Chapter 1: A very, VERY bad hair day
If there is a way to describe today for Filia it was bad.
It has been a year since she woke up with no memories, a dirty school uniform, and Samson a vulgar parasitic hair monster that had decided to attach itself to the back of her head.
Today was no exception. Her hide out, a small dingy room of a motel was raided by the Anti-Skullgirl Lab's lead operative, Parasoul an agent that has been tracking her for two weeks. As she fled the Area of operations she was attacked by Peacock after Samson pissed her off on a bet (though it did not help that Samson was cheating during the bet). The two fights she got into almost made her late for class.
Reflecting on it made her realize the rest of the day was going to be no different when she followed a possible lead as to who she was only find out that it was a dead end. exhausted she went to her usual place of relaxing a small diner close to the center of downtown New Meridian. While Samson hide underneath the baller cap as he agreed to should they go into an area where people may call in on someone with a parasite
Filia eyed the diner before deciding to speak. "Samson, we need to talk." She stated calmly.
Underneath the hat she heard a low growling though muffled voice "if it's about the room I know a few other places to hide out so don't sweat it." As always he seemed to have some kind of back up remark.
"no it's not that" she sighed in relief though that he claims to have a backup hide out from before they met. "it's about the way you handled yourself with Peacock this morning.
It was obvious to her she hit a nerve ending as he erupted moving the cap in all directions as he yelled "THAT LYING LITTLE SHIT WAS CONNING ME FROM THE BEGINNING!" he argued back "SHE WAS LUCKY YOU BEGAN TO RUN OR I WOULD OF RIPPED THOSE DAMN ARMS OFF HER!"
Filia tried to calm him down, it seems that it wasn't working. Panicing, she grabbed the chocolate milkshake in front of her removed her hat and shoved it right into the back of her head splashing it all over the back side of herself. she shivered as he reacted sensing the coldness down the back side of her neck and back. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Samson responded angrily
"You were causing a scene I had to." She stated appologeticly
Samson licking what he could of her frozen drink off himself and what he could mop up around the two of them smacked his serated lips before speaking. "Alright what is it."
"Do you think I'll ever find out about my past?"
He stammered answering her question "How should I know?"
"You said you would help me find out who I was but it seems your leads are not that reliable." She asked cautiously not wanting to provoke him again.
"I am, you're the brains and I'm the brawn. Plain and simple."
She sighed as she was replacing her hat on her head to hide Samson from any possibly wandering eyes "If you say so." She closed her eyes to reflect on what she has found out about herself.
The day after she lost her memory she searched around for the school that used the uniform she wore was from. New Meridian High School from what she could tell she did attend this school and after an hour of exploring the campus managed to find her home room. Luckily she found out her name from students in the class Filia seemed to be her first name but they would not tell her last name. but since then that was all she could gather from the time she has been with Samson.
"maybe I am destined to forget my past" she thought to herself and sighed.
"So this is where you've been hiding" a calm voice could be heard behind her.
Filia Quickly turned around startled by what appeared to be a tall dark skinned woman with a black dress dawning what appeared to be inspired by Egyptian accessories. She seemed friendly enough so she spoke up "do I know you?"
"no." She smiled before turning into a malevolent leer "But your parasite does." Just then Samson poked his eyes from under the hat. They widened as the rest of his body stood up on its end.
"Kid" he paused slowly moving strands of himself toward what appeared to be a bowl of soup. He wrapped around slowly picking up haste as he approached the bowl. "RUN!" he shouted as he slammed the soup and bowl into her face ruining the woman's make up in the process.
Filia got up quickly before Samson slingshot her out the diner's window and catapulted her to a nearby street light. "friend of yours?" She asked once Samson grabbed to the light hoisting her up.
"Hardly She seems to have a deep crush on me." He said concerned
"you know how?" little concerned for her well being
"she kind of killed a few of my hosts over the years." He was only half answering the questions looking around for an escape route. The mysterious woman was in fast pursuit of them before Samson latched himself to a fire escape and tossed themselves into the air to the top of a three story building.
"So why not choose the person?"
"I'm not too fond of her type."
"Type?" Filia really did not like that answer. As far as she's aware Samson had shown few standards when sweet talking woman during the time she has had him, often at her expesnse such as them screaming realizing her hair was alive or that one time at the River King Casino where a woman was drunk enough to actually make out with him.
"Type as in uh… She wants to offer herself on purpose" he stammered as he grabbed onto another floor he must be moving quick since the woman was barley on the other side of the building.
"Is he hiding something" Filia thought to herself trying to regain her footing after another landing.
Right as she was crossing the city skyline She was Slammed by a pair of two feet crashing her through a wall into the middle of an elevator shaft. She struggled to regain her footing to find an angry little kid with robotic like arms standing there. Her top hat and black eyes also showing disdain toward them. "You Lying son of bitch give me my money" a heavy Chicago styled accent littered her voice.
"Peacock." Filia spoke up panicking "Now is not a good time."
"yeah we got bigger problems than hustlers." Samson blurted out annoyed
"Not my problem." She stated coldly cocking a double barreled shotgun that came from seemingly nowhere. As she took aim a pool of blood began to for behind her she seemed to be oblivious of it however.
"Behind you" Filia blurted out scared.
Peacock lowered the gun confused and turned her head to face her backside what stood there was the woman from earlier still cover in red mostly complete. She blinked a few times at the woman before turning her head back to them "friend of yours?" she asked almost unfazed by the anomaly behind her. Filia shook her head. "Then Samson's." she concluded
"well." Samson dragged the word with ambivalence
Peacock sighed turned around still rather calm pulled out a cigar and lite it up and took a puff. "augh" she groaned as she took a few quick puffs "What's up Doc?"
"A new living arrangement" She claimed as her blood turned into several blades cutting the elevator cables sending the elevator down the tower they were in.
Peacock stood there confused as Filia walked up beside her. She noticed her and looked back at the mysterious woman. "So what's the deal with Cleopatra over there?" her curiosity finally peaked.
"Her name is Eliza." Samson spoke "don't let her looks fool ya, She's hell of a lot older than she claims."
"Okay so why didn't you just live on her then?" Peacock seemed to be blunter in approach in comparison to Filia.
"She's already infected" Samson stated as Eliza took the form of a red liquid sarcophagus as a skeleton walked through it to taunt before escaping back in.
Peacock childishly nodded her head with satisfaction before her black eyes widened and letting out a blood curdling scream as the elevator crashed into the ground. The force of it was strong enough to go through the floor into the sewer line. Filia fell to the ground expecting to be finished from the impact to see Samson cushioning her landing. "Thank you." Filia sad to the mass as he reverted to normal. She looked around, no sign of Eliza. Peacock however was out cold on the ground.
"Common let's get moving we need an exit." Samson stated. "don't worry about her, she's done worse and you know it."
Filia Sighed getting up looking left and right before running.
As she ran she approached a heavy metallic door reading Lab 0 (authorized personal only) Filia looked left then right before concluding it would be best to hide here for the night. "Samson get the door." She spoke scanning the sewer way.
Samson's tentacle took hold of the door and pulled hard ripping it off its hinges in the process. Filia entered as Samson replaced the now damaged door in place. The two began to observe the weird room. It was dark, very dark Filia struggled to get grab a lighter she kept on her to see Samson just looked around since he could see in the dark. It looked like a mad scientist's lab papers and machines littered the empty room as dormant machines casted there shadows on the walls. The room as a whole was disturbing.
"This must be one of those supposed Anti-Skullgirl labs you heard about." Samsun spoke up looking around while Filia did the opposite direction.
"What do you think it did?" Filia asked approaching a switch and powering it up.
"How Should I know?" Samson responded mildly annoyed.
As Filia turned a powerful red wave of liquid crashed against her trapping Filia against the wall. "Did you think it would be that easy?" Eliza's voice echoed in the room menacingly.
"Eliza can't we work this out" Samson began to plead.
"Aw Samson" she was almost affectionate "I would, but that low life isn't fit for you" she shot more of the blood trapping Filia's legs to the wall.
"If I'm removed She dies as well as me" Samson was now terrified
"I know" Eliza said in a half melancholic though sadistic manner "But if I can't have you may as well be dead." The next wave crashed against a machine turning it on.
A weird circle of to the side booted up when her attack crashed into it. A blue light emanates from the device as red lights lit up the room while sirens rang through the room. All hell was breaking loose and it was only getting worse.
Three guards knocked down another door on top of a handful of catwalks above them looking down all guns trained on them. "Hands up, what the hell?" was all one of them could respond with seeing the scene.
Eliza sighed "so annoying." She shot another of her waves slicing a guard in half killing him. The portal was now vibrant purple. "Good bye Samson, it's a shame we couldn't be together."
A heavy growl could be heard behind her. Eliza turned around to see a creature unlike any other. It appeared to be a bear covered in black fur and bone like armor covering its head and legs several spines protruded from its back. It raised its claw slashing at Eliza while shrugging off a good amount of the ammo shot by the guards up top.
Samson saw an opportunity to escape. Extending himself, he tethered onto several support poles and yanked as hard as he could. He final broke free and like a bolt in a reverse crossbow shot Filia and himself into the circular window as the machine was crushed underneath the claw of the black fiend. The weird device proceeded to flicker then shut off leaving the two on the other side of the weird device before disappearing as a whole.
Eliza since she was outnumbered decided to retreat. For the time being. After her escape Peacock ran in fully armed looking for the woman that tried to kill her. "Hey dingbats where's that mummy?" it was clear she was angered
"She got away" a brave guard spoke still looking at the bear in front of him.
"Damn" she said as her shot the bear blowing its head off. She began to scan the room before realizing Filia was missing. "Hey was there a woman in here with rather active hair?"
"She went in there." the same guard yelled pointing at the unknown device.
Peacock stared at it for a second. Half uninterested "so what is that thing anyway, looks like something outta of a cheesy sci-fi film."
"That's because it's a rift device Peacock" a woman with a light British accent spoke up looking at it. The woman was tall and red hair. Peacock already knew who it was.
"Oh, look who decided to show up." Peacock teased Parasoul "Any luck with that skullgirl sighting?"
"negative" she responded quick and to the point Peacock always hated that about her, business and nothing but business just once watch Annie: Girl of the Stars or something was going through her head.
"so why'd we make this thing?" Peacock asked curiously.
"it was a plan to get rid of the Skullgirl once and for all assuming we catch her before she's at full power.
"Ah, so we have to save that kid don't we?" Peacock questioned concerned.
"yes, regrettably" was Parasoul's only response.
Meanwhile Filia woke up scratching her head. "what happened" she began to ask since her eyesight was blurred by the hit she had taken.
"I made a judgement call" Samson responded slightly angered at their predicament. "Your welcome by the way"
Filia shook her head trying to regain focus. the concrete floor was cold and damp it clearly had rained recently. she began to stand up but fell back down Samson caught her with quickly and began to help her up. "hey you okay?" for the first time in weeks he seemed to be showing actual signs of concern for Filia. he wrapped her hair round her knees to form a brace to help her stand. "Don't worry I got you kid."
As Filia's eyesight returned she looked left and right. Where ever she was it was dark. lights in the area however told her she was in an urban environment. looking at the buildings she began to notice something. they all had a mix of colonial and squared off look in comparison to the art deco/regal buildings of New Meridian. it was clearly a commercial district however as she entered onto the empty street resting herself against a nearby lamppost. most buildings seemed to be closed for the night. at this moment Filia looked into the skyline to see the taller buildings to most do not go past eight or so stories. "Samson, I don't recognize this part of New Meridian."
"I don't think were in New Meridian Filia" his voice was grim.
"Then where are we?" Filia tensed up fearing the answer.
"I think we got stuck in one of those weird Science fiction films on the late night movie houses."
"what makes you certain?"
Samson paused before speaking "Look up."
Taking a few short breaths to get herself ready for what she feared she slowly tilted her head to the sky. her eyes widened in fear at what she saw. the moon had a heavy quarter of it missing shattered still within orbit of whatever planet there on. "Wha- What happened here? Was this a skullgirl's doing? Where in the world are we?" her mind was raising several thousands of questions a minute. she felt week in her legs again luckily Samson kept her standing do to the hair braces. "This can't be happening." She said repeatedly to herself tears forming in her eyes she had no way of who she is being stuck somewhere other than New Meridian and she is now in the middle of a new world with nothing but the same dirty uniform and the Parasitic hair monster. She was in fact back to square one, square negative three considering she was now somewhere that not infected at all.
"Hey, Filia... Filia?" Samson trying to get her attention from the mental break down she was having. nothing he tried was working slapping her biting the usual things that got on her nerves that he did when he was trying to tease her. "(come on Samson think.)" he was running through his memories trying to figure out what to do to cheer her up. then it hit him on what to do. he shot a lot of strands in the air crashing firmly into the ground lifting himself upward pulling Filia in the same direction. a second rope of hair shot down the side of her shirt hoisting her sideways like a flag on a pole. he began to move the hair that was roped to Filia up and down to mimic the wind. "(come on, this got to work.)" Samson remembered on a few occasions when he did this to make her laugh and cheer her up. He snuck a look at her diary once and she stated it was moments like this where she really believes that he cares for her which is saying something from either standpoint since he tends to get her a lot of trouble. Samson could argue that Filia was one of the more unique people who he has infected over the years. she put up with him despite all the trouble he causes for his host from making them drunk on accident to getting into fights. unlike most She detested violence but is willing to fight should she need to. Whoever she was before attaching to her is nothing but a distant mystery now.
Filia at first was startled and caught off guard by the actions Samson did. all she knew was she was picked up off her feet and now was hanging sideways moving in the wind. as this happened she couldn't help but laugh. To Samson she was just a kid on an amusement park ride though it didn't help she can't remember her childhood though. "Okay, okay." she kept giggling "I'll calm down." Satisfied Samson began to lower her to her feet. "Let's look around" she suggested eagerly "It's not every day you get to see a world untouched by your own."
They traveled the streets of the for what seemed like hours on the streets coming across what seemed like an open bazar still open. they traveled the bustling street seeing all the stands selling all sorts of interesting things from food goofy looking trinkets basic town merchandise and clothes. She browsed looking at the wares fascinated at what was in front of her.
Samson however was not likening the looks they were getting, himself pacifically. he saw several staring at him "That hair band is kind of scary" a woman said to her friend as she stared the two stared before laughing at the idea of wearing him.
"Hey Filia, I think it's best we find another hat"
She drew her eyes away from the merchandise to notice the staring faces. "Good Idea. I think it's safe to say that our cash is not good around here." she almost shivered at what they had to do. "we may have to bluff our way through it."
Samson grunted with amusement. for once his lying and gambles he makes is about to help them. "Okay, you still got that cloth napkin from the casino?"
She dug through the pockets on her uniform and pulled out a red River King Casino hanker chief Samson used to swipe chips away from some un suspected person. she showed it to Samson who grinned mischievously "Okay listen, the man at the hat shop is clearly not going to listen to me for starters no one expects talking hair. However, Person is going to be a sucker for a charity case, specially an attractive young woman."
"I don't know about this."
"it'll be easy, then we score a job and used it as a cover for ourselves until we find a clean getaway from where ever the hell we are."