Test Run
Two days later…
"Where are you going? You know you should still be in bed!"
I stared in surprise at Sakuya, who had stepped in my way as I tried to leave the infirmary. I thought I had been quiet. I even managed to get changed into my uniform without anyone noticing me, which made the medic's sudden appearance all that much more surprising.
I'd heard rumor that Jackal was on a mission with another God Eater, and I couldn't stop wondering about him. Everything's going to be okay, I kept thinking, He's a good fighter. He'll be just fine… But I couldn't stop worrying. That was why I thought I'd go for a walk or something and take my mind off this. My legs still hurt when I moved the wrong way, but I was getting restless: I couldn't stay still. I just kept replaying that last mission out in my head over and over again.
It's not your fault, I tried to assure myself, That could've happened to anybody. But who was I kidding? If I hadn't gotten separated, if I hadn't got trapped in that skyscraper, then I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid sick bay and nobody would've gotten hurt either. I had to get my focus back. If I messed up again, I might not be so lucky.
I really wished I had my drawing supplies. That'd be perfect at a time like this. Maybe I'd head out and explore this place a bit. Of course, that was assuming Sakuya wasn't about to force me back to my bed.
"I… I was just going to go for a walk, that's all." I said as I tried to hide a fidget.
Sakuya put a hand on her hip, "You're not very good at lying. You keep wringing your hands. Something's bothering you, isn't it?"
That Sakuya was very perceptive! I was surprised at how easily she saw through me. I decided to tell her the truth. "I have a lot on my mind. I need to get out.
Sakuya smiled kindly at me. "I get it. You've been through a lot these past few days, haven't you? Well, why don't I give you a proper tour while we're walking?"
"We?" I asked.
Sakuya nodded. "I'll come with you, just in case your injuries reopen again. Besides, you look like you need to relax."
"I'll be fine," I reassured, "I just need to tough it out. I can manage."
Sakuya's smile turned into a laugh. "You and Jackal both have that same stubborn streak. It's like you're related."
I shook my head. "No. We just trained together. He's my best and only friend."
"Your only friend? That's got to be lonely." I shuffled my feet at Sakuya's comment. She was starting to get personal again. Or, maybe I was just getting shy. Yeah, that was probably more it. When I only responded with silence, Sakuya said, "Well, let's go for that walk then. I'll introduce you to some of the Far East crew. I think you'll hit it off with at least some of us."
Maybe, I didn't know. I wasn't in a social mood right now, and her habit of getting a little nosy was uncomfortable. But Sakuya wasn't wrong. I was a little lonely, especially right now. As I followed Sakuya down the hall and towards an elevator at the end, I saw the doors open all of a sudden. A familiar dark-haired boy was in the elevator. I couldn't help smiling at Jackal's surprised expression.
He recovered from his surprise quickly. "Robin? What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be resting?"
I gave him a smile. "I can't just stay in bed forever. I'll get soft and fat."
He laughed a little. "Ha, that's more like the Robin I know. You're getting your pep back. But seriously, are you up for it?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I was starting to feel like a caged animal in there."
I noticed just then that Jackal had his hands behind his back. "Hey Robin, I have a present for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands…"
"What kind of present?" I asked as I tried to peer behind his back.
I had the sneaking suspicion that he was up to something, but he was quicker. Jackal dodged my peeking by turning to face me, "You'll find out soon enough." When he continued to evade me, I relented. I held out my hands and closed my eyes. Something hard but lightweight landed in my hands. I opened my eyes and found a long tube-like thing in my hands. I quickly realized it was a piece of a Fallen Kongou's back cannon.
"Surprise! I brought you a trophy!" Jackal beamed broadly with a grin. I recognized the playful smile on his face that he'd make when he was playing around. I gave him one of my own and burst into giggles. I should've known it was a prank.
Jackal started laughing as well, "There it is. There's that contagious laugh!" Jackal suddenly pulled a small bag out from behind his back. "Here's your real present. Go on, open it."
I took the bag from him and looked at him. If this was another prank, I couldn't tell. Then again, Jackal had a very good poker face. I opened the bag and peered inside. My eyes widened and I gasped, nearly dropping the bag in my surprise. A familiar pad of paper was inside. It was somewhat charred and a bit crumpled, but I knew this was my old sketchbook. I could only squeak in awe as I pulled it out and pawed through the pages. Most of my drawings were still intact. I looked up at Jackal, completely speechless. He was giving me a knowing grin.
"I decided to see if the salvage team was able to scavenge any of our supplies. Turns out some things were recovered. I couldn't resist surprising you."
I finally regained my voice, "Jackal… I… this is…! Wow!"
"These drawings are very good," I looked up to find Sakuya looking over my shoulder, "Did you draw these?" I nodded and she continued, "That's impressive. You have a real talent, Robin. I really like this one, it's very realistic." She stabbed a finger at the last page I stopped on. I noticed which drawing she was talking about and I blushed a bit. It was the sketch I drew of Jackal when he was napping on the chopper. I hadn't even shown Jackal this one yet, and I was a little embarrassed People could get kinda weird when I draw them, so I didn't usually draw people.
"When did you do that, on the chopper?" I fidgeted and closed the sketchbook as I nodded at Jackal's question. "I'm impressed! It's really good!"
I smiled shyly. "T-thanks. I wasn't sure you'd like it, so… thanks."
"You don't need to be so humble about it. In fact, I think you should frame some of these," Sakuya added. I blushed again. I was not used to all this flattery, especially out of a near-stranger like Sakuya. It felt good, but I was also feeling self-conscious.
Jackal seemed to remember something then. "I almost forgot. I was going to go do some training after I visited you. Wanna watch?"
I shook my head, "I'd rather participate."
"Wait, what?" Jackal was caught flat-footed by my answer. "You sure? You might not be ready…"
"That's why I have to keep training, so I don't fall behind."
"Why do you keep pushing yourself so hard, Robin?" Sakuya asked, "He's right you know."
I had to. I was always weaker, slower, and clumsier than my fellows. I could not afford to coast by. It was more important now than ever. Sakuya and Jackal now knew about my hemophilia, and that probably meant Alisa knew too. A God Eater with that kind of a disability was a liability, and I couldn't stand the idea of becoming dead weight. If I fell behind, I might get demoted or removed from duty altogether. Trying my best and never quite making it was my biggest fear. I was reluctant to admit any of this, so I settled for a half-truth. "If I don't practice, I won't be able to return to duty. I know better than to overdo it, so don't worry."
I could tell neither of them were quite buying it, but I stood my ground. After several uncomfortable moments, Sakuya said, "Alright then, fair enough. Why don't you go and two train together? I'll observe the session. But I'm pulling the plug if either of you overwork yourselves, okay?"
I nodded my acknowledgement, and Jackal answered with a "Yes ma'am," of his own. Seeming satisfied with our answers, Sakuya headed for the elevator. "The training hall is this way. Follow me."
O-O-O-O-O-O
I took up a ready stance in the training hall, holding my God Arc in front of me. Jackal stretched out, giving me one of his trademark grins. "How's it feel to get back into it?" I shrugged my answer, and he continued, "Hey, let's have a competition. Whoever scores the kill gets a mochi ice cream from the loser!"
That Jackal knew me too well! I flashed a playful smirk, "Yeah? I accept! Don't expect to win without a serious fight!"
His grin grew a little sinister and he repositioned himself to a lunging stance, "Same to you! I'll take it easy on you!" Now I was miffed. He was going to go easy on me? Not cool. I was determined to show him what I could do.
"Alright, here we go," I heard Sakuya's voice from the loudspeaker, "First up is a warm-up. We have a Gboro-Gboro ready. Try to focus and don't get careless. This may be a practice match, but the challenges are real. As you may know, a 'fatal' attack will end the sim immediately. You will have ten minutes."
"Ten?!" I blurted in surprise, "That's kind of short…"
"With the both of you, that should be plenty of time. This isn't a particularly strong variant. Besides, I want to see if you two are as talented as the reports say. Get ready!"
I raised my Arc to a ready pose as the false Aragami materialized in front of us. The amphibian roared and turned to us, taking aim with its cannon. In a moment, I felt my training kick in. I instantly knew what to do. I rushed straight at it instead of backing up. Its water shot sprayed over my head and I easily dodged it. Jackal was there in a flash, swinging his Scythe in a circle to slash at its fins. The Aragami turned towards him. I prepared myself for a Charge Glide while it was busy. The Gboro spun and tail slapped me, knocking me on my butt.
I cursed myself for my ineptitude as I regained my footing. The Aragami was now facing away from me, and I saw another chance. I switched to my Gun Form and let it have a Spark emitter blast to the back. I landed a direct hit, and it reeled. I let it have a few more stabs, then fell back as it faced me next. It growled and gnashed its teeth, coiling up for a rushing charge. I sidestepped as I tried to change forms and block it. I realized that may not be a good idea too late. It was already coming at me again. I was unable to counter, and it rammed me down again.
That was stupid. Come on, Robin! Get your head in it! Focus!
Behind the monster, I saw Jackal prepare to slam his Scythe into its back. I took the chance to spring to my feet again and attack with a flying leap. We both connected at the same time, and the false target fell. I stared in disbelief as I waited for my target to make a move, but it did not get back up. Did I beat this thing already? No way…
"Huh. That was anticlimactic." Jackal said with a hint of discontent. Apparently, he was just as surprised as I was.
"We won already? What a letdown…" I voiced my own disappointment. I knew this was a "warm-up", but this was just pathetic.
"Four minutes, fifteen seconds!" I heard Sakuya say from the speaker. She sounded a little awestruck. "Very nice! It looks like the report of you two coming from an elite branch was true!"
"That wasn't hard at all. Turn it up next time!" Jackal beamed.
"Take five first. I have to reset the sim anyway. Good job, you two!"
"Okay," I said, "Just let me know when the next sim is ready."
"Excuse me. A moment please?" I looked up, surprised at the new voice on the speaker. I recognized it as Alisa. "Robin, Jackal, can you two meet me outside? I want to ask you a favor."
"A favor?" Jackal asked.
"Just come out, please? I'll meet you there shortly."
Jackal nudged me. "Hey Robin, good job. You're still pretty sharp. I think we tied on the kill shot though. I'll ask if Sakuya will let me see the video footage to be sure." I had to chuckle at his comment. Some things never change.
I left the training room to see what Alisa wanted. I wasn't that concerned about who won or lost anyway. Just fighting alongside Jackal felt pretty good, and I'd proven I could still fight, even if it was against a pathetic excuse of a Gboro Gboro. I saw Alisa coming down the staircase and our way. Was she watching us fight just now?
"What is it, Alisa?" I asked.
She looked about, as if making sure we were alone, then said "It's about our upcoming mission. As you may be aware, Director Sakaki wants us to gather a sample of scales from Tsuchinoko for research. I wanted to ask you two if you knew anything about that thing."
"Not really," Jackal answered, seeming slightly guarded at the mention of Tsuchinoko.
"Oh." Alisa seemed slightly crestfallen to hear my reply. "I was hoping you two knew something…"
I wrinkled my brow in worry. "Please tell me you aren't thinking of killing that thing on your own…"
Alisa smiled reassuringly at me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about us. We won't be looking for trouble. It's strictly recon. You're welcome to come along if you feel up to a mission."
I was so astonished by her offer that all I could say was "Me?!"
"You can't be serious." Jackal seemed even more surprised than I was.
"I was watching that fight. Granted that Gboro Gboro was a weak Aragami, I could see both of you are talented God Eaters. Jackal, you just came back from that mission with Karel, right? I thought you might be tired, so I didn't offer. You're welcome to come too if you want to."
Jackal shrugged casually. "I'm a little tired, but I'm much tougher than I look. I'm game if you are."
"Are you two sure?" I nodded my reply to Alisa's question without hesitation, and Jackal nodded as well. Tsuchinoko was a scary Aragami, but I was confident that I could handle a scouting mission. Doubly so if Jackal was going to be with me.
She looked between us then smiled. "Alright, in that case, welcome to the roster. Meet me up at the helipad on the roof in thirty minutes."
