Lucas smirked, looking down.
"Awww, how CUTE. Why don't you fly around? Say 'Hey, listen!'"
Makepeace looked up, turned into a small faerie by those... things.
"D-dammit..."
She tried to flap her wings... And completely failed to get off the ground.
"I... I can't. Look, the laws of physics..."
"Really? The laws of Physics went off the damn window years ago. We still talking about this?" - Asked Lucas. She then lifted off a bit to make a point - "I weigh much more than the wings should be able to support. You don't see ME complaining..."
"L-look... The point is I can't. I can't fly." - Said Makepeace, finally.
"Ah well. You're so lucky, General." - Said Lucas, picking her up and putting her on her shoulder - "Hold tight."
"I turned into a flightless faerie. How is that lucky?" - Asked Makepeace.
"Oh, because my wanting to hear you whine about your predicament makes me willing to carry you along. Otherwise, I might just leave you to your fate." - Said Lucas, smiling the same sweet and utterly creepy smile - "Oh, that's nice. Lookie over there, a camp. Even done with some military gear. Seems we're close to your grunts, general..."
"Why do you keep calling them grunts?"
"Because there's no decent slur for the military in American or British English. You see, there is milico in Brazilian Portuguese, which was used against the ones from the Dictatorship, but, since the US army and the British Army do not have a recent history of oppressing most of the populace, you folks lack such a word in your vocabulary."
"No. I meant, why do you keep insulting them?"
"Oh, isn't that obvious? I hate you guys for what you have done to Lilly and to me."
"We never did anything to you, you crazy person! You threatened my daughter over your so-called translator's confidentiality." - Said Makepeace.
"Yes, you did do stuff to me. You violated my right to privacy and Lilly's. And you stole Lilly's research. And yeah, I did threaten your daughter." - Said Lucas, evenly - "Because my confidentiality is more important to me than your daughter is. Just like your notion of national security is more important to you than Lilly was. As I am sure many of your victims know, general, it's nothing personal. Just a professional. Doing business. But it's funny. I didn't ACTUALLY chop her head off..." - Lucas paused, smiling as she knew the general now had that picture in mind - "...so... By your very criteria... No harm done. Right? Or not? If not... Funny how things change when it's OUR daughter or OUR loved ones that come under threat, innit? Then it becomes personal. Face it, general. The only differences between you and me are You started it and I am stronger than you are. Anyways, let's now see what that bunch of grunts got turned into. Fingers crossed, I hope they got all I think they deserve..."
"If I didn't need your help..." - Said Makepeace.
"Yeah, but you do. See, now you personally dislike me. Because I am here, making your life hell. Because I personally dislike you, General, for what you did to Lilly and to me. Oh, I'm sure you did many a heroic thing back in the day. Some of it might not even had involved wanton murder. But when I look at you, all I see is the soldier who spied on me, threatened someone under my protection and was doing paramilitary operations in my country, a country which has a history of foreign-supported military coups. That's what you are to me, general, no matter what sparkling résumé you may have. Before you did all those things, you could have been Mother Fucking Theresa. You are still Lawful Evil to me because of the stuff you still don't understand why I'm pissed off about. And the reason is this: It's personal. Free lesson from the Angel of Chaos: It's always personal." - Said Lucas, calmly.
She walked on approaching the camp and kept talking.
"I'm betting it's personal to the people you maimed to get to that cozy position you held in the US Army. To the families of the people you killed. It was personal to me that you did all those things to me, my country and Lilly. And it sure was personal to you when I mentioned the name of your precious Juliet for the first time implying all the things I could do to her that you do for a living to other people. Juliet's tuition is paid for with money you got for maiming and killing people. People with fathers, with mothers, with families. With lives. It was personal to them. It is personal to you. It is, General, akways personal. This rule is more important than the laws of physics your little faerie body insists on abiding by. Get that through your thick inch-sized skull, General Makepeace, you goddamned milico. It's always personal." - She said.
Lucas walked into the camp and saw some ten beautiful blonde elven women. All twins.
"Hey... Were you the soldiers?"
"We were." - Said one of them - "We now are Anika."
"Oh, I've seen angel choirs... You're all connected now, right?"
"More than that." - Said Anika, evenly - "We are all one."
"Eh, you were never really individuals anyways." - Said Lucas, smiling congenially - "So, my guess is there are more soldiers to be found, right, faerie?"
"...yes." - Said Makepeace, through gritted teeth.
