act37side

The daughter of the late King Alistair II, Alexandrina Vina Victoria.

I... I didn't mean to hide it. I just thought... It didn't really matter...

You daft, mate?

I'm not asking who you are, I'm asking why you'd try and shoulder all this by yourself!

Hannah...

Sounds like there's a long story you need to be telling us.

Sorry...

No time for that! Save it, we need to leave <i>right now</i>!

Where can we go, though?

Out the city.

Right now. This instant. Immediately.

I can't—

We're nearly out of time. Once the police notice the factory's up in flames, they'll contact the Defense Forces and shutter each and every port. When that happens, we wouldn't be able to fly out, even if we sprouted wings.

Don't worry about Norport. I'll hold the fort.

Wait, Baird, you're not coming with?! Hey, Morgan, say something, won't you?

I get where she's coming from. The Glasgow Gang's always going to be home to us, Hannah.

<i>Someone's</i> gotta welcome you lot home when you get back, right?

People are watching you. But I'm sorry, Vina. We can't protect you. Against real titans like them, the Gang's nothing more than puny little musbeasts.

You were never a Norporter, Vina. Or should I say, never only a Norporter. I knew from the day you joined us.

It's all my fault. I just wanted to protect you all, but... but now, I've dumped a heap of trouble on your laps.

Not wrong. If you're going to blame yourself, though, there's something I hope you keep in mind.

Remember that you owe Norport. Remember that one day, you'll need to come back here to repay everyone.

I swear. I swear I'll come back.

Yeah! It's our turf, after all! We'll snatch it right back someday!

But are you really set on coming with me? There's no need to tangle yourselves in all this.

I'm your trusted advisor, Vina. I'm worried for you.

If anyone comes looking to bother you, you're gonna need me to help bash their faces in!

Wherever you go, Vina, I will follow.

Never forget, Vina. No matter where you go, the Glasgow Gang will be with you.

I'll keep this place safe. We won it together, after all.

I promise you, Baird. I'll bring everyone back.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Here's to us. To the Glasgow Gang.

To the Glasgow Gang!

Dammit, dammit all... M-My Lady! It's the Duke of Cavendish's man!

My Lady, I-I'll contact Headquarters right away! Even if we must turn all of Londinium upside-down—

Suppress this event.

Very well, I'm contacting the hospital—What? Suppress it?

I will have my men handle this. Nothing to come will have anything to do with the Norport Police.

Do not worry. The chief of the Royal Police will <i>not</i> come calling on you about this or anyone else on scene, for that matter.

R-Really? How can you be so sure...?

While I cannot fix the future's course, sir, I can guide it towards a path of my liking.

This city will soon be welcoming a host of visitors. Do you not have more important things to handle?

You... Alright... Very well!

This too is part of your destiny, Vina.

<i>When we found out about Vina's past, I was amazed, sure, but I was more pleasantly surprised, as it were.</i>

<i>I could see the entire story in my mind's eye. A lost heir to the throne, a heroic fantasy rising from the streets.</i>

<i>Stories usually start with someone leaving, and end with a reunion. But reality begs to differ.</i>

<i>When we stepped out on the road away from home, none of us expected the way back could be so fraught with hardship.</i>

<i>I'm fond of the words Dagda spoke once we set foot on our home again, after many, many years away:</i>

<i>'History is like a sailing ship adrift, and every age sees its share of experienced helmsmen who think to change its course...'</i>

<i>'But in the end, none will truly ever know where the sunset and the river will take them.'</i>

Hey, who're you? Here to get some rounds in the ring?

I'd like to ask if this is where the Glasgow Gang is based? I'm looking for Siege. If I understand things right, she's your leader?

This gym's only got one leader now. She's called Baird.

Wait a sec... Lookin' at your clothes, you a noble?

Get out. You ain't welcome here.

Pardon me, then.

Wait.

You're looking for Vina? You know her?

I'm... an old friend of hers.

Vina's out on a trip. If you've got something to say, I can pass it on for you.

No, nothing in particular. It's just that as her friend, I'm concerned about her current situation.

Please let her know I'm wishing her all the best, when you can.

Sure. She's doing fine. I'll tell her on your behalf.

Allerdale turns and leaves the messy gym. She knows the woman there wasn't lying. Because she saw the photo hanging on the wall, and the smiling face upon it.

It's not time yet.

In her fit of absent-mindedness, that deep, resonant voice arises in her head once more.

'Allerdale Cumberland.'

'You will meet Vina again, someday.'

<p=1>Streets of Norport</><p=2>December 26th, 1098, 5:23 P.M.</>

How'd things go on your end, Dagda?

Mr. Lane's still alive, but he's got a busted leg. His sworn brother didn't make it, though. I tried asking some old friends...

None of them know when that brother passed away exactly. Might've been when trying to escape Norport, might've been some Sarkaz at the end of their tether during the allied counterattack...

Did you manage to see Mr. Lane himself?

I did. He works at the port now. He didn't bring up the old days, and he avoided talking about his crew.

But he thinks that now, he's living a good life.

Bloody hell.

I strolled around one of the factories we used to look after. It's full of little punks now. None of those youngsters have even heard of us Glasgow Gang.

That pack of brats deserves a right trashing!

Did you swing by the old restaurant we always went to?

Torn down. Parliament sent some men over to get in touch with all the old shopkeeps. Anything so run-down it couldn't be fixed up, and whose owner was missing, was slated to be torn down and rebuilt.

The pub on Sunset Street, Paul's Bar, the magazine stall that runt from Kazimierz ran... They're all gone.

Hannah...

I checked out that public cemetery they were talking about too. I couldn't find McClaren, or—

(Choking back tears) Dammit, why don't these graves have names on them?

Stuff me, can't believe you caught me crying.

Let's head home already. Don't wanna leave Morgan waiting.

I thought... I thought the gym was going to be a rougher sight.

Thank you.

Looks to me like you've been taking care of the place this whole time.

I thought if you were still alive, you'd be coming back sooner or later. Doesn't matter how you look at it, I'm still part of the Glasgow Gang.

You didn't get on Duke Windermere's ship with us back then—

I wasn't so far gone that I needed saving by the dukes.

But... I gotta admit, I was being a right fool back then. After all that, I took some of the crew out to fight some devils hanging around Norport.

I ended up hearing about the Exemplars from them.

You pulled off some crazy stunts I could never dream of. An army, hah... When the battle outside was in total chaos, some of the gang helped out on the front line with me.

But there wasn't much we could do. All I got in the end were a few cuts and bruises—

You're Infected too?

Yep. Heard the same happened to Indra after she took a bad scrape on the battlefield not too long ago.