“Orbital strikes? What, how…” Masgard started, standing up again before flinching as a deafening sound filled the room. One in-atmosphere fighter craft screamed out of the darkness and past the skyscraper, then another. The plate glass windows rattled with the increase in air pressure, and the lights flickered. “What’s going on?” one of the Outreman science team asked from the doorway, voice quivering.

“Pack your shit, put it on the drones. Let's go! Get a move on!” An institute soldier barked from out in the corridor. 
[hr]
“Please, help me understand.” Freyr pleaded, suddenly finding her voice.

“I can help you. People will listen to me, but I need to know why we’re here.” Her eyes never left the mirror image of her family.

“We’ve met before, Human - but you won’t remember. Your form has changed, but you’re close enough for me to recognise your spark in the fire of a trillion Human minds. It is no accident, you arriving in Outremer. The Rothian too, had a part to play in our downfall.” 

A shiver ran up Freyr’s spine, and the voice resumed practically inside her ear.

“You’re both here so it never happens again.”

With that, something grabbed the back of Freyr’s neck and pushed her face deep into the placid waters. Freyr struggled, but couldn’t get free - bubbles escaped from her mouth and nose. She opened her eyes, and almost screamed the rest of her air supply out. Directly opposite her, as if she were under the water looking up and he was face down in it, was Vreta’Sori. Freyr’s eyes bulged, and she tried to move from side to side to attract his attention from a few metres away.
[hr]
Freyr began making strangled gasps for breath on the floor of her room. One fist clenched, then the other.
“Subject is experiencing ventricular fibrillation. Cardiac arrest is imminent.” The medical drones announced.