Location: Adventure Lake

Time: 3:40 PM, 12/29/2107

I boarded a pathetic looking swan pedal boat and started making my way to the island in the center of the park’s artificial lake. Sara didn’t actually give a location, but based on her use of analogy I’d assumed she’d be near water. Given that the water park area had long since been dried up there was only one option.

Pedaling there alone took longer than I’d have liked. It gave me time to think. About what I was doing. Agreeing to her plan was easy, but what about actually doing it? Even if Hana planned on taking the final shot, I was helping her kill someone. Doesn’t that mean everyone was right? I’m a murderer, it’s in my blood. Even after all I’ve said about not using my augmentation, there I was.

The moment things got difficult I was quick to forgo everything I’d ever said and rely on the power I got from those monsters.

As I approached the edge of the island I could see a beautiful young woman, relaxing along the artificial beach. Her unnaturally red hair matched the fairy tale outfit she was wearing. Even though it only took a moment to recognize her as Little Red Riding Hood, the crazed smile that dominated her face reminded me more of the wolf.

After catching sight of me Sara popped up from her beach chair and started waving. Suppressing my nerves I beached my swan and made my way towards Sara.

“You came! Sara knew you would. Sara would give you a danish, but it’s Sara’s danish. Maybe a turnover will do? No, can’t be. Sara already ate it.” She pulled a pastry out the basket she carried under her arm and happily started eating.

“Where’s Jaxon?” I couldn’t see him around, and I had to play my part.

“What’s a Jaxon? A new kind of snack? Like a muffin? No, that’s not right. Sara already knows about muffins.”

Her bubbly voice matched the sweetness of the pastry she was happily nibbling away at.

“Jaxon. The police officer you’re holding hostage. I came for him.” I didn’t, but I couldn’t let her catch on to Hana’s plan.

“Hmm. Seems like Something Sara would do. Sara doesn’t have him though. Probably left him somewhere, like an old cupcake liner. Sara didn’t actually need him. You were going to come anyway.”

“So a trick? How could you be so sure it would work?”

“Of course it would work. Because Sara wanted it to work.” A sudden gust of wind blew a napkin directly into Sara’s open hand. She gracefully wiped her hands and face before sending the napkin off. “Sara is the protagonist. The hero. Of course it worked.”

“The protagonist? Of what?”

“Life. A side character like you wouldn’t understand, but this is Sara’s world. Everything will always work out in Sara's favor. That’s why there was no point in trying to find you. The sparky one wanted to kill you, the noisy one wanted to kill you, and the policeman wanted to protect you, but Sara didn’t need to worry. Sara’s job was to retrieve you, so that’s what was going to happen.”

“Retrieve? Why do you want me?” The other two wanted me dead, so had I assumed wrong? The third, Sara, wanted me alive? For what?

“Why? Why why why? Because orders said so. Sara is supposed to get the girl, and prevent MID interference.”

“Who gives the orders? Who are you?”

“Sara is Sara. But Sara was told not to reveal Sara’s identity, so they gave Sara a codename. Sara thinks it was. . . Sleeping Beauty? Something like that.”

“I think it was probably Little Red, but it’s a little late for that, Sara.”

The eerie smile that I’d assumed was a permanent fixture on her face was replaced with a confused look as she tilted her head.

“Sara? Sounds familiar, but Sara doesn’t know any Sara. Who is Sara?”

“Is this a joke?”

“Can’t be a joke, Sara isn’t laughing”

“Unfortunately, neither am I.”

“Then time to go? Sara is running out of pastries, so Sara’s mission will be finished up in a few minutes.” I watched as Sara’s shadow momentarily flickered. Hana was in position.

“Nah. I don’t care if you’re Sara, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, or Snow White, I’m not going with you.”

“Snow White! That’s the one. That’s why Sara dressed up like this!”

I subconsciously tapped into the information dimension and imagined a spear behind me, far larger than the one I created between my hands. I willed my weapon forward, toward Sara. My concentration wavered as I heard the hissing energy fly past my head, but I kept my focus on Sara. I would impale her. I could already see it.

Moments before my projection made contact the sun crept out from behind the clouds, shining directly into my eyes. I squinted, and my attack flew just right of the mark. Sara turned to watch the fluorescent orange spear of energy fly past her just as Hana lept from her shadow, knife first, slicing through the space Sara was previously occupying.

I readied another attack, launching it at Sara without hesitation. It flew over her head as she crouched down to tie a loose shoelace. Before she finished the sand around her was turned to glass by dozens of strikes from Hana’s black lightning, none of which hit their mark.

Hana started coughing violently, falling to her knees while staining the beach with blood.

“It’s not a good idea for you to try and hurt Sara. Your body is too weak. Sara can tell. Every time you use the sparks it hurts you. There’s always a chance the hurt could cause complications. If you try and fight Sara, that chance will always happen.”

Rolling onto her side Hana threw her knife into the shade created by the boat I used to get there.

The knife reappeared, flying out of Sara’s shadow. It ripped through her dress, but couldn’t pierce what she wore underneath.

“Wow. wow wow wow. That one hit. That attack was impossible for Sara to avoid. Can you believe it? Hatta was right when he said the augmenteds of this city are dangerous. Good thing he gave Sara this vest. Can you do anything else?”

Both Sara and I looked toward Hana expectantly, but she was unmoving, facedown in a pool of blood. More blood than could possibly be within predicted levels.

“That’s it? Good fight Sparky. You made Sara worry for a second. That doesn’t happen.”

We finally managed to hit her, and this was the result? I was forced to acknowledge what Hana told me earlier. Sara can’t be hurt. Her augmentation had to be some kind of probability manipulation. If an outcome can be avoided, it always would be. Only actions with a 100% chance of success could work. So that’s what we’d have to do. An attack that would definitely hit, and would definitely take her out.

Hana didn’t look like she could do much else. Should I run? No. Escaping Hana was more than possible, but I couldn’t get away from Sara. And even if I did, the winner between Charles and Oliver would be looking for me. Hana was my out. I needed her to vouch for my freedom. I had to get rid of Sara.

Unfortunately, I’d already thought of something that would work.

I sighed, internally and externally, as I moved toward Sara. I wasn’t running, just walking. She wasn’t the kind of person that could recognize hostility from my failed attacks. She wouldn’t try to stop me.

Hana could have never approached her like this. Only someone who’s spent a decade denying their augmentation, pretending they’re a harmless girl could appear this weak. Someone not worth avoiding.

“Hmm? Time to go? Leaving with Sara?”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how she’d react to anything I had to say. I just kept walking. Closer. Closer.

“Okay? Leaving with Sara time? It was a fun mission. Sparky was more fun than most. It’s a shame the noisy one didn’t show up, but he’s probably busy with those guy’s Hatta said we’re supposed to work with.”

I moved close enough to smell the sweet scent of pastries on her breath. Then I reached out and gently wrapped my arms around her. If Hana was conscious Sara wouldn’t let me grab her like this, but no one could lose that much blood and be okay. There was nothing for her to worry about.

“Sara understands. Sara would hug Sara if Sara could.”

I took a deep breath and clenched my teeth as I imagined getting impaled. I imagined it would be as painful as possible, a spike bursting through my chest. An attack Sara couldn’t possibly avoid.

My grip on Sara tightened as the pain became real. I closed my eyes and screamed while forcing myself to stay conscious. I couldn’t let my concentration fade.

That was my augmentation: pain. I can’t physically affect anything, my attacks cause nothing but pain.

“This. This is it. This is what Sara’s been missing. Hurt. Discomfort. It’s been so long. Sara almost forgot. Ahh.”

I pried my eyes open. In front of me was a face of ecstasy. I could see the faint orange glow of my augmentation behind her. My attack worked. I impaled us both.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This was perfect for Sara! This is why Sara was sent on this mission, to this city!”

Sara leaned forward and bit my cheek hard enough to draw blood.

“A thank you kiss.”

It certainly wasn't the reaction I wanted, but it worked all the same. Like I said, I was never supposed to deal the finishing blow. From the beginning I was nothing more than a distraction.

I cut my connection to the information dimension and let go of Sara. Without her body supporting me I fell to the ground.

“Is hug time-”

Before finishing her sentence Sara’s body was blasted across the beach like a ragdoll. The arcing of black lightning kicked up clouds of sand as thunder rolled across the artificial coastline.

I forced myself to roll over and saw Hana, covered in synthetic blood. Sparks were flying off of her wildly as she fought to keep that electric pattern from descending down her face any further.

Hana was right. Sara wasn’t the type to confirm something if it matched her predetermined expectations. She readily accepted that Hana was incapacitated from blood loss, never suspecting that it could be a trick.

I’ll just have to remember to apologize to everyone that ever needs a blood transfusion for using so much medical grade artificial blood for such a reason.

“Good job Emi Emi. You managed to hold her complete focus. We burnt her candle from both ends. Leave the rest to me.”

I wanted to respond to the fact that even her aggressive personality couldn’t correctly use a simple expression, but I felt myself losing consciousness. How could Sara handle that amount of pain?

The last thing I remember was watching the surface of the artificial lake freeze over.