Magical Girl Mercenary for Hire – Chapter Two

Magical Girl Mercenary for Hire – Chapter Two

>> 2041
>> Continent: North America
>> Country: Old New York
>> City: Mega City New New York
>> 9:48am

Beatrice yawned big, a hand covering her mouth just the way her mom had taught her. She blinked a few times, and tried to stay awake, but it was hard. Every time she rode the metro, she found herself being sapped of energy.

There was just something about the sticky seats, the constant rumble, and the cloying scent of hydrocarbons that did a number on her.

The train car was quiet except for a crying baby cradled in their mom’s arms, and a junkie a few rows down muttering to himself while rubbing at an exposed arm covered in needle traces.

‘We really should consider a new means of travelling around,’ Chys said from where they were cuddled against Beatrice’s chest.

“Yeah. Maybe later though,” she replied. She was planning on buying a set of shoes that would let her fly. Or giant deployable angel wings. Those would be appropriately magical-girl-y. She really wanted a halo that hovered over her head and which acted as a laser array.

Beatrice blinked. That was a fantastic idea! She sat Chys down on the seat next to her, where the unearthly creature stepped gingerly on the plastic bench, then she pulled out her notebook of ideas from her backpack and started making some quick drawings of what her magical-girl angel look would be like.

She liked using paper and pen, there was just something about it that felt very classy and fancy, even if it was a little less convenient than using a tablet or just making things on her augs.

The train pulled to a stop and Beatrice checked her augs. This was her stop. “Oh, shoot,” she muttered as she started stuffing things away in a hurry. She rushed to the exit, Chys hopping along after her.

Commander Carpenter had sent her an email the previous evening with their meeting spot for the day. Surprisingly it wasn’t at the Wraith Ranger headquarters.

Instead, Beatrice found herself exiting the subway station using a long set of stairs that disgorged her and almost no one else onto the ground level of the city.

To her left were rows and rows of mega buildings and skyscrapers, all packed in close. The roads at this level were congested with automated traffic, mostly large trucks that were little more than an engine and a bed for the cargo they carried.

To her right, the city was a ruin. It was almost possible to draw a line across the area where the devastation started and ended. Pristine buildings gave way to megabuildings with holes blown through their sides, with multitudes of broken windows and even a few buildings which had tipped dangerously to one side or the other.

Construction crews were crawling over the buildings, with multiple cranes at work dismantling things already.

Beatrice listened, and was able just barely make out the sounds of the coastline less than a kilometre away. “Do you think we’ll see the coast?” she asked.

‘It’s plausible.’

Beatrice secured her backpack, then scooped Chys up. She tsked and pulled out a used napkin from a pocket and started to wipe Chys’ little paws free of grime.

Her augs updated her with the location of the meetup. It was one of the buildings nearby, just on the bad side of the line of destruction. She had to walk a little ways, but that was fine. Crossing the street was tricky, but Chys told some of the trucks to stop, and she scurried across and into the building where she was supposed to meet the others.

The ground floor had a large lobby space, with several stairs and elevator access, and, at one of the counters, a Wraith Ranger. “Hello,” Beatrice said.

The ranger looked her up and down. “You’re our VIP?” she asked. She was a woman about the same age as Beatrice’s mom, though probably in better health.

“I think so,” Beatrice said. “I’m Starfire Twirl Cuddle Angel.”

The woman blinked. “Alright, cool. I’m Emma, Emma Harper, with Magic Squad. You’re with me.”

Beatrice rushed to follow the woman as she took off deeper into the building. It didn’t take long before she shoved an Employee’s only door open and lead Beatrice down an echoy staircase. “Where are we going?” Beatrice asked. “And I need to change.” She was still in her normal civilian clothes. A nice t-shirt with some old magical girl show art on the front, and a zip-up hoodie. It was a far cry from her costume, which was shoved into her pack.

“Just down here,” Emma said. “Have you been briefed?”

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“Not yet!” Beatrice said. “I read the email, but it didn’t say much.”

Emma nodded. “Titan will go over things with the full squad.”