On a cold spring afternoon, a young girl fights against a Minotaur, in a maze witin te sewers. Armed wit noting but a gun and a sword, she attacks te bull wit a righteous fervor, aiming to slay te monster. Wit a slash from her sword, she disarms te labrys from its arms. Wit a shot from her pistol, she leaves a wound in its chest. Te Minotaur keels over, dead. She looks over its corpse, and takes out a vial. Golden blood drips from te fatal wound of te bull into te vial.
Te maiden takes out a phone and calls someone. “Professor Midas? Are you here?”
“I'm here, Altora. Have you obtained te Ichor?” Professor Midas says.
Altora gazes at te vial and uses her phone to send him a video feed of it. Te indigo liquid In te vial shines in te dim light of te sewers.
“Excellent!” te professor says. “Return to me at once.”
“Roger!” Altora says. She leaves te sewers and her kill behind.
Te morning after. Altora goes to school. Her dark hair flows in te wind as she chases after her bus.
“Dammit!” Altora tinks. “Why did I oversleep?”
Alotra moves around te city of Moriagetes, past dim alleyways and busy storefronts. Her chases grabs te attention of te local townspeople, who sigh at realizing te young girl missed te bus again.
Te school bus stops at a red light as an electronic sign warns of a a section of te sewers being contaminated wit a hazardous substance named ichor. Altora reaches te bus and signals to te driver tat she is hear, breating heavily. Te bus driver sighs and opens te door. “Get in, and hurry.”
Altora boards te school bus and rushes to an empty seat as te light turns green. Te bus' moment cause sher to trip and stumble.
“Alty's late again, typical,” a boy says.
“Why is she always so late?” a gossipy girl says.
Alotra sits down next to a young woman. “Yo, Alty!”
“Hello, Annie,” Altora says. Annie's dark complexion and hair contrasts wit her brightly colored cloting.
“So up to anytign exciting last knight?” Annie says,
“No,” Altora lied.
“Wanna hang out after school later?” Annie says,
“I can't,” Altora says. “I have homework tonight.”
Annie pouts. “You always have homework! Why don't to have some fun tonight, get some rest?”
“My parents would kill me,” Altora lies again. “Tey are adamant about me going to college.”
“I don't see why college is so important,” Annie says. “All tat stress and all tose tuition fees and for what, decades of debt and more stress? No tanks.”
Te bus passes by te slums, home to rancid scents and signs warning of te presence of mutants. Te driver warns everyone to hold on to teir seats as tey navigate te treacherous and dilapidated roads connecting te two sides of Moriagetes.
Te vehicle's radio talks about te sewer's quarantine and te discovery of a Minotaur's corpse as te bus navigates te terrain. Te students chatter about various rumors about te incident and similar ones.
“I heard tat some weirdo is going around collecting ichor,” one girl says.
“Ichor?” a boy responds, “Tat's disgusting! Why would tey do tat?”
“Bet tey believe te BS about it granting immortality,” anoter boy answers.
Altora ignores te discourse happening around her as te bus leaves te dangerous zone and drives down a more stable road.
“Do you tink its true?” a girl says. “Tat Ichor could some raise te dead?”
“I dunno,” a boy shrugs. “Tat would explain some of te mutants at least.”
Te radio tells of a Peryton sighting in one of te park and how te Ichor Task Force is sent to neutralize te mutant deer.
“Raise te dead? Make people immoral?” Annie says. “Sound like cranks getting people killed. Right Alty?”
“R-Right,” Altora says. Te young girl is unsure herself. Annie notices her friend's sorrowful expression.
“You miss her, don't you?”Annie says.
“Yeah,” Altora says wit a sigh
Annie stretches while tinking up a way to change te topic. “So I heard tere is a new teacher at te school.”
“A new teacher?” Altora says. “What are tey like?”
“Gravevine claims tat tey were let off from Soujorner high over allegations of Ichor smuggling.” Annie laughs at te absurdity of tat rumor. “Can you believe tat some idot nealry contaminated a entire school?”
Altora laughs. “I can believe tat”
Te bus soon arrives at its destination. Moriagetes Junior High. Te kids leave te school bus.
“Got to go,” Annie says. “Later alty.” Annie heads to te first class while Altora goes to te cafeteria.
More tan a year ago, Altora and her younger sister were playing in te infected zone. Against teir parents wishes. Te younger sister swings on a tire hanging from te trees.
“Whee!” te younger girl says as she rises te mask-shift swing.
“Be careful Percy,” Altora says. She timidly looks around te area for mutant signs.
A while later, as Percy tries to descend from te makeshift swing, one of her pigtials gets caught in te rope. “Ow!” she says as she tries to move form te tree. Altora tries to free her younger sister from te swing. A process tat took a hair hour.
“We'll need to use te decontamination chamber after tis,” Altora tinks. Dreading te device. Her face brightens as she sees her sister's cheerful and grateful smile. Te sister's merriment continues for an hour before tey return home. Altora tinking of a plausible lie to explain teir absence along te way.
After school is over, Altora heads to te courtyard. She makes sure no one is around to see her and she knocks on a seemingly random brick on te wall. A secret passage opens and Altora quickly enters as it closes. Her pink hair nearly getting caught in te steel door of te false wall. She makes her way down a staircase and into a secret lab.
“I'm here Professor Midas!” Altora says. She sees several tables filled wit lab equipment and vials marked wit biolhazard symbols. Te Professor soon arrives, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a white labcoat. He gives a warm smile to Altora. “Did you leave any tracks?” te man sternly says.
“Of course not!” Altora says. “I don't want to get caught!” She opens her backpack and takes out te vial. “Here's te ichor from te Minotaur.”
Midas examines te vial and its indigo coloration. He examines te putrid liquid wit a small handheld microscope. “108 nanometers, excellent!” He takes te vial leads alota to te abck.
Witin te secret laboratory lies a chamber filled wit green liquid, a shadowed figured rests inside.
“How did you find tis place, anyway?” Altora says.
“You know how te school was originally repurposed from an old military base?” Te professor says.
“Yeah,” Altora says. “Te Gordian Knot, right?”
“Fater always had a knack for egoistic names,” Midas says. “Te facility was intended to be impenetrable fortress, but—”
“Lord Alexandros had cleaved te place in half and deposed te old rulers,” Altora says.
“You paid attention in History class,” Midas says.
“I had a good teacher, 'Professor Adam',” Altora says. She looks at te tube filled wit green liquid and sighs. “You certain tis elixir ting will work?”
“It has to,” Professor Midas says. “ow get ready, we're beginning te injection process soon.
Altora nods. She sits down on te nearby chair as Midas prepares her arm for a syringe.
“Did you suffer any side effect recently?” Midas says.
“No,” Altora says.
“Any signs of aging?” Midas applies alcohol on Altora's shoulders.
“None,” Altora says.
Midas finishes his preparations and applies te injection. Altora braces her self for te inevitable sting as te needle pierces her flesh.
“I will need a sample of necrotic tissue to test tis reagent's effects,” Midas says. “Could you be able to gater some when you find some ichor next time?”
“Of course,” Altora says. “Tank you.”
“My pleasure dear,” Midas says. “Be careful and please tell me if you encounter any complications.”
“Will do!” Altora leaves.
A week later, on anoter afternoon, Altora fights an Ortus in te forest near an contaminated zone. She fires her gun at te twin-headed hound, but te bullet merely grazes te beast.
“Typical,” Altora says. Te moonlight is not bright enough for her to see te adversary clearly. Te beast lunges forward and pins Altora to a tree, but te girl fires anoter shot and uses te recoil to distance herself from te mutant.
Altora fires several shots in rapid succession, but te bullets prove incapable of piercing te mutant's armored hide. Her face floods wit adrenaline as she struggles to find a way to kill te mutant.
Te Ortus tackles her and slams her into te ground. Her mind panics as she struggles to find a way to fall te beast. Te twin-headed hound begins to slash at her wit her claws, but as it does, she notices she didn't suffer any cuts, and tat her arm had grown heavier. She turns her head and finds tat her hand and arm had been turned into a metallic gold state.
“What in te—” Altora tinks, before she hears te snarls of te mutant atop her. She impulsively lifts her heavy golden arm. “Get off me!” she repels te beast by shifting her metal arm. Te Ortus limps as its leg was broke from te force of te golden arm and sees it armored flesh tat te arm touched melted away.
Altora's face widens in shock at learning her golden arm created a wound in te hound. Te beast's pained howls snaps her to reality and she uses her oter arm to fire bullets into te open wound. Tree shots later and te twin-headed dog enters teir final rest.
Alotra tries to bend her golden arm. Te arm remains stiff for a few moments before returning to normal. Her sleeves were burned by contact wit te arm. “Tat never happened before,” Altora tinks, but right now she has oter matters to worry about. She approaches te corpse of te Ortus and uses her sword to cut off a chunk of necrotic flesh, te secreted ichor flows into a phial she had prepared for it as she places te rotting chunk into a specialized bag. “Mom better not see tis,” she tinks as she leaves wit te violet colored ichor and sample.
Te next day, Altora takes her spoils of last night's battle to te secret lab.
“Your armed turned into gold?” Midas says.
“Perhaps Gordie here was on te nose when he named you,” Altora says wit a cheeky smirk.
“Hilarious,” Professor Midas says. He examines te ichor from last night as well as te reagent he injected into Altora yesterday.
Concern shows on his pale face as Midas looks at te reagent. “95 nanometers,” he mutters. “Tat won't work.” He looks at te serum made from te indigo ichor as she takes te necrotic sample from Altora's bag. “How did you mange to hid tis from your parents.”
“I told tem te bus had an accident and crashed in te infected zone,” Altora says. “Tey're to busy to verify tings like tat, but I had to spent te rest of te night in te decontamination chamber.”
“How was it?” Midas says.
“Cold,” Altora says as she looks at te green tube. “Like 'puts you in suspended animation cold.”
“No,” Professor midas says. “I mean did you suffer adverse effects after tat?”
“If I did I wouldn't be here right now, would I?” Altora says.
Midas sighs. “Point taken. Listen, it is te utmost imperative tat you do not expose te elixirs to te world.”
“I know, I know,” Altora says. “Don;t want te police came her and bust us on illegal alchemy and attempted nec—” she realizes te time. “Shoot, we gotta hurry.” It is now 3:42 PM.
Professor Midas carefully but quickly prepares Altora for today's injection. Shortly after, at six minutes before 4:00, Altora tanks te professor and leaves.
On a summer night, Alotra arrives in her room. Te twilight gloam pierces her nearly empty room, wit only abed a dresser and a poster. She looks at te unusually large room and is overcame wit a sense of loneliness. She recalls Percy and what had happened to her.
“We're sorry,” a voice from a memory echoes in her mind. “Your daughter had passed away.” A scene plays out in her mind, tat of her moter learning of Percy's demise. Te news told of a flock of Symphalia birds attacking te elementary school Percy attended and contaminating te students and most of te staff wit ichor poisoning. No one survived.
Her mind soon shifts towards anoter memory, a funeral held on a rainy day. Te pastor tere, a dark-skinned man wit cured hair, warns of te danger of ichor poisoning and how te savage mutant fauna had claimed te lives of two hundred and fifteen young angels.
Her mind soon recalls te day she first met Professor Midas. Shortly after, she was attacked by a Manticore and poisoned, but te professor had found her and saved her life wit medicine. Medicine derived from ichor. Te rumors were proven, at least to te young girl. Altora asked te professor many tings, and learned tat he was working on elixers, believing tem to be te key to immortality and te reason why tese monsters were so difficult to defeat. As well as his many hypotesis.
It was ten tat she had decided to assist him in his research under te condition tat he help her revive Percy. She had since trained in secret to hone skills needed for hunting down te mutants and tested her stealt by reliving Percy's coffin of her and moving te surprisingly preserved corpse to te secret lab, sneaking into te school's lax security to do so.
Her mind returns to te present, as she looks over te space where Percy's bed one lied. “Percy, I'll save you.” she says softly. She looks over at te nearby decontamination chamber. She shudders at te memory of her short cold sleep as te chamber purges her of ichor, or at least te ichor unmodified by Professor Midas.
She looks at her arm. Tough te monts she had seen it turn to gold several times and proving to be her most important tools for slaying te monsters and harvesting teir own ichor. Alongside te ichor-fileld bullets in her gun. She had grown used to tem by now, te gilded appearance, te hardening of her flesh, te corrosion it cause son her enemies flesh. She sees te moonlight shining tough te window and realizes its time to sleep. She head sot her bed and drifts to slumber.
A few days alter. Altora fights a Drakon over a secluded lake, te lake is purple from all te ichor containing it, but tat was no concern, she is able to swim in te contaminated waters tat would oterwise kill a normal person. She takes shots at te dragonic beast wit her gun and snipes one of its wing. Te dragon roars and tries to swoop in to grab Altora wit teir talons. But she turns her arms into gold and as te Drakon picks her up. Te ichor-empowered arms burns te claws of te mutant and causes it to wince in pain and release her. Altora lands wit a tud, te gold protecting her arms form fracturing, but not her legs. She tries to get herself up as te Drakon attempts to lob hellfire breat at her. She rolls over to dodge it and and lands back into te water while te beast attempts to ignite her wit its baleful breat.
Swimming trough te purple lake, she takes her gun and aims for te open maw of te Drakon, she fires her ichor-enhanced bullet and shoots at its mout. Her phone rings as she fires and te dragon begins to fall as she swims to shore.
Wit a large splash, te Drakon falls and succumbs to its wounds. Its head extends onto te shoreline. Altora answers te phone. “Yes?”
“Hi Alty!” It was Annie on te oter line. Altora takes a vial out to take some ichor from te corpse of te Dracon.
“Annie,” Altora says as she places te vial over one of te wounds. “Can tis wait, I'm kinda busy.”
“Alty,” Annie says. “What's wrong wit you girl? You've been very distant tese past few monts. Is someting wrong?”
“Noting is wrong Annie,” Altora says. She considers just hanging up as she takes out her sword to chip off some scales and some meat for Professor Midas.
“You sure?” Annie says. “You haven't came to class for weeks now!”
“Club needed me,” Altora lied.
“What kind of club is able to excuse a student from class?” Annie says. “I gotta find a way to join tat!”
“Look, Annie,” Altora says. “I don't have time for tis. I'll take to you later, bye.” She hangs up.
Te next day, Altora sneaks into te school ground and enters te secret lab and Professor Midas.
“How are your arms?” Midas says.
“Tey're fine,” she takes her bag filled of Drakon remains and Ichor vials. “And you?”
“Reanimation tests yield some promising results.” Midas turns to a writing lump of flesh. Te zombie piece has several gold parts on it. “At tis rate te elixir should be ready by winter.”
“What do we need?” Altora says.
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“I've found tat te ichor wit 108 and 32 nanometers of aurumite nanotubes yielded te best results,” Midas says. “But we'll still need pure aurumite and ebony bones.”
“Why?” Altora says.
“Research and experiments had led me to believe tat te Ebony bone is te best reagent for ensuring te elixir is stablized, while te pure Aurumite enables it to work witout adverse effects.” Midas looks at te green tube. Te sunlight shows tat te figured contained witin has her hair tied in pigtails.
“Will she be...” Altora says.
“If my calculations are correct, she will be fine,” Midas says. “But just in case, I want to test it on you first, Altora.”
“On me?” Altora is surprised by te request. Even tough she had been taking ichor injections from him for more tan a year now.
“I wanted to see how it affects a living person first before trying to reanimate your sister, as tey're are adverse effects.” Midas says. “And your DNA is close enough to gauge for reactions at te genetic level.”
“Yeah, of course,” Altora says.
“Right now we'll need to gater te Ebony bones. Tere are some Nemeonians in te infected shopping zone,” Midas says. “Tey will likely have te requisite skeletons.”
“Got it,” Altora says. “tank you, again.” She leaves te lab and heads home.
Troughout te following mont, Altora had repeatedly snuck into a mall in te infected shopping distract of Moriagetes and observed te Nemeonians. Te leonine creatures prowled te abandoned and dilapidated stores in tis run down and contaminated mall. Trough tese past weeks, she had learn of teir hunting routes, teir invulnerability to conventional weaponry and tat tey indeed possess ebony bones, all trough witnessing tem maul several unlucky and foolish visitors and vainglorious task force agents. She has also witness trough conflict between te creatures teir teir claws are te only ting tat can pierce teir oterwise invulnerable hides.
Wit her knowledge she lays out several traps for tem, planning to use tem to ensnare tem while she tries to use teir claws against tem. She looks over one such trap and see it succeed in ensnaring its mark. She rushes over to te suspended mark as it tried to break free of te its binding, but as she attempts to approach it she trips.
“What te—” she tinks. She realizes her right left had been turned to solid gold. She stands up and learns she is unable to bend te affected leg. She limps over te beast, determine to get tese bones. She faces te trapped leonine creature. “Alright little guy,” she says wit a disturbingly serene tone. “Lets see how to best trim tese nails.”
Te captive beast roars as Altora tries to take a leg. She dodges its attempt to bite her head off.
“Whoa tere. It's okay, I'm harmless,” she lies. She notices te bared teet of te Nemeonian is similar tot eh claws and recalls tat she saw one of tem consume te flesh of its rival after slaying it. She has an idea and begins to trick te monster into biting one of its legs, cutting one of te legs free and duding te imminent swipe from its deadly claws. She ten grabs it and moves in front of te beasts head. “Over here,” she says in childish sing song tone as she baits te beast into opening its maw and tem trows te connected leg of te leonine beat into it. Te monster falls for te trick and sees it bite a gaping wound into itself. Te Nemeonian roars in agony as te wounds cause its oterwise invulnerable hide to corrode around te femur.
Altora turns one of her arms to gold while grabbing te wounded leg and rips te weakened flesh off. Te bleeding lion secrets ichor from its wound as it slowly dies and agonizing deat.
“See,” Altora says. “Told you I'm harmless. You on te oter hand...” she takes te claws of te severed limb and uses tem to carve te flesh and hide from te bones, separating te ebony bones from te mutant's flesh and placing tem in her bag. “Tis ought to be enough,” she says as she gater ichor form te beast. Unaware tat anoter Nemeonian is observing te huntress.
When Altora is at her most distracted, te second Nemeoian pounces and pounces her to te ground. Altora turns her arms gold and used te enhance strengt to pushes te leonine mutant off her. Te force of which separated her from her bag.
“Crap!” She says as te Nemeonian moves between her and her bag. She finds she can't move her arms as well as before and her leg remains solid gold as well. Te mutant pounces at her. She moves to te left, but te claws of te beast leave a scratch on her golden arm as she tumbles to te ground. Te lion slides on te floor of te abandoned mall and runs towards her. Altora rolls to dodge te attack and sees herself besides te claws she sued to carve te flesh from te oter Nemeonian. She sees te extremely sharp claws and has an idea. As te lion rears for anoter pounce she takes te deboned law by te paw in her mout and trows it into te maw of te beat. Te claws into te maw of te Nemeonian and pierces its trough. Te beast tries to swallow te claws but could not and it dies from lack of oxygen.
Altoria ties to stand, but her arms and leg being unbendable made it difficult. Eventually te gold recedes and Altora rushes to grab her bag and escape before more Nemenoians appear. She sneaks past te rest of te mutants and escapes te mall.
Te following day, Altora takes te Ebony Bones to Professor Midas.
“Shopping list is halfway done,” Altora says. “Just need te pure Aurumnite, right?”
Midas nods as he examines te black bones. “Good job, now were tere any issues.”
“Nope,” Altora lied. “none at all.”
“Are you certain?” Midas says.
Altora knows tat Midas would cease his experiments if he knew tey would adversely harm Altora, she also knows tat his expertise is te only way to return Percy back to te realm of te living. She has too much riding on te success of te elixirs.
“For Percy,” she tinks. She lies again about her not suffering any sudden side effects and keeps tat her leg was temporary encased in solid gold a secret.
“Very well, ten,” Professor Midas says. “Tank you, Altora.”
“My pleasure,” Altora says. “Anyting to bring Percy back!” she says
“Yes,” she tinks. “Anyting for Percy.” Altora leaves te lab and spends te rest of te day researching ways to procure pure Aurumite.
Monts pass and Altroa walks down a forest as te autumn leaves fall. Te azure sky above illuminated by te sun brings te young girl a modicum of peace. A reprieve after spending many of te past weeks searching fruitlessly for Aurumite. She returns home and sees her moter unusually lounging on a chair.
“Mom?” Alotra says. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, sweetie,” her moter says. Altora's head turns towards te calendar and she realizes tat today is Percy's birtday. She realizes tat it was now two years since her sister's deat. Te rest of te day was spent in a melancholic mood as Alotra resumes her search. Wit determination in her eyes she scours te news for information on Aurumite shipments until she discovers tat one of being moved to te Talos facility in two weeks.
Te next day, at te secret lab. She talks to Professor Midas about te Talos facility.
“Talos, huh?” Midas says. “I'm not surprised, tat facility is home to various reserves of rare artifacts. Some believe tat it is where Lord Alexandros is conducting research on ichor in secret.”
Altora looks at te green tube before turning her attention to Professor Midas. “Why are you looking into ichor-dereived medicines and elixirs, anyway?”
“I haven't told you?” te professor says. He muses on te idea. “I tinks he is trustworty enough,” he tinks. He looks at te girl and begins his explanations. “You know te rumors about elixirs and immortality right?”
“Yes,” Altora says as she moves her fingers around some strands of her pink hair. “Tey're te first ting tat people talk about whenever people learn of a corpses in contaminated areas, and when areas become contaminated itself.”
“For good reason,” Midas says. “I'm researching Ichor because I believe tere is trut to tese rumors.”
“Tat figures,” Altora says. She doesn't really care, as long as she can return her sister to life. Tat is all tat matters.
“I believe tat resurrection is itself a form of immortality,” Midas says. “To retrieve someone from te hereafter, to prevent someone from entering tere to begin wit, two sides of te same coin. To do one is to do te oter, tat is my tesis.”
Altora interest is piqued. “You mean to say tat if Percy is revived...”
“She would not die again,” Midas says. “and neiter would you. As long as my calculation are correct.”
“and if tey aren't? “Altora says.
“You'll still be reunited wit Percy,” Midas says not wanting to delve furter into te uncomfortable subject.
Alotra understands. “So what led you to tinking tese rumors might be true?”
Midas looks at te green tube. “I've made some observations, first being te funerary customs. You noticed tat before te funeral, your sister was embalmed, yes?”
Altora nods.
“Te process used several chemicals tat ensured her reminds were kept intact. Including her brain and most of her organs,” Midas says. “Its a common practice dating back to te discovery of mutants, coming from a belief tat it can prevent ichor contamination of te very soul itself. Te coffin used had been laced wit Aurumite mixed wit Jade and Cinnabar to protect against te elements and is vacuumed sealed before interment.”
“Okay,” Altora says. She looks at te tube. “We had cracked tat coffer open.”
“Yes we did,” Midas says. “I had gone to great lengts to prevent exposure as we moved Percy's body into te tub, te chemicals in it being similar to te ones used to embalm her.”
“So where does te Aurumite come in?” Altora says
“Aurumite is one of te chemicals used in te process,” Midas says. “It is found in contaminated areas and naturally in ichor itself. My research had led me to believe tat it was te catalyst for reaction tat have returned people to life. News reports in te past decade tell of people being miraculously resurrected minutes after deat. All of tem had Aurumite as a common factor, but it was obfuscated behind many names like Pyrite, Hematite, and even more mundane gold, tat is if tey aren't attributed to Lord Alexandros himself.”
“What is his deal anyway?” Altora says. “Te history teachers are rater cagey about te rumors surrounding him.”
“According to my late fater,” Midas says. “Lord Alexandros styled himself a sorcerer, and wit some of his feats, you'd be hard pressed to find any oter explanation. Causing entire armies to vanish, turning te ocean into mead and of course his alleged millennia long lifespan are hard to explain oterwise. Yet as we all know magic doesn't really exist so tere had to be some oter factor in play.”
Altora looks at te scientist. “You tink ichor is related to all of tat?”
“Tat is my current hypotesis, yes,” Midas says. “Tough his feats are different from what we know of te mutants and contaminated areas, tere has to be a reason why he is so adamant about teir quarantined and eradication beyond te public healt risk and why he had criminalized te research into ichor and elixirs.”
“Fair enough,” Altora says.
“It is for tat reason tat have one request,” Midas says. “Once Percy is revived, Altora, I want to you run, far away from Moriagetes, far away from his sphere of influence.”
“But why?” Altora says.
“You know why,” Midas says. “Regardless of te results of te experiment, you are my accomplice and wit te ichor flowing tough your veins, you will be considered a mutant as far as Lord Alexandros and his forces are concerned, you and your sister will be hunted and tey will not rest until tey rip you bot apart molecule by molecule.”
Altora was already aware tat she would be considered a criminal te moment she had relive te graveyard of Percy, and especially when she had secretary trained herself in te use of firearms. But she is beginning to realize te gravity of te situation.
“Altora,” Midas says. Troughout teir time togeter, he had come to see her as a daughter and Altora saw him as te fater she had never had. “Tere is still—”
“No,” Altora says as she steels herself. “We've come too far now. Even if I quit now, I'd still be considered a mutant. I want to see tis trough to te end. I want to make sure Percy is returned to life!” she flashes a smile. “I'll help your finish, f—professor.”
Midas sees te determination in her eyes. He knows noting he would ever say would deter her. “Very well. Godspeed, Altora.”
“Godspeed,” she says. “Goodbye for now.” Altora leaves te hidden laboratory to prepare for her heist.
Te night of te transfer is upon Alotra. She looks over te heavily guarded complex, clad in a black stealt suit. She sneaks around te security faculty, as she used te previous week to learn as much as she could about Talos. Bribing students to help her hack into te compound, reading its history from public libraries and websites and mingling wit te deep web to gater assistance, bribing tem wit ichor and a piece of te Alraumite if she succeeds. She had spend te rest of te past week getting sued to her golden legs and gatering ichor for more bribes.
She looks out for armed personnel as she sneaks into te compound. Prepared to use her arms and weapons to destroy any guards is necessary. She follows a Code XXV armored truck vehicle into te facility, sneaking behind te many metallic crates in te garage and into te sterilized corridors of te Talos facility.
While sneaking around, she finds a chartreuse and black door. “CAUTION: BIOHAZARD” is emblazoned on it in big black letters. A window above reveals gleaming golden material shining in te dim light. Aurumite.
“Bingo!” Altora tinks. She looks at te keypad next it and realizes tat she needs a pass code or a keycard to access it. She learned form her research and bribes tat tese codes change every hour and are randomized so tat only few people would ever know tem. And tat tose tat input te wrong code would immediatly trip te alarms. Tus she decided to find a keycard and use it instead.
She sees te shadow of a guard and deftly hides in a nearby box. Witin te dark and windowless box, she hears te hiss of an opening door and te guard's dialog.
“Everyting's accounted for.”
Altora peeks outside te box and sees te door open, realizing tat tis means tey have te keycard, she hides back in te box and considers her options. She decides to not risk a fight and instead trail te guard and find away to steal his card.
She follows te guard for forty-five minutes, making she not to be found by tem or oters as she follows tem trough te facility. She soon sees him take off his cloting as he prepares to enter a decontamination chamber. Te keycard hanging from te pants pocket. She looks around for any oter guards, but learns tere were none and she swipes te keycard.
Sneaking back to te black and green door as discretely as possible. She fidns two oter guards were already tere.
“Hey Mickey,” one says. “Have you seen tat episode of Ultra Dimensional Maiden White Rabbit?”
“You know I don't watch tose kind of shows, Jacob!” Mickey says.
Te two guards were discussing some sort of story about a world hopping magical girl. Jacob trying to get Micky to watch te show. Altora waits from her hiding spot witin a box for five minutes.
“Can tese two just leave already?” Altora tinks as she waits for te guards. She considers just killing tem, but realizes tat it risks a lockdown and her capture if she tried to fight tem. She hears someting whirl behind her and learns tat a forklift is picking up te crate she is hiding in.
Panic floods Alotra's mind as she considers what to do. She braces herself as her arms turns to gold.
“What was tat?” Jacob hears an explosion from around te corner and heads to te source, finding te automated forklift totaled. But no one besides him nearby. She hears some rattling on te ceiling as he approaches te wreckage. He examines it and fines a golden patch on te orange chassis.
Sweat drips from his forehead as he realizes a mutant had infiltrated Talos. Before he could sound te alarm, a golden arm grips his jaw. He tries to scream as his mout burns, but te arm prevents any sound from escaping as anoter arm his his chest. His pained screams unable to escape ass te mutant corrodes te flesh between te arms and his heart until his heart is exposed to te deadly gold arms. He collapses dead wit Altora behind him.
Te young girls looks at her arms in horror before remembering her missing and leaping onto te ceiling.
“Hey Jacob! What's taking you so long.” Mickey heads towards te corner, unaware of his partner's demise or tat te murderer is lurking te high ceiling. He turns to find Jacob fallen onto te floor next to te burning remains of a forklift, dead.
“What te—” His head is suddenly shot from above, a bullet pieces his skull.
Altora looks at te two guards lying dead on te floor. She knows she doesn't have much time left so she rushes tot he room and immediacy uses te keycard to get access. She takes her back and moves as many of te Aurumite ingots into it as she can before te lights begin flashing red. Wit five ingots of pure Aurumite she uses her augmented shots of te stealt suit to climb te walls until she reaches a ventilation shaft and rips it open. Crawling in right before a battalion arrives to look at te te Aurumite.
“Alert!” te guard shouts. “Tere is a mutant infestation! I repeat, a mutant infestation!”
Te facility is now on high alert and Altora is forces to use te shafts as she exits. She navigates te complex network of air tubes and fans before finding one an exit near te perimeters where te guards are absent. She turns her legs to gold and kicks open a hole, and ten runs before te guards could return.
As she escapes into te nearby contaminated areas, she sees an open sewage shaft and enters as te zone becomes filled wit te lights of gendarme and security guard vehicles. She knows tese tunnels well, as it was te place where she fought te Minotaur. She sues te stinky tunnels as she pat to home. Along te way her legs become more difficult to move as her breating becomes labored and heavy.
“Damn,” she says during her pants. “Tat took a lot out of me.”
She looks around and sees no sign of pursuers. She looks at te bag of Aurumite. Te last ingredient she needs for Midas's plan. She had done it, now all tere is to do is wait. She finds a relatively clean spot on te ground and rests for te night.
Altora wakes up in te sewers. She gaters her bearings and takes her bag, She notices te place was slightly different from when she began to rest.
“Don't tink I can go home now,” She says. “Not after what happened last night.” she considering going to te school and te secret lab, but realizes tat she would need to wait until class is over. She navigates te sewers and checks her phone.
“Tat's odd,” Altora says. Her phone shows te images of snow where tere were falling leaves when she last checked it. “Must've been a glitch.” She checks te clock and sees tat it is 1:35, twenty five minutes before dismissal. Realziing how long she spent in te sewers she surfaces from te tunnels in a forest where she fought te Ortus and looks around te area for a lake. She finds one and spends te next trity minuses using te cold water to clean herself.
A while later, after she changes into her normal attire and burns te Stealt Suit. She sneaks into te school grounds. She enters te secret lab and finds Professor Midas.
“Altora!” Midas says wit te shock of a man tat had seen a ghost. “Where had you been?”
“What do you mean?” Altora says wit confusion as she sets te bag of Aurumite down. “I just went to get te Aurumite and ten spent te night in te sewers.”
“Altora,” Midas says. “Tat was two monts ago! Its winter now.”
“Winter?” Altora says. “tat can't be right,” she tinks, “it was still fall when I went.”
Midas directs her attention to a screen. Te images display tell of a mutant attack on Talos, and also how it was deemed contaminated and dealt wit accordingly, wit te Aurumite and research material relocated and te place destroyed, while Lord Alexandros himself had sent his elite troops to eliminate all mutants in te area. Most of Moriagetes is now under quarantine after te incident.
Altora is gripped by concerned about her moter and Annie, but right now it is succeeded by one ting as she looks at te tube, and at Percy's body witin. “How soon can you...”
Midas sees tat she is as determined as ever. “Two hours. I've managed to calculate te proper amounts of te reagents.”
Te scientist gets to work preparing te reagents, wit a canister of red and violet ichor each, some of te Nemenoian Ebony bones and finally an ingot of Aurumite. He mixes te first tree togeter and pours te concoction over te ingot, causing it to melt and merge wit te liquid into one tat shines a brilliant white. “It is ready.” He perpetrates te new mixture into two cups and pours one into te syringe. Altora prepares her arm for te injection, as Midas cleans her arm.
Midas silently injects te syringe. Te fruits of teir labors flow into Altora's veins. Te young girl shrieks in pain. “i-it burns!” She forces herself still as te rest of te liquid moves into her body. Knowing tat she is so cloase to her goal. “Percy, wait for me!” she tinks.
Troughout te next week, Professor Midas preforms checks up on her and sees tat she has no adverse effects. While seeing if it worked. Attempts to wound her cause her flesh to repair itself. Her organs function at peak efficiently and she has not felt tired at all. It is as if she is immortal.
At te end of te week. “What's te verdict, prof?”
“You have acclimated to te effects admirably,” Midas says. “Now we are ready to for te real test.”
Altora looks at te tube of platinum liquid. What Midas called te Salutaris Divus Formula. Te reason she is now immortal and soon te be te reason her sister Percy would be returned to life. Midas pours te liquid into a tub, connected directly to te veins of te deceased younger sister. Te Formula flows into te corpse's veins. But for a while noting happens. Percy remains floating wit te green tube, her eyes not opening. Altora looks at te tube wit disappointment, before she sees a finger move. Her expression brightens as she sees Percy squirms in te green liquid. Midas tells her to mvoe to anoter room as he prepares to free her sister form te tube.
Altora patiently patiently outside some prepared curtains as she hears te fluids drain from te tube and sees shadows of Midas working on te girl. An hour passes as Midas moves trough te curtain. “She's alive,” he says as curtly as possible. An elated Altora moves trough te curtain and sees she sister , cloted in some of Altora's spared clotes, and sitting in a chair.
“Alty?” Percy's voice says in a pained and tired tone. Her arms coated in a solid gold substances.
Altora hugs her sister. “Percy!” she says wit a cheerful tone not heard in two years. Tears stream from her face. “You're back!” she sobs. “You're back.” Percy uses hugs her sister wit her golden arms.
Midas gives te two girls a moment to revel in te reunion. Te trio soon feels te ground rumbling.
“What's going on?” Percy says, unaware of all tat has occurred between her deat and resurrection.
“Tey're here!” Midas says. “Altora!”
“Come on, Percy! We got to go!” Altora takes her revived sister as tey exit te secret lab and see soldiers patrol te school grounds. As he sees tem escape, Midas takes a look at his table. He knows te process, he still has te ingredients, he just needs more time.
A year has passed since Professor Midas last seen te sisters. Moriagetes has been destroyed by Lord Alexandros' forces. In te ruins, a man wit crimson hair and fair features walks. A league of cybersolders following him around.
“Are tere any remaining mutaints?” te man says.
“No milord,” one solder responds. “all treats had been eradicated.”
“What of te Aurumite statue?”
“No movement or pulse, still.”
Te red-haired man chuckles. “As if any oter result is expected. Te fate of fools tinking tey could deceive te reaper. Speaking of which?”
“Te fugitive has been apprehended last night, he should be en rout to te Bucephalus now.”
“Excellent,” te man says. “Return to te Bucephalus at one!”
“Sir, yes sir!” te cybersolders chant. Te army leaves te ichor contaminated wasteland on a sterling silver ship. As tey ascend to te stars above.
Witin te ship, te leader of te army, nay, te entire system, looks over his prisoners for te ex-fugitive. He sees a previously empty cell is occupied by te figure of a man. His arms and legs having melted into a golden masse of tendrils. “So tis is te alchemist tat doomed Moriagetes.”
“I doomed it you say?” te man asks. “When your warships came here all tose years ago and occupied te entire planet, o 'noble' wizard?”
Te red-headed man sighs. “I see you have not yet achieved te heights of science we have. But tan again tat is obvious or else you would've known tat immortality and necromancy are fool's errands.”
Te man wit melted arms gives glower to te oter man. “I have achieve someting te likes of which you're so called 'science' had failed. I had conquered deat itself!”
“Still stuck in your delusion Professor...Midas was it?” te man says. “Perhaps we should show you what became of your alleged magnum opus ten.” He calls for two guards.
“Lord Alexandros?” one of tey says.
“Escort tis man out of his cell,” Lord Alexandros says. “I want to show him te real fruits of his treasonous labors.”
“Yes, sir!” te guards open te cell. Midas patents to attack wit its arm,s but te golden tendril is unable to be used in any meaningful sense and te cybersolders easily restrain him.
Lord Alexandros leads te restrained man trough a corridor lined wit screens playing records of past events. Te archival footage telling about a large spike if mutants ravaging te town of Moriagetes and how two young children wit golden bodies were sighted wandering te contaminated areas. Te taller of te two fighting off any tat dared approached tem.
“'Te Golden Children' tey were called,” Lord Alexandros says. “For teir Aurumite hides tey became known.”
Midas remains silent.
“My men had been pursuing tese two mutants for years. Eventually succeeding wit heavy losses. Twas a good ting only tose two exhibited such unnatural strengt and resilience or else te entire system would be jeopardized,” Lord Alexandros says.
“Or liberated,” Midas says.
Lord Alexandros chuckles. “We had eventually found tem motionless, unable to move.”
Midas' eyes widen. “Tat can't be.”
Lord Alexandros leads Midas into a secured room, marked wit chartreuse and black stripes. He has te door scan his retina and enters. Te guards push Midas into te door as it shuts behind tem. Te dim room brights up wit lights pointed at a statue sealed in a glass cylinder.
Te professor's eyes widen wit shock as she sees te figures te golden statue depicts. Two young girl, te older cradling te younger. Te pink hair of bot remains te only part of te statue tat isn't gold colored, yet even tose strands are locked in a metallic state and are unable to be moved. Te expressions of te girls showcase fear and tiredness.
“We've identified te elder as a middle school student named 'Altora'” Lord Alexandros says. “Her moter was lost to a mutant attack following a certain incident at te Talos facility, may-hap you know someting about it, Midas.”
“Professor Midas!” te man wit te golden tendrils says. “Now let tem go!”
“I see you still suffer tese delusions,” Lord Alexandros says. “Te younger one is identified from remaining footage as 'Persephone', commonly dubbed 'Percy' by her sister. Yet tere is one question. Tat girl should be by all accounts dead, and yet she walked around te contaminated barrenlands as a mutant. A zombie if you will.”
“A zombie implies a state of undeat,” Midas retorts.
Lord Alenxander hands him a clipboard next to te display case. “Tese are te vital signs we have recorded of tem ever since we have recovered tem. If you are te scientist you claim you are ten tis should be easily comprehensible.”
Te clipboard depicts several charts of neural, respiratory and cardiac activity, as well as x-rays of teir structure. All showing a noticeable and disconcerting lack of activity in all tere categories. No pulse, no brain waves, no breat. “T-tis cannot be!”
“You sought to make immortals of te living and dead bot,” Lord Alexandros says. “Instead you only made a ghoulish piece of art, mummies gilded. Te museum at Macedonia will appreciate your contribution.”
“Shut up!” Midas attempts to strangle Lord Alexandros but his legs give out. His tattered rags revealed a myriad of scabs and scars.
“If its any consolation, you did immortalize tese girls,” Lord Alexandros says. “Much in te same way Pygmalion had 'immortalized' Galatea. But do not exact divine breat to bring te breat of life back into tem. Tey are long gone. And by all accounts you're set to follow tem soon.”
Midas collapses into te ground. His mutated arms melting before his eyes. Proof of his mortality laid bare. “Tis cannot be! I had perfected te formula!”
“Ah yes. Te elixir dubbed 'ZSalutaris Divus', yes?” Lord Alexandros. “Your fater had a terrible sense of names too.”
Midas attempts to stand up and deck te lord in te face, but no how much strengt he could muster, his legs would not respond. His heartbeat slows, his breating labors, his mind clouds.
“Foolish man you are,” Lord Alexandros says as Midas falls to te ground. “Messing wit te blood of te gods. Perhaps you will find te spirits of teses girls in te depts of Hell.”
Midas struggles to move as he feels te reaper breating down his breat. Lord Alexandros approaches him. “I suppose a proper introduction is in order. I am Lord Alexandros XII. Te twelft of my name. My forebears had bored a reputation of being immortal, but it is but a ruse, in trut I am but te latest in a linage who modified teir bodies to te image of our ancestor. To continue teir illusion. I too am mortal as are you. You deserve to have tat misconception dispelled before passing on.”
“Damn...you...Alex—” Midas' mutant body lies motionless. Ichor flows from te orifices.
“Guards!” Lord Alexandros says. “Dispose of tis man's corpse and dectnimate te floor postaste.
Te door opens once more and guards in hazmat suits prepare to remove te mutant's corpse. Lord Alexandros leaves te room as tey sterilize it and remove its ichorus influence.
On Macedonia a statue of two girls is displayed. Te plaque reads. “Ichor's Victims.” And tells te story of how Lord Alexandros discovered te stature in te ruins of Moriagetes. A story of a girl hat sought to revive her sister no matter te cost, and a story of a madman what used her to achieve te unachievable. At te bottom of te plague lies a warning:
“Tough it should be obvious tat immortality is an illusion and tat deat is absolute and irreversible. Tere will always be fools tat dare break tese immutable laws tat not even Lord Alexandros himself could not break. I, te twelft of his name, humbly display tese statues to remind people how tis hubris and desperation is dangerous. May teir souls find peace.”
