The Cat, Witch and the Wormholes

Chapter 10. The Sun Also Rises

"When I was young, the street taught me that if you cannot avoid a fight, then you must hit first. And the threat of attacks by gangs of supervillains in Brockton Bay, from our previous actions, became neither more nor less, it still exists." Pointed out Emily. "And they believe that if they can do something, then we cannot do the same. I can not agree with that. And I'm definitely not going to ask them for consent."

The murmur of mumblings came from the audience.

"We are the authorities here! This is our home! And we are not going to give it to anyone!" She loudly exclaimed. "Neither to the feudalistic racists, nor to the Nazis, and especially not to the drug addicts and other armed bandits."

A wave of consonant nods passed through the rows of seats.

"And while I'm still alive, while we still have the strength to fight, we will crush these bastards wherever we find them - on the streets, in their dens, even in shithouses." Emily's voice roared. "Where we find them, there we will beat the crap out of them."

From the crowd came the cheering and whistling of approval.

"And if they think they can sit under the cover of their mythical 'Truce', using the promise to attend future Endbringer Battles. Then we tell them - you can wait for the battle while being locked up in jail!" Emily concluded her speech, for which she received many approving shouts from the PRT staff present at this meeting.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the new director of the PRT East-North-East - Emily Piggot." Announced Interim Acting Director Joseph Renick, walking up to the podium and shaking Piggot's hand.

Emily left the podium, making smooth steps with her mechanical semi-exoskeleton, and sat in the chair among the rest of the leadership of the PRT branch.

"And while I still serve as an Interim Director of the branch, I will report the remaining news." Said Renick. "The current annual quarter is coming closer for its end, and I once again remind you that you shouldn't delay the submission of reports and interdepartmental notes. Also, production departments shouldn't forget to submit requests for the necessary materials in a timely manner. Otherwise, we will not be able to include them in the budget for the next quarter. And regarding the preparation of the presentation of our youngest Ward, unfortunately, that was postponed for a time being, because Glenn Chambers somehow stumbled on his shoelaces and fell down the stairs, after the Phoenix presentation in New York, breaking his arms and hurting his neck. And we wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return to work." He made a pause. "That's all for today, and everyone is free to go."

In following this Emily rose from her chair and went backstage. The people in the conference room were already actively leaving, and so she could already calmly take a breath while mentally reviewing her speech in her head.

"It was an inspirational speech." Came a very familiar voice from behind her.

"I just expressed my personal feelings and aspirations. Nothing more."

"And I always knew that these were not empty words for you." Emily turned toward Miss Militia, who was standing here in her civilian attire.

"I prefer to carry out the threats and fulfill the promises when I made them." With mock seriousness said Emily. "Hello, Hana. Long time no see."

"Fourteen years, to be exact. And it's Hannah now." Welcomely smiled dusk skinned woman. "I changed it to a more suitable one."

"The fourteen years after my deploy to Albania. You were a very combative teenager."

"And you were the only one who didn't see our militia as threat to everyone around, and who helped us from the kindness of the her soul. The only one who decided to save us, save me."

"War is not a place for children, even for such children as you were. And I still feel myself guilty for not being hasty enough and not arriving on time. That I didn't save your sister."

"This was not your fault, I have never blamed you. Tirek had too many warriors with him and she sacrificed herself defending everyone until the last moment, letting us survive while help was on its way." Hannah came closer and the two women embraced each other curtly.

"So how are you doing?"

"Not bad at all, nightmares almost stopped to torture me, especially when I practically don’t need to sleep anymore. Just the work is slightly restless. And how are you? Sorry about your legs."

"It's fine. New exoskeleton from Dragon work as good as my own legs. And all expenses were covered by the PRT. I was lucky to survive, and I have already accepted the rest. So do not worry, I can handle new work."

"And I look forward to working with you again, auntie Piggy." Smiled Hannah.

"Call me Miss Piggot, while we are at work, Hana. And I, too, will be glad to work with you again, my little Moon." Emily went to motherly embrace Hannah again.

It's been two and a half months since Sunset and Seth were trapped in this world, but none of them come close to solving the problem of returning home. Sunset was busy training in the Wards, and Seth just wasted time while hearing a lot of useless little things, and secretly learned the local alphabet. He still could not read the local books, but he learned that the locals stores information not only in them, but also in devices that they call 'computers'. What promised to be much more interesting than reading hundreds and hundreds of books in search of bits of useful information.

Well, for Sunset, everything has just begun. Because the PRT management decided that no matter what, she should attend school like any other children. And even the fact that she can neither read nor write, didn't change their opinion even for one iota. They only suggested that she should additionally receive language lessons from a personal tutor. And so she was enrolled in the same school as the rest of her Wards peers - West New York Middle School. It was certainly far from the Protectorate building, but it was still considered the most safe and suitable for co-education of younger Wards.

And so, on a beautiful January morning, Sunset in Lily’s company appeared on the doorstep of a red brick school building.

"Do not just stand on the way, you will prevent others from passing." Called her Lily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just..."

"Come on, we still need to get to class." And grabbing Sunset by the hand Lily dragged her through the corridors.

From the first couple of lessons, Sunset especially liked History. They told about one of the former political leaders of this realm and his influence on the development of freedoms in this world. It reminded her of the story of Chancellor Puddinghead, who was one of the founders of Equestria. But with the English lesson everything turned out differently. She couldn't understand anything written on the blackboard and so she didn't write anything in the notebook herself, which attracted the attention of the teacher.

"Miss Shimmer, I assume?" The teacher spoke to her. "May I ask why you don't write anything?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know your language." Sunset mumbled in response.

"You do not know our language?" Surprised teacher. "We right now talking in this language!"

"I just..."

"You what?"

"She just returned from Russia and has hadn't time to learn English well enough." Lily suddenly exclaimed, trying to help her friend.

"And so, you say that she arrived from Russia and doesn't yet know the language?" Repeated skeptical teacher. "Well, maybe then she can say something in Russian? To dispel some of our distrust."

"In Russian?" In an uncertain voice said Sunset and Lily understood that she had created more trouble for her friend.

"Yes, in Russian, well, you know, in the language of the country of frost, forests and bears. The country from which you allegedly arrived."

At that moment, images of frozen hills and plains, and forests with snow-covered trees of the lands of Yakistan swept through the head of Sunset, where she and her teacher spent three months when Sunset accompanied her during important negotiations between Yaks and Equestria. And Sunset has always had some kind of absolutely incredible predisposition to learning the colloquial form of new languages. In just a month and a half, she learned the language of Yaks at a sufficient level so that in conversation she could not be distinguished from the locals. And hoping for her luck, Sunset decided to try.

"Uhm. Ya dazhe ne znayu chto skazat. Ya vse yeshche plokho znayu vash alfavit, i poetomu ne mogu nichego zapisyvat." *

(* I don't even know what to say. I still don't know your alphabet well, and that's why I didn't write anything. )

"Huh. This is definitely Russian. My college roommate was an immigrant from Russia and I remembered the language well." Astonished teacher said. "I have to admit that I was wrong, and I ask you, Miss Shimmer, for forgiveness for my tactlessness."

"No harm." Tensely smiled Sunset.

After the lesson, Lily intercepted her at the exit from the classroom and took her to the side.

"You never said you know Russian." Lily accused her.

"Then why did you tell her that I am from Russia?"

"Oh, sorry, I just wanted to help you, and it was the first thing that came into my head." Apologized Lily. "I thought she would drop the matter."

"Yet she didn't."

"Sorry. So you know Russian? That's cool!"

"Well, I know several languages..."

"You know more? Tell me!"

"Um, well, Prench too..." Mumbled Sunset.

"French? You know French?! This is so not fair! It will be so easy for you in a foreign language class."

Looking at the excessive enthusiasm of her colleague, Sunset decided to keep silent about her knowledge of the Neiponese and Griffonian languages. The rest of the lessons passed uneventfully.

Hanging out in the messroom hiding under the disguise of hunger was one of Seth's brilliant ideas. Wherever, during lunch, people like to discuss all personal and business matters. Sometimes discussing secret things or covering politics, world order, society and even history in conversations. And you can learn a lot of useful things just by listening to such conversations. Especially when visitors to the messroom stopped paying attention to the huge cat.

Thus, in three months, without having heard a word about Goa'uld, he came to the conclusion that they had not been on this planet for a long time, or had completely disappeared altogether. Also, he did not hear at all any mention of their heritage or contacts with other planets, either through interplanetary contacts, or through any portal.

No, he certainly managed to find out that this world somehow has a connection with a copy of this world from a parallel reality, which they call Earth Aleph, but this was not at all like the typical case of Stargate, but even this option was under total control of the local governments, and trying to get into a highly classified facility would hardly be successful even with the help of Sunset.

But what worried him was the absence of any rumors, not only about interplanetary flights, but about space exploration too. No one mentioned the presence of the space fleet, whether commercial or military. Nobody talked about colonies on other planets, or on asteroids and moons. But at the same time, he clearly remembered his own trip on a typical space shuttle from the place of their arrival to the hospital. Something was wrong here.

But the most important thing is that he managed to find out what planet they were on. And quite by accident, and not even from Tau'ri’s conversations at lunch in the messroom. In the hall on one of the walls was a hanging news panel, like the ones that were in the hospital, which locals call TVs. And on TV there was a program about some famous places in the world. And one of them was about a country called Egypt, which is located on the edge of the desert, and which is known to all this world for its ancient architectural artifacts.

Those were the bucking pyramids of Goa'uld! And not some random ones, but the very ones that were built in the First World. He still remembered their exact location to each other and the structures that surrounded them. It was definitely them. He could swear to it. The only thing that surprised him was the condition in which they were. All these expensive decorative cladding and ornaments were missing, exposing the facets of the supporting limestone blocks. And everything around was quite swallowed up by sand dunes, so much so that neither the entrances to the pyramids, nor the once high-quality roads that led to them could be seen.

As if they were robbed and abandoned for a very very long time. Although it probably did, the Tau'ri were quite furious at the Goa'ulds. But why then no one mentions this, and the voice from the screen speaks as if they are completely unaware of what actually happened then? Have there been records and information since those times? Where are all this artifacts, weapons, armor, equipment and spaceships? Where are the Stargate? What the buck happened?!

February was already here and Sunset was preparing for her first patrol to the big city, having spent more than three months in constant trainings and briefings for this exact moment. And now she and her four companions are sent together on their own patrol, remaining under the constant supervision of Ursa Aurora. They will walk along the central streets of New York, providing visual support to the population, signing autographs and making photos with fans, and if necessary, counteracting the crime as far as their protocol allows.

The Youth Guard does not allow them to go personally to serious crime sites, or to engage in clashes with supervillains, forcing the Wards to leave the dangerous area as quickly as possible, while forwarding the event to the console. And Ursa Aurora will not allow them to be in danger, if necessary, covering them with her bears projections.

Sunset didn't really want to go on foot patrol, preferring to sit on the console as a dispatcher. Because she didn't seek fights with the villains or desired to catch a criminal, she didn't have such a craving for adventure, her presence in this world was already a big adventure. And Seth, too, was not particularly eager to leave the comfort of the Protectorate living rooms, but he also had to follow Sunset, since he himself had undertaken to protect her from the dangers, or at least until they returned home.

Being among the crowd, meeting with fans, wandering around the unfamiliar streets of a huge city, surrounded by alien creatures, was pretty hard for Sunset. But she held on, encouraging herself that it was all temporary until she found a way to return home, and that it was the inevitable side of her new job. She in every way portrayed herself to be friendly and polite, greeting people, helping the elderly cross the street, taking pictures with random passersby and giving pre-memorized answers to interviews.

They even caught some petty thief who pulled a handbag from an old lady and found a lost puppy for a crying girl next to the cafeteria. Then they visited the elementary school where they told the kids about how to walk across the street and what they need to avoid strangers who approach them. In the end, they stopped by a party at a music school and even performed a small improvised number on stage, and Sunset suddenly realized that she really enjoyed playing the guitar and singing. So when she returned back to the Protectorate tower, she decided that she would definitely join the music club in her new school.

Sunset thought that the day was not in vain, and that her new work, in spite of its excessive publicity, suits her completely, she also found a hobby for herself and even managed to help someone. And with these happy thoughts, she made another entry in her diary and went to bed.