Far East Branch Headquarters - Lobby
Three days had passed since Ichiro Hamasaki's disappearance from the Infernal Subway. Upon bringing Neo safely to Doctor Sakaki's laboratory, Soma had returned to his father's office to find it empty. Not wanting to waste any time, he had instead found Major Amamiya who luckily, had been awake at such an hour. Upon receiving the news, a search party was dispatched immediately, along with an assault squad to suppress the overwhelming Aragami presence within the area.
Unfortunately, upon their arrival, they had found themselves too late. After scouring every corner of the area, the unit found no trace of the missing Squad Leader. The only evidence they could locate of his presence were large blood stains strewn about the location, an empty injector, and a shattered cellphone laying in the rubble. Collecting whatever remains they could find, the search party returned to the Den, only to find that Headquarters was faring no better.
Hibari informed them that despite her best efforts, she had been unable to locate any pings from Hamasaki's tracking beacon nor any bio signals. With more than half of the First Unit out of commission and nearly every other combat team stretched dangerously thin, the Major had no choice but to call off the search. And just as their leader before him, Ichiro Hamasaki's status was updated to Missing in Action / Discharged.
The news had sent the entire Den into an uproar.
Rumors began to spread like wildfire, ranging from the reasonably accurate to absolutely ridiculous. Some believed that Reaper had been injured in battle, forcing Ichiro to take on an army Aragami alone. Certainly not a plausible assumption. Others believed that Reaper herself had murdered Hamasaki, similarly to Lindow. An even less plausible explanation. On the opposite end of the spectrum, others believed that Ichiro had fallen bravely in battle protecting the woman he loved… which actually wasn't too far from the truth.
But regardless of what the assumptions were, there was one belief that was almost unanimous: The First Unit was now cursed. With nearly every member either incapacitated, missing, or dead, finding new members was proving impossible. Three deaths in such a short period of time was simply unexplainable among the famous First Squadron… and with one of their members clinging to life, it was looking likely that that number may increase to four. With both Soma and Reaper, even in her broken state, there was simply no convincing any God Eater to come anywhere near their squad.
Which was why each remaining active member was surprised when Major Amamiya called an emergency meeting out of the blue.
"All right, Squad. Now that we're all gathered here, I have an announcement."
Tsubaki stood near the entrance doors, holding her clipboard, as the remaining members of their dwindling unit stood before her. As the two of them stood side by side, they became painfully aware of how small their once powerful squad had become. With Ichiro's disappearance, their group had shrunk to merely a handful of their former numbers: Sakuya, Soma, Alisa, Kota, and Neo, formerly Reaper.
However, Sakuya remained on her leave of absence, unable to return to the field. Alisa remained in the Sick Bay, undergoing medical treatment for her mental health. And Neo was currently sedated in Sakaki's laboratory, showing little sign of improvement. That left the remaining members, Soma and Kota, as the only two attendees of their 'meeting' and understandably, one of those members was very unhappy about it.
"This is ridiculous."
"Even so." Tsubaki narrowed her eyes at him, issuing a silent warning. She wasn't in the mood for his attitude this afternoon.
"Tch…" Soma scoffed and crossed his arms but offered no further complaint.
Kota, in contrast, seemed relatively curious about the upcoming announcement. While there were only two of them present, surely whatever it was had to be important if it required both of them to be there in person.
"On to business then. I understand that the past few weeks have been especially taxing. Our numbers are few and morale is low. As such, a new member will be appointed to your squad to bolster your ranks and help lift your spirits."
Kota lit up at the sound of a new teammate. A new recruit could be just what the team needed. It would give them something to focus on other than the depressing state of the Far East.
"Oh, another cutie? I can't wait to meet her!"
Tsubaki resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Kota's response. It seemed that nothing could keep the young firecracker down for very long… but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but he will be arriving shortly so I urge both of you to remain present until that time. The administration believes that with an additional New Type -"
"For fuck's sake, are you serious?! That bastard doesn't learn…" Soma nearly combusted at the mention of yet another New Type arriving in the Far East, appointed to their squadron. They already had two of them and both had landed either themselves or someone else in the medical ward. Hadn't they had enough?
Tsubaki's eye twitched slightly at his interruption. While she understood his frustration, that did not excuse such behavior.
"I believe you'll find that this one may cause slightly less trouble for you. He's a familiar face."
Kota blinked in confusion at Tsubaki's comment.
"Huh? What do you -"
Kota's sentence was left unfinished as the doors opened behind her. Stepping through them was indeed a face that he knew very well. A face with light green eyes and wild dark hair, accented by the bright blue cape draped around his shoulders.
"Hey, guys. How's it going?"
Kota's confused expression morphed into one of absolute elation, his excitement reaching fever pitch at the sight of his old friend.
"Utsugi! You're back!"
"Hey, Fujiki. Long time, no see."
Kota practically bounced around Tsubaki to reach him, his body nearly vibrating with glee. He and Lenka joined Fenrir around roughly the same time. They had entered training together and learned side by side as classmates. He hadn't seen Lenka for close to a year now following an incident with his bias factor compatibility. After being nearly consumed by his stigma, he was decommissioned due to concerns that his continued service may greatly shorten his lifespan.
Not one to sit idly around, Utsugi took a leave of absence and traveled abroad between Fenrir's Headquarters. He had visited three different branches before finally getting wind of a possible solution. He received word that the branch had been supposedly working on an experimental compound to combat the effects of bias factor poisoning. The formula, taken via injection, was allegedly supposed to slow the rate of Oracle cell infection.
"How was your trip? Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Actually, yeah. The North American branch has been working on some experimental compound to slow the spread. It's still technically in the testing phases, so they used me as a guinea pig."
Soma lifted his head slightly at the mention of that particular branch. Lenka had been in North America? For how long…?
"That's awesome! Did it work?"
"Well I'm here, aren't I?"
"Alright!" Kota pumped his fists in the air, ecstatic having his classmate rejoin him on the battlefield."
Tsubaki smiled lightly at the three of them. It was nice to see their spirits rise, even if only a little… well, one of them at least.
Noticing their silent teammate still standing a few feet away, Lenka smirked. "Well, hello to you too, Soma."
"Hmph."
Lenka shook his head and looked around at the somewhat empty lobby with an eyebrow raised. "Not much of a homecoming. I figured at least Lindow would show up… where is he anyway? He better not have gone and broken his own rule, much as he said it all the time."
All three God Eaters tensed. Of course. Lenka had been away for the past 10 months or so. He hadn't a single clue of what had been going on in the Far East during his absence. His comment had undoubtedly been meant as playful jab, but his words pierced through all of their hearts like an arrow.
Lenka's smirk slowly faded into a frown as he noticed the sudden change in atmosphere. His eyes swept across the three of them as they stood in awkward silence. Every member of the group was uneasy from Kota's downcast eyes and Soma's scowl to Tsubaki's pained expression.
"No way…"
"You've… missed a lot." Kota's fingers fidgeted nervously under Lenka's watchful gaze. He knew that he was going to ask what had happened, but he wasn't really certain where to begin.
Tsubaki never gave him the chance.
"Utsugi. Get yourself settled and meet me in my office for a briefing. You have a lot to catch up on, so I'll get you up to speed."
Without waiting for a response, the Major stalked towards the lift in a visibly sour mood. Lenka turned to the other two, hoping that one of them would offer some sort of explanation. Neither of them said a word. But he didn't need to know the details for a confirmation. Their silence said it all.
Lindow was gone.
. . .
Far East Branch Headquarters - Sick Bay
Alisa lay resting in her bed, gazing at the white ceiling. The medical ward had been rather quiet lately, with few coming and going outside of the doctors and the occasional patient. Even her teammates had been rather quiet in recent days. Kota used to come and visit her at least every other day, but lately, even his presence had become scarce. She wasn't certain what was going on, but the knot in her stomach told her that whatever was happening couldn't be good.
The sound of a sliding door interrupted her thoughts. Turning her head, she was surprised to see Sakuya standing in the doorway. She was the last person that she had expected to see. Of the entire First Unit, the Vice Commander was the only one who hadn't come to see her since her admission. Even Soma had made an appearance at least once or twice. Perhaps she held her accountable for Lindow's death… and who could blame her?
"Oh… Miss Tachibana… H-Hello. Thank you for coming to see me. What… What brings you here? If you don't mind."
Part of her wondered if she had come to confront her.
"Hello, Alisa. Don't worry, I'm not here to pass blame. I-I'm not angry."
She didn't entirely believe her, if she was being honest, but she was still willing to hear whatever she had to say.
"I need to hear about what happened. Straight from you. I want you to tell me everything that you remember about that day. That moment. I know it's difficult, and to be honest… I can't accept what happened. But still… I can't doubt you. This is the only way to clear my mind. I heard about your past. This is not an easy thing I'm asking of you. Try. Please, for me."
So that's what it was. Sakuya needed to hear the events of that day from her perspective. She had been unable to accept Lindow's death. In her eyes, she could see the desperation. She wouldn't heal, couldn't heal with these thoughts on her mind. Alisa cast her eyes downward to her clasped hands. She didn't want to talk about it. Primarily because she was so ashamed to admit her own weakness. But if it would help to give Sakuya the closure she needed… then she would try.
"I've been treated for years, still being treated for this… problem. Did you know about that?"
Sakuya nodded slowly, her eyes intently focused on the New Type in front of her. "Yes, I did know."
"When my parents… Something inside me just… snapped. I was hospitalized for years. For a long time I only saw the world through a window. When Fenrir told me I could be a New Type God Eater… Well, Fenrir doesn't ask. They demand. I was transferred immediately, and forcibly, from my own hospital into a Fenrir controlled facility."
Her eyes widened slightly as Alisa explained her story. She had known that she had some mental instability, most likely from the trauma she suffered as a child… but she had no idea that Fenrir had exploited and taken advantage of that fact.
"Poor thing…"
"No, don't pity me. The doctors were nice and, secretly, I guess I was glad. Glad that I might have a chance to fight back, and then… They put me on meds that curbed my memories, buried that part of my past. I spent days learning strategy, tactics… Learning how to fight. And the Fenrir doctor assigned to me was kind. Even when he didn't have to be. He opted to leave his post and come here to keep helping."
Sakuya's face twisted into a scowl at the new information. "You're telling me that your old doctor serves here now? At the Den?"
"Yes, of course. I-I'm sure you've all met him. Doctor Oguruma. He's very nice."
Sakuya paused for a moment, her brows still burrowed in thought. "Ah… I'm sorry. Please, go on, Alisa."
"I was treated for my mental problems, trained day in and day out… And the Doctor found images of the Aragami that killed my parents. When I heard that it'd appeared here, I begged for a transfer. I swore that I would find it. I swore that I would tear out its core and crush it. And then, when I saw it in that moment…"
Alisa shuddered, her body trembling. Her face fell into her hands and she held her head, as if trying to protect herself from the terrible thoughts.
"Something snapped. My mind went blank. And when the world came back into focus, I saw Lindow as that beast. The thing that took away my family. And as I felt it in my heart… I was already pointing the gun at him. My finger on the trigger…"
She shrieked and clapped her hands over her ears. Her body curled into a ball as she brought knees to her chest. Her back trembled with stifled sobs. Sakuya's eyes softened and her frown faded.
"Alisa, I'm so sorry. It was important that I know, or I wouldn't have asked. I'll come by again. Just to talk."
Sakuya smiled reassuringly before exiting the room.
. . .
When the door slid closed behind her, Sakuya frowned. Her story sounded dangerously similar to one that she had already seen before. Since Reaper's arrival, she had spent months observing the effects of potent brainwashing techniques. She had watched her transform many times, almost instantaneously from young woman to living weapon. At the melody of her song and the sound of her name, she could watch the light fade from her eyes along with any of her free will. The audio device, aptly referred to among the First Unit as Reaper's Recorder, acted as a coercive trigger, priming her to shift into the desired state. For her, Reaper wasn't simply a codename… it was who she became.
And if such control could be exerted over one's mind to alter their very being, it stood to reason that convincing another to view Lindow as an Aragami wasn't outlandish. But such techniques were barred from use across nearly all of Fenrir. Only a handful of psychological doctors engaged in such a practice. And apparently one of them was somewhere within their facility. Her discussion with her comrade answered her questions but raised several others.
Lindow's disappearance was no accident… but who had given the order? How long had Dr. Oguruma been working with Alisa? For that matter, who had brainwashed Reaper…? There was no way… was it possible?
Hm…
Turning, Sakuya strode down the hallway towards the elevator, determination in her eyes. There were enough different threads to weave an entire web of corruption and deceit. But which pieces were connected and how? It was clear that Alisa had been unwittingly involved, but what about their other New Type? Unlike their Russian transfer, Reaper had arrived with nearly no information at all. It was almost as though her presence here was classified. Who exactly was she?
She hadn't been able to get any answers regarding the New Type from Lindow. But perhaps, with this new information she wouldn't have to. Certainly, there had to be some accessible knowledge… she would just have to find it. Armed with the revelation of Alisa's doctor, she now had a starting point to follow. She would get her answers one way or another.
. . .
Far East Branch Headquarters - Lab Room
A steady rhythmic beeping rang loudly in the quiet room. It sounded consistently with short pauses in between, a far cry from the near radio silence of a few days prior. While the noise sometimes made Soma nervous, it also brought him enormous relief. Slow as it was, each and every note reminded him that Neo's heart was still beating.
She lay still on the table, eyes closed as she remained under the effects of heavy anesthesia. Having learned from the previous debacle, Sakaki had more than doubled the concentration of tranquilizer, ensuring that she would not awaken for plenty of time. Her chest slowly rose and fell, each breath straining the rows of stitches weaved carefully across her chest. Her torn garments lay carefully across her form, ripped but closed to cover the skin. The damage had been so severe that the team couldn't even change her clothing for fear of aggravating her already angry wound.
Beside her, Soma sat quietly in his chair. After returning from his 'meeting', he had promptly returned to Sakaki's laboratory to watch over his sleeping friend. His arms rested against his knees as his head slowly dipped toward his chest. He had gotten very little rest over the past few days, spending nearly every waking moment either collecting Aragami cores, searching for their missing Squad Leader, or there by her side.
Around him, doctors bustled busily around the table. They took notes on their clipboards and moved instruments about, giving Neo a wide berth as they monitored their machines. In the back of the room, Paylor ran his fingers rapidly across the keyboard, muttering incoherently to himself about Oracle cell expansion… whatever that was.
Soma's eyelids felt like led as he fought to remain conscious. He knew that simply watching her wasn't going to aid her recovery, but part of him was afraid to look away. He had lost Neo once many years ago. Then he had briefly found her only to nearly lose her again. While he would never admit it, the veteran was afraid. He worried that the next time he lost her would be permanent. That somehow if he took his eyes from her, that she would disappear.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
The rapid beeping of the monitor startled him, jolting him out of his dozing state. Now wide awake, Soma looked wildly around the room as doctors darted in every direction. Sakaki, spun his chair to face a different screen, turning his attention from his ramblings to her vitals.
"What's happening?" Despite his best efforts, Soma couldn't hide the panic in his voice.
"Hm… her heart rate is increasing, but her cells don't appear to be active. Her bio signals don't appear to be dropping either."
Soma frowned at Sakaki's unhelpful observation. What the hell was that supposed to mean? His eyes returned to his companion on the table in front of him. The slow, steady movements of her chest were now erratic and jolted. Her mouth twitched and her brow furrowed, eyes trembling behind closed lids. Even in her sedated state, she looked clearly distressed. Was she having a nightmare?
He growled quietly in frustration as he watched her twitching form. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure what to do. While he was nearly unmatched in skill on the battlefront, Soma was powerless against the monsters in her dreams. Unlike her guardian, he didn't have years of training. He didn't have the knowledge of her habits and needs molded by a lifetime of standing by her side. There was nothing he could do to help her, even now as he sat at her bedside.
Or maybe there was.
As he watched her scrunching face, his eyes drifted downward toward her trembling hands. Her fingers twitched, stretching and relaxing by her side. She looked as though she were reaching for something… or someone.
Wracking his brain, he tried to recall his observations of her over the past several months. Even as Reaper, Neo still displayed certain behaviors that divulged her true nature. He recalled her movements as she followed closely behind her guardian. He recalled her placements and positioning, constantly shifting to be as close to Ichiro as possible. He recalled her collapsed on the ground, reaching outward for whomever she could find. He recalled the image of her childish form clutching her stuffed rabbit to her chest.
Was Neo sensitive to touch?
Carefully, he lifted his hand towards her. He eyed her scarf closely, scanning every crevice for possible sparks. Seeing none, he pressed forward. He gently wrapped his gloved hand around her shaking one, offering a comforting squeeze. Her hands were so small and soft. It was difficult to believe that such delicate things could be so deadly. He held his position, eyes drifting between their linked hands and her vexed expression. Then finally…
…she responded.
At his touch her tremors began to slow, and her frown softened. She could feel his presence even in her restful state. Soma blinked as her hand began to move, slowly returning his gesture. Her fingers wrapped gingerly around his offered hand as her heart rate began to slow. Her breathing stabilized and her face relaxed, becoming peaceful once again. No longer stressed, her monitor returned to its calm, steady tone.
Beside her, Soma gave the slightest of smiles as he saw peace return to her dreams. For the entirety of their friendship, he could do little more than watch her through a lens. Not blind to her suffering, his inability to assist her weighted heavily on his heart. And after having seen the truth and the extent of her pain, that weight had increased 10 fold. But now she was here with him, and he with her. Now, he could reach her. She had been a source of comfort for him during their youth. And for the first time, he could finally return the favor.
Focused entirely on his sleeping companion, Soma remained blissfully unaware of the doctor watching them from his seat in the back of the room… and the smile forming on his face.
