POV: Baggage
The other girl looked nice. Her long brown hair flashed a diamond bead that Baggage always lacked the confidence to wear. The dress from the good elves suited her, though the midriff was daring. The other girl wore it confidently and she smoothly slid out of the other Drake’s grasp, giving his arm a small squeeze as she broke off from the group. From the corner of her eye, she could see the others lining up, too.
“I’ll tell you what,” said the other girl. “We can call me Mio One and-”
“I’m Baggage,” she said quickly.
“Oh. My. Quite the nickname. Chthonic dress, right?” Mio said. “That takes guts.”
“Thank you,” Baggage said softly. She recognized this girl. It was herself a few seconds before she met Drake. Maybe even more self-assured.
“So, tell me, Baggage-”
Oh no.
“-how come you’re still a virgin, why are you gripping your braid like that, and what is going on with your qi?”
Baggage needed to be strong. She couldn’t cry here. Drake-dono had almost apologized to her, it almost counted. She could do this.
No, she couldn’t.
- - -
POV: Drake
He drew his sword. The asshole raised his eyebrows, shrugged, and drew his own. The other guy wasn’t using a plain blade; it looked fancy. Ten years ago, Drake had commissioned his custom katana. No ornamentation, not a display trophy, a weapon. The other guy looked like he was using a metal toy.
They circled each other carefully. Studying the other man.
“No Glock?”, the asshole asked.
“Round room. Ricochet.” Drake answered.
“Bad move. I’m taking the shield. I won’t give you a second chance for the gun.” He smirked, “Sorry, friend. You went to the wrong elves.” He uttered a strange word and the blade of his sword turned to fire. “That armor charm of yours won’t help.”
Shit.
Drake ripped off the armor charm and stepped back, “Baggage! Here!”
He threw it one-handed, eyes never leaving the other Drake.
The other Drake would not shut up, “You’re going to evaporate soon, but I don’t want you screwing with us. I’d prefer to get home by Christmas Eve-”
Prefer? Prefer?!
“-it’s a long, cold drive back for Josh. I don’t want him having car trouble.”
Josh?!
Drake said, “Tell me, asshole-”
“Language.”
“-you do not mean Josh the art professor.”
“Well, yeah. He’s OK. I didn’t like it when the ex-wife married him right after the divorce, but they do a good job raising the kids.”
“You allowed that fucker near Lily and Ethan?”
“Of course, what’s the big-”
Drake charged.
- - -
POV: Sayaka
Both Sayakas folded their arms.
“,” they said.
“,” they said.
“,” they said.
“?” they said.
“I met a Chthonic I believe will be useful to the Order,” said Sayaka.
“I met Kaerith at the Capitol,” said Sayaka.
“!”, they said.
Hands flew to daggers.
- - -
POV: Runa
They were kissing immediately.
- - -
POV: Baggage
She didn’t say anything. It had been worse. This wasn’t as bad as the elf slaver. She didn’t have to answer.
“Nonverbal, Baggage? Don’t you have a gold bead in oration? You’re covering it up.”
“Chinese,” corrected Baggage.
“Whoops. I got the wrong side. Yes, my right, your left.” Mio giggled, it was pleasant.
Baggage gave up and let her hand drop.
“They’re the wrong color,” Mio said automatically. “And the gold one looks odd.”
“Elves,” Baggage said emotionlessly.
“I suppose that would do it. What about Kai? You shouldn’t have the problems you’re having.”
“He doesn’t want anyone. He just wants to go home. I- I think he’s right.”
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“Yes, but you could die. Assuming it all just doesn't pour out of you. What am I talking about? You’ll evaporate any moment now.”
Maybe Mio was right.
Maybe Baggage wasn’t the real one. Mio was confident and strong. She’d have been using magical powers that Baggage only dreamed of.
“Well. It’s too bad about whatever happened to you. I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”
That was nice of her. She was the better one.
Then Mio chose to say, “I guess mother was wrong about me, but right about you.”
Baggage’s eyes widened, she stood tall and straight. She put one foot in front of her, keeping her knees flexed. “What did you just say to me?” Baggage asked slowly.
Mio smiled and shook her head. “You heard me just fine, so step back. I can actually use my qi. You won’t win.”
A man’s voice rang out, “Baggage! Here!”
Baggage never broke eye contact with Mio. She reached out one arm to the side and caught what Drake had thrown to her. A charm.
Baggage’s smile was like Drake’s when he lost himself to anger.
Mio took a step back and raised her hands, palms out. “Uh, Baggage? I-”
Baggage stopped listening.
She was going to do something nasty and it was going to feel good.
- - -
POV: Drake
Drake’s katana was a monster and the charms on it had brought the weapon to mythological levels, it still didn’t look good for him. He was stronger, the other Drake more skilled.
As the blades clashed sparks flew along with drops of lava. Both men were fighting defensively. One hit would mean it was over for Drake. The other guy had magic armor, but he didn’t seem to want to test its limits. Was that due to cowardice or comfort? Maybe his opponent just hadn’t been in many fights. Heh. Drake had been in lots these past seven years.
“Why?” the other guy said. “Why do you care so much about Josh?”
“She. Was. Cheating!” Drake said, every word a blow with his sword. “The whole time!”
“Nice try,” the other Drake said. “She wasn’t. You aren’t real. I am. I know her. And your kendo is trash.”
An incredible searing pain struck through Drake’s shoulder. The smell of himself burning flooded his nose. The heat from the sword and its bright flame made him want to turn away. He didn’t. There was too much to lose.
“She never cheated on me.” the other Drake said firmly. “Sorry your last moments were like this, friend.”
Drake was not like movie tough guys. It hurt for real. Agonizing. His face was contorted in rage and pain.
He took a small step forward. The fire blade was already going through; it didn’t hurt too much more.
He took another step. He tightened his grip on the katana.
“Brother,” said the other Drake, jaw open and face in awe. “What happened to you?”
“Jail. For beating the shit out of your precious Josh when I caught him balling our wife!”
It was agony to raise the katana at all. He still thought he might be able to reach the other man’s neck.
- - -
POV: Sayaka
“Traitor!” spat one Sayaka.
“Kaerith died!” spat the other. “He would have found me if he lived.”
“Assassins change their names and the Forgotten Order is not a tidy bunch.”
True. But then- Ugh. The other version of her was babbling nonsense about Chthonics.
“No one cares!” she said. “If you met Kaerith, why aren’t you with him?”
The false Sayaka shrugged, “I had already lain with Kai. Kaerith understood and anyway, he had his eye on an alchemist friend.”
No! Kaerith could not simply be in the Capitol. This must be another difference between them.
“Why did you ever choose Kai?” Sayaka needed a good answer.
“The experience of a private chat is recommended.” the false her said smugly. “We’re all going back to Earth with him. I will be happy.
“No”, said Sayaka. “I hope so. But I don't think you will be.”
- - -
POV: Runa
There was no sign of stopping. They talked as they went.
“What’s your Kai like?”
“Amazing! Yours?”
“Don’t know.”
“Impossible. You’re missing out.”
“He’s locked on his kids.”
“He just saw them over Thanksgiving.”
“He was in jail then.”
Wait a minute. If she could remember something like that, then-
“”, they said together. “?”
They broke away, looked at each other, and both said, “.”
- - -
POV: Sayaka
“,” both Sayakas ordered.
“.”
“,” the Sayakas said reluctantly. “.”
That may not be completely fair, but neither Sayaka was in a good mood. Even more so than usual.
And as for Kaerith… she had thought that man dead for seven hundred years and she wasn’t about to be broken all over again by a hope that might be false.
- - -
POV: Drake
Their stalemate had to be broken up slowly. Both acknowledged many shared memories. A light dimmed from the other Drake’s eyes when Drake described how he’d caught his wife cheating. The other Drake remembered that time too. He turned off the flame on his sword and his Sayaka helped him extract the sword while he told his version of that night.
“There was ice,” he admitted. “I skidded into a telephone pole. I ended up coming home late. I always thought she was quite understanding about it, even though the repair was expensive and I had to borrow her car to get to work.”
“Yeah,” Drake said wincing and trying not to scream as the sword was extracted. “She hated it when I used her car.”
The Runas moved on to Baggage when the sword was removed.
Drake was in terrible shape. Both Sayakas used their weak healing on him.
“Give me your phone.” said the other Drake.
“I can’t reach the pocket”, Drake said. Obviously, he couldn’t. The other Drake was not an empathic fellow. It took him a few seconds to realize what that meant about himself.
“,” called the Runas. “”
Well, yeah.
Why should he expect anything different?
- - -
POV: Baggage
“Say it!” Baggage yelled. She was on top of Mio.
“I have! I even did it in front of Runa.” cried Mio.
Baggage couldn’t hit her again. A Runa held each one of her arms. The memory of Mio’s smug face still made Baggage want to hit her over again. Had Baggage always been like that? No wonder she never made friends in a department full of eromancers.
“Baggage, quit it.” Drake’s voice.
“Mio, I’m here for you.” Not Drake’s voice, though it sounded identical.
Even if they may be the same, she was confident she could tell them apart.
“Make her say it again,” Baggage demanded.
“Reasonable,” said her Drake.
“You don’t even know what she’s demanding!” the other Drake.
“Yeah, and I don’t care either.”
A sigh. “Mio, just do it.”
Mio gave up. Again. It was nectar for Baggage’s soul. “I’m sorry for what I said about Mom.”
“Say all of it!” demanded Baggage.
Mio blushed, “in front of everyone? OK. I just want to get out of here: Baggage, you're the better eromancer and you’re prettier.”
Yes. That should do it. Baggage smiled, stood up, and reached a hand down to help Mio. The other Drake picked her up instead and said quiet soothing things to Mio, she snuggled in his arms, it looked nice.
Her Drake was talking to a Runa. She was holding two smartphones.
“Can you speed up the data transfer?” he asked.
“I don’t know what that means.” the Runa said.
“The other Drake only asked me to make a ‘charge’ spell. It's weird how it needs a small amount of specific lightning.”
Baggage didn’t know what they were talking about and had lost track of which Runa belonged to each team. The Runas seemed to enjoy the confusion and stood next to each other.
The Sayakas stood on either side of her.
“?”, the Runas asked while they worked.
“” said the Sayakas. That had put a damper on the conversation.
Baggage and the Sayakas were quiet and awkward until one of them said, “As long as we’re waiting, tell me about the Chthonics.”
“My Sayaka can tell you, I’ll help heal Drake.” said Baggage. She didn’t want any part of it. Getting between the Sayakas was risky.
Drake had been hurt very badly. He still smelled of something burning. She knew him well enough by now to realize the last thing he wanted was to show his pain. She avoided working on the nerve cells for now.
Baggage was lost in her work, though she paid attention when they talked about her right to her face as if she wasn’t there.
“What did you do to your Mio?” asked Runa, presumably the other side’s.
It irritated Baggage’s Drake. “Nothing. And don’t talk about her like that. She’s high-maintenance. Otherwise, there’s nothing wrong with her.”
“,” said both Runas, identically running their fingers through their manes of curls. “.”
“Whatever,” Drake said and looked over at the other one, still attending to her double. “Dude! Mio is fine. C’mon. We've got to work stuff out!”
Oh yes. The shield. There was only one.
Her Drake would get it. She already knew.
Who is better?
