The Collectors, Goddesses tasked with gathering the Valkyrie initiates approached the home of their next target. They both felt excitement at the opportunity to gather the sister of one of the most famous Valkyries to ever graduate from training. They alone were entrusted with escorting Skuld, sister of Belldandy. There wasn't a more exciting request that could have been presented to them.
The pair had attempted to fast travel to the location of their target, but neither could make a connection to any of the acceptable appliances in the home. They had resolved to using their teleportation capabilities to land at the precipice of the property. The crack of their arrival shook the walls and they both took a step back as a massive grinning automaton rushed towards them. The mechanical creature held it's hands up and out in a combat stance as it stared at the pair impassively.
The gentle voice of Belldandy echoed over the yard. "Down Banpei!" she cried out as she made her way out of the doorway and into the darkness. Her clothing flowed behind her as she approached the entry way, waved her hand to dispel the wards, and ushered the pair of Collectors into the yard proper. "Welcome sisters," Belldandy smiled wide at the pair.
"Valkyrie Belldandy," the pair greeted her in return as they followed the Goddess past the robot and towards the entry way to the home. Belldandy stopped several feet from the door and turned to face the hooded figures. She sighed wistfully as she gazed at the pair. "It's been a long time since I was collected for training," she laughed lightly.
"We apologize for interrupting, but we must collect Skuld," the taller Collector spoke with a slight bow towards Belldandy. The normal process of collecting a new Valkyrie recruit often included a mock kidnapping in which the Collectors would snatch that individual from where ever they were.
"I understand," Belldandy spoke before calling out over her shoulder. "Skuld, it is time!"
Skuld exited her room slowly and began to walk down the hall towards the door. She grinned nervously as she hefted a backpack over her shoulder. A bevy of butterflies crashed about inside her tummy as she shot a nervous glance back and forth between the two Collectors.
Belldandy looked towards the entrance to the yard as the Charger containing Sousuke and Urd pulled up. Her eyes shot to the nervous gesture of greeting from Skuld towards the darkened vehicle. "It's time," Belldandy spoke softly before turning to the Collectors. "May I have a moment?"
The pair nodded under their hoods once before walking several feet towards the garden. The pair stood with their backs facing the group.
Urd and Sousuke moved towards Belldandy and Skuld quickly. "Can we say good bye?" Urd questioned rapidly.
"I love you guys," Skuld felt her voice cracking as she stifled a sniffle. "It won't be long though, right?" she finished with a half hearted shrug.
"Move swiftly. Surprise them. Don't falter in your convictions." Sousuke offered before giving the little Goddess a strong hug.
"Speed. Surprise. Violence of action." Skuld grinned as she winked at Sousuke after releasing their embrace.
"I need to tell you something," Belldandy interrupted with a hushed voice. "Don't be surprised if you don't like every thing you see," she continued before leaning down to hug Skuld. "No matter what happens, no one will be upset with you," she continued to speak cryptically before pointing towards the pair of Collectors. "Go," she spoke.
Urd burst into tears before turning to hold Sousuke. She waved furiously as the trio watched Skuld adjust her pack and walk towards the pair of Collectors. "I'm ready," she spoke as she stood between them.
"Ward is down," Belldandy spoke before the three vanished without a sound.
Sousuke turned to look at Belldandy with a quizzical look on his face. "Strange pep talk?" he offered her in question.
"A Valkyrie is trained to kill the marked ones from the very start," Belldandy sighed as she gestured at her own body with her hands. "We are enemy number one in our training and I fear she may not be receptive to their attitudes," she spoke.
Sousuke nodded. "She isn't the kind of girl to take kindly to people threatening her family," he mused as he looked down at Urd.
The lithe Goddess nodded once before flipping her hair back and releasing Sousuke. "I hope she will be all right," she replied before the trio made their way into the house.
\scenebreak
Skuld inhaled sharply as she stumbled forward into the acrid scented air. The sounds of creatures snarling filled her ears the moment she touched the ground with her feet. She felt disorientated and queasy from the fast travel and the loud noises only made it worse. She attempted to shake off the disorientation but a powerful grip on her shoulder startled her.
"Run!" the voice of a female Valkyrie made her head feel like it was splitting as she jerked and stared into the face of the injured Goddess. She nearly stumbled over herself as she recoiled from her damaged visage. The Goddess appeared to have had half of her face sheared off and she suffered from massive bleeding.
"Go!" she cried out again as she pointed her arm outwards. "We are under attack from Hell!" she choked out.
Skuld followed the extended appendage with her eyes until she spotted other trainees. They too were scrambling away from the carnage. Skuld froze, she could still hear the Goddess beside her crying out and screaming at her but she didn't feel the urge to run. She felt as though something were very wrong.
"What are you waiting for? Are you stupid!?" the Goddess screamed into her ear.
Skuld turned to face her and inhaled deeply. She sniffed several times at the now silent Valkyrie. She then looked past her towards the "monsters" in the distance. She continued to smell and listen while pointedly ignoring the Valkyrie who continued to watch her.
"This isn't right. None of this is right," Skuld spoke aloud as she began to look about. The sounds of the 'battle' raging around her began to subside as the floor under her feet began to shimmer. "Those aren't demons," she whispered to herself as she began to walk towards the carnage.
Skuld couldn't see them before they were on her. A single Valkyrie erupted into her vision before gripping her and pulling her into the air. She readied herself to fight back but thought better of it as she allowed herself to go limp in the warriors arms. She winced in pain as she was slammed into the ground roughly and pinned.
"Who do you think you are recruit?" an angry voice bellowed as two more Valkyries approached her. She refrained from struggling as she looked up defiantly at the pair.
"That is Skuld," one of them spoke.
"Belldandy, her sister, must have told her about the first exercise," another spoke with frustration in her voice.
"Belldandy didn't tell me about any of this!" Skuld cried out in defense of her sister. They had never discussed the training itself, but always touched on training to prepare physically for the trials themselves.
"Silence!" the Valkyrie who had pinned her to the ground cried out into her ear.
Skuld recoiled from the Goddess who held her down with an angry look on her face. Skuld could feel the heat in her face roiling as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself.
"Well, since you have taken it upon yourself to start the exercise with cheating, I think it would be best if you skipped the opening dinner and waited for the other recruits in the dorm," another Valkyrie spoke.
Skuld felt her captor release her and watched as the Goddess stood and moved back. She waited a few moments before pulling herself to her feet and glaring in the direction of the Valkyrie who had removed her feast privilege. "I can't believe I am here all of ten minutes and I am already in trouble," she thought to herself before turning and following the now mobile Valkyries.
"Belldandy is famous amongst Valkyries. She had the highest test scores in the history of the program," the leader spoke aloud as they walked. "It's a shame she betrayed you," the Goddess continued to speak.
Skuld pointedly ignored the Valkyrie.
"I hear she quit a glorious career to serve some bumble-dick on Earth as his eternal play thing," the Valkyrie spat. She cast a sideways glance at Skuld.
Skuld remained passive.
"I heard the filthy half demon in your family got her self some rug burns on her back. If we are lucky, Belldandy will redeem herself by cutting that egg out of her stomach and making it into an omelet we can feed that shit bag human of hers..." the Valkyrie allowed her voice to trail off as she noticed Skuld freeze in mid stride.
Skuld felt her vision fading in and out of focus as she struggled to look anywhere but the Valkyrie team leader before her. "It's just a test..." Skuld chanted under her breath as she struggled to keep walking.
"Something wrong? Don't tell me you have any feelings for that walking garbage dump you call a sister..." the Valkyrie continued to prod as she turned and approached Skuld. The Goddess bent at the waist and pressed her nose against Skulds before allowing her metal crown to bite painfully into her forehead. "Tell me I am wrong then. Give me one reason to have you flayed and expelled," she growled before grunting challengingly at the diminutive Goddess.
Skuld fought to remain passive as she stared straight ahead.
"You think that you are better than this because your looser sister told you some of our secrets?" the Valkyrie questioned as she began to twist her face back and forth allowing the metal crown she wore to dig deeper into the flesh on Skuld's forehead.
Skuld grit her teeth.
After several more tense seconds the Valkyrie turned on her heels and snapped her fingers. The war zone around them completely faded from vision. Skuld admired the technological prowess that the training room demonstrated as she noticed the intricacies of the system. "No scent," she whispered to herself as they continued to walk.
After several minutes of walking through the cold and metallic training chambers they reached a hallway filled with two rows of doors. "You will be in training team seven," the Valkyrie spoke with a hint of malefic mirth. "Enjoy your stay," she finished with a grin before waving her hand and stepping back as the door opened.
Skuld entered the room wordlessly. She suspected it, like the rest of the academy would not respect the normal laws of physics. "It's bigger on the inside," she whispered to herself. She froze in the doorway for a moment to look out amongst the bay she had been assigned. The room was a massive hallway with two rows of bunk beds lining either side.
Skuld spotted two separate doors beyond the one she had entered. She opened one to discover a large stall of latrines. The second door didn't budge under her touch. She followed the left wall past rows of bunks before arbitrarily deciding on one to be hers. The moment she sat on the bed her belongings appeared and clattered to the floor in front of a large metal cabinet that she assumed was also hers.
"What the hell was I thinking?" she wondered aloud as the oppressive silence of the room beat down on her. She cast a nervous sidelong glance about the immediate area for several seconds before rising from the bed and approaching her pile of stuff. She opened the cabinet and began to put away her things.
Skuld felt like it had been hours before the door she entered from opened and a single file of young women filed into the room. She made eye contact with one of them who gave her a quizzical look but no one spoke a word as they marched to their place behind each bed in turn.
"All right you lot, you just earned yourself a chance to be a part of the roughest group of Valkyries in Heaven. We are the Battle Bitches and if you want to earn the right to call your self one, you are going to keep your head in the game. If you don't, I reserve the right to cut you down," a booming voice echoed out over the group.
Skuld moved from her bed to stand beside her locker at attention. She realized that not all of the members of the Valkyries were Goddesses. She noticed several Elves, Fairies, and other fey amongst the rabble of wanna be warriors.
Skuld failed to notice the slowly approaching Valkyrie team leader. She continued to speak as she laid eyes on Skuld and narrowed her lids to slits. "I am Valkyrie Antoinette and will be turning you away from a life of soft and doughy weakness," her voice trailed off as she stopped to stand in front of the preoccupied Skuld.
Skuld snapped her eyes to Valkyrie Antoinette and studied her features for a moment. She was an Elven women with beautiful thick golden hair pulled into a bun, thick and full lips, and cold pale skin. She was the epitome of Elven beauty. Her speech and mannerisms were completely antagonistic to her beautiful airs.
"What is your malfunction trainee?" she bellowed into Skuld's face. "Do you think you are exempt from paying attention because you decided to cheat during the on boarding test?"
Skuld felt her face flush as she noticed the glances from the other trainees in her peripheral vision. She bit her tongue and refused to answer as she stared defiantly into the eyes of Valkyrie Antoinette.
"You think you are tough? You want to try your hand at fighting a combat veteran?" Valkyrie Antoinette continued to egg her on as she leaned closer. Her breathe, like that of most Elven women, smelled of flowers and forest and it tingled Skuld's nose.
Skuld remained silent.
"Answer me!" the Valkyrie screamed again.
"No ma'am!" Skuld replied.
"You don't look like you really mean that," she whispered dangerously into Skuld's ear. "Give me one shot at kicking the shit out of Belldandy's sister. Please," she urged.
Skuld felt her anger bubble over as she whispered softly into the Valkyries ear, "Your breath smells like you have been blowing treants..."
The Valkyrie scowled before pursing her lips and blowing softly on Skuld's cheek. "You just painted a target on your back," Antoinette replied before leaning back and turning to the group. "Every one, push up position. Skuld, you stand and count cadence," she spoke.
Skuld felt every eye in the bay turn on her as the women slowly lowered themselves to push up position.
"Start counting," the Valkyrie commanded.
Skuld bellowed out cadence until the trainees had completed fifty push ups. She could feel the anger ebbing through the group and the side ways glances being cast her way as the trainees finally returned to a standing position.
"Every time trainee Skuld here fucks up, you all are going to do her push ups for her," Antoinette spoke. "Every time I feel like trainee Skuld isn't pulling her weight, is falling behind, or is giving me a particularly ugly look... Well, she always looks ugly, you are all going to do push ups," she continued. "Give me five more because Skuld is ugly," she commanded.
Again the trainees dropped before completing their push ups and returning to their feet. "Go to sleep," the Valkyrie commanded before pulling an about face and making her way down the center of the bay. She scowled furiously as she stomped on the center line of the bay. She eventually made it to the door and paused for a moment.
"In the morning you all will wake, clean, polish the center line of the bay, and then we will have physical training and if you are lucky, you will get to shower," she finished speaking before pointing at a trainee near the door. "You have first fire watch, read your manual if you don't know what to do," she finally finished before exiting the room.
"Hey," one of the trainees spoke the moment the door closed. Skuld turned in the darkness to stare in the direction of the voice. "Thanks for that you stupid bitch," the woman growled in the darkness. Several other voices joined in to berate her with names and curses before the group finally quited down enough to climb into their respective beds.
Skuld fought the urge to sigh in the darkness as she listened to the grumbles of the other trainees within the bay. She felt no particular urge to sleep as many continued to curse her name under their breath. The itchy woolen blanket that scratched against her chin annoyed her, the sounds of the other trainees and their complaints annoyed her, and the feeling of helplessness annoyed her.
Skuld finally fell into a fitful sleep.
\scenebreak
Sousuke awoke feeling like death as was typical. He felt a dull ache down his neck and into his shoulder blades that left him clenching his teeth the moment he awoke. He reached out with his hand in the dark and felt around for Urd but was surprised to discover she was not in bed with him. He rolled over onto his stomach and pressed firmly with his right hand down into the floor before pulling himself up to his knees and finally to a standing position.
He swayed unsteadily as he consciously worked to relax his jaw and release the tension in his muscles. Sousuke could hear movement from down the hall and made the assumption that Urd, Belldandy, or Keiichi were up and about. He walked with a hunch in his back as he made the way to the bathroom and began the process of preparing for his interview. He spent his time carefully grooming as he hobbled around until his body loosened enough to operate at full capacity.
Eventually he made his way to the kitchen where he discovered Urd packing a bag for him. She had laid out a feast for breakfast that included fried eggs, bacon, miso soup, toast, and sausage. She had also created home made oatmeal bars filled with nuts, honey, and an assortment of jerky and a few other nonperishable foods. "You keep this bag on you at all times," she spoke as she gestured at the leather satchel.
"Am I going to war?" Sousuke questioned her with a grin as he moved into the kitchen and stole a kiss on her cheek. "I thought this was a job interview," he stated as he plucked a bacon strip up and began to chew it rapidly.
Urd looked at him with masked worry as she finished closing the sack. "I don't know if this interview is going to be anything like a real demon interview, but if it is, you are going to need to stay well fed and energized," she spoke hurriedly before placing both hands on the table in front of her self. Her shoulders surged up and down for a moment before she rolled her eyes and sighed violently. "I hate this. I want to summon you things and I cant," she growled as she stared at him.
"It's going to be fine," Sousuke spoke to her reassuringly. "I appreciate every thing you are doing for me here," he continued to speak as he sat at the table and began to eat every thing on his plate. He smiled at her between bites.
Urd shook her head back and forth as she squinted at him in annoyance. "You should be careful. Don't get hurt, and watch your seven," she spoke again.
"My six?" Sousuke inquired through a mouthful of egg.
"All the clock. Watch the whole clock! Every direction, all right?" Urd snapped back exasperatedly.
Sousuke couldn't help but smile as he watched her fuss. "It's a job interview Urd. I'm not going to the Balkans," he spoke before scratching at his face. He felt his entire body jerk as he flashed back to his time in the Volga-Urals. He spilled the food on his fork back onto his plate before returning to eat as though nothing had occurred.
Urd breathed deep before shaking her head in the negative. "I packed every thing I thought you might need in this bag. Don't you dare forget it," she ordered.
"Ma'am," Sousuke replied as he lifted his left hand to his forehead and snapped her a salute. It wasn't long before he was carrying the leather satchel out to the Charger with a very worried Urd in tow. She fussed with his hair as she followed him.
"I love you. You can leave if anything seems weird. You can get another job," she babbled as she watched him place the satchel in the front seat of the vehicle. He used the seatbelt to secure the leather bag into the passenger seat before turning to point at the bag.
"Cargo secured," he spoke to her before opening his arms and beckoning her to him. "Every thing will be fine," he tried to assure her.
"You come home safe," Urd demanded before leaning in to kiss him deeply. "I am so nervous," she grumbled.
"It'll be fine," Sousuke spoke once more before releasing her and motioning for her to return to the home. "I'll call you on my radio when I know what happened," he replied.
Urd reached into the pocket of her pajama pants she wore and withdrew her radio as well. "I will have this with me all day," she replied.
Sousuke entered the Charger and belted himself in before rolling down the window and waving at Urd as he backed the vehicle out of the yard and onto the street. He lost sight of her almost immediately as he brought the window back up and made his way to the appointed location for his interview. The farther he drove from Urd the more his stomach churned as his nerves began to fray.
His trip was uneventful but he was surprised when he noticed several men in suits mulling around the front of the building. He parked his vehicle and drew the satchel into his lap before exiting the vehicle and approaching the group. The stature of the men revealed their militaristic heritage.
"Yo," one of the men greeted him as he lifted a single hand to wave back. "Interview?" the man questioned him.
"Affirmative," Sousuke replied as he adjusted the leather bag on his shoulder. He wondered why it was so heavy.
"Nice purse," another man spoke before patting his own bag. The lanky man grinned dangerously at Sousuke.
"Same to you," Sousuke replied before finally allowing his curiosity to get the best of him. He approached a bench and sat the bag down before opening it and peering inside.
"Something wrong?" the man with the bag questioned him as he approached.
"Negative," Sousuke shook his head before reaching into the bag and withdrawing a massive butcher knife. He quickly placed it back into the bag before realizing that Urd had also placed a P$90$ magazine, two more knives, a sharpening stone, and an assortment of plastic tubs full of food into the bag.
The man next to him peered inside and then at Sousuke before raising his eye brows at him appraisingly. "Expecting trouble?" he questioned him.
"My girlfriend packed my lunch," Sousuke replied.
"I like your girlfriend," the man replied before holding both thumbs up with a grin.
"Me too," Sousuke replied before shaking his head and closing the leather bag.
The group eventually fell into boisterous conversation about daring do that each had experienced. Sousuke discussed his time fighting in Afghanistan while another rambled on about his time at the School of the Americas and his eventual assignment to South America. Each took turns revealing tidbits of their past while constantly one upping each other. One of the men even bragged about befriending a monkey in the jungles of South East Asia.
It didn't take long before the group of men were ushered into the building as the doors slid open. Sousuke felt the urge to walk backwards as he followed the men into the room. He remembered his time as a soldier and felt excited to have the opportunity to return to working in a field he had always known.
"Greetings," a familiar voice echoed over the parlor. "My name is Marller and this is Tessa," the demoness spoke.
"Holy shit, that is the broad that runs Mithril," a voice whispered amongst the ranks.
"My name is Lind," spoke the Goddess before shooting a withering glare towards Sousuke. Several of the applicants caught her look and immediately cast their eyes on Sousuke.
"We will be conducting interviews today for the position of Military Adviser. All tests today will be practical in nature and we plan to have an answer for all of you by the end of today," Tessa spoke aloud.
Sousuke scratched at his cheek before digesting their outfits. Tessa, Lind, and Marller each wore black uniform pants, combat boots, and battle dress uniform tops. The uniforms were devoid of any insignia.
"The first test will be a marksmanship test," Lind spoke before gesturing towards a door.
Sousuke followed the group in single file into the room. He discovered a nondescript shooting range with enough stalls for each of the interviewees to have their own station. He chose one and approached the metal table before gazing out into the hundred yard shooting lane before him.
"Please open the box located next to your right leg," Tessa command as she walked down the line. "Inside you will find a weapon, ammunition, magazines, and hearing protection."
Sousuke could hear several relieved sighs as each warrior began to withdraw their weapon of choice. He felt the odd desire to chuckle as he took a deep breath and wondered what weapon he would find inside his box. He reached down slowly, unlatched the box, and opened it.
Sousuke grinned as he hefted a pair of muffs up and placed them over his neck. He then withdrew three loaded magazines and a box of $5.7x28$mm ammunition. Finally he hefted a FN Herstal handgun up. The magazines had extenders on the bottom that increased their capacity to thirty rounds while providing only a half inch additional overhang from the magazine well of the weapon.
"You will be provided with targets and you are expected to engage them as appropriate," Marller jumped into the conversation as she pointed down range. "You will be judged on accuracy, speed, and confidence," she finished explaining as several shooters grew confused looks on their face.
"Please load your magazines, cylinders, or clips as appropriate," Tessa commanded. "Ready on the firing line," she stated. "Shooters, assume a comfortable firing position."
Sousuke grimaced as he noticed the man next to him hefting an Obrez with a maniacal grin. The sawed off Mosin Nagant rifle looked dangerous in profile.
"The firing line is ready," Lind shouted after observing all of the shooters taking their position of choice. She stared at Sousuke as he held a 'sul' position with the FN clutched in his hands.
"Commence firing when your targets appear," Tessa commanded as she slipped her head phones on over her ears.
Sousuke bent at the knees and steadied himself as he waited for his first target to appear. He nearly choked when a perfect visage of Urd holding a heavy staff covered in gems over her head appeared in his firing line. He gaped as the sounds of the firing line erupted. Numerous copies of Urd crumpled up and down the line under a hail of gunfire.
After several seconds a loud tone rang out from above Sousuke and the image of Urd vanished. Sousuke contemplated tossing his weapon onto the table and simply leaving the room but his morbid curiosity got the better of him.
A few moments later a Goddess with her hands up and a look of concentration on her face appeared at the fifty yard mark. Sousuke could make out the look on her face that revealed spell casting and he immediately thrust his pistol forward before firing three rounds in rapid succession. He performed a reverse failure drill in which he placed two rounds directly into her pelvis before allowing the recoil of the weapon to carry his final shot to the center mass of the target.
Sousuke scanned his sector with a rapid jerk of his head in either direction before realizing he was the only one who had fired a weapon. Several shooters on the range turned to look at him with quizzical looks. He then returned his weapon to position 'Sul'. Numerous buzzers erupted up and down the line.
The next target urged the firing line into an eruption of fire. Sousuke grit his teeth as the Obrez in the line next to him belched a four foot long blast of flame as the unburned powder from the $7.62x54$R round flicked at the target. The target this time was an oddly shaped Demon that Sousuke recognized from the battle of Hell. It looked like a mount that some of the creatures had rode. Sousuke held his fire. The warning tone blared from his table area again.
Sousuke again felt the urge to rage as Urd in her demon form appeared on the line. He simply stared as he grew annoyed at the sound of gunfire from the other lines. He raged at the thought of these men taking pot shots at a picture of his beloved. He snapped instantly into action the moment that a Goddess with her wings extended appeared behind Urd.
Sousuke once more thrust the weapon forward before squeezing into the trigger rapidly. He fired ten rounds into the face and head of the exposed Goddess target from over the shoulder of Urd. He heard the obnoxious buzz over his head again.
The final target was Hild. Sousuke cocked his head as her image appeared covered in the regalia of riches she normally wore. No one fired a round as the men stared at the beautiful woman before them. After several seconds she transformed as black leathery wings sprouted from her back and her normally passive expression was replaced with an angry scowl. Sousuke held his fire as the line once more spat rounds down range. The buzzing tone announced his failure to fire once more.
Tessa began to call out, "Cease fire! Cease fire!" She walked the firing line as she continued to bark commands. "Shooters, make safe! Unload your weapon, decock as appropriate, and replace your weapon in the box!"
Sousuke actuated the thumb release on the magazine and allowed the hard plastic implement to drop into his free hand. He placed it in the box before turning the weapon sideways and racking the slide swiftly. The unspent round popped upwards and he quickly snatched the round out of the air before dropping it in the box. He racked the slide several more times before pointing the weapon down range and pulling the trigger. The weapon clicked as the firing pin tension released. He then activated the safety and replaced the weapon in the box. Within moments he had completely cleared his table of any evidence of shooting.
"How lucky," the man next to Sousuke spoke in his direction with a grin. "I was worried I would get a bum weapon, but when I got the Mosin Nagant, I was so happy."
Sousuke flashed him a nod in agreement. He was sure that every shooter had been provided with their favorite handgun through magical means and not luck.
"Any problems shooter?" Tessa inquired as she stopped behind Sousuke. She motioned up at the red lights flashing above his stall with her finger.
Sousuke looked up and realized only his box was announcing some sort of message to the ones providing him with his test. "I only fired on the individuals I felt were a threat," Sousuke replied.
"Monsters and demons aren't a threat?" Tessa inquired as the sound of snickering and laughter down the line filled the air with a heavy uncomfortable weight.
"Not to me," Sousuke replied calmly.
Tessa lifted her eye brows and nodded once before turning on her heels. She made her way to the door before turning back on the crowd. "Leave the ear muffs here and follow me to the next test," she spoke loud and clear.
Sousuke reached into his pocket and lifted a home made oatmeal bar wrapped in saran out. He noticed one of the other soldiers eye balling the meal in his hand. He bent the bar until it snapped before unwrapping the end and proffering it to the gentleman. He remained passive as the man reached out, plucked the piece, and then broke that in half before passing it to another.
Sousuke felt the urge to laugh as he popped his piece into his mouth. Several of the other soldiers stared in his direction with looks of mixed horror and jealousy as he began to chew the sweet and salty concoction.
"Did you bring enough for every one?" Marller asked him with a sardonic tinge to her questioning.
"I did," Sousuke replied before reaching into his bag and hefting a brick of the oatmeal, nut, and honey mixture. "I would estimate I have about two pounds of this stuff," he continued before extending the brick out towards Marller.
Marller shook her head before holding up a hand to ward off the calorie dense meal Sousuke held out before himself. She wordlessly moved to the front of the line of men before opening a door and ushering the group inside.
"I lied," Tessa spoke aloud. She grinned as she pointed at numerous chairs and tables. "You will be taking a written test," she continued to speak as the men shuffled towards their choice of seat. Each table had a single stack of documents.
"Ma'am, will writing implements be provided?" one of the men questioned.
"No," Lind replied for her from the back of the room. "Any one who does not finish the test will be disqualified from the process."
Sousuke looked around the room at several nervous looking faces before lifting his satchel up into his lap. He rummaged around inside before withdrawing an assortment of writing utensils. He also grabbed a brick of energy food. He stood and made his way to the front of the room before placing the handful of pens and pencils on the table. He thought for a moment before unwrapping the brick and placing it next to the pile.
"No man left behind," Sousuke spoke as he made his way back to his seat. He watched as numerous soldiers made their way to the implements, grabbed a pen or pencil, and then cut themselves off a piece of the food. Sousuke stole a glance at Tessa, Lind, and Marller. He felt the urge to laugh as Lind seethed as Marller and Tessa both winked at him approvingly.
Sousuke reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a pen that he had reserved for himself. He looked down at his test and began to read the questions. He wondered how absurd some of the other soldiers thought the questions were. His favorites included "How would you augment a highly manueverable phalanx of close quarter combat soldiers with Arm Slave technology?" or "How would you deploy an air born weapons platform capable of delivering high temperature munitions against infantry in a danger close situation?"
Sousuke almost allowed his frustration at the questions to over take him before he realized the point of the exercise. He knew they were attempting to frustrate him on purpose in order to explore his limits. They didn't care about the answers in terms of effectiveness but in his willingness to play the game. It had been a while since he had participated in an exercise like this.
He finished his test after several hours of grueling hand writing. Without further instruction he rose his hand and gestured for Marller to approach him. Lind interrupted her with a tap on the shoulder and interjected herself in place of the Demoness.
"Yes?" Lind growled low.
"I have accomplished the assigned test. Your orders? Ma'am," Sousuke offered in reply.
Lind reached out and took the paper before announcing to the class. "Leave your document on the front table when you have finished the assignment." She walked back to her place where she had stood next to Tessa and Marller while keeping her nose keenly buried in the document Sousuke finished.
The wait for the rest of the soldiers to accomplish their test was short as the pile on the front table grew exponentially with each completion of the assignment.
"Your final assignment will be another practical exam. We will be using sensory augmentation hardware to place each of you in a custom designed mental evaluation. The technology is safe and will provide no lingering discomfort after successful completion of the exercise. We will be taking you one at a time to use the 'machine', so please be patient during this time," Tessa explained as she gestured to one of the soldiers and began the process of removing them from the room one at a time.
Sousuke leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he crossed his arms. He began to slumber lightly as he awaited his turn. He could sense through his softly lidded eyes that several other soldiers had joined him in catching some sleep before their exercise. The wait was much quicker as he was finally summoned by Marller.
Marller was wordless until they entered a room with a chair and a bad mockery of an Arm Slave wet ware hook up near by. "No need to bull shit you," Marller spoke as she waved her hand. "We will be using a spell to place you in a special situation. It's up to you to do what you think is right," she continued.
Sousuke nodded before moving to the chair. He sat and nodded one last time.
"Good luck," Marller replied before snapping her fingers. She watched as Sousuke fell limp in the chair, his head lolling to the side as the spell took hold.
"This is it," Marller spoke aloud as Hild stepped out of a corner in the room. She took several slow and methodical steps around the soldier as she appraised him before turning to face the wall.
"Let's see," Hild stated as she gestured at the wall. A projection of Sousuke's inner mind appeared on the wall. Marller and Hild began to watch in rapt attention.
Sousuke felt his senses dull in a haze as he attempted to shake off the sluggish and cold feeling that crushed in on him. He felt his heart begin to race as his left arm ached and he an unreasonable fear of suddenly dieing took hold of him. He took several deep breathes until the scene around him began to coalesce and become visible.
He wondered where he was as he looked about the room. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep the night before with Urd beside him. He knew something important was afoot but he couldn't place his finger on it. "Why am I standing here?" he wondered aloud as he began to eye ball his surroundings.
Sousuke caught movement from the corner of his eye and spun to lock eyes on a small woman. He scowled as he felt his muscles tense and his back to curve involuntarily. He was ready for a fight.
"Sir, the Princess is waiting for you," the woman spoke fearfully. Her eyes were gold flecked slits similar to Marller but her angled features and long nose were distinctly her own. She trembled slightly before looking down to the ground and bowing deep. "Is there something the Master needs?" she asked fearfully.
Sousuke continued to stare at her. He felt a fleeting thought that danced just out of reach and he wondered again why he was where he was. "Tell me, what day is today?" he asked the demon.
"Today is the Birkat of your child, who will one day rule over all of Hell, Heaven, and Earth," the demon woman offered immediately. She bowed her head and clasped her hands together before allowing an incantation to escape her lips. She rapidly prayed for the health and safety of the child.
Sousuke blinked before looking down at his clothing. He was covered in a heavy gown of black, gold, and purple thread and fabric. Symbols covered the arms of the vestments and intricate embroidery accented the rest. He held his arms up and reviewed the outfit for a moment before inquiring with the demon. "Can you summon?" he asked her.
"Anything the Master requires," she replied hastily. She appeared to be growing more nervous by the moment. "Perhaps we should join the Princess and our Queen Mother?" she spoke slowly.
"Summon me a P$90$ with a chest sling," Sousuke demanded before holding out his hand.
The demon snapped her fingers and Sousuke found the heft of the weapon in his hand. He lifted his robes and snapped the black straps around his neck and chest before allowing the weapon to hang down the center line of his body. He mussed the robes about until the weapon outline was invisible under the thick folds of clothe. "You tell no one," he ordered.
"Sir," the demon bowed before gesturing to the door. "The Princess does not like to wait," she spoke softly.
Sousuke smirked before making the way to the door. He swung it open and bright light scrambled his senses like a concussion grenade as he stumbled softly. The moment he regained his faculties he found himself standing next to Urd. She held a bundle of beautifully decorated blankets close to her chest with an ecstatic grin on her face.
Sousuke felt momentarily nauseous as he tried to understand how he had arrived next to Urd. He wondered if he was ill or loosing his mind. "Urd," he whispered softly. He caught her eyes with his as she snapped to face him with a look of concern on her face.
"Are you all right?" she whispered back. Her brow furrowed as she looked him up and down. "You are sweating really bad, nervous?" she asked with a giggle. "It'll be all over soon," she assured him.
Sousuke looked about the room. Hild stood at the end of a fifty yard long strip of purple that was one of the most exquisite rugs Sousuke had ever stepped foot on. He could see rows and rows of watchers craning for their opportunity to see the pair when they exited the hallway they currently stood in.
"So many people, is this all right?" Sousuke asked as he began to notice the Trolls, Demons, and Goblins who mulled about in the crowd. He reached up with his right hand to gently stroke the frame of his carbine under the robes subconsciously. "Is this safe?" he inquired of her.
Urd shook her head before lifting and gently rocking the bundle of blankets in her arms. "It will be fine," she replied before taking a deep breath. She raised her eyes brows at him before nudging her chin out towards the exit. "It's show time," she spoke before calming her features and starting a slow and methodical walk towards Hild.
Sousuke felt his flight or fight response pegging as his hands grew cold. He felt a shiver up his spine as every thing he looked at felt magnified and more intense. He drew both his arms into the robes as he walked slowly next to Urd. He allowed his attention to sway back and forth down the line of people beside him. "This is a kill funnel," he thought to himself as his hands began to shake. The adrenaline in his body made him want to urinate.
They had only walked for a few seconds before a commotion in the crowd erupted to the right. He watched as though it happened in slow motion as a single cylindrical object sailed through the air towards them. Sousuke screamed as he pivoted before tossing the robes up and over his shoulder. He hefted the rifle up and tried to scan the crowd.
The sounds of an explosion and a flash rocked Sousuke as the screams of those watching the procession began to fill the air. "Urd!" Sousuke cried out before turning his head to look for her. He felt as though he had been struck with a hammer as another explosion rang out and he collided with the ground. He could see injured and dead all around him as he blinked several times in the haze.
"Sousuke!" the sound of his name being yelled pulled him to his senses. He tried to push his hands out but he only lifted half of his body. He was disorientated but eventually he pulled himself to his feet unsteadily. "Urd?!" Sousuke cried out in reply as he looked down at his shredded left arm and the blood pool he was leaking on the floor.
"Sousuke!" Urd replied like a macabre game of Marco Polo in the carnage. Her voice was high and ragged.
Sousuke stepped over the bodies of several demons before spotting a Valkyrie clad in armor snaking through the smoke and commotion. He pressed himself to hurry forward as he realized the Goddess was headed in the direction of Urd's screams.
Urd had drawn herself to her knees. She clutched the bundle in her arms as a steady stream of blood dripped down her face. She held one eye shut as she looked about frantically. She could sense movement through her scratched lenses as she held her chin up and tried to peer through the darkness that her wounded eyes cast on every thing around her. "Sousuke! I can't see!" she cried out.
"Urd, I'm here!" Sousuke cried out as he stumbled towards her. "I'm coming!" he yelled as he caught sight of her. She was surrounded by the crumpled bodies of those who had been closest to the blast. Their destroyed bodies having taken the brunt of the explosion, it left Urd injured but alive.
"Help us!" Urd cried out again as she tried to touch the baby in her arms with her finger tips. She choked as she tried to lift the silent child to her head in order to listen for any sign of life. "Sousuke!" she continued to scream.
Sousuke fell silent as he stared across the carnage at his Goddess. Urd was still on her knees as an armored Valkyrie stood behind her clutching a spear in her hands. She gazed towards Sousuke before lifting the weapon and thrusting the bladed tip through the back of Urd's head. The cinnamon skinned Goddess jerked as her eyes snapped wide open. The glowing point of the weapon erupted from between her teeth.
Sousuke felt numb. He didn't move as he watched Urd's arms go limp and the bundle of blankets tumble down her chest before sliding off of her knees onto the floor. The Valkyrie yanked the weapon back before hefting the spear up again. She aimed it towards the baby but froze as Sousuke hefted the P$90$ in one hand and aimed it at her.
"Sousuke," the voice of Belldandy cut the air. He never moved as the Valkyrie and he continued to stare at each other. "Put down the weapon Sousuke," Belldandy continued to speak as she entered his peripheral vision holding Hild by the hair with a sword to her neck.
Sousuke allowed his eyes to flicker towards Belldandy and Hild before looking back at the Valkyrie who had killed Urd. He felt his vision fading in and out as he continued to loose blood from his wounded arm. His entire body felt cold and detached as though he were watching a movie of the scene before him instead of living it.
"Make a choice Sousuke!" Hild cried out before falling silent as Belldandy shook her head by her hair.
Sousuke didn't hesitate. He fired three rounds from his carbine and they collided with the forehead of the Valkyrie who threatened the child. He tried to ride the recoil sideways as he began to sight the weapon on Belldandy. He was not fast enough as Belldandy cleanly severed Hild's head from her shoulders. Sousuke made eye contact with Belldandy and a few moments passed in silence before she nodded at him.
Sousuke squeezed the trigger and began to stagger towards her. The weapon ripped through the magazine as round after round collided with Belldandy. She stumbled backwards as a six inch diameter shot grouping consisting of more than twenty rounds ripped through her chest armor and left her slumping to the ground in a heap.
Sousuke approached her slowly, sighted the weapon on the back of her head, and unloaded the rest of the magazine into her skull. The floor sparked and cracked as he transformed the once beautiful Goddess into a stain on the floor of the castle they stood in. He dropped to his knees and placed the barrel on the weapon on the floor as he placed his weight on the stock of the carbine. He actuated the magazine release and tossed the empty one before withdrawing a full one from his chest holster with one hand. After replacing the magazine he used his one good arm to yank the charging handle back, racking a round into the chamber, before standing and leaving the weapon to dangle on his chest.
Sousuke rushed towards Urd and knelt beside the baby. He drew the blankets back to discover that the child was mostly unharmed from her looks. He stared down at the tiny child and felt his eyes fill with tears. He covered the child in the blankets before hefting her up and tucking the child in close to his body like a football with his good arm.
"We gotta go sweet heart," he spoke as he looked down at the back of Urd's head. He felt hate and anger welling up in his body before he turned and began to hurry back towards the entrance. The smoke in the room had begun to clear and he watched as a bevy of demons began to flood into the room. His eyes grew blurry and he began to stumbled.
"Sousuke!" Marller called out to him as she fought to push him back into the chair. He was flailing his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs as he returned to the physical realm. "Calm down! It's over!" she cried out as she leaned her weight into keeping him seated.
"DIE!" Sousuke cried out as he slammed his fist into Marller. His wrist crumpled against her ribs as he began to regain consciousness. "What happened?" he demanded to know. He held his hand up and looked down at his broken wrist before turning to face Hild.
"Sousuke," Hild spoke softly to him. She held an impassive gaze as she cocked her head. "What happened indeed?"
"I failed," Sousuke replied as he finally regained his faculties. He placed his left hand on Marller's shoulder and patted her. She released him almost instantly and Sousuke stood. "I failed," he replied sadly as he cradled his arm up and held it against his body. He could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his body as tears slowly leaked from his eyes.
Hild simply stared at him.
"I'll pack my things and go," Sousuke stated softly as he began to walk towards the door.
"Why do you think you failed?" Hild interrupted him.
"I let you die, I let Urd die," Sousuke replied. He was shaking.
"You saved the child," Hild replied with a passive gaze.
"What is her name?" Sousuke asked softly.
"You tell me," Hild replied with a smirk. She moved slowly into the light proper. Her eyes shone with tears as she held out her arms and embraced Sousuke. "You chose the right person to save," she whispered.
Sousuke broke into sobs as he clutched at Hild. "I can't watch her die. Never again," Sousuke gasped through gulps of air and thick tears that choked him. "Please, never again," he pleaded with Hild.
"Never again," Hild reassured him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. She held him tightly as he broke down. "It can be an intense test," she continued to whisper.
Marller approached a small desk in the corner of the room and lifted a clipboard. She withdrew a pen from her breast pocket before checking off the box that indicated "Pass" under final practical exam. "Welcome to Hell," she spoke to herself before looking towards the pair embraced under the harsh lights of the room.