Tranquil Temple

Small speckles of white floated slowly from the clouds to the blanketed ground below. A cold wind swept through the area, whistling as it passed through the openings of the building. Inside, the First Unit lay in wait watching their breath as the clouds wafted into the frigid air… two of them, at least.

"Man, is it just me or are the rations getting leaner and leaner every day? Seriously. I know food is tight, but dayum! You know?"

Lenka smirked at his chattery friend as he rambled on about the lunch menu. While his travels abroad had certainly been quieter, they had been far less entertaining. No one could brighten up a room quite like Kota. During their training, his optimistic attitude had encouraged and inspired him. And he had continued to do so throughout his time in the Far East Branch, supporting him even as his stigma forced him into early retirement. In fact, it had been his teammate's suggestion that had pushed him to leave the Far East in the hopes of finding a solution. The journey had been a rough one and while he had enjoyed his travels, he had also missed his friend.

"Like what about that rationed pudding? I mean, if you can even call that pudding. It was mostly multicolored goop."

"Yeah… I'm not even sure that stuff is edible."

"Right?! Hey, I hear they are looking into expanding the vegetable selection soon."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. They're supposed to be adding more root vegetables to the menu. They're hardier and tend to keep longer. Seems pretty practical."

"Hey, speaking of vegetables, what ever happened with the giant corn on the cob fiasco…? How did that end up working out?"

"Don't even mention it…"

"Ha ha! Point taken."

Kota smiled and joined Utsugi in his laughter. He was happy to have him back. Sakuya was nice enough, but she had been on leave for some time. He was pretty certain Alisa hated him, and Soma was just Soma. And Reaper…

"Hey, Kota. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"What's going on with her…?" Kota blinked. He wasn't certain who he was referring to. There were easily hundreds of women within the Den and he hadn't been very specific. Then again… there was really only one of them that would warrant questioning.

"Who, Reaper? What do you mean?"

"I mean… Well, Tsubaki warned me about her. Said she was a little off. The word she used was unpredictable, but.. well to be honest, that wasn't quite what I expected."

"Ah… Heh heh. Yeah. She's pretty intense." Kota laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. It was only a matter of time before the two of them crossed paths. And from the way it sounded, their introductions hadn't gone over very well.

"Intense is an understatement. Anyway I was told she's out commission for the time being, but…"

Kota tilted his head slightly, observing Utstugi's concerned expression. That was so like him. He was always concerned with other's wellbeing, even people he wasn't really acquainted with. "Yeah. She just lost her boyfriend a little while ago… and she didn't even find out until she woke up from a coma. It was pretty wild."

"Seriously? Damn… that's terrible." Lenka felt his fists clench as he thought of his own loved ones, stolen away by the Aragami. Just how much more were those monsters going to take?

"Yeah… the two of them were really close. She definitely took it pretty hard."

"Is she gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, eventually." Kota frowned slightly as he observed Lenka's worried expression. Her situation seemed to be really bothering him. "Look, don't worry about Reaper. She's tough. Like, really, REALLY tough. She just needs some time."

"No kidding. I'd be surprised if she didn't. Losing her boyfriend couldn't have been easy for her… hopefully she'll recover soon."

"She'll be fine."

Both God Eaters turned at the sound of an irritated voice. Soma had finally arrived. And somehow he seemed even moodier than usual. It never ceased to amaze Kota how he managed to wear a permanent scowl.

"Hey, what up, Soma? Dude, now that you're here, I was totally thinking of having a little shindig to celebrate our new leader. You down?"

"Gonna say no." Soma strolled past him without sparing either one of them a glance. Kota frowned, a little put off by his attitude.

"Come on, Soms, don't be a pre-party pooper!"

"Go ahead and have your 'shindig'. Just don't count on my RSVP." Without another word, he hopped from the building and stomped off into the snow. Annoyed, Kota shouted after his retreating form.

"Jerk! Hey, don't act all badass just… 'cause you're all badass and stuff! And don't be so arrogant even when you show up like twenty minutes late, but whatever! Jackass…"

"Let it go, Kota. We need to get to work anyway."

Lenka shook his head, following after him. It seemed that even Kota was capable of losing his cool sometimes. Although he couldn't really blame him. Soma had always been a bit standoffish for as long as he had been with them. But he did seem to be in a worse mood than usual. Maybe something was bothering him.

"You'd think I was asking him to run ops naked. Damn… He's such a buzzkill! Whoops, you're right. It's twenty past mission. Guess we better get on out there, yeah?"

"Right."

. . .

Soma's footsteps crunched loudly in the snow. He could vaguely hear two pairs of feet trudging off in a different direction as they searched for their targets. Not that it mattered. He certainly didn't require either of their assistance. He wasn't interested in socializing at the moment anyway. His mind was elsewhere, recalling events of the previous hours.

The lift slowed to a stop as it reached the veteran's floor. Having forgotten his Restore Pills in his room, he promptly made a U-turn to retrieve them. The floor would be empty at this time, so he wasn't likely to run into anyone. He could go back to quarters, grab his supplies, and return in time for his mission. At least, that had been his plan.

But as the doors slid open, he felt his world begin to blur as a familiar sensation took over him. He could hear a voice ringing softly through the hallway. It was clearly distressed, but the haunting timbre was calling to him. Much like in the Infernal Subway, Soma found himself aimlessly wandering the halls, following the temptress's call. What was wrong with him?

As he neared his hallway, the voice became clearer. And while he had never heard her melody before, he recognized it as Neo's. It seemed that she indeed shared Fida's love of music and so sang quietly to herself on the empty floor. He tried to shake himself free of her hypnotic sound waves, but he couldn't seem to break away. And as he rounded the corner, he could hear vividly her painful song.

I long to be like you

Lie cold in the ground like you

There's room inside for two

And I'm not grieving for you

I'm coming for you…

The moment he came into view, Neo jumped from her seat on the bench and bolted down the hallway, an ill-fitting black cape billowing behind her. With her song interrupted, he returned to his senses.

"Hey!"

He knew that chasing her was pointless, yet still he attempted to catch the fleeing New Type as she disappeared down the corridor. He had barely made six paces before the door slammed shut, locking behind her. This had been their routine for days now. Neo would spend both day and night barricaded inside of Hamasaki's room, threatening to electrocute anyone that dared to touch his door. Every once in a while, he could spot her slipping from the room when she thought the floor was empty. But speaking with her was impossible, as she would quickly vanish back inside at the sight of him or anyone else.

Following her down the hallway, he stood outside of her closed door. He could hear the familiar hum of static as her current surged through the doorway. She still had no intention of coming out, and there was no way that he would be able to get in. Between Neo's current and the highly conductive aluminum content within the door, one touch would easily be equivalent to a full-force Vajra bolt. And Soma hadn't watched Neo throw herself into one only for him to willingly take one himself.

But he was beginning to grow concerned. How long was she planning on staying in there? Did she really intend to wait indefinitely for his return? Surely, even she must have come to terms with his passing by now. And what on earth was she eating in there? He had considered the possibility of her raiding Hamasaki's refrigerator, but from the mountains of food he had seen her consume, it wasn't likely those would last very long.

"Hey… you alright?" He spoke through the door, listening carefully for a response.

She offered none.

"You can't stay in there forever."

Silence.

Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair, growing impatient. Had she always been this stubborn? He knew he didn't have time for this. Utsugi and Fujiki were waiting for him, and knowing those two, they probably needed him.

But Neo needed him too.

She detested being alone, and even if she had hidden herself away in Ichiro's bedroom, he knew that she was longing for some form of security. After all, why else would she be wearing her fallen companion's cloak?

"Look, I know you're hurting… but locking yourself up isn't gonna help you. It's gonna make it worse."

He received no response for the third time.

Frustrated, he was about to take his leave when he heard movement. He listened carefully as a quiet thump vibrated against the closed door. She was sitting on the ground, leaning against it. She had no intention of revealing herself… but she was listening. And that was probably the best he was going to get out of her.

Slowly, Soma turned and sat on the floor as well. Listening carefully for the tell-tale sparks through the metal. But he heard none. Cautiously, he leaned back ever so slightly, prepared to shift his weight should she reactivate her current to shock him… but she didn't. She offered no resistance to him. He held back a sigh of relief and let his weight rest against the doorway.

A soft shudder reached his ears through the door. She was crying. A familiar wave of helplessness slowly washed over him as he found himself, once again, woefully out of reach. It had been the same when they were children. He knew when she was upset, but there was nothing he could do to help her. He could only try his best to talk her down. With a metal barrier between them and no possibility of contact, he could rely only on his words to reach her…

And suddenly, he realized that was exactly what he needed to do.

His countless conversations with her over the years had prepared him for this exact moment. He just needed to talk to her as he had when they were children, but through a wall instead of a computer screen. Leaning his head against the door, he let his eyes drift through the hallway. It was deserted.

With no one around them to listen, Soma allowed the words to spill forth, as he had so many years ago.

"Look Neo, you don't have to talk if you don't want to… just listen. You need to come out of there. I know you want to cut yourself off from the world… but that doesn't make the pain go away. It only isolates you and makes it even harder."

"Hiding by yourself seems like a good idea right now, but all you're gonna do is get lost in your own head. Trust me, I know… I've been there."

He heard the slightly shift of movement sliding across the metal surface. He couldn't see her… yet somehow he knew. She was tilting her head, in that curious way that she always had. It was a silent inquiry, urging him to go on. He could almost hear her asking the question.

How?

Sighing he continued on, a bit embarrassed to be admitting his thoughts so freely.

"…when I thought I lost you."

He heard the slightest intake of breath as she paused.

"I'm not gonna tell you to speak to everyone. To be honest, they'll probably try to comfort you and do more harm than good. But anything is better than sitting alone in the dark. Find something to turn your attention to. Focus your mind and find your resolve. You don't have to return to the field. But when you're ready… we'll be waiting."

Her gentle sobs slowed as he slowly rose to his feet, turning towards his own room. He didn't want to leave her, but he had kept his teammates waiting long enough. Knowing Kota, he was probably babbling about nonsense or complaining to Lenka about his tardiness and the cold. As he walked down the hall, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. His words had reached her. It was a small, simple thing, but it meant the world to him. He had always felt hopeless faced with of Neo's pain. Through a screen, he could do nothing to dry her tears. Now, through a metal barrier, he had been faced with that challenge yet again. Only this time, he had succeeded.

His frown curved upward slightly as he looked around. He wondered how she was doing.

"Hm?"

A pair of loud, clumsy footfalls caught his attention. Something was approaching from behind. One of their targets had found him. Lifting his blade, he turned, swinging his weapon in a wide arc. His well-timed swing caught the Fallen Ogretail, mid-pounce, slicing right through its skull. The Aragami hit the ground and slid, leaving a trail in the snow. His eyes followed the corpse along the ground, all the way to a larger creature coming around the bend.

Lifting his sword, he activated his shield, blocking the incoming water blasts from the Gboro-Gboro. The moment his shield lowered Soma rolled to the side to avoid the charging creature. Typically, these Aragami were pitifully slow on solid ground. But on the slippery surface of the ice and snow, they became far more dangerous. Standing, he turned and raised his shield again, blocking an incoming swipe from the creature's tailfin.

As the Gboro lifted its fin once more, Soma raised his shield again. This time, he rushed forward, blocking the swipe and pressing back with equal force. Bouncing from the impact, the target was knocked slightly off balance. With his new opening, Soma hopped into the air and brought down his buster on top of the monster's head. The heavy strike tore through its top fin, unbinding its cells.

Enraged, the Aragami roared and flailed, thrashing its limbs in every direction. Soma simply hopped backwards, avoiding the swipes, and creating distance between them. The target followed him, charging wildly towards him with dangerous speed.

Predictable.

Raising his sword, he turned and spun. While the Gboro-Gboro had far more speed on the ice, it also gave it far less control. Using its own momentum against it, Soma struck as the monster as it passed, tearing through its open jaw. As it sank to the ground, he turned and activated his blade, extracting the core from the fallen creature. Turning, he returned to the Fallen Ogretail, collecting its core as well. He was about to leave when something caught his attention. Something was moving inside of a nearby building. He could hear choked, shuddering groans. And they almost sounded… human.

Lifting his God Arc, he slowly approached the building. He stepped lightly through the snow, quieting his footsteps. He drew closer… and closer… the quiet sounds becoming more audible as he approached the structure. He was nearly within striking distance…

"Who's there?"

A different set of footsteps reached his ears from the other direction. The soft pitter patter of feet running through the snow. They were headed for the abandoned temple. As he turned, he saw a glimpse of white disappearing around a stone wall. Narrowing his eyes, Soma gave chase, rushing forward across the landscape in pursuit of the uninvited guest. He followed the footsteps through the snow, up the stone steps, and into the massive wooden temple. As he rounded the corner, he burst through the open doors to find…

…nothing.

The temple was deserted. There was no sign of his target nor anyone else inside of the large empty hall. It had definitely come this way. It couldn't have gotten far…

"Come on out and face me. I know you're here."

His voice echoed off the towering walls as he called out. He narrowed his eyes and strained his ears, trying to find even the slightest of movements. There was no way that they could have possibly escaped. His hand gripped his God Arc, finally detecting movement… Something was approaching him from behind.

Soma waited patiently for the footsteps to reach him. He would allow them to believe that he wasn't paying attention. Then…

"Hey, hey! Whoa, hey! Whoa… Hey!" Kota startled, cowering away from his massive blade. Soma stared, rather surprised to see his teammates standing behind him. He hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. Did they already eliminate their targets?

"Huh… Well, I didn't expect to turn around and see you."

"You are totally welcome. It's not like we came out here to look for you. Damn! You never came back. We got worried." Kota was beginning to lose his patience. He had had just about enough of his snappy attitude.

"Now you've found me, why don't you turn right around and go home? I've things to handle on my own."

"What? We're comrades, man. We're in the same unit. Geeze, you can be stuck up."

"Ha! So we're comrades now, huh? How so? Who would want a comrade that can't even take a little joke, a comrade you can't trust to have your back? Hmph. Better to not have them at all."

Kota's brows pressed together in irritation. Kota was used to Soma's cranky mannerisms. It was part of what made Soma who he was. He was always relatively moody, and he had come to accept that… but this was snippy even for him. What was going on with him today?

"The hell, man?! You know what, fine! Okay? Fine! You're so awesome! You're so epic! If you think you're so hot and you don't need us, then whatever! Suit yourself. I'm going home."

Fuming, Kota turned and stomped off. The remaining two watched as he went down the steps of the temple and into the snow. Apparently, even Kota had a limit and Soma had reached it. Lenka frowned slightly as the gunner disappeared around the wall, leaving the two of them alone.

"You should go too. What do you need with a monster like me?"

Lenka blinked as Soma scoffed at him and turned away, returning to… whatever he was doing in the building. Kota was right to be concerned. Something was definitely bothering him. Did it have anything to do with the New Type barricaded in Hamasaki's room? And why had he been so late anyway?

"Dude, what is your problem?"

"None of your business."

"It is my business. We're a team. If something is bothering you, it bothers all of us, one way or another. It won't take long before it affects the rest of unit… what's going on?"

"Just leave me alone, Utsugi."

Lenka sighed in exasperation. The conversation was getting nowhere and further prodding would only result in increasing his irritation. Deciding it was best to drop the subject for the time being, he granted the older God Eater's wish and left the temple to find Kota. When the crunch of his footsteps finally faded, Soma let out a frustrated grunt. He hadn't really meant to snap at the both of them, but they had been severely testing his patience and his temper had gotten the best of him.

To be honest, he wasn't entirely certain what was wrong with him. He had been irritable for far longer than simply that day. In the span of months, he had lost three comrades one after the other. The Aragami activity seemed to be steadily on the rise despite the increase in all of the units' workloads. That wasn't to mention that his own personal mission wasn't going as well as he'd like, and he couldn't remember the last time that he had gotten a decent night's sleep.

In short, he was stressed the hell out.

And today had only served to increase that stress. While he would count his conversation with Neo as a small success, he wasn't certain that he could call it a victory. He had still been unable to get her out of hiding he was beginning to wonder if they ever would. In a way, Soma had lost four team members. The New Type was very much alive, but she seemed damaged beyond repair. Losing Ichiro had destroyed her, sending her into dark, dark place where no light would reach her. What if she never emerged?

Letting his buster rest on his shoulders he scoffed and turned away from the temple wall. No good would come of him just standing around. He would search again another day.

Behind him a small pale face peaked around the stone statue, watching his retreating form. She waited for a time after his exit. That one was crafty. She would have to be cautious to elude him.

When she was satisfied that he was gone, she slowly emerged from her concealed location behind the statue. Having completed her mission, she hopped down from the wooden ledge and made her way back through the snow.

. . .

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Neo is North American and as such has access to some old music from the before-times. Song is Evanescence - Like You