Chapter 25

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE GOD EATER FRANCHISE HOWEVER I DO OWN MY OC.

Name: Cedrick Esparza

Gender: Male

Hairstyle: Style 7 (Dark Brown)

God Arc: Ice Drill (Short Blade), Apega Blaze (Sniper Rifle), Kurogane Tower (Shield)

Blood Art: Blood Cascade II

My eyes flicker slowly as the light from the sun fills my room and almost blinds me.

"I'll never be able to sleep in late at this rate." I comment, raising an arm above my face in an attempt to block out the light. Once my arm grows tired of this I opt to turn my body around so I am lying on my stomach and the sun's warm rays hitting the back of my head. I continue to lie on my bed for a few more minutes, letting the weariness I still feel escape me as the time goes on. When I finally decide to get up from my bed, I read the time on the digital clock and find it to be 08:20. I went to the bathroom to do my business, washed my hands and stared at the mirror. I noticed that it looked quite stupid how my eye patch was over my hair and so I decided to try and get my hair to cover it up. A minute or so later, I had managed to get my eye patch under part of my hair.

(A/N: Check profile picture to see what Cedrick looks like.)

After I sort out my eye patch, I change into my clothes for today which consists of a black hoodie jumper with the Fenrir logo on the back as well as black jeans and my usual footwear.

"I better check my emails before I leave." I tell myself and walk to the terminal, logging on and opening up my emails to find I have three new ones.

Subject: (URGENT) Housing of black plague victims

We are currently accommodating black plague victims from the satellite bases in the medical unit. Entry to certain predetermined areas is restricted.

Applicable Area: Parts of the Laboratory Infirmary

Hibari Takeda

It seems as though Julius' negotiations were successful; I just wonder what we, God Eaters, will need to do for check ups or injuries. I then click on the next email and find it to be from a "Yae Kiritani"

Subject: (Urgent) Medical facility usage notes

With the admission of black plague victims, there have been several changed in schedule and location for regular medical checks. Please make sure to check your appointment tickets before your visit.

Well I guess that covers the routine check ups. Will they take place in the same place that injured God Eaters will be? Regardless, I check the next email and find that it is from the Satellite Mailing List.

Subject: (Cc: All) (Romeo)

My first guard duty at the satellite base is done! It was a non-stop roller coaster ride of fighting and fighting and fighting. But everybody worked together to finish off all the baddies. Everyone who helped out, thank you so much! Let's keep up the great work to fight for their safety!

It seems as though Romeo is pleased with his work. Well, I'm glad he had something to do. I feel kind of guilty for not picking him as the fourth member on the mission yesterday. Maybe I should go on a mission with him. Why not bring Gilbert as well, I don't think I've heard from him for a while. After deleting the emails, I head to the cafeteria for some much needed breakfast.

15 minutes later, I have had my fill for the morning and head to the mission desk where I find Hibari standing behind it.

"Hi Hibari." I greet her cheerfully, ignoring her glance at my, now better concealed, eye patch.

"Hey, Cedrick. Nice work on the extended mission at the satellite base yesterday! I'm relieved to see your safe return. Alisa, from the remote support unit Cradle, would like a word with you. She's in the branch director's office." Hibari informs me and I head straight there with my only thought being about why she would want to speak with me in the branch director's office.

Upon arrival in the office, I see Alisa waiting near the door for me. I take the time to go over her appearance once more as I realise that she is a fully developed woman, but that's not where I should be going with this.

"Alisa?" I speak to gain her attention. She turns around to face me, having just finished a conversation with the branch director who looks at me before returning to his work.

"It's been a long time, Vice Captain. Thank you for protecting the satellite base." I would have told her that it was no trouble as well as asking where she had been but she doesn't allow me to speak as she resumes, "You even helped take in the plague victims. Cradle should have handled it, but we had our hands full..."

"My unit did that. I just fought Aragami as usual." I admitted but, being the Vice Captain of Blood I suppose I should take some responsibility for my unit's work. At least, that's probably want Alisa thinks.

"While I've got your ear... I'd like to talk to you about something, if you could spare the time." Now this was starting to get worrying. Why would she need to ask me if I could spare time to talk if we already are. I suppose the smile on her face suggests that she isn't plotting something. I suppose it would be okay to talk.

"Yeah, sure." I speak, hiding my nerves behind a wall.

"I'm glad to hear it. Would you mind joining me in the lounge?" she asks, waiting for my response. Of course I say yes as I did say I could spare the time, although I do wonder why we need to go to the lounge to talk. I suppose it is more relaxing than the director's office and he probably has work to do... So I guess it would be easier to talk there. Upon hearing my answer, Alisa begins walking, with me in tow, to the lounge.

Once in the lounge, Alisa begins speaking from behind the counter, making us a pair of drinks.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I know we didn't get much of a chance before." She speaks with a smile and a hand to her chest. She gives off an air of experience as well as sophistication. "I am Corporal Alisa Ilinichina Amiella of the independent Cradle Unit. We're mostly tied to the Far East Branch. Cradle's mandate is to operate in an ever-widening circle, and protect those who live beyond official borders. Where there are problems that others ignore, it's Cradle's sworn duty to find a solution." Her tone changes as she describes Cradle's function but changes back in a matter of seconds, "Ah, totally sorry...! Please, take a seat. Join me." She offers me a seat which I take whilst she occupies the one next to me. All my worries about this being a bad conversation has left me by now. Alisa seems like she is easy to get along with and she hasn't given me any reason to suspect her of wanting to reprimand me for something I don't know. She hands one of the drinks she made to me and I give her my gratitude with a "thank you".

"I used to be a member of the Far East Branch's 1st Unit, actually." She speaks and I instantly remember the current occupants of the unit; Kota, Emil and Erina.

"It was only a few years ago, but is seems longer. After Cradle was founded, I transferred to them. I wanted to continue working as a God Eater, but... Well the politics were infuriating." Her face twists as she speaks before she realises this and relaxes. "Most recently," The smile comes back on her face in full shine, "we've been working to establish satellite bases. That's actually something I've been hoping to discuss with you." My heart drops. Have we, Blood, did something wrong? Even if we have, I suppose that we should rectify our mistake by offering our full support.

"We're happy to help."

"Thank you so much!" She speaks with a slight nod of her head with a smile that can rival that of Ciel's rare smile.

"Those psions are a grave threat to the satellite bases, but we're only a handful of people, we can't protect everyone at once." She begins getting serious again. I get where she is going with this. She wants Blood to defeat the psions as we are the only ones capable of doing so. Well I'm sure my unit will be happy to help her if that is the case.

"I know it was really quite presumptuous of me to ask for the Blood Unit's help, but..."

"Relax, Alisa. I've already said we'd help." I offer her a friendly smile to which she replies with one of her own.

"Thank you for hearing me out. Truly. Hey, I know!" Alisa suddenly has a face as if she has had a realisation. "Why don't we take on a mission together? If we're to be allies, I'd like to familiarise myself with your fighting style. So, what do you say?" She gives me a different smile as she waits for my response. It seems to have a hint of mischievousness behind it but I can't refuse it.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Excellent! I have actually received a report about a psion near the satellite bases in the Valley Of The Blue Ice. Are you ready to go now?" She asks me with the same mischievousness smile and I respond with,

"Just let me get my Arc and I'll be good to go." With that, I leave the lounge and prepare my Arc, arranging to meet Alisa on the roof in 10 minutes.

Once on the roof, we headed into a helicopter and travelled towards our destination. We had made a bit of small talk and told of our recent adventures, but now, we should focus on this adventure.

"So what Aragami are we facing in this mission?" I ask curiously. I fully intended to attack the psion with my Blood Art but I suppose I should adapt my methods depending on the Aragami I will be facing.

"Well, according to my report," Alisa fiddles around with her tablet whilst sitting across from me, "there has been sightings of a Ravana and a new type of psion. I hope you're prepared. You know that I won't be able to damage to psion." She tells me what I already know.

"Okay, so how do you want to do this? You kill the Ravana whilst I kill the psion?" I enquire with what would be the quickest way to defeat the two Aragami.

"One of the reasons I wanted to go on this mission with you, alone, was to see your fighting style." Alisa speaks and I understand the point she is trying to make.

"Okay, so we fight the Ravana first. If the psion hears the fight and comes over to us, I'll take care of that whilst you fight the Ravana. If you defeat the Ravana before I defeat the psion, you can provide me with healing bullets. Sound like a plan?" I inform her of my makeshift plan and hope she agrees with it. To be fair, I don't think there was any other way to kill the beast. She nods her head confidently with a smile on her face.

20 minutes later, the Ravana has been defeated and now we are walking towards the last known sighting of the psion.

"It was sighted just off of the peninsula at area C. We should check that area." Alisa informs me. We had defeated the Ravana and suffered minimal injuries but seeing as how I am the only one that can be fighting against the psion there will probably definitely be an injury. A ping from Alisa's tablet brings my attention to her and it.

"Oh, new information on the psion. It has been named a Kabbala-Kabbala and has similar features to a Gboro-Gboro." She reads the information off of the tablet with a hint of surprise at the new information. I must admit that I am surprised as well. We continue walking down the peninsula, taking in the sight as we do so. There are numerous raised ice platforms which would be good for fighting the psion.

"Graaaa!" We hear a growl and look to each other. I decide to take the lead as we creep towards the source. Reaching it, I almost burst out laughing. The Aragami wasn't very intimidating. It looked like an old man. I look to Alisa to see she was amused by the sight as well. It takes us a little while to regain our composure but when we do, I point to Alisa to stay on a high ledge and then I charge towards the beast.

It goes down without much of a fight.

After the fight, we call for a helicopter to pick us up and chat as we travel back to the Far East Branch. It takes a while but at least Alisa now knows how I fight. I am still quite tired from the amount of moving I had to do so, upon reaching the branch, we split ways. She goes her own way whilst I go to the lounge to get a drink. As I enter the lounge I manage to over hear Haruomi tutoring Kanon.

"Okay, here's the plan. Post up in cover and take aim. Then... Keep aiming until the mission's over." He instructs her and moves his hands to simulate the actions she should be doing. I move to the counter in the lounge and ask the girl behind it for a drink. She complies and I give her my thanks.

"All right, okay..." She sounds like she has the hang of it. I take a drink from the bottle the girl gave me. "So when do I fire?"

"Hahaha!" I only just manage to swallow my mouthful before laughing out loud as I hear Kanon speak her concern, I had noticed that Haruomi never told her when to fire. How does it feel Haruomi?

"Ah! Hey! Would you come here for a sec?" It seems my outburst had caught their attention. I comply with Haruomi's request and walk towards them, drink in hand.

"You probably already know," Haru begins speaking to Kanon, "but this is the Vice Captain of the Blood Unit."

"We're acquainted." I speak up, saving the girl from the embarrassment. Haruomi looks at me as I speak and notices my eye patch, he doesn't say anything though. I assume if he wanted to ask then he will.

"Well, you should know that this is Kanon Daiba, the 4th Unit's most elite God Eater." He reintroduces me when it wasn't needed. Whilst Kanon mumbles about how she isn't much of an elite, Haruomi whispers to me that I shouldn't get too emotionally close to her and I remember what he said the last time we me; Kanon has a boyfriend that had beat Haruomi up.

"Yep, she's great! Real talented all-rounder. Trust me. Aragami flee at the sight of her." He speaks with a wide smile. I've never heard Haruomi praise somebody so much. Then again, I haven't known him for very long.

"Kanon," He turns to her, "I'm sorry I had to keep this a secret from you until now... But this God Eater right here, this badass..." He's clearly up to something. "This will be your primary instructor!"

"Huh?" Kanon speaks in surprise and I must admit that I share the same feeling.

"Listen close, learn some blood powers, become even better. If anyone can do it, you can." I'm not even sure that a person who isn't a member of Blood can learn blood powers. Is he trying to get out of teaching her?

"But I thought you were supposed to be teaching me." She seemed a little hurt. Think twice about this Haruomi. Do you want to hurt her feelings.

"Heh... Well... I, uh... Already taught you everything I know." He looks away from her. I guess he has some decency to look away from a person's face when lying. Nevertheless, it's about time I speak up.

"You're trying to pass this off?"

"Great! You will teach her better than I ever could!" I am amazed at how Haruomi suddenly decided that I will replace him as the teacher. He clearly must think that this is a hopeless role if he is to retire on it. Unbelievably he walks away with a wave. I'm going to have to get even with him at some point.

"Um..." Kanon's nervousness brings my attention back to her. "This is all rather sudden, but if Haru says it will help me become a better God Eater..." I really didn't want this role pushed onto me. I suppose this is karma for laughing at his teaching tactics, right? Maybe I can just stay on the sidelines and offer her advice instead.

"I'm happy to give advice." I say with a smile.

"Y-Yes, Instructor! Um... I'm honoured to study under you, Instructor. I'll do anything you request of me." She takes position like a soldier getting ready to march into a battlefield, something which I find amusing but bad at the same time. She is much too uptight. The key to fighting is to relax.

"I may not be the best, but I'll try my best. P-please be patient with me." I put a hand to my head as I think of the next steps.