Chapter 983: Something Worse

The submarine’s testing room was the single most secure space on the vessel. Mishaps were best avoided while in a metal tube, deep beneath the ocean surface, and the testing room was designed to contain any that cropped up. At Elizabeth’s direction, Gerling turned the wheel on the heavy bulkhead door, then hauled it open. Inside, the room was almost entirely bare. There was only a light on the ceiling behind reinforced glass, and a cardboard box sitting on the floor.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Marie said.

“Gerling is expendable.” Elizabeth said. “And repairable.”

“He’s also kind of a walking explosion.”

“He doesn’t go off by accident.”

“Oh, sweetie, men will always tell you that.”

Elizabeth gave Marie a wry look, then turned back to Gerling.

“Go in,” she directed. Elizabeth and Marie backed away from the door as Gerling stepped through.

“We could still leave it,” Marie said. “We can seal the room back up and be done with it.”

“Even if whatever is in that box destroys Gerling, I can just reconstitute his body. I’ve done so several times before.”

“Alright, but when we’re talking about this later, remember that I gave you the chance to back out.”

“It will be fine. Gerling, open the box.”

He lifted the unsealed flap and a red tentacle immediately speared out, burying itself in his torso. He trembled, rippling like water, and fell to the ground. Elizabeth’s eyes went wide. She rushed forward to push the bulkhead door shut, then spun the wheel to seal it.

“We need to leave,” she said.

“What is going on?” Marie asked.

“We urgently need to leave.”

“Why?”

“Something has co-opted my connection to Gerling.”

“What does that mean?”

“That we need to leave.”

“Leave to where, exactly? We’re on a runaway submarine.”

“Anywhere that isn’t here,” Elizabeth said, then walked over to the hull and put her fist through it. The pressurised water from outside immediately started shooting in around her arm like a water jet, shredding her clothes. The air was filled with spray and water rapidly pooled on the deck. The sound of rushing water was like thunder in the enclosed space.

“I would just like to remind you,” Marie shouted over the noise.

“You told me so, I know,” Elizabeth said.

She grabbed the edges of the hole she’d punched through the hull and ripped it wider with gold-rank strength. Even the magically reinforced steel gave way and water smashed through the expanded hole like a hammer.

***

Holly and Tim peered out the windows, looking over the wing. A woman with silver hair flowing behind her was flying through the air like a superhero, matching the speed of the plane.

“Look at her hair,” Tim said. “The way it trails behind her, shining in the sun. It’s like the tail of a comet. How does it not go everywhere, or get tangled up in that wind?”

“She’s flying at almost the speed of sound, Tim. I’m going to guess magic.”

Tim reached for his phone and raised it up to take a picture.

“Put that away,” Holly told him.

“Just one photo.”

“Do you want her to hit you?”

Tim stayed silent, his expression turning shifty.

“Tim?”

“I don’t think it’s wrong to be open to new experiences.”

“Tim, do we need to have the talk about personal and professional behaviour again? I know that people in the magical community are expected to be quirky, but you’ve been backsliding since we returned to Australia. If you’re like this when we get back to the UN, I will fire you, do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.”

“Do you think she’s single?”

“Tim…”

“We’re not back yet. And dating is hard in the magical community.”

“You should never have been given this job. I hate nepotism hires.”

“But you’re the one who hired me. You’re my aunt.”

“We all have moments of bad judgement, Tim. How long has she been out there?”

“A couple of minutes. Who do you think she is? She has to be gold rank, right? I can’t sense her aura at all.”

“Her name is Sophie Wexler. She’s one of Asano’s companions.”

Tim flashed her a panicked look.

“You don’t think he’s here?”

“I know exactly as much as you do.”

“That’s probably not a good thing,” Tim admitted.

The flying woman looked over at them, then swerved in closer to the plane. When it seemed like she was going to hit them, she vanished.

“Apologies for the intrusion,” Sophie said, and they whirled around to find her standing behind them. “I was asked to make a delivery.”

“Like, a pizza?” Tim asked. The two women turned to look at him.

“He’s my nephew,” Holly said, her voice apologetic.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Sophie’s shadow grew from the floor, turning into a humanoid figure.

“Mrs Macrossan,” Shade said. “It is good to make your acquaintance again. Mr Asano would like to apologise for the unconventional approach, but he can’t portal blindly onto a moving plane. Would you allow him to board?”

“It seems odd to ask when the two of you are already here.”

“Mr Asano recognises that some find his presence imposing in a way that his associates are not. Miss Sophie is often found more welcome.”

Holly looked Sophie up and down, with her wind-tousled hair and body-hugging, aerodynamics-friendly outfit.

“I’m guessing that welcome is most enthusiastic from men,” Holly said.

“Indeed,” Shade said, “although many women approve of her literally militant feminism.”