Gravedigger walked across the rooftop of the building she was currently standing on. It was a bank, located between two different hotels. Both were within easy driving distance of the heart of the government, which would appeal to Tamaki.
She placed one foot on the lip of the roof, staring down below. The hotel to her right was surrounded by workmen and police officers, which had placed yellow caution tape around the ruined front entrance. Apparently, a driver had lost control of their vehicle and driven it straight into the hotel lobby.
She was contemplating stripping off her uniform and entering the hotel in plainclothes when a sense of disorientation washed over her. She stepped away from the edge, fearing that she might topple over. Was this some sort of attack? Had she stumbled upon the villains’ lair and been detected? If so, she might become the latest victim of what the papers were calling “The Midnight Madness.”
She swayed, placing both hands against her temples. Her skull was pounding and her vision began to grow dark. She was plunged into a world of nothingness.
The Voice filled her mind, drowning out all else. You stand upon the precipice of a great trial.
Charity opened her eyes. She was resting on her knees in a brightly lit room. The walls were decorated by a soft floral pattern and the floor was lined with lush carpet. She wore her Gravedigger uniform, though with her hood thrown back and her mask resting on the floor beside her.
Directly in front of her was an elaborate fountain, one that was shaped like a mountain, with a waterfall gently cascading down its surface. The entire display was nearly six feet high and half that across. The craftsmanship was so amazing that Charity felt that she could almost feel the cool breeze wafting off the water and hear the clip-clop of a mountain goat’s hooves.
Tearing her gaze away from the work of art, she looked around in hopes of finding the source of The Voice. “I’m… Outside, aren’t I?” she asked.
Yes. You are once again Outside.
Charity slowly rose to her feet, rubbing her sweaty palms against her legs. “The last time I came here I was nearly dead.”
You are unharmed. We have brought you here so that we may Commune.
“Do you know what I should do next?” she asked.
You are wise in the ways of the world, Charity Grace. You have been most pleasing as our Gravedigger. You have brought fear to the world of criminals and struck down those who are deserving of punishment.
“Pandora… Is she my Opposite?” she asked aloud.
She is. Like you, she was a good woman at her core but life led her to make decisions that were regrettable. Given a chance at redemption, she has squandered the opportunity. She has become mad, obsessed with the removal of her sin to the point where she herself has become a sinner. She will be your equal in battle.
“If I succeed in defeating her does that mean I’ll have accomplished what you wanted? Will I be redeemed?”
Such cannot be judged until your three years of service are up. However, a victory over your Other does show that you have faced your own faults and found a way to overcome them.
Charity ran a gloved hand through her hair. “I’ll do my best to stop her from hurting anyone else.”
There was no response and Charity realized that she was making a promise to an entity that had never shown any desire to be friends with her. The Voice had made a few comments here and there that could be construed as compliments but that didn’t necessarily translate that it planned to hold a true conversation with her.
Nonetheless, she asked, “You obviously felt the need for us to… commune. I doubt you brought me here just to tell me that Pandora is going to be a tough opponent.”
You will soon stare into the Abyss. Gravediggers have often given in to despair and lost their way after doing so. You must be resolute in your faith. Forgiveness comes from truly repenting. No man or woman is without sin.
The room around her began to shimmer and the sounds of the fountain began to fade. Charity tried to resist, not wanting to leave yet, not wanting to return without finding out more. She still had so many questions, not just about this current business but also about The Voice and the peculiar relationship she now had to this unseen entity.
The darkness once again overtook her, pulling back slowly, like a veil being removed from her eyes.
“Feeling better, I hope?”
Gravedigger whirled about, drawing her sword in one fluid motion. Standing near her was a man that she recognized from the Sovereign City Gazette: Jonah Craig. The thin academic was dressed in a tweed suit, a nervous smile on his lips.
Before Craig even blinked, Gravedigger was on him. She seized him by the back of his neck, drawing him close. Her sword pressed against his throat, just under his upturned chin.
“There’s no need for that,” he stammered. “Really.”
“Where are your friends?”
“They left over an hour ago. I was supposed to pack up a few things and join them. I happened to see you from my window. You looked ill.”
“So you decided to come over and see if I needed help?”
“I know it sounds insane,” he admitted. “But I’m in over my head and I want out. Even if it meant risking death, I had to take the chance of talking to you. That’s why I climbed up the fire escape.”
Gravedigger stared into his eyes but saw no signs of deception. All she saw was naked fear. She released him and took a step back. “You were obsessed with Pandora. She’s walking around, living and breathing. So tell me why you aren’t still with her.”
“Last night terrified me. Until then, I still thought of this as an opportunity to learn from her. But she used Potter’s device to drive those people to ruin and the whole thing’s driven Tamaki insane! What he’s planning… It’s nothing I want to be involved in! I’d rather go back to prison!”
“What is he planning?”
“Prof. Potter’s created this machine that projects emotional thought-waves. Pandora is channeling the Seven Deadly Sins through it. That’s what she did last night — she was only supposed to do it to one person but instead it worked over multiple city blocks. They think it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Gravedigger waited, sensing that Craig was going to continue without any prompting. The man was pacing now, nervously chattering away.
“They’re going to set up across the street from The White House. Pandora is going to call upon The Sins and use them to bind the President and everyone around them to her will. They’re going to love her so much that they’d gladly die for her. And then they’re going to take over America without firing a single shot! It’s going to be a bloodless coup.”
“How many men are with them?”
“Not many. Hiroshi said they weren’t needed. He’s so confident now… I don’t think he survived last night unscathed. I mean, he was always a little bit crazy, you don’t talk about becoming Emperor without being off your rocker. Now, though, it’s different. I think he saw the same horrible things everyone else did but… I think he liked it.”
“Across the street from The White House?”
“Yes. At a place called The Blair House. It was built back in 1824. It’s beautiful. Federal Style building. I’ve heard the government might even buy it at some point so they can use it for visiting dignitaries[4].”
“You’re babbling. Keep to the point.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Craig stopped pacing and looked at her. “We might be too late. They could start at any moment. They may have already started. How would we know?”
“So you’re saying that the President could be under her control right now?”