Concrete Jungle
=============
The rest of yesterday went away fast to be honest. We got back to the Branch, deposited our weapons, Soma ran me through his training session until I practically collapsed from exhaustion... That sort of stuff.
I scratch my head after waking up and noticing my terminal blinking with an incoming message. I go to check it out, it informs me of an upcoming full team mission with Lindow, Sakuya, Kota and to my chagrin... Soma. I check the mission detail and see that it's going to be in the city area and our targets will be Zygotes.
After that, I head down to the lobby and find Kota there with a mixed expression sitting in his usual place near the stairs closest to the elevator. As I approach him, he stands up and turns towards me and as usual starts babbling away. Albeit, I don't think he knows I can understand him, it doesn't hinder the red-head in his monologue.
-Did you know that Sakuya has a boyfriend?- He says with a forlorn expression.
-And when I asked who he is ... You know what they say?- Kota's expression turn sadder.
-You'll see.- He repeated that in a serious voice.
...
This guy... Why does it matter if she has someone or not? Sakuya is older than you by a big deal...
-There will be a mission together, how cool is it?- He changes the topic of the conversation and I turn to him. Can't really let him know that I do understand him, so I give him a quizzical look.
-Soma is also coming, and Sakuya as well.-
Seriously? Are you really that hung up on Sakuya?
"Hey Dead Weight!" I flinch as Soma calls for me, turning towards him.
"There's a mission for us in a half hour. Check your terminal and prepare in advance."
As the dark skinned God Eater tries to walk away, Kota walks up to him to start a conversation with someone that could understand him, but gets brushed away as Soma stalks away. The red-heads spirit didn't diminish at all, and goes down stairs to start up a conversation with the merchant sitting nearby the operators desk.
Thinking on getting my supplies better checked, I walk down also as Kota finishes his purchase and start to look at the wares. There are some that I do recognize from the NORN Database, but most of them are a mystery for me. I end up purchasing a couple of Stun Grenades, Restore Pills, a pair of OG: Restore Balls and some Detox Pills.
Finishing with that, I just sit down in the lobby and wait until everyone else also gathers. Kota returns first and starts up a really long-winded speech halfway to himself and some of them to me about this Bugarally series, which to be honest doesn't really interest, so I'm doing my very best on ignoring him. Soma comes after him shortly followed by Sakuya and Lindow.
-Soma, Sierra was informed?- The black haired leader turns towards him and receives a nod.
-Good, then go.-
We file out and a truck prepared for us this time. Everyone grabs their respective weapons, getting on the plateau of the vehicles backside. Sakuya sits in front of the drivers seat and Kota quickly slips beside her. I shake my head and roll my eyes upon seeing that, although none of the other males react to this.
As we drive out, I can hear Kota trying to start up conversation with Sakuya on multiple fronts, but it always ends with some awkward silence. So in the end, the red-head resorts to a topic he knows inside-out. Bugarally. While Sakuya doesn't seem to show much interest in it, she isn't impolite to tell him to shut up.
Really now... Someone needs to get that kid a duct-tape over his mouth...
Once we arrived at the site, everyone gathers around and grabs their weapon with the exception of Lindow. He turns to us after a short inspection as we return his attention.
-Hey, have a good day at work. Go back to base, safe and sound.- Our leader says and Kota stares at him dumbfounded.
-Huh? It is all?- The red-head wonders, as do I to be honest. Doesn't he come with us?
-You will not possess for a long time, if ever you question him.- Sakuya chides the young gunner.
-Pointless.- Soma shrugs simply.
-Good to see that we're all on the same wavelength with the exception of one person.- Lindow calls and everyone turns towards me.
Did he just make fun out of me, because he thinks I can't understand him?
-Just kidding, do not look so sad.- Our leader calls to me with a laugh as an apology, then turns his gaze on the others as well.
-This will be the first four-person mission that you have carried out. Just do what you acclimated.-
-Huh? Wait, what about you Lindow?- Kota asks in surprise.
-Well, it seems. A secret called me out on a date. So you only will you be four of them.- He says with a light shrug, then pulls out his phone to check something.
-If you do not get there in time, the date will be angry and will go away. Very impatient.- He says and I can see Soma frown for some reason.
-Well guys, I better start. My orders are the usual: Do not die. Come back alive.-
-These are your own commands. Better if you follow them.- Soma turns away from him and calls back to our leader who chuckles in response.
-Try not to stay outdoors for a long time Lindow, right?- Sakuya call to him with some worry in her voice.
Is something more going on that Lindow let's us know? Well aside from these two's comments it would seems so.
We all see off Lindow, who walks to the back of the small truck and takes off a bike from a back compartment.
-So, let us start.- As he speeds away Sakuya calls out for us to gather.
I walk to Soma, kneel down and write into the ground my question.
What just happened? Where did Lindow go?
"Worry about yourself. Our leader has his own orders." With a grunt the dark skinned God Eater leaves me there as walks towards a nearby small cliff.
"We're going to spread out, covering a larger area and dispose of as many Zygotes as possible." He calls back to me as I can see the others are already dispersing.
Well, as three of the four main directions had already been taken I decide to cover the northern area then. I kept an eye out if I might see a flying enemy, or anything else on that matter. I've passed a couple of trashed offices, hollowed out buildings and as I was about to walk in front of a larger construct, from the inside a raging howl came and an Aragami burst out from within.
I looked up just in time to see a descending massive form and to jump back not to get squashed underneath it. The beast that landed right in front of me was a Kongou, it's yellow orb like eyes were fixated on me as the huge mouth opened and released another threatening roar at me.
Great... Just what I needed...
-No! Damnit!- Soma yells at me again as the simulation again disperses.
-Sierra.- He calls between gritted teeth.
Damn you! I can't fight a Kongou... Not with this!
In my anger I give the middle finger towards the observation window, then point towards my Chupacabra.
-I am aware that your God Arc is different from before. The previous combat form had access to a powerful cutting move with relatively low investment of your strength, however your current weapon heavier and specialized in thrusting attacks. Due to that you now actually have to plan your attacks, while also giving all your might into each strike.- The God Eater explains to me.
-A Kongou is weak against such strikes on their entire torso, the lower arms, legs and the lower part of their face. Additionally if you inflict enough damage on their face or arms they will collapse for a short time.-
Oooh!
-Now! Again!- He calls and I know it, that the next twenty or even more simulations I will definitely fail, until it slowly be ingrained within me.
I sigh as the simian raises it's right arm, I look at the tail...
MISSING?!
With a roar, the Aragami lunges forward with a leap, and performs it's rolling mid-air attack, that I have barely time to dodge.
How come the tail is missing? Ah damn it, I can't differentiate between it's attacks now...
I step aside as the beast charges at me with it's right arm, trying to tackle me down. Using the momentum of it's body along with the step I reach out and thrust my Chupacabra forward, which sinks into the body of the simian. It roars, looks down on the wound and jumps back. From it's stinking mouth, a white substance starts to spread.
Enraged? Already?! Oh... Hell!
The tubes at the back start to gather the surrounding air and I stay put, my eyes focused on the Aragami ready to dodge as soon as it fires the shot. However it is not released at all, as I raise an eyebrow my ear picks up a silent, yet building buzz. I look around and from the corner of my eye I notice something around my feet. I dodge it instinctively, however the blast still catches me and hurls me away.
Ugh... That's a new one.
I grumble and look up in time to see the Kongou charging another wind blast into his pipes. I roll away before it fires this time, a huge ball of concentrated air slams into the ground where I was sprawled and detonates hurling me even farther. With the momentum of the roll starting to die down, I stand up and lean on my God Arc for support. The Kongou vanished from my sight and I shudder at the though of that. But I bet is still around... I need to warn the others.
Well yea, being mute that's going to be problematic...
-HELP! Here is a Kongou !- Kota's voice screams into my earpiece and I freeze.
-Where are you?- Sakuya questions and I can hear a distant gunshot as she probably finishes off her target.
-Sierra! Back-up Kota! He is the nearest to your position, head North-East from your location. We'll join up soon!- Soma grunts as he deals a heavy blow to his target, as it screams in pain. After hearing the direction, I break into a semi forced sprint. While it's not conversing my stamina, but still won't tire me out until I reach the young gunner.
Hopefully...
-HURRY! I can't hold em long.- Kota pleads as I can hear him rapid firing, until his weapon clicks and I can hear him swear. Followed by the impact of a blast, that sends him screaming.
Ah... To Hell with this...
With gritted teeth, I up my speed to the fastest I can manage and rush through broken offices and wasted streets. Already the exhaustion starts to eat away at me, but I still have some reserves maybe a half minute of so. As Chupacabra is practically dragged on the ground behind me, I reach with my free arm into my pockets and fumble around until I find a Ration bar.
A quick move shoves it into my mouth and the temporary energy boost makes my exhaustion disappear. I do know that it doesn't last long and the side effects will tire me out even further, but I don't like the idea of losing a team member at all... I don't want that kid to die, just because I couldn't handle a damn monkey.
From the earpiece a brutal roar comes, followed by a pained howl and Kota's panting. He somehow managed to buy some time for himself apparently, and I noticed him in the distance running towards me. Although we were still a couple hundred meters away, at least I made visual contact with him. The problem was, I didn't see the Kongou nowhere, which actually nerved me more than if it were in the heels of the gunner.
-Where are you guys?- Sakuya inquired and I heard the distinct sound of her sniper go off in the distance, still a long way from us.
-I can see Sierra! The Kongou walked into a trap holder. I could escape from it.- Kota replied with heavy panting, trying to run towards me and refill his oracle reserves with an O-Ampule at the same time.
-But, I think it was just up angry. I've never seen such a Kongou. More aggressive.-
Behind him one of the offices explode outwards, showering the running figure with debris and tiny material fragments. Accompanying that is the berserk roar of the simian, which bursts through the wreckage in a burst of speed that I never witnessed before in any training simulation.
It's still too far for me to throw the grenade, damn it!
Through the buildings a shot strikes, a singular laser penetrates everything in it's path along with one of the Aragamis legs as it stumbles and fells on the face. Kota, who gained enough distance in these precious few seconds turns around quickly while running after having had his reserves refilled and starts to shoot at the currently downed simian.
This idiot is still using the flashy bullets! No wonder he depletes his reserves so damn quickly!
From the fourteen fired shots about five hit their target, as the monkey first stood up, roared and leaped up to the top of a building. From there it glared back at us, then disappeared from our sight, towards the direction from where the sniper hit it.
-Sakuya! Coming towards us!- Kota yelled and the two of us started to race towards where we suspected our medic is. Something compelled me to stop and to yank back the gunner also, just before the wreck of a store before us became pulverized by a purple shock wave of pure energy.
-M-me ... Y-you want to kill me? Soma ?!- The read-head stutters and I can understand him.
-Get out of the way!- He yells back at us and from somewhere nearby a blast erupts, the two of us start running in that direction simultenously. It doesn't take long until the back of the Kongou shows up.
I show the Stun Grenade to Kota, and point at the Aragami. He nods back to me and lifts his God Arc and fires two volleys. As the shots impact on it, the simian spins around and roars in rage, just before my grenade explodes in it's face, showering it with a blinding light and temporarily disabling it's senses.
-So, you're a bit above useless. Now stay put!- I can hear the call of Soma, and see from the corner of my eyes as he builds up a devastating power in his gigantic weapon. However I'm already in motion, sprinting towards the simian with a plan in my head.
-I said, stay out of my way!- Soma snarls in my ear piece, as he stops his attack and instead builds up even more power in his God Arc.
-God damn it! Sakuya, Kota. Help her!- The dark skinned God Eater calls for the sniper.
-You better have a plan, Dead weight!-
Which is perfectly what I wanted, he needs to take down that Kongou with a single strike as he taught me. I can't generate enough power to do that alone, but if we work together it will be enough. From my back Kota let loose another volley and Sakuya pellets the body of the Kongou with her laser shots until it staggers.
I can already see that even Soma burst into a sprint towards the Aragami from the back, that is when I notice the unusual positure of the Kongou while our shooters are reloading their reserves. It has it's right arm raised high and stands motionless for a few seconds. When it starts to spin around in circles.
What the?!
Not only spinning around, but also moving at the same time and fast. What's worse towards me. Immediately I try to stop my momentum, as the resumed gun shots don't even slow the attacking beast down. But in the end I decide to do something very reckless, instead of slowing I accelerate and thrust my God Arc forward into the spinning right arm of the simian with the last ounces of my stamina.
The added centrifugal force of it's strike, with my thrust allowed to penetrate the stretched out arm and deal some damage to the Kongou. While my weapon was ripped from my hand because of this, the spinning momentum almost instantly died down as the Kongou clutched it's wounded arm with an enraged howl of pain.
To our surprised, the beast then grabbed onto the grip of my God Arc with it's huge palms and started to pull with all it's might, until it ripped out my Chupacabra from the wound. The next second we saw, was Soma finally catching up to it and swinging his own weapon down, empowered by the charged strike he was collecting.
A powerful shockwave ran through the area as the attack connected to the Kongou's head, sending the monkey toppling backwards, releasing my God Arc in that moment. It gave a scream of pain and rage as we could clearly see it's mask shattering into multiple tiny pieces, but that didn't do anything else but make it even angrier.
Soma was swept away by a quickly launched wall of air, that had been centered around the Kongou and the beast lept back a huge distance it's back crashing into one of the offices windows. Sakuya and Kota opened fire again, but only the sniper hit her target as the simian decided to scale the building behind it.
It didn't take long until we lost sight of it. However it didn't really matter, as I was beyond exhausted due to the Ration bars effect expired, Kota used up all his O-Ampules and even Sakuya was running low on hers. While Soma could have fought it to a stand still, he didn't leave us to much of my relief.
"Dead weight!" He called and I winced.
"Next time don't even DARE to pull such a suicidal move." Soma glared at me and I shuddered.
Well he is right, if his powerful attacks would strike any of us. We could die...
-We're cool! We drove!- Kota cheered enthusiastically.
-Idiot! Yet at what cost? Think next time!- The dark skinned God Eater snapped at him immediately and I winced at how right he is.
-I think, let's get back to the base. Access to the rest of us, and the mission was carried out.- Sakuya tried to calm the angry God Eater, who for a moment glared at her, then with a scoff turned around and walked towards where we left our truck.
When we returned to the base, I couldn't believe my eyes. Along with Kota it seems, as Lindow was sitting right in front of a desk facing the door to the hangar, a beer in his hand and two already consumed before him on the table.
-So, did you get back sooner than we are today. It was a good job today.- Sakuya steps forward and greets Lindow who smiles back.
-Yeah, I complicate things off quickly enough. You went to?- I had to keep a poker face as the trans-failer give back almost gibberish on Lindow's answer.
-As he instructed. All the usual.- Soma calls in an annoyed voice, scoffing.
-Exactly. We carried out this mission, and we have not lost anyone.- Sakuya nods, turning towards me and Kota in appreciation.
-You should have seen us!- The young gunner leans forward, starting to gesture excitedly.
-Brilliant teamwork!- Kota grins and then adds.
-We were very tight!-
-I do not remember a lot of it would have been useful.- Soma shoots him down instantly, the shoulders of the red-head slumps. Sakuya laughs cheerfully as Lindow takes another mouthful from his half consumed can of beer.
-So would it be? Then it looks like there will be more of a problem to go out on a date in the future.- Our leader puts down the empty can and I decide to smirk at this.
Stupid trans-failer... I wish that pale girl hurries up and finishes the update already...
-Girls should be taken as soon as possible not me?- Kota asks with a hushed voice and I raise an eyebrow.
What the hell should have been this one?!
-Hey . Yeah. Because you know what to do with a girl.- Lindow answers with a smirk and Sakuya gasps. That is when the speakers come to life to deliver a message across the Branch.
-Staff required! A day earlier, the unit 7 successfully spun off a core of Ouroboros. Every engineer, lab log in fifth.- A female voice announced, then repeated the sentence for measure.
Immediately chatter erupted from the lobby as those present started guessing around and my trans-failer gave back only a garbage as it wasn't able to discern between the different sources.
-What is Ouroboros? It's that strong?- Kota was wondering aloud, not really directing the question at anyone particular.
-You can find the terminal you are looking for. Go through your homework at times!- Soma replied in an irritated voice.
-Well, uh ... I do not think the four of us are ready to face him yet.- Sakuya answered in a solemn voice, making Kota swivel his head to face her.
-Are you serious? Even a team like ours do not?- The red-head was shocked at hearing it, when Soma scoffed.
-With casualties. One or two granted.- Kota eyed the other God Eater with building fear in his eyes.
-Hey, enough. That if somehow we survive, then one day you catch one. Do not worry about it now ... Focus on survival.- Lindow chimed in, stopping the dark skinned God Eater from shocking the young gunner even further.
-That thread, you understand getting old.- Soma glares at Lindow before leaving.
-Exactly! And in the meantime I'm going to tell you until you turn blue! If you are not paying attention sure to run your death!- Our leader called after him, which made the dark skinned God Eater go 'tch'.
-Shut up!- His voice called back from the elevator as he boarded it.
-Ooh, Yes, sir! Okay, there's even a date being prepared. Time to eat a hearty meal.- With that, even Lindow stood up and walked away. Silence fell upon us, as both Sakuya and Kota looked at each other then to me.
Yeah, well... Since they can't talk with me, I wonder if they'll even try to enlighten me about what happened later.
Not like I really needed it anyways, as I understood most of it. Hopefully.