Lila tumbled out of bed, using a careful dose of her Psionic speed to slip past Lunae as the princess plopped onto the mattress, her hands covering her mouth. She felt almost nostalgic in that moment, recalling vividly just how much the heiress meant to her. Ivy and Lila were reunited.
They shared a wordless hug, breath smothered against each other in mutual understanding. Lila hadn't even noticed the girl slung around Ivy's shoulder. But Sonera did.
"What-uh," she stopped herself, not wishing to ruin their moment.
Lunae was already behind the assassin, restraining her with a fake smile. Ivy deserved the chance to explain herself. After all, she had just saved them all.
Lila herself had a question or two, choosing to prioritize Ivy's return instead. However, she did eventually manage to shoot a questioning glance as she locked eyes with the heiress.
"She's alive," Ivy gestured towards the girl dangling from her shoulder. "We're safe."
The heiress seemed strangely invigorated despite the damage to her exterior. She nearly forgot the absence of her own Psionic ambiance. Lunae, however, caught on rather quickly, skillfully caroling the girls towards a makeshift mattress she had crafted on the floor, with both ample space and protection thanks to the encircling bunks.
"Oh," Lila gasped, her eyes sparkling with wonder and fear as Ivy plopped the dancer onto the bedding. "Alia..."
She felt a pang on the back of her skull. A Psionic note from Rena, no doubt. However, all it took was a silent nod from Lila to dispel most of her fears. Alia was spared, for reasons Ivy had yet to explain.
The dancer was still hogtied, choosing to remain silent with a closed expression. She could practically feel the girls' judgmental stares boring into her frame. Ivy had gone easy on her opponent near the end of their exchange, yet came out on top all the same.
Quite embarrassing.
"She's really pretty," Lila tried to lighten the mood, still clinging to Ivy with trembling hands. "Did she swipe the card on you?"
Sonera scowled. It was the first time she had ever bared her fangs towards the Earthling. But Ivy was quick to step in.
"I'm not going to kill her. Not without giving her a chance." The heiress hooked her healthy arm around Lila's waist while gesturing towards Sonera with her exposed hand.
Sonera wasn't buying it. She could see firsthand the lengths Ivy went to achieve victory. Yet the rational side of her was practically screaming at the heiress to just finish the job.
"How can we trust her?" Lunae spoke up. "Are you merely going to have her promise not to move on us again?"
Alia shifted her weight around so that she could stare up at the girls properly, curling her lips into a solemn frown. She didn't know what to say. In some ways, she was more aligned with Sonera.
Why spare a killer?
What good is the word of a fiend?
Ivy gazed into Sonera's eyes, beckoning her towards a peaceful understanding, "You could have killed me."
The assassin seemed offended, crossing her prosthetic arms, "You weren't a threat."
"Wasn't I?" Ivy sighed. It pained her to think back to how easily she would have struck Lila again, the same girl clinging to her side with a loving embrace. "Do you ever imagine what would have happened if I had won that day?"
"You wouldn't have," Sonera shrugged. "It isn't the same."
The argument had taken off before it ever had a chance to find its footing. Alia expected as much from her captors. They knew each other so well, and logically, there was no need to establish their goals. All that was left to do was proceed with exceedingly heated inquiries.
"Sonera," Lunae chastised her partner. "Please. Let's be polite."
Ivy rolled her eyes. The assassin was about one thing. The heiress back then would have never won. But Sonera was avoiding the point.
"Good morals won't keep us alive," Sonera huffed.
"So that's what you were doing when you protected Lunae," Ivy leaned into Lila, relying on her warmth to encourage her next move. "All logic and strategy?"
Sonera averted her gaze. She didn't want to be right. All that mattered to her was cutting off loose ends.
"Listen, I understand she tried to kill you," Ivy reasoned, "But-."
"That's not even the issue. I was simply her first target. Me or you, then Lunae and Lila. It was a strategy, not a vendetta."
Sonera's words unsettled Lila. She looked down at Alia with pity, not for what she had become, but for what Yrix had forced her to believe. The same applied to her friend.
"L-listen," Lila peeped. "If we can just find a way to move past this, then nobody has to die. Alia helped us before. We have a mutual cause."
"So she gets off scot free?" Sonera glared.
Lunae cocked her head towards Ivy. They exchanged a brief look, then a nod. An understanding had been reached.
"No one said that," the princess spoke on Ivy's behalf. "We're going to have a little chat with Alia."
"I didn't exactly give her a bus ride back here. She's our prisoner," Ivy continued. "And the others are just going to have to deal with it."
Lila looked over her shoulder towards Rena. From what she could sense from the other side of the room, her friend was frankly amazed that Alia had any chance at all. The twins, on the other hand, shared judgment towards Alia. Not for any moral reason, of course, they just found her work sloppy.
Going after the strongest fighter first was a gambit, afterall.
But that seemed to be Ivy's point. Alia was driven by desperation beyond all else. Her confident façade was merely a play to aggravate her enemies. There was yet hope that deep in her heart, she could be reckoned with, unlike so many of their alien adversaries.
Lila could feel it. She shared Ivy's perspective. However, she had a few reasons of her own for sparing Alia.
"So we torture her," Sonera seemed disappointed. "I'd rather just get it over with. Never much liked torture. Doesn't get anywhere useful in the long run."
Even Lunae grimaced a little. Sonera hadn't exactly brought up her past much. Such was the benefit of fighting primarily monstrous foes. But this was a humanoid they were discussing.
"Uh," Lila flinched. "Speaking from experience?"
Sonera gave one of her usual cold looks. Lila was still working on her Psionic abilities, but Ivy could read well enough. Her friend, Sonera, had been on both ends of the experience. However, her lack of scars hinted at an unfortunate truth, one that Lunae and Ivy thought better to keep hidden from Lila.
Alia surprisingly didn't move an inch. The dancer was prepared to receive whatever came her way. She had that in common with Sonera, though the assassin would hate to admit it.
"Nobody's torturing anyone," Ivy tried not to groan. "Lunae, you can explain."
Sonera bit her lip. She didn't like it when Lunae conspired right in front of her. But then again, she was hardly in a position to judge anyone when it came to shrouded motivations. That sort of retrospection was the only thing keeping Alia alive.
"I'll search through Alia's mind. Make sure her vow of peace is genuine," the princess smiled, lifting a finger. She felt a bit like her mother in that moment. "And yes, we will make her vow."
Alia finally spoke up, "Wait, what?"
Lila seemed satisfied enough. She trusted Lunae not to go overboard. Sonera, on the other hand, was finally satisfied, having full faith in the Infestare's ability to explore all possibilities.
She would know.
Sonera grinned smugly, if only for a brief moment, as suddenly an heiress slipped into her arms with a passionate hug.
"Thank you for understanding," Ivy whispered, her face buried into Sonera's shoulder. "I know this is hard for you."
The assassin's face trembled. All at once, guilt and self-loathing filled her soul in a cascade of emotions. She felt responsible for it all. But her lesson the night prior hadn't been wasted.
Just as soon as Ivy began to pull away, Sonera clutched her exposed back with two sharp claws, drawing the heiress back in. It was her turn to embrace her friend, albeit with a far mightier gesture. She made sure to hold Ivy as long as she could.
"No," Sonera sniffled. "Thank you. I...you saved my life."
Lunae and Ivy watched together with toothy smiles. They needed the win.
"Hmm," Ivy smiled. "Just returning the favor. I used your old trick back there."
"Hmm?" Sonera raised an eyebrow.
Ivy didn't elaborate, choosing instead to cackle a bit before turning back towards Alia. There was still unfinished business.
"H-hey! Someone answer me!" Alia protested, wiggling around in her bonds.
Lunae was already drawing in, kneeling in front of the dancer with a determined stare.
"Lila, hold her head for me," Lunae pointed with a polished nail as her tail slithered out from behind her back. "Be gentle."
"Uh-okay," Lila gritted her teeth. "Sorry Alia. You kinda did try to kill my girlfriend...and my friend...and me...and Lunae."
Her efforts were futile, yet Alia had no intention of allowing Lunae in. She had something to hide. Something that meant more than dignity.
Yet no one could resist the Infestare. As her tendrils encircled Alia's lips, the dancer felt herself slip. Her mind - her will, no longer commanded her own body. She couldn't bite down even if she wanted.
"N-no...Ack!" Alia choked.
She felt her bonds slip as she continued to struggle. But Sonera was already there, like a prowling dog ready to reinforce the bindings with her own Psionic strength. There was no escape.
Lunae was in.