Diary of a Teenaged Mimic

Dear Diary,

I never imagined the worst part of being Court Martialed would be the waiting.

So after the Cadets behind me shuffled around to put the crew I’d passed in the hallway next to the Entrance front and center, Marshall duBois moved around to sit in the chair next to me.

Headmaster Miles looked around, I guess to make sure nobody’d decided to take a nap, and then said, ”Marshall duBois, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

DuBois nodded, and his voice filled the Yard. ”I had the Cadets playing Squadball for the morning to burn off some energy and aggression before an afternoon of advanced hand to hand lessons and sparring. During what I intended as the last match before lunch, Cadet Driver received a mortal wound from the simultaneous impact of two balls, one to either temple. By the time I reached the Cadet, Cadet Diaz had already applied a Stabilize Spell. She appeared enraged by the accident, so I ordered her to take Cadet Driver’s corpse to the Infirmary. I then returned my attention to the remaining Cadets, taking advantage of the teachable moment to explain to them how Cadet Diaz’ response was an exemplar of what to do in the case of any such wound, whether in training or in the field.”

”Is that all?”

DuBois nodded again. The Headmaster still waited a full ten count before speaking. The man didn’t have a titanium rod up his ass. He had a titanium soul. Possibly up his ass. I wasn’t as sure about that part.

”Thank you, Marshall. Prosecution?”

Hero Velazquez stood and moved over to stand in front of the Marshall. I smirked as I realized he’d barely stopped himself from going into Parade Rest in front of duBois. The Marshall was, technically, sort of, his boss some of the time, and at a guess one of the more senior Heroes in the City. ”Thank you for your testimony, Marshall. Can you recall the exact wording of the order you gave Cadet Diaz?”

DuBois considered for half a second, then nodded. ”Yes.”

”Could you recount that wording for the Court in full now, please?”

The entire Yard vibrated, then shook as duBois’ parade ground shout filled it, ”Get Driver to the Infirmary, NOW NOW NOW!”

The Hero just smiled, the kind of thing you’d do at a favorite teacher’s annoying idiosyncrasies. ”Thank you, Marshall.” He looked over at Loki. ”Your witness.”

They traded places, and Loki opened with, ”forgive my ignorance, but I assume that recounting was at a similar volume to your order on the day in question?”

DuBois nodded, saying, ”pretty much.”

”Did you intend for Tabitha to expedite her transit via any means necessary?”

The Marshall thought for a second before growling his reply, ”it would have been counterproductive for her to kill someone to do it, including herself, but short of that? Yes.”

”So you ordered her to destroy school property and disrespect the person of anyone who got in her way?”

”Not what I said.”

”Ah,” exclaimed my Patron, ”but you clearly implied it, didn’t you?”

”Only if necessary. I trusted her judgment on whether it was or not.”

Loki nodded, absolutely hamming his pose of consideration up for the Court. ”So, Marshall. In your professional opinion, having heard Tabitha’s testimony, was it necessary?”

”Some of it.”

”Which, specifically?”

The Marshall thought about it for a second before listing out his opinion. ”Yelling at people to clear the way and going through anyone who didn’t clear a path.”

”Thank you, Marshall.” Loki took three steps toward his chair before spinning about. Such a drama queen. ”Out of curiosity, why didn’t you deliver Cadet Driver’s corpse to the Infirmary yourself?”

DuBois’ reply shot back instantly. ”I needed Cadet Diaz out of the Practice Yard before she gave in to blood lust, I needed to capitalize on a teachable moment, and of no less importance to my decision, Sister Siobhan is the school’s designated Revive specialist, and I can’t bypass the Ladies’ Dormitory’s Filtration Ward without substantial effort and, more pertinently, time.”

”Thank you, Marshall. No more questions, Headmaster.”

The Headmaster nodded, waited through his obligatory ten count, and announced, ”Hero Potami, you are now requested and required to give testimony.” A woman rose from a seat at the table and walked around to the chair. Her initial movements set off alarm bells, and when I got to see her face as she approached the chair, I slotted her immediately into the ’do not fuck with’ category. Unlike the Smith, she had no lack of soul, but hers, much like the Headmaster’s, was pure titanium. Unlike the Headmaster’s ergonomic soul, however, she had a titanium machine designed to mince up bad guys and dispense laser guided Justice in multiple serving sizes. She lowered herself to the chair, and I didn’t have to look to know she’d done so with both precision and grace, perching on the very front edge of the chair.

It kinda surprised me when she passed in front of me that she had to be at least six inches shorter than me, but whatever.

Headmaster Miles broke the silence by saying, ”Hero Potami, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

Her mezzo-soprano didn’t echo the way duBois or the Prosecutors did. Each syllable filled the Yard precisely when she spoke, disappearing immediately after. ”I stood in the Entrance of Phileo Heroic Academy, preparing to take twenty-five Senior Cadets on an extended patrol in force, a ’ride along’, as you described it earlier. An unknown woman in a Cadet’s uniform advanced at a sprint from the direction of the Men’s Dormitory, carrying a body, also in a Cadet’s uniform, and shouting for us to, and I quote, ’make a fucking hole’. My Cadets and I dove for the Entrance as the nearest clear space out of the corridor. The Cadet collided with the Headmaster, who had not moved from his position in the middle of the hallway. The unknown woman then continued down the hallway, continuing to announce her urgency at what I assume was her best volume, saying ’coming through. make a hole’. I lost sight of her when she rounded the corner in the direction of the Ladies’ Dormitory.”

Headmaster Miles actually wound up slow off the mark, starting a little before asking, ”is that all?”

”Yes, Headmaster.”

”Thank you, Hero. Prosecution?”

Hero Velazquez walked over, already asking, ”Hero Potemi, can you identify the unknown woman now?”

She just stared at him until he closed his eyes, heaved a sigh, and said, ”apologies. Hero PotAHmi, can you identify the unknown woman now?”

”With some caveats, yes, Prosecutor.”

”Please do so.”

”The unknown woman matched the Defendant, identified today as Freshman Cadet Tabitha Diaz, within tolerances only achievable by advanced shapeshifting.”

The Hero nodded. ”Are there any sufficiently advanced shapeshifters within a day’s travel of Phileo City Heroic Academy?”

”Yes.”

Another quiet sigh. ”How many?”

”To the best of my knowledge, one.”

”And where is this shapeshifter now?”

”To the best of my knowledge, seated to my right.”

I hope to hell her sex partner has a cock of tungsten steel.

Loki replied with a simple, hmm?

If it’s not, with Kegels strong enough to keep her ass that tight, she’ll crush it like a toothpaste tube in a hydraulic press.

Loki choked down his snort, but hero Potami’s head swiveled to the right. Before she’d turned entirely his way, Loki replied, oh, don’t worry, his is, with an image of Hero Velazquez.

Aaargghhh! Great Dane mounting a Corgi! Brain bleach! Brain bleach! Her head swiveled back when I straight up snorted a laugh, but before she’d pulled me into her sights I squared my shoulders, and the resulting pain wiped any vestige of humor from my face.

”Final question, Hero Potami. Do you believe Cadet Diaz could have avoided collision with Headmaster Miles?”

”Yes.”

”No more questions. Thank you, Hero Potami.” He nodded to Loki. ”Your witness.”

Before he even stood fully, Loki asked, ”Hero Potami, in your professional opinion, would avoiding Headmaster Miles have slowed Cadet Diaz?”

”Yes.”

”Did you, at any point during your part in the events, feel disrespected in any way?”

For once Hero Potami didn’t respond immediately. Her head tilted to the side, as if she needed to use gravity to direct blood flow to an entirely different part of the brain than what she normally used. After a few moments, she straightened her head and said, ”Yes.”

”By Cadet Diaz?”

”No.”

Loki nodded, then asked, ”out of curiosity, then, who did not pay proper respect to your self and position?”

”Headmaster Miles.”

I’d say you could have heard a pin drop, but that pretty much happened every time Hero Potami spoke. She had that kind of intense, sphincter clenching presence. Loki paused a moment, purely to allow the audience to savor her answer, then said, ”thank you, Hero. No more questions, Headmaster.”

Headmaster’s nod, ten count wait, then, ”Doctor DeLeon, you are now requested and required to give testimony.”

Doc DeLeon strolled around to the chair. He sat down a little ornately, sweeping his professorial robes across the seat of the chair before sitting. ”Doctor DeLeon, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

”Of course, Headmaster. Cadet Diaz entered the Men’s Infirmary carrying Cadet Driver. I Assessed him, and upon determining his condition as dead, ordered Cadet Diaz to deliver Cadet Driver to Sister Siobhan in the Ladies’ Infirmary as quickly as possible. She left immediately. I contacted Sister Siobhan to alert her to Tabitha’s imminent arrival.”

Ten count. ”Is that all?”

”Yes, Headmaster.”

”Thank you, Doctor. Prosecution?”

The Hero didn’t even approach, but asked, ”Doctor, could you repeat for us now the order you gave Cadet Diaz, word for word, to the best of your recollection?”

Doc DeLeon shrugged. ”The moment was a little heated, but if I recall I said, ’Get him to Sister Siobhan, as fast as you can’.”

”No more questions. Thank you, Doctor. Your witness.”

Loki stood and took a few steps toward Doc DeLeon before asking, almost conspiratorially, ”Doctor, did Tabitha interfere with your duties in any way during the events in question?”

”In any other circumstance, that question would be insultingly stupid. No, she did not.”

”Excellent. Just for confirmation, why didn’t you personally deliver Cadet Driver to Sister Siobhan?”

Doc DeLeon opened his mouth to answer, paused a moment, then said, ”she’s just plain faster than me, no question. I’m a historian, a lawyer, and a healer. I’m not a Hero.”

”Thank you, Doctor. No more questions, Headmaster.”

Ten count. ”Sister Siobhan, you are now requested and required to give testimony.”

The Sister rose from her place at the table, walking to the Witness’ chair with a stride so smooth I could have set a full bowl of water on top of her head and not spilled a drop. She sat gracefully in the chair, both legs tucked to the side away from me, angling her face to me ever so slightly.

”Sister Siobhan, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

”Yes, Headmaster. Doctor DeLeon contacted me with a Message Spell. He told me Tabitha was headed to my Infirmary with Bill’s body. As I moved to open the door, I heard a terrible shrieking from the hallway, followed by the sounds of a scuffle. When I’d just turned the handle, Tabitha charged into the room, spilling us both to the floor. I noticed particularly that at no point did she release Bill’s body; in fact she took the impact of their fall entirely on her back and arms, protecting him until she could deposit him carefully on the nearest Infirmary bed. I Assessed him to confirm Doctor DeLeon’s diagnosis,” here she paused and looked at Doc DeLeon in his seat at the table. ”Apologies, Doctor, but other than ’Dead’, you hadn’t sent me any other information.”

When she paused her testimony right there, Doc DeLeon quickly replied, just loud enough to carry to Sister Siobhan, ”no apology needed, Sister. I don’t even know the Revive Spell, didn’t know anything else mattered.”

She smiled, nodded, and continued. ”I prepared to Revive Bill when I realized Cadet Diaz was hovering. I formally asked her if she would bear the cost of the Revive, fully expecting her to say ’no’, but she agreed. I Revived Bill with Cadet Diaz paying the cost of Revival. At some point during the process Sister Trease entered the Infirmary and attempted to disrupt the process, but by Canta’s grace she failed to do so. You entered the Infirmary and explained to Tabitha that she must attend an Inquiry today, and her Patron confirmed that.”

Ten count pause. ”Is that all?”

”Yes, Headmaster.”

”Thank you, Sister. Prosecution.”

The Prosecutor walked over to stand within conversational distance from Sister Siobhan. ”Sister, did Tabitha’s knocking you to the floor risk impeding your performance of your duties?”

”I mean, I guess? It might have, conceivably? But it didn’t. In fact...”

David cut her off. ”That will be all, Sister. No more questions. Thank you Sister. Your witness.”

Loki stood beside Sister Siobhan without seeming to move through the intervening distance. ”Sister, if you would, please finish what you were about to say just now?”

I heard the Prosecutor’s sigh from where I stood. ”Thank you, Loki. I wanted to note that Tabitha’s actions actually kept me from being incapacitated for the remainder of the day, at least. Possibly significantly longer.”

”Can you explain to the Court, in simple terms, why?”

”I.. I shouldn’t.” I could tell she wanted to, but found herself caught on the horns of a dilemma. Someday I wanted a pair of dilemma horns to mount on my wall. Maybe even a whole dilemma head.

Loki smiled, leaning over as if conspiring with the Sister, even though his soft voice still filled the Yard. ”A Secret of your Patron relating to casting the Revive Spell?”

Sister Siobhan jerked her head in a tiny nod, almost as if she didn’t want anyone but Loki to see it.

Loki stood and faced the Yard, spinning slowly in place until he’d met the eyes of everyone in it, commanding their full attention. ”Let it be known to all within hearing, whether a member of this Court or not; should any here in any way repeat the knowledge you hear regarding the Secrets of Canta, even to acknowledging that you know such Secrets exist, I swear that I shall make you regret your indiscretion with every fiber of your being for every day of your,” here he turned and smiled at Sister Siobhan. ”Hopefully long, healthy lives.”

Headmaster Miles’ response came immediately, no ten count required. ”Defense, did you just threaten this court with Divine retribution?”

”Perhaps.”

”What of your oath limiting you to gifts granted to Mortals?”

”I have done nothing but promise retribution. Any Mortal can do so. I have not otherwise affected their minds or perceptions. Their future actions, hopefully, as I would quickly tire of such a bothersome chore, but I am a God of my word, and should they reveal anything I mentioned, I shall do so.”

The Headmaster chewed on that a bit (I’ll let you guess how long) before saying, ”carry on.”

Loki knelt before Sister Siobhan and swore, earnest honesty radiating from him, ”should your Patron wax wroth with you, I shall ask them to take the cost from me. Should they disavow you, I shall immediately grant you my Patronage for as long as you should need, assisting you with all my resources to find another Patron specializing in Healing.” He waited, watching Sister Siobhan waver moment to moment, at the perfect instant, he lowered his head and begged, ”please, Sister. For Tabitha.”

Remind me not to give that charismatic bastard a single inch.

Don’t worry. I shan’t.

Sister Siobhan choked out a single sob, then nodded, her shoulders straightening as a sigh escaped her. ”Canta forgive me,” she whispered, then shifted into a lecture mode worthy of any of the teachers in the Academy. ”As a few of you have learned, the cost of the Revive Spell can vary greatly. At the most expensive, the cost can be the lives of multiple others, their Mana torn from them in order to fully heal the Body, recall the Soul from its afterlife, restore any damage to the Soul, properly integrate or excise memories, both those of the Body to be Revived as well as any memories from previous or subsequent lives, and finally welding Soul and Body to restore natural Mana flow and what is commonly referred to as ’life’.”

She paused, took another deep breath, and continued. ”What none of you save those who have devoted their lives to Healing in the service of Canta until they have achieved both the Revive Spell and the Healing Coma Spell as Skills know is that those who have done so are Blessed by Canta such that should they fail to have Mana sufficient to successfully Revive a Body, Canta makes up the difference.”

Holy shit. Gods can do that?

Apparently Canta can.

I mean, isn’t that kinda dangerous for the God?

Oh, sweet Tabitha. The Mana of the greatest Mortal mages pales to insignificance next to the Mana of a God.

So who do the Gods pale in significance next to?

A Gem beyond compare. In all the cosmos, only Primordials routinely have more, and some very old, strong, Glorious Gods rival even them.

All that passed between us in a flash; Siobhan continued speaking. ”The Healer then falls under the sway of her own Healing Coma, dedicating all of her Mana to Canta, until such time as her Body and Soul produce enough Mana to return to Canta what he granted in the Healer’s moment of need.”

She fell silent, pensive, and Loki looked up from where he knelt before her. ”Thank you for your trust, Sister. I will strive to be worthy of it,” as will everyone else here if they know what is good for them. That last didn’t echo, it just seeped up from my hindbrain, and by the reaction of everyone else in the Court, theirs as well.

”Please, if you would, explain to the Court how Tabitha’s actions kept you from being incapacitated?”

With a huge sigh that deflated her from her teaching pose and back to being simple Sister Siobhan, she answered, ”of course. First, and I can only assume Tabitha did this by applying a great deal more than the normal amount of Mana to the Stabilize she applied to Bill, as it’s the only spell she knows, Tabitha delivered Bill to me in perfect condition.”

”Perfect condition?” Loki asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Siobhan actually blushed a little, giggling a little and looking away. ”Well, perfect condition except for, well, being Dead. In every way except that, Bill was the picture of health. That meant no Mana was required for the Healing aspect of Revive.”

”Could you have used other healing magics to heal Cadet Driver before Reviving him?”

”Well, yes, but the Soul migration during the casting time of those Spells usually negates any Mana savings, since any healing must actually correct the damage rather than simply providing Mana to accelerate the Body’s natural healing process. My assumption is that Tabitha completed her overpowered Stabilize before Bill’s Soul left his Body. That’s,” she paused, and looked toward Headmaster Miles, ”am I allowed to speculate in my testimony?”

Loki cut in with a smooth, ”Defense moves to submit any speculation by Sister Siobhan as a Subject Matter Expert in healing, Reviving, and any related aspects of Body, Soul, and Mana.”

Headmaster Miles pursed his lips, but turned to Doc DeLeon, ”Doctor DeLeon, your opinion on this, please?”

”She knows more about Souls, Bodies, and Healing than I do. Which is as much a surprise to me as it is to you.”

The Headmaster’s lips quirked at this, but he turned to Hero Velazquez and asked, ”Prosecution?”

”No objections, Headmaster.”

Ten count. ”Motion carried. Speculate away, Sister.”

Loki smoothly replied, ”Thank you, Headmaster. Go on, Sister.”

”Thank you. That’s another thing I noticed almost as quickly. Bill’s Soul remained co-located with his Body. Well, it had drifted out into the room a bit while I Assessed him and prepared to Revive him, but still. With the exception of the trauma of Death severing it from his Body, his Soul was also in excellent condition. Some of that slow drift and excellent condition is, of course, due to Bill’s strong Personality, but even then his Soul ought to have been left behind in the Practice Yard. It is my considered opinion that Tabitha carried his Soul to the Infirmary along with his Body.”

As mortals near you are so fond of saying, the fuck, Diaz?

No idea, Boss.

A gem beyond compare indeed.

”How is that possible, Sister?”

She shrugged, ”I thought you would know that better than I, Loki. Gods routinely are said to carry the Souls of those faithful to them to their eternal reward.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. ”Are you implying that Our Tabitha is, in fact, a God?”

Sister Siobhan paled, shaking her head, even raising her hands in front of her at arm’s length, shaking them as well. ”NO! No, no, no, I would never.”

”Then how? Speculate, please. I believe you intend nothing Profane in your speculation, nor did I believe you intended any heretical implications in your earlier speculation; I simply desired you to state it for the court.”

Oh, nice save, Boss.

Dearest Tabitha, do be so kind as to shut up a moment.

Sister Siobhan settled herself, then speculated as Loki had asked her to. ”I can only assume that Tabitha somehow cradled Bill’s Soul with her own, as she cradled his Body so protectively as she carried it. Perhaps she intuitively shaped some facet of her Mana to do so, I can’t be certain. But the results were unmistakable, she delivered Bill’s Soul to the Infirmary along with his Body. That reduced the cost to the pittance to guide his soul from a few yards away at most, and the cost of reconnecting his Soul to his Body. Even the normal smattering of memories from the Soul’s wandering after Death had been minimized between Tabitha’s rapid delivery and preventing the Soul from wandering in the first place.”

She took another huge breath, then looked to me. I kept my gaze front, but couldn’t help but notice her puppy dog eyes from my side. ”Then, after doing all that, when I asked the question just for form’s sake, expecting a rejection, she volunteered. Not the slightest trace of hesitation. Even, perhaps, more than a trace of insistence.” She shook her head. ”Imagine, someone with no knowledge of how my own cost would be mitigated, someone with, I dare say, no knowledge of how her own actions had mitigated the cost, forcing herself into that gap to protect her friend.”

Jeez. She’s kinda creeping me out here, boss. I meant it more than I could express. I felt her gaze on me. It tingled. Like the polar opposite of the shitstorm oscillating back and forth from fingers to shoulder in my left arm.

Loki cleared his throat, distracting Siobhan.

Thank god.

You’re welcome.

”Sister Siobhan, in your estimation, how long would have you been in a coma after Reviving Cadet Driver.”

”Since Tabitha paid the entire cost, I can only speculate, but I estimate no less than the remainder of the day, likely extending to the following sunrise, possibly to the following sunset. Should Cadet Driver have been delivered in the condition Tabitha originally described, with his Soul left behind in the Yard to drift, no less than a week. Possibly up to a full turn of the Moon if his Soul wandered afar.”

Loki nodded, seemingly satisfied. ”Thank you, Sister. Should you ever desire a Boon I am capable of granting, name it and it will be yours. No more questions, Headmaster.”

”Bribery, Defense?”

”Bribery is done before testimony. This is a simple expression of my deep and abiding gratitude, such as any mortal might make.”

Headmaster Miles glanced to Doc DeLeon, who shrugged. Ten count. ”Sister Trease, you are now requested and required to give testimony.”

Mega Bitch tromped over to the chair, glaring at me the entire time. As she passed, she hissed, ”reckoning!” just loud enough for me to hear.

”Sister Trease, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

”I was in my office, preparing my accounting paperwork for the past month, trying to find the money to cover the repairs to her room’s door, since we’d had to repair the Devotional enchantment three times this month alone. Anyhow, I heard her screaming some kind of vulgar profanity in the hallway, followed by a terrible screeching, no doubt her fault as well. I tried to stop her, to figure out what she’d been up to this time, and instead of acting like a proper Lady and answering her House Mother’s questions before proceeding, she attacked me!”

Ten count. ”Is that all?”

”Oh. You came by, helped me to my feet, and escorted me to the Infirmary to confront her.”

Ooh, I am She Who Must Not Be Named! Fear Me! I have no nose! Rawr!

Please don’t even joke about that. She might hear you.

Stifled sigh. Ten count. ”Is that all?”

”Yes, Headmaster.”

”Thank you, Sister. Prosecution.”

The Hero stood, stone faced, and asked, ”were you injured by Cadet Diaz?”

”Yes! She kicked me here,” she pointed to her gut, ”and here!” and her shoulder. She rubbed at the shoulder I hadn’t kicked, saying, ”I think she might have broken it.”

”No more questions. Thank you, Sister. Your witness.”

Loki stood beside Trease, broad smile on his lips, none in his eyes. ”Did you have anyone Assess your injuries?”

”Uh, I didn’t want to bother the Infirmaries, they have so much to do.”

”But you think your shoulder is broken.”

”She kicked it!”

”Ah. Headmaster, can we have a Healer cast Assess Health now on Sister Trease, that we might know with certainty the extent of her injuries?”

”That’s private medical information!”

Loki didn’t roll his eyes, but I felt him want to. ”Headmaster, it is, but it is also pertinent to multiple charges.”

Ten count. ”Prosecution?”

”I have no objection, Headmaster.”

Headmaster Miles nodded, ”Sister Siobhan, if you would be so kind?”

”NOT HER!” Trease shrieked.

The Headmaster closed his eyes and said, without opening them, ”Doctor DeLeon?”

”Not a Man!”

I watched Headmaster Miles’ titanium practically vibrating before he took a deep breath and stated, tone brooking no further argument, ”Hero Potami, please Assess Sister Trease’s Health.”

Potami rose and moved to stand within arm’s reach of Trease. I swear, had I been Trease, I’d have shat myself just watching her walk toward me, utterly focused on target. She said, ”Assess Health”, then turned to face Headmaster Miles. ”Done, Headmaster.”

Does she need to say the Spell name to cast it?

I suspect she did so to reassure the good Sister.

Remind me not to let her reassure me.

”Your Assessment of Sister Trease’s shoulder?”

”The shoulder she indicated is completely uninjured, Headmaster.”

”Her abdomen?”

”Shows signs of being kicked in the last twenty-four hours, Headmaster.”

”The extent of the damage?”

”About what I’d expect from taking a single blow while sparring, Headmaster.”

”Thank you, Hero Potami.”

Potami swiveled and moved back to her seat with maximum efficiency and precision.

Oh, this will be fun, Loki thought at me while saying, ”thank you, Headmaster.” He turned to Trease. ”So, Tabitha kicked you in the gut and vaulted from your shoulder when you obstructed her execution of her orders.”

”That little bitch tried to murder me!”

The Headmaster opened his mouth, but Loki cut him off, ”please, Headmaster, the Sister has brought us to the crux of one of the most serious charges remaining, Attempted Murder. We’ve heard Tabitha’s statement that she did not Intend Murder, but I believe a demonstration would clear things up. In the spirit of Inquiry, may I?”

The Headmaster inhaled a long breath, let it out, and asked, ”Prosecution?”

”No objection, Headmaster.”

Headmaster Miles nodded and told Loki, ”give us your demonstration then. Please be quick about it.”

”As you wish. I will need some assistance.” He turned to the assembled Cadets. ”Cadets! I need,” he glanced at Trease, ”four Cadets to bring me four training dummies, on the double.” He turned back to the high table, scanned across it, and scared the shit out of me by saying, ”Hero Potami, could you assist us, please?”

She didn’t reply, just stood and moved around the table to stand before Loki. ”Tabitha, come here and lift Hero Potami as you did Cadet Driver.” I took one shuffling step toward him. ”Oh, and lose the chains.” I strode over, chains hitting the ground behind me, pouring Mana into my useless fucking arm, everything from my biceps to my fingertip screaming at me as I did so. By the time I reached the scary little Hero, I’d beaten it into submission enough for it to do its part under her knees as I lifted her into a princess carry. I stared at the Headmaster as I waited for the Cadets to arrive with the equipment.

Hero Potami held her hands in her lap, pretty much like Bill’s had been. She tilted her head slightly to face me and quietly asked, ”didn’t you say your left arm hurts when you use it?”

I turned to look her dead in the eye and said, ”yes.”

She didn’t reply to that, but for the tiniest fraction of a second I thought I saw her lips curve in a smile.

You enjoy tormenting me, don’t you?

Maybe just a little. It’s one of our commonalities.

I stared at the Headmaster some more while Loki had the Cadets arrange all four training dummies into a single vaguely water buffalo shaped mass. As he did, he thought at me, when I give the word, destroy this as utterly as you can, as fast as you can.

Before he finished arranging the target, I thought back. You WILL repair my uniform.

He barked out a laugh at that, but said, or replace it?

Marie worked hard on this, and I don’t intend to stand here half naked for the rest of the trial.

Oh, no, you must. It’s imperative.

I took in a deep breath, my left arm twitching and screaming at me the whole time, and thought back, fine.

The training dummies set up roughly two pavers from the table, right in front of Trease, Loki pulled me back to roughly three times the distance I’d been when I first saw Trease in the corridor, Hero Velazquez lined up directly behind them, although his chair sat at least half a table length behind.

”Cadet Diaz, when instructed advance at your best possible pace to the distance where you first saw the Sister standing in the hallway. Understood?”

”Yes.”

”Advance.” I launched myself forward at a dead run, my left arm punishing me with every leaping step. The moment I hit the indicated distance, Loki’s voice filled the Yard. ”Kill.”

Mana Blades driven by suppressed fury and pain erupted out of every part of my body not covered by the diminutive Hero. I leapt, hunching myself around her and twisting, hitting the massed blockade with our combined weight driving the spinning Mana blades through wood, cloth, and hay with no more resistance than the air around me. I blew through them in a veritable explosion of dummy fragments, some of them bouncing off my back, my head, my legs, and my arms; each impact on my left arm cracking my teeth a little more. I landed in a crouch, then stood smoothly back to the stance I’d started in, staring directly into Hero Velazquez’ wide eyes from no more than a yard away as I pulled my Mana Blades back into me. The ones on the outside of my left arm hurt worse than the burns on my right fingers. I ignored them.

Hero Potami rolled her eyes and quietly said, ”put those away, David.”

Metal blades I hadn’t deigned to acknowledge slid back into the Prosecutor’s sleeves.

”Hero Potami, were you in any way injured by that?” asked Loki.

”No.” She then slow blinked, her eyes focused on me when she opened them, and she breathed out a deadpan, ”my hero,” so quietly I barely heard it, accompanied by another tiny glimpse of a smile.

”Tabitha, was that faster than your interaction with Sister Trease on the day in question?”

”Yes.”

Loki said, ”Please return to the Defendant’s position, Tabitha.” I walked back, each step an agony of fire and lightning in my left arm. ”Set the Hero down. If you could be persuaded for one final bit of assistance, Hero Potami, could you reshackle the Defendant?” I set her down, and in seconds she had my shackles on again. I dropped back into Parade Rest, my uniform shredded. Not bloody this time, at least. Splinters everywhere, though.

I’m sending you my dry cleaning bill.

Loki didn’t even acknowledge my demand, just sauntered over and said, ”Sister Trease, do you still believe Tabitha intended to Murder you?”

She just sat there gaping, her mouth working, trying to speak for nearly half a minute before she croaked out, ”no.”

Loki beamed at her like a favorite student had finally gotten the right answer. ”Excellent! Do you believe Tabitha intended to do serious injury to you?”

She tried to force a ’yes’ out half a dozen times before she choked out, ”no.”

He smiled more, praising her without words before finally asking, ”should you get out of her way when she asks you to?”

I didn’t move, didn’t let my expression change one iota as I savored the, ”yes,” that immediately ripped itself out of the pits of her terrified soul.

”Thank you, Sister. No more questions, Headmaster.”

No pause, ”I fail to see how that last question relates to any of the charges before the Court today.”

Loki bowed, a full courtly thing, as he said, ”my sincerest apologies, Headmaster. I failed to note that question was intended purely to sate my own rampant curiosity regarding the matter. Mea culpa, mea cura.”

The Headmaster just paused. Quiz time, to see who in the class is paying attention, how long did he pause for? The man didn’t just have a titanium soul, he had a clockwork titanium soul.

At second nine, Loki asked, ”a moment, Headmaster?”

”You have further questions for Sister Trease?” She froze, shuddering, where she’d been waddling her way back to her seat.

”No, Headmaster. Unless I misremember, the next twenty-five witnesses and testimonies are from the twenty-five Senior Cadets accompanying Hero Potami during the events in question?”

”The Representative of the Defendant remembers correctly.”

”While they are no doubt entitled to their time in the Witness’ chair, and with all due regard for their own observational Skills, I find it exceedingly unlikely that any of them noticed any pertinent detail Hero Potami did not. If it pleases the Court and the Prosecutor does not object, may I question them en masse to save the Court’s valuable time?”

Headmaster Miles simply asked, ”Prosecution?”

”No objections, Headmaster.”

”Carry on, Defense.”

Loki walked behind me and called out, ”Cadets involved in the events yesterday with Hero Potami, please rise.”

A bunch of people shuffled to their feet behind me.

”Cadets, do any of you have any disagreements or additions to Hero Potami’s testimony?”

”No, Sir!” twenty odd voices called out.

They call me Sir.

They’re idiots.

”Cadets, do any of you feel in any way disrespected by Tabitha’s actions yesterday?”

”No, Sir!” Potami’s squad called out again, this time all damn near in unison.

”Thank you, Cadets! No more questions. Your witnesses.”

Loki positively flounced back to his chair. Hero Velazquez trudged over to stand next to the Witness’ chair and called out, ”Cadets, were any of you,” he stopped, bit back a sigh, and started again, ”Cadets, will any of you admit to being injured in any way related to Cadet Diaz’ actions on the day in question?”

”No, Sir!” the Cadets all chorused.

Velazquez just nodded, turned to the Headmaster, and said, ”Prosecution moves to dismiss all charges of Disrespect of a Senior Cadet.”

”Defense?”

”No objection, Headmaster.”

”So be it. All charges of Disrespect of a Senior Cadet are hereby dismissed.”

”Thank you Cadets. No further questions, Headmaster.”

Ten count, followed by, ”you may be seated, Cadets.” Another pause, then, ”Prosecution, will you call any other witnesses?”

”Yes.”

”Whom do you call to give testimony?”

”Headmaster Miles, you are now requested and required to give testimony.”

The Headmaster nodded, stood, and made his way around the table to the Witness’ seat. The moment he sat, Velazquez said, ”Headmaster Miles, please recount to us, as best as you remember them, your part in the events that occurred on Twenty Seventh Coll of this year.”

The Headmaster chuckled slightly, then after a mere two count said, ”I was speaking with Hero Potami and the Senior Cadets regarding their upcoming ride along. I heard someone shouting something behind me. Before I could turn to see what was happening, someone knocked me down. I’m not sure, but I think I tumbled a bit. I’m fairly certain whoever it was stepped on me. By the time the Cadets helped me back to my feet, the perpetrator had vanished around the corner. I followed, delayed slightly by the, in hindsight, meaningless gesture of pulling out and activating my token to pass through the Filtration Ward on the Ladies’ Dormitory, then followed the sound of continued screaming to the Infirmary. I confronted Cadet Diaz, as it appeared she was the one who had knocked me down, and informed her there would be an Inquiry today. She protested, citing her Devotional day, and I informed her that Inquiries and Courts Martial and Law had priority over Devotions. Her Patron informed us that he could, but chose not to, overrule me.”

He paused for half a beat, then added, ”this morning he insisted we hold a full Court Martial instead of an Inquiry.”

Hero Velazquez paused for a count other than ten, then asked, ”Is that all?”

”Yes, Prosecutor.”

”One question. Did Cadet Diaz, in fact, knock you to the floor and step on you?”

Headmaster Miles’ voice never lost its calm when he replied, ”it appears she did so, yes.”

”You have doubts?”

”No.”

”Thank you, Headmaster. Your witness.”

Loki stood, nodded respectfully to the Headmaster, and asked, ”which is more important, your dignity or the life of a Cadet?”

Credit where it’s due, no ten count, just an immediate reply of, ”the life of a Cadet.”

Loki continued with, ”would you accept injury to safeguard the life of a Cadet?”

Again, no delay. ”Yes, absolutely.”

”Mortal injury?”

This time Miles did pause, his head bowing before he straightened it and answered, ”I don’t know. I hope I never have need to find out.”

Loki leaned in, almost conspiratorially, but his voice still filling the Yard as he stage-whispered, ”should you have made a fucking hole?”

Then Headmaster Miles shocked me, and possibly the entire crowd. He laughed, barely managing to squeeze out the word, ”probably.” After a few seconds more getting his chuckles under control, he added, ”yes, in hindsight I should have.”

Loki paused a tick, then asked, ”do you feel that Tabitha disrespected you, especially given that based on her testimony, she didn’t even recognize you?”

”I’m torn, frankly. Her treatment of me was disrespectful, but as you noted, she didn’t recognize me, so she had no intent to do so.”

”Thank you, Headmaster. No further questions.”

Headmaster Miles returned to his seat, turned to Loki, and asked, ”Defense, will you call any other witnesses?”

”I’d considered calling Maid Marie, but there’s no need at this time.”

”So be it. With all witnesses called, we will move on to closing arguments. Prosecutor?”

The Hero looked to Loki and asked, ”would you prefer to close first?”

Loki shook his head and waved his hand as if giving Hero Velazquez leave to proceed.

The Mountain who chose to be a Hero walked to the center of the table and turned to face it. ”Headmaster, Faculty, Staff, Honored Guests, based on the testimony we’ve heard today, it is clear that Cadet Diaz destroyed all of the school property as charged. She clearly assaulted the persons of Headmaster Miles, Sister Trease, and Sister Siobhan, and could have caused grievous injury or death to Sister Trease. She did not respect the gravitas of Hero Potami nor the gravitas or persons of Headmaster Miles or Sister Trease. She is clearly guilty of all of these charges, and should face appropriate consequences.”

He raked his gaze across the table again, then finished with, ”Prosecution rests. The floor is yours, Defense,” and returned to his seat.

Loki sprang out of his seat, strutted over to the spot the Hero had just vacated, and his words fired out with pounding rhythm, mesmerizing syncopation, and blinding speed that brooked no interruption, my brain hearing the high hat and eight oh eight without any mental mumbo jumbo from Loki. ”Prosecution didn’t mention Interfering with a Healer’s Duties, Defense Moves to Dismiss. Defendant had no intention to disrespect, Potami felt no disrespect, Move to Dismiss. If Defendant meant to kill, Trease would be dead. Same with Grievous, shoved her instead, Move to Dismiss. Defendant didn’t hit Siobhan, collision isn’t Assault, come on, the Defense Moves to Dismiss. Headmaster should have dove, Trease should have moved, collision isn’t Assault, the Defense moves to Dismiss. Property breaks, Plea Sole Consequence to fix it, Disrespect? Sole Consequence sorry to nix it. That covers all the charges that weren’t previously Dismissed. Tell me, is there anything I’ve Missed?”

I caught myself grooving, rocking my hips back and forth, even shifting my shoulders, and my fucking left shoulder didn’t fucking complain about it. I froze back in Parade Rest; my arm still screaming at me as my bones burned, but my shoulder just grumbled about my rigidity. I didn’t have to worry too much about anyone noticing. The entire table stared at Loki, half of them with mouths hanging open. DuBois’ head tilted at an angle like the RCA dog on the old factory. One that kinda blew my mind, proving without a doubt that she had a soul, Potami stopped drumming her fingers on the edge of the table just as I got back into Parade Rest. She mouthed the word ’nice’ and shot Loki a Tiny Potami Grin Of Approval.

Loki’s entire summation had taken less time than one of Headmaster Miles’ ten counts.

”Defense Rests. Does the Prosecution object to my Motions or accept my Pleas?”

I glanced at Velazquez with nothing but my eyes. He paged through his stack of charge papers as quickly as he’d reviewed them at first. After about a minute of everyone but him staring at Loki the Prosecutor shook his head, heaved a sigh, and said, ”Prosecution does not object to any Motions to Dismiss. Prosecution accepts the Sole Consequence Pleas regarding the Disrespect charges, but the apologies must be in writing, and are subject to approval by both the injured parties and,” he paused, glancing back and forth across the table, ”Marshall duBois, with Doctor DeLeon arbitrating any disagreement. Prosecution accepts the Sole Consequence Pleas regarding the Destruction of Property charges, with the caveat that the Defendant will be overseen by a competent repair person or Enchanter, and the repairs completed to those individuals’ satisfaction.” He then turned to Loki, ”and no, you didn’t miss any of them.”

”Defense agrees to all Prosecutions modifications to Defense’s Pleas.”

Headmaster Miles blinked once, twice, then said, ”so be it. All charges save Destruction of Property and the two remaining Disrespect charges are dismissed, the Court accepts the Plea agreements as stated.”

He paused, this time for less than his customary ten count, and said, ”Cadet Diaz, I expect you to submit your Letters of Apology no later than Dinner tomorrow, or you will be confined to quarters until they are ready for submission. You will remain available on Tuesdays and Fridays until all the Property Damage is repaired; this means no leaving the Academy unless you do so in the company of your repair overseer, and then only to acquire any needed supplies, which you will acquire at your own cost.” He paused again, this time tilting his head and looking back and forth as if reviewing things in his head, and after a few seconds shrugged, smiled, and said, ”Faculty, Staff, and Honored Guests, thank you for your time. This Court Martial is hereby adjourned.”

Everything just kind of broke up after that. A few Cadets cheered, some of them started trying to recreate Loki’s closing statement, but most of them just looked at the sun, just now reaching its zenith, and headed for the Dining Hall. I limped a few steps toward Loki before he stepped over and lifted my left arm, placing my forearm on his extended right elbow. Everywhere he touched, while he touched it, my arm stopped being made of shattering glass and acid. Don’t get me wrong, it still hurt, but it was ’I need some ibuprofen, some liquor, some weed, and a nap’ hurt, not ’I need a bone saw’ hurt.

Loki led me down to lunch, and none of the gobbos batted an eye when he sat down and ate with us, despite having just seen him up in the Yard. Okay, Raven sketched him, but she did that with damn near everything that caught her eye. After lunch, he walked me back to my room. I collapsed onto the bed, got reminded of what I’d demanded of Loki, climbed back to my feet and stripped, holding the shreds of my nice uniform out to him. That’s when I noticed him staring, frozen, at my personal shrine.

”Tabitha?”

”Yes, Loki?”

”Where did you find these?”

I shrugged. ”Bottom of the river.”

”Ah. Yes. Of course.” He finally turned to face me and saw me standing there naked holding out my shredded uniform. He rolled his eyes, taking the scraps as he turned away.

”Aw. Don’t like the view?”

”Tabitha.” The warning note in his voice filled the room.

”Yes, Loki?”

”Flirt. Bad. Wife. Yes?”

I crowed deep inside myself. Monosyllabic, yes! Point to Tabitha! but replied with, ”flirting is bad, unless it’s with your wife, then it’s a yes. Got it.”

He muttered, ”That I would pay good Glory to see,” but before I could respond to that, he reached up with one hand and flicked my forehead. ”Enough.” He motioned to the shrine again. ”You offer these to me freely?”

I shied back from him, hamming it up as I said, ”you’re not gonna kill me to power some freaky god-spell, right?”

He just laughed at that and said, ”get dressed, Tabitha Diaz. You and I need to go shopping for some stationary, masonry supplies, and enchanting supplies, and I suspect you’d rather not do that naked, even if you would do it to see me flabbergasted.” I turned to my armoire, but he lay a hand on my left elbow, dimming the pain again as he said, ”you freely give these objects of power you have placed on your Altar to me?”

I glanced at him and said, ”I’ll share them with you. If you need them for something, they’re yours to use. If I need them before you do, I’ll use them. Not that I expect to. But until then they stay where they are.” I paused in thought for a moment, looking back at my armoire. ”Although I guess if you want to borrow them to show them off to someone, that’s cool too. But other than that, they do make really cool decorations for,” I gave him the old smoky glance, ”your Altar, don’t they?”

He just laughed at me, that little boy in a sweet shop laugh he did so well. Light flared, filling the room, and he handed me my uniform, sans damage. ”Get dressed, Tabitha Diaz.”

What was I supposed to do? I got dressed so we could go shopping for school supplies.