now.

"Sir, yes, sir. I did that. Nobody else is to blame."

"FUCK! And Bravo team again? You were supposed to keep an eye on her, not let her blow up a fucking tank!"

Oops...so they were supposed to keep me safe? I thought they were on tank guard duty?

"Yes, sir! We witnessed the event, and I'll take full responsibility." Major Rodriguez said.

Hayes glares at us, one by one, and then startles us by shouting.
"GUARDS!" Hayes shouted, resulting in a dozen soldiers rushing into his office.

"Yes, sir!" One of the guards shouted, after which he saluted, waiting for his orders.

"I want you to escort Bravo team and Airman Whitfield to Isolation room 1 pending further disciplinary actions. MOVE!"

"Yes, sir!" 

All members of Bravo team, and myself, were escorted to a container room where they must have taken Greene for interrogation only yesterday. I could never have expected to be in the same situation, let alone the very next day.

 

 

Once we entered the container, the door was locked behind us. There are guards on the outside, obviously. And finally, after a few moments, we managed to calm down a bit, until the Major asked me a question.

"Essie....what the fuck. You should have told us you could do that!" The Major said.

"Major, I really didn't know that I could do that!" I raise my hands, then walk towards the wall and hit it, hoping it would allow me to vent some anger. "FUCK, SHIT, why me again?! I always fuck up everything. And now you're stuck with me!"

I see the Major walking over to me. "Calm down, Essie, this was only an accident. Nobody here is angry with you. Just wait and see, Hayes only followed protocol and is now fixing the mess outside. Give it some time. He'll be here in an hour or two. Then you can talk about what happened."

I take a few deep breaths, and finally manage to calm down.
"Yeah......I guess you're right. But Hayes really hit the nail on the head. I really am a disaster magnet. Major, is that why he ordered you to keep an eye on me?"

"Yes and no. We really fucked up when dressing up as a Kitsune. And we really were guarding the tanks as punishment initially. But he then used the radio to order us to keep an eye on you. But instead of finding you, you found us. Hayes is going to be thrilled that we fucked up both assignments. We're all in this mess together."

"I'm sorry, guys. But I don't think this is going to work out for me. I mean...I destroyed a fucking tank!" I shouted that last part, then massaged my forehead.

"Nobody got hurt, Essie. Focus on that." Richards said, trying to help me to stay calm.

After that, nobody said a word. I was beyond nervous, but the others simply sat down, waiting for Hayes to arrive.

 

We weren't inside this room for even half an hour when we heard Hayes ordering the guards to open this room. Bravo team immediately stands at attention in front of me, but I push through them and stand at attention in front of them now.

When the door opens and Hayes enters, all of us look at the floor, expecting to receive more yelling. But it remains remarkably silent.

"Essie." Hayes said calmly, which made me focus on him.

"Yes, sir?"

"What were you thinking? You destroyed a tank Essie. Did you hear that? A fucking tank! Speak to me!"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry sir, it happened by accident."

He takes a few deep breaths, then seems to calm down again.

"The situation outside is contained. We had to send an emergency update to the new agencies to tell them why we sounded the alarms. The whole world now knows that one of our tanks blew up on its own. Can you even imagine the consequences of that?"

"No, sir." I said very carefully, while shaking my head.

"Lucky for you the news people seem to understand that accidents can happen. They were impressed that we informed them about such an event. One of them even asked if one of the Phantoms had pissed on the tank, remembering this from your speech." A grin appeared on his lips, but ever so briefly.

"...." I don't comment on that, but look at my shoes for a moment.

 

Another deep breath before he continues. "The emergency situation has now been resolved. One tank was lost, but luckily nobody was injured. Having a civilian Fire Department put out a fire caused by military equipment was a pretty humiliating experience for us. Essie?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Let me be real clear now. No....... fucking ...... magic ...... experimentation ...on... fucking ... Earth ....ever .... fucking ...again. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Essie, what part did Bravo team play in this?"

"They were witnesses, nothing more, sir. I'll take full responsibility for what happened."

"And you will." Hayes said matter of factly.

"Sir?" Rodriguez said.

"Yes, Major. Do you disagree with her statement?"

"Yes, sir. We suggested using her fox-fire as a weapon. Even though nobody here could have imagined it to be so destructive, we shouldn't have tried. I'll take full responsibility, sir." 

"Well, well. How nice of you. All five of you are hereby relieved of your duties pending further investigation. Bravo team, your current orders have been rescinded. Return to AFDW."

"Sir, yes, sir."

"And Essie, you will stay in your VIP room until further notice."

"Understood, sir."

"DISMISSED!" He shouted, making us rush outside.

 

 

I can't catch up with Bravo team in a million years, they are simply too fast for me. And maybe that's a good thing, because I suddenly feel sick. I quickly sit down on my knees and lean forward...and vomit a few times. Never in my life have I endured this much stress before. Not even when I shot that Phantom, or talked to the Queen. God, Hayes really is intimidating, and he's correct about everything too. I really did a major fuck up this time.

"Are you okay? I heard that Hayes gave you an Alpha Charlie." Someone standing behind me said. What the heck is an Alpha Charlie? Ah...must be our friendly encounter with Hayes just now. When I look up at the person standing behind me, I see a guard grimacing.

"Yeah.....but I deserved it. I blew up a fucking tank."

"Ooohhhh...that was you? Shit happens, I guess. Are you okay now? Do I need to call a medic?"

"Nah....just let me die in peace here." When he frowns at me, I add "nah, I'll be okay. Just need a quick breather."

He then nods and says "Alright then, good luck."

"Thanks." I said, while watching him leave.

 

 

I waited in my VIP room, sitting inside my sleeper, for at least two hours before I heard Kara approach, but the guard wouldn't let her in. I heard them say that she would need to report to Hayes first.

Then, not even ten minutes later, Hayes walked inside the VIP room, with Kara in tow. Kara looks really worried, but Hayes must have ordered her to stay quiet, she doesn't even look at me.

Hayes seems calm now, and sits down on a chair, motioning Kara to do the same, but she joins me inside the sleeper, but without hugging me. She's non-verbally telling me that she supports me, but unfortunately I can't thank her for that right now.

"Essie, why is it that you can use magic on Earth? The others couldn't even heal you yesterday."

"I gave that some thought. My fox-fire seems to be produced by this body. I guess healing requires external mana. This is the only thing that makes sense to me."

He nods, then says "I still can't believe it. A single person used a few pretty lights to blow up a fucking well-armored tank. Do you have any fucking idea what those cost?! Millions, Essie!" Even though he cursed, he didn't shout at all. There's more frustration and amazement in his voice than anything else.

"Sir, don't shoot me, but isn't an accident covered by insurance?"

"Ha! Stay serious. You can't call your insurer and tell them you accidentally destroyed a freakin' tank."

"Sorry, sir."

He takes another deep breath. "Essie, guess what. The Pentagon already knows. They're sending a technical specialist here to see what disabled one of our mighty tanks. What a fine mess we're in once more." He shakes his head.

"Sir....let me talk to him, sir. Let me fix my fuck up."

"Be serious, can you even?"

"I think I can? I'll shift the focus to myself and my body. I'll explain what happened and will tell them the truth. It really was an accident sir, surely they'll understand?"

"Perhaps. Alright, I'll let you talk to them, but I will handle the initial investigations. You are hereby lifted from your restrictions."

"Thank you sir."

"Just don't throw that fox-fire of yours again. You might want to reconsider using it as a reading light too."

"Em....already have. Colonel? What if they want a demonstration of my fox-fire?"

"Ask for my permission first."

"Understood. May I ask how Bravo team is doing? They really didn't cause any of this. They were a witness only."

"It's impressive to see you protecting them. Usually this only occurs within teams, which is a good sign of teamwork. Something essential to field units. But you....why are you protecting them?"

"Because they are not involved in any of this. The only thing they could remotely be held responsible for, is for suggesting that I'd try to use my fox-fire as a weapon. We're friends and we were having a great time together, until this shit happened. Again, they didn't cause any of this, I should have been more careful. I was the one to actually try the suggestion."

He gives me a smile for a moment. "Noted. You are back on duty, and so is Bravo team. Don't worry, they needed a good scare, just like you did. These kinds of events make people focus on their duties again. Sometimes a good wake-up call can protect you in future situations. If this hadn't happened, something else would have. Point being, nobody got hurt. Essie wipe that smile from your face."

"Oops...done, sir."

"Just out of curiosity. How much force did you use when you used your fox-fire?"

"Em...no force? I just threw them without effort, thinking they were harmless lights."

"Let me rephrase that. How much energy did you use? Could you have used more?"

"Ahh, like that. Maybe? I didn't use much power at all. I could go full out next time, after your approval, of course."

"Alright, you should expect them to ask you for a demonstration. In that case, after I give you the approval, I want you to go all out. Show them that our tanks might need more development. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. It might benefit our weapon development in some unforeseen way."

"Of course, understood."

"Good. It's now 12.30 pm. You two should relax, have lunch and once our guests from the Pentagon have arrived, make sure to talk to them."

"Understood, sir. I'll stay here until I'm needed."

 

 

After Hayes had left us, I explained everything to Kara, who was beyond surprised. She saw those tanks in action a while back, and knowing that my fox-fire can blow one up without much effort was pretty unexpected. Well, that makes two of us.

We hugged a while and once my adrenaline had finally settled, she allowed me to cry on her shoulder. I still can't believe it...I actually destroyed a tank by sending a few seemingly harmless lights at it.

When I finally felt better, I ordered lunch and really tried to relax, which didn't happen before 2 pm until our thorough kissing and fluffing session had ended. That dreadful feeling of guilt disappeared like snow in summer, until it reappeared at 2.15 pm when I was asked to join Hayes in his office again.

 

"Do you really have to leave me again, my love?" Kara said in her warm, sensual voice, while standing close to me, still in her underwear.

My lips touched hers again. "I really have to, Kara. I wish you could join me. It almost feels as if people are pulling us apart. There's always something going on."

She puts her head on my shoulder and embraces me. "When can we go back home? I miss our time together."

"Soon, my love. You heard Hayes this morning, he wants me back on Negawa. And honestly, I'm looking forward to returning. Only our cozy cottage, our sleeper, friendly people everywhere."

"No tanks...." Kara said, trying not to giggle.

"Right, that's a big plus too. So....see you later?"

"Uh-huh." She gave me a peck on my cheek.

I put my hands on her cheeks and let our noses touch for a moment, making her giggle. She expected another kiss, so I decided to reward her with another one.

"Essie....you need to go, or Hayes will be mad again."

"It's so mean....I don't want to go."

"Then look forward to our extra-long fluffing tonight. The Princess won't be there to interrupt us. And those ears of yours are begging to be scratched."

"Kara, you really know what I want to hear. Okay, I need to go. See you later. Love you."

I quickly left the room after checking that my uniform looked passable, knowing that even the slightest of temptations would make me want to stay with her. But no, I must focus on my duties right now. The Pentagon people have arrived, and they want me there.