The Princess and The Nurse: A Skullgirls Story.

Chapter 14. Desperate times

Saturday

Time: 9:55pm

Location: Canopy Kingdom

Valentine's POV:

It wasn't easy making a deal with Dahlia, though I'll admit I probably should've run it by Parasoul first... Eh, I'm sure she won't mind. But speaking of Parasoul... "You wanted to see me, Commander Parasoul?" I shut the door behind me, and there she was. Standing right in front of her desk arms crossed, I marched right over to her, staring at those pretty orange eyes. "You've arrived just in time, general Valentine." And there's the sophisticated girl I know. Though she's not like that all the time, often she's quite the relaxed type who you can get more than along with.

"Come on now Parasoul, you don't have to be like that around me. After all..." I put a hand on her thigh, gently rubbing with a smile under my mask. "...we are quite...close~" I see a blush immediately for on her face, but one thing sticks out to me, she kept glancing at something in the corner... "Don't mind me your highness I'm just feline the comfort of this amazing chair you've got." And then it clicked, it was none other than Ms.Fortune in immortal flesh...well fuck. "Ok uhm...and your just now saying a word?" I turn in her direction, she was curled up in the black chair in the corner rolling her own detached tail into a ball. "I wouldn't like to get in the way of love nurse lady, you'd be surprised at what I know about it." She purred. She took her head off and began to toss it around, I don't know how she can do that without getting nauseous in any way. "How about a little game of what I call 'Heads up!' And by the looks of it your first Valentine!" She tosses her head at me so I duck down, however I catch her head anyway as she would've gone out the window.

Suddenly her body slowly crept towards Parasoul and I's direction, her claws at the ready. "Looks like we have a little unwanted guest..." Her head rolls out of my grasp and back onto her shoulders. I turn around and see Black Dahlia's mask in the shadows, I have a feeling Parasoul sensed her a few seconds earlier as she already had her Krieg directed at her. This isn't good, not the slightest bit... "Easy, she's...working with us don't worry." I step in front of Dahlia. Fortune's face tensed up as she only inches closer whilst I look at Parasoul's shocked face. "You...you contacted someone like her? And then you bring her into my home like...like a guest?!" I could tell she was more than a little hurt and I'll be honest, it kind of hurt me too... "Relax your majesty... we've got bigger problems." Dahlia spoke, her voice sounded off almost like she was in pain. Parasoul put down her weapon and stepped closer while Ms.Fortune stood normally. I turn around to face Black Dahlia...

I was more than shocked to see what state she was in, her arm was out of its socket and it looked like blood was running down her mask. My goodness she was struggling to stand, I can't believe what I'm seeing. "Holy shit... What the hell happened to you, it's like someone hit you with a goddamn car." Nadia walks over to her and looks at her arm. To think that someone might've done this to a lady like Dahlia...it's surprising. "Valentine, get her to the infirmary quickly. Nadia, make sure the troops know she isn't a threat but keep your guard up."

30 minutes later. . .

I could feel Parasoul's eyes digging into the back of my head as I inspected Dahlia's injuries. "You should've said something earlier Valerie, this is a total violation of trust..." She walks towards me. Deep down I know she's very right, and here I am still wondering if it was the right call. "Val, we're a team you and I. We have to have communication in order to work together otherwise...One of us might lose the other." She holds my hand gently. "I know Parasoul, I wish I could've said something to you before this happened." I looked down at the floor, wanting nothing more than to just fall into her arms in a loving embrace, to just forget about everything around us. But not now, we both have to get to the bottom of this. "So those really aren't rumors spreading around the city, the princess of the Canopy Kingdom really did fall in love with a nurse." Dahlia wheezes out. Parasoul clears her throat and recollects her calm energy.

"General Valentine, what's the status on our patient?" I give her a nod and look over the notes I wrote down. "Patient has a dislocated arm and some minor bruising on her body. She has what looks like one slice from what she described as half of an orb. The patient's lower as well as left side ribs seem to have sustained major damage and will require some medical attention. First I'll push her arm back in place and we can begin the rest of the recovery shortly." I set the notes down and go over to Dahlia's side. "Deep breath for me." With enough carefulness I relocated her arm back where it was, she winced a bit in pain and let out a sigh. "Thanks, I thought that little mission of yours was going to be a fun cakewalk but it seems I've underestimated the seriousness of it." She pulls out some photos and places them on the table right next to her. The photos were of...me? From when I was still going through training, from my date with Parasoul...that bastard!

"Not only that but it looks like he's got two more assistants by his side. A robotic cat humanoid and some school girl with immense strength." She scowled a bit, that last person seemed to tip her a bit over the edge. Though I knew the two she was talking about, Fukua and Robo-Fortune. Braindrain's most prized experiments, I suggested taking a gander at Ms.Fortune while I was working for him but he got all pissed off and built what he considered a better solution. But...I'm sure I've seen someone who looks like Fukua though I think she's some kinda clone Braindrain made. "I'll get some of us together to discuss what to do, you get her patched up in the meantime." Parasoul said to me, I'll admit now I was a tad bit distracted but I understood what to do...

3rd person POV:

Soon, Parasoul, Valentine, Black Dahlia and many others were sat in a briefing room discussing the recent discoveries. "General Valentine, ma'am. If Braindrain isn't aware of the whereabouts of Carol then we might have a chance to extract her safely from that area." Adam chimed. Valentine stared down at the table, drumming her fingers anxiously. "No dice, that girl is also stolen from a Medici human trafficking operation, if they find out she's still alive and that she was turned into a weapon; there's a good chance they'll try to go after her too." Dahlia replied. "I'm afraid to say it but she's right, it's too risky and yet it's also risky to just wait..." Parasoul said. They all kept going back and forth with the options they had, some agreed while others argued...until.

"Commander Parasoul! I've just thought of someone who might be able to help." Molly said eagerly holding a file. Upon looking it at it was full of information about someone who could quite possibly help, someone who has dealt with crime in the city for a long time, someone who's tried to stand up to the Medici but since paid the price. A man fitted with musical equipment as weaponry, forever stuck inside a walking iron lung but continues to be the best detective in New Meridian.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
Big Band.

End of Chapter 14.