Far East Branch Headquarters - Veteran's Floor
The next few days were difficult for the Far East. In a startling turn of events, the Aragami wall had fallen with creatures pouring in nearly every direction. The multiple openings had overwhelmed the Defense Unit, leaving them in desperate need of assistance to prevent being completely overrun. The Third Unit was dispatched to answer the call and with some help from Soma, Neo, and Ichiro, the areas had been contained and the assault brought to an end.
While three members of the First Unit were defending the home front, two others were out in the field. They hunted relentlessly collecting the cores of multiple Aragami variants including Fallen Kongous, Vajratails, and a Fallen Quadriga. The extracted resources had been used to reinforce and lockdown the affected areas. Good people were lost, but their deaths were not in vain. With the outer wall strengthened, the citizens would be protected against further attacks in the future. Through the combined efforts of everyone involved, they halted the incident that would eventually became known as The Great Barrier Breach.
God Eaters and civilians alike flocked to express their appreciation to the city's defenders following the disastrous event. The Second Unit received much of the credit, having been the primary force behind driving the Aragami back. The Third Unit backup unit, including Soma and Gina also received high praises. The Special Ops pair had for the most part remained in the shadows, shying away from the spotlight. This was of course, by design. At the request both Neo and her guardian, their involvement had been greatly understated, as neither one of them wanted unnecessary attention. As a result very few were even aware that they had been there at all.
From those privy to their presence, the pair had received their thanks personally. Kota was among them. Having spoken with his mother and sister following the event, he had located the two of them to personally express his profound gratitude. They had detailed their close call in the city as well as the God Eaters that had saved them. While they had given no identification aside from 'the kind young man,' their mention of his violet-haired companion was a dead giveaway. Aki had also heard the news, hearing a similar story from her sister Yoko, who had been present with Nozomi during the ordeal.
At last, peace had finally returned to the residents of Fenrir's branch… but as always, nothing good could ever last forever in the Far East.
The First Unit had barely a moment of respite before being thrust into the field once again. Within days of their success, the Major called an emergency meeting for the squadron's members to gather. Receiving beacon signals from Lindow's Armlet, Headquarters sprang into action, dispatching all available members immediately.
With Neo out in the field, Kota focusing full-time on the Aegis Project, and Ichiro holed up in the laboratory, that left Alisa, Sakuya, Soma, and Utsugi to complete the task. And not a single one of them uttered a word of complaint. After months of questioning and months of searching, they would finally solve the mystery of Lindow's fate and the monster that took him away from them.
And they did… much to everyone's dismay.
The Deusphage was no easy target. The hunt had been challenging to begin with, their target was more dangerous than any they had encountered before. It's lightning strikes were larger and covered a larger range, and its intelligence made it difficult to catch off guard. It had seemed that the group had finally carved an opening, gaining the advantage over their adversary. But their assumptions had been wrong.
Upon taking significant damage, the Dyaus Pita had transformed, its golden coats peeling away to reveal a pair of crimson serrated wings. Along with growing faster, stronger, and far more lethal, its elemental affinity changed, shifting to divine and forcing the team members to adapt. Sakuya had nearly lost her life, incapacitated during the conflict. But thanks to Alisa's quick thinking and a successful link-aid, the Vice Commander had recovered and returned to the fray. The battle was hard fought but in the end, the squadron emerged victorious.
And their answer was their reward. Lindow's Armlet was found within the body of the Dyaus Pita, confirming their suspicions and bringing closure to the months-long debate with the Den: Lindow, the beloved Squad Captain of the Far East's First Unit, was gone. Sakuya had fallen apart, sinking to her knees and sobbing in anguish. Alisa had joined her, offering a comforting presence as the two women mourned their painful loss. Lenka seeped with rage, his hatred for Aragami amplified tenfold.
The only silver lining to the successful mission was the acquisition of unique rare resources from the novel creature. With the materials gathered from the monster's flesh, Lenka was able to supply his God Arc with new augments, greatly enhancing capability with the added benefit of divine power. Other resources went everywhere else, ranging from Oracle Cell research and continuing to strengthen the Aragami Wall.
With Lindow's fate revealed, the First Unit took to separate activities, each mourning his loss in their own way.
Kota and Utsugi dedicated most of their time to resource gathering. Lindow's death and the breach of the outer wall had only further motivated them to press forward, seeing the need for the Aegis Project's completion now more than ever.
Ichiro and Neo had been grieving together, both deeply pained by his loss. While the two had never been particularly close, Lindow had shown Neo nothing but kindness, which was more than she could say for most humans she came across. Ichiro similarly respected the ex-commander, with him having been the only member he could trust with information surrounding Neo's origination. True to their agreement, he had never breathed a word of their conversation and he had taken her secret to the grave. Never had he met a more honorable solider than him.
Soma had simply vanished, spending most of his time in solitude. Suffering in silence, he grieved in the loss of his leader and friend in the privacy of his own quarters. Sakuya similarly had been locked in her room spending her days on the Norn.
"All right, let's open it up."
Inside of Sakuya's room, the ladies of the First Unit gathered around the terminal. The New Types watched with bated breath as their Vice Commander carefully inserted the recovered Armlet into the input slot to the side. With Lindow's authorization, they would finally have access to the files he had left behind.
While Alisa's presence was expected, the older God Eater was rather surprised at Neo's interest in the matter. She had only known Lindow as Reaper and during that time, the pair hadn't formed a particularly strong connection, at least to her knowledge. Perhaps it was simply her respect for their fallen captain that drove her. Perhaps it was simple curiosity. Whatever the reason, she wasn't opposed.
"There, we've passed authorization."
Her fingers moved swiftly across the keys, navigating the data disk. Alisa watched the screen curiously.
"One report file, one list… And look, one project file too. And some kind of executable. What could be inside it? How could he even put that on here?"
Neo turned her head slightly, eyeing her friend as she rattled off questions without pause. Slightly amused by her overflowing fascination, she smirked as Alisa voiced all of the questions that she had kept contained in her own mind. She had known Lindow for only a brief period and only in her subdued state. But during that time, she had been able to gather pieces together details about him that made her suspicious.
She had been paying close attention to his behavioral patterns during their time together. Particularly, she had noticed his frequent 'dates' that always seemed to take him into the field. Stranger still, they almost always seemed occur when the rest of the unit was preoccupied. Having an awful sense of direction, the New Type had found herself lost multiple times while learning the layout of the branch and many of those trips would lead her to the hangar where she would notice his missing God Arc. And considering that one of his romantic evenings predated the fall of an Ouroboros, she had began to suspect that he may have had something to do with it.
It was these questions that drove her to join them on their quest, for her time working under Lindow had taught her two things: he was far more powerful than he appeared on the surface… and he was definitely up to something.
"Our best bet is to start from the top. Let's open the report first."
Both New Types nodded silently behind her, having similar thoughts. As they watched, they could see various images appearing across the screen.
"I knew it… I knew he was keeping this from me. I just never expected…"
Neo's blue orb scanned across terminal screen, taking in every detail of the documentation. It seemed that Lindow had been investigating for quite a while. There were sound files and images, text files and notes. None of them looked promising, the implications raising alarm. The most concerning were lines recorded in a text file.
There's no doubt in my mind the Aegis Project has been set up as a front for a secret initiative… the Ark Project.
It seems they've labeled it as a "plan to save true humanity." but details of the project are as yet unknown.
During my investigation, I obtained what seems to be a directory of names. I've attached it for reference.
Sakuya's brows pressed together as she read over the lines.
"Ark Project? I don't remember that. Have you ever heard of it?"
Alisa shook her head.
"No, this is the first time it's come up. Oh, wait, that list is connected. Open that and let's take a look."
She obliged, opening the attachment. Names appeared, scrolling across the screen.
"These are all names, each linked with a part of the Ark Project. God Eaters, Engineers, Scientists… plus family members?"
"What's this for? Those names are from branches all over."
"Let's leave the executable. I don't want to corrupt anything. Here, how about this?"
Moving to a different location, Sakuya continued, delving further into the documentation. Beside her, Alisa ran her eyes across the screen, catching snippets as they passed by.
"Aegis Infiltration… Oh, Lindow…"
"I'm gonna skip ahead a bit…"
Words slid across the terminal screen as she scrolled.
As I'd suspected, I'll have to investigate Aegis Island firsthand to get full intel on the Ark Project.
I took advantage of a bug in the island's admin system to create an exploit that will crash their surveillance.
I doubt it'll buy me much time, though. There'll be no room for error.
Alisa mouth hung slightly agape as she tried to process the magnitude of the situation. Lindow's transgressions extended far beyond simply poking his nose where it didn't belong.
"He needed proof of what was going on. I can't believe he was going to try to sneak in."
"Of course he would. Oh, I can't believe I didn't see it. Everything ties together now. Everything! I know what has to be done."
"Sakuya, you can't go alone. I know you need to finish what he started, but…"
"No, that's not it. Do me a favor and forget about all this. I will too. Promise me that, okay?"
Alisa's lips pulled into a scowl at her preposterous suggestion.
"Forget about it? Are you serious? Why?!"
"Just do this for me, please. Someone in the Far East is involved, that much we know for certain. Someone powerful. If we make waves, we're the one's who'll get pulled out to sea."
"S-Sakuya, no… What if we tried to get a message out? HQ would have to help!"
"But we have nothing. No more than Lindow did. How can we be sure we're not under surveillance already? The terminal, comms, this whole room could be tapped and we wouldn't know. That's why we have to let it go."
"There's gotta be…"
"Forget about it. Please, Alisa. Neo, that goes for you too. I know that Lindow wouldn't want us getting hurt on some wild chase."
"Sakuya."
"I… I'd like to be alone for a while, it that's okay. Would you leave me?"
"Right, sure."
Frustrated, Alisa slowly made her way from the room, leaving the Vice Commander to her sorrow. Neo followed close behind, similarly troubled. Sakuya's assertion was accurate. When it came to surveillance, their organization was unmatched. With taps embedded in everything from terminals to generators, there was simply no eluding Fenrir's all-seeing eye. The New Type knew that firsthand, having spent nearly moment of her life being carefully watched. Her desire to walk away from the situation was both logical and understandable…
But that wasn't what concerned her.
The Ark Project. Even the very name was ominous. Originating from the West, Neo knew of only one harrowing tale of a similar name. Noah's Ark. The story of the great flood and preservation of the world's genetic pool was one that she had both heard and read through literature. Different authors had different accounts, but one crucial detail always remained the same. And if this project was to bear any resemblance, that didn't bode well for the planet… or anyone on it.
"Neo."
"Hm?"
Alisa's concerned voice caught her attention, snapping her out of her pensive trance. She had been deeply engrossed in her thoughts, so much so that she hadn't even realized that her friend had stopped walking. Had she been speaking to her the entire time?
"…You know something."
"I know many things."
"Don't be facetious. You've been silent our entire conversation and I know you well enough to telll when something is on your mind."
While Alisa's focus had been primarily on the information scrolling across the terminal screen, she had noticed her friend's movements and body language. She had seen the way that her body tensed as the name appeared on the screen. She could see the familiar twitch in her eye as they skimmed over the list of names. And she had been watching her their entire trek down the hallway and the solemn expression on her face. She wasn't sure of the extent of her knowledge on the matter, but it was clear that Neo knew something the rest of them didn't.
Beside her, Neo sighed and shook her head. There was simply no lying to Alisa.
"I know nothing for certain. I only have suspicions."
Slowly, Alisa nodded her head. She knew that this was likely the furthest that she was going to get conversationally with Neo. Pressing further would only irritate her and make her harder to speak to.
"Alright. I won't press you, but just answer me one question. This suspicion of yours… is it going to be problematic?"
"No…"
A sigh escaped as the blonde felt relief at her friend's words… only to have her heart clench at her following ones.
"… it will be catastrophic."
"I… I see."
Turning, Neo continued down the hallway towards the lift, leaving Alisa with her foreboding thoughts. In truth, she had been slightly evasive in her answer. If her suspicion were even remotely correct, then catastrophic didn't even begin to describe the events that were about to unfold. A much more accurate description would be apocalyptic. The destruction would be on a scale of biblical proportions.
But she wouldn't tell her that. After all, there was a very high probability that she entirely wrong. Such an event were impossible, far beyond human capability… she hoped.
Stepping into the lift, Neo sighed as her head leaned against the wall. She was growing hungry again. There was still time before sundown. Perhaps she would hunt for a while to pass the time. Lindow's death was still taking its toll and this added information wasn't making it any easier. Additionally, she had other concerns weighing on her mind.
Ichiro hadn't been himself following the Great Barrier Breach. On the surface, his behavioral patterns hadn't changed… but beneath she could feel the turmoil and the pain in his heart. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling that something was wrong, but she wouldn't pry. Surely there were things that even he would prefer to keep secret and she had no place to try and force him to do otherwise. How could she? Especially when she was hiding so many of her own.
Sighing, she stepped forward as the doors began to open. Her course of action decided, she made her way towards the hangar. She would blow off some steam. She would feed. Then she would bathe and pay her companion a visit. It had certainly been some time since she had visited him in his room. She was certainly no Shio, but perhaps he could at least enjoy the company.
. . .
"Mmn… ugh…"
Fabric rustled softly against damp skin as Ichiro turned uncomfortably in his bed. Eyes moved rapidly behind closed lids and trembling fingers clenched tightly in fists. He was restless on this night, as he had been many nights, plagued with thoughts and memories long forgotten. Trapped in the world of dreams, the God Eater could do nothing but navigate the tumultuous labyrinth of his subconscious mind.
A little boy bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet, as the elevator carried them upward toward the higher floors. Dangling from his small hands was a bento filled with homemade delights including his favorite; onigiri.
Enjoying the morning with his mother carefully crafting the balls of rice, the pair had packed them and traveled to Headquarters from their home in the inner city. His father had been working diligently in his research and he would surely appreciate a moment of relaxation and some food. Knowing his father, he likely hadn't eaten again, always absorbed in his work, leaving them to remind him once again to pay better attention to his health.
As the lift slowed to a stop, the pair stepped through the sliding doors and made their way down the hall. Researchers smiled and acknowledged them as they passed, always happy to see them.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hamasaki."
"Good afternoon."
"Mrs. Hamasaki, welcome back!"
"Always a pleasure."
Their visits were always like this. As the wife and son of the lead researcher of the branch, they were well-known amongst the scientific community. One would be hard pressed to find a single doctor who hadn't heard their names. Yet, it wasn't their title or status that earned them such affection, but rather their presence.
She was a gentle, kind, and compassionate woman who's smile could melt even the coldest of hearts. Her pleasant aura drew people in and her demeanor made her very easy to talk to. As a result, she was a friend and confidant to many inside of the branch, and she was almost always willing to lend a listening ear. Even the God Eaters on patrol smiled in their direction as they passed. She was loved by many and disliked by few.
"Well, if it isn't Misato!"
"Good afternoon, Samuel. My husband isn't working you too hard, I hope?"
"To the bone, as always. I don't think he even ate breakfast today…"
"That's why we're gonna surprise him with this. We made him lunch!"
With a wide grin, he proudly lifted his bento, earning a smile from the blonde doctor.
"Ah, and a fine lunch it is, Ichiro. I'm almost jealous…"
"I can make an extra roll or two the next time if you wish."
"Haha! Don't trouble yourself. Well, I should back to work before the doctor catches me. He's in the lab. I think he has the Oracle system active, so you'll need to buzz him."
"Thank you, Samuel."
"My pleasure."
Bowing politely, Misato turned and made her way down the hall with her son. Ichiro loved days like these, enjoying time with his parents and friends in the Western continent. He wished those days could last forever…
"…aagghh!"
"Hm?"
His mother slowed her steps as her son ceased his movement. Lifting his head slightly, he looked up toward the ceiling. He could have sworn he heard someone screaming. Had he imagined it?
"Come, Ichiro. We mustn't keep your father waiting."
"Right…"
Disregarding the sound, Ichiro followed his mother towards the end of the hall…
"ARAGAMI!"
"Huh?!"
A loud crash echoed through the hall with the clattering of broken glass. Voices screamed in panic as researchers rushed through the halls, fleeing for safety. Alarms began to sound signaling a breach, footsteps thundering through the stairwells as God Eaters rushed to their aid.
"Hashiru!"
Grabbing his hand, Misato tore off down the hallway towards a side stairwell, her raven hair billowing behind her. Their footsteps echoed along the floor as Ichiro ran as quickly as his legs could carry him. They were nearly there. If they could reach the stairs, they could rendezvous with one of the patrol units. They only needed to…
The doors sprang open, researchers exiting the stairwell in utter panic as they rushed through the hall. And behind them was their pursuer. A Zygote smashed through the doors, hovering after them with its jaws agape. The doctors didn't have a prayer as the Aragami swept through the halls, devouring them whole. Blood stained the floor, ceiling, and walls as severed limbs and gore fell to the floor with a thump.
Turning, Misato ran in the opposite direction. Their exit had been blocked. Her brown eyes scanned the hallways looking for something, anything, that could bring them to safety. Behind them, the Zygote looped around, it's large eye locking on its new targets. With a sickening hum the creature followed them, crimson dripping from its maw as it hovered through the corridor. It was gaining on them.
Panicked, his mother looked wildly to their sides. They could hear footsteps echoing from the other stairwell. The God Eaters were coming.
But they were too far. They would never make it to them in time. They were trapped. Ichiro's heart hammered in his chest as the rumbling snarl drew closer. They were going to die.
"Wha?!"
He felt his body moving on its own as Misato yanked him nearly off his feet. In the seconds that followed, time stood still. The world around him seemed to move in slow motion as Misato turned, hitting the button for the sliding door. With all of her might, she tossed him, throwing him into the room out of harms way. He fell backward, his arm still reaching forward for his mother who was just behind him… and then she was gone. Crimson splattered every surface as the door slid closed before him… and on the ground at his feet lay her severed arm, still outstretched.
"Okasaan!"
The world spun as the world fell away, the monster that took his mother fading with it. The white walls vanished as darkness surrounded him and he felt air fill his lungs as he jolted forward. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, his body still trembling from the shock. He was alone in his room.
Or so he thought.
His momentary pause quickly ended as he felt movement to his side. Whipping around, his arm reached outward, only to be stopped mid-motion as it met a small, solid resistance. It was a hand. Her hand.
Panic ebbed away fading into surprise as he turned his head to see her silhouette kneeling against his mattress. Her golden eye glowed dully in the darkness of the room, the lids around it squinted with worry. He hadn't expected to see her there.
Neo frowned as her eyes swept over him and his current state. She absorbed every detail from his bare chest, damp with sweat to the hair clinging to his forehead and the frightened expression his face. Every muscle in his body was shaking, his unoccupied hand tightly gripping the bedsheets.
She was used to nightmares… but most often, it was her that awakened from them. She hadn't seen her guardian in such a state for many years. It used to happen frequently when they were children, but as they grew older the occurrences became less common. He never told her of the terrors that he dreamt and she wouldn't ask him to. If he had wanted her to know, then she would have.
In times like these, it was not Neo's place to meddle or probe him. She need only be there by his side, and he had always been at hers.
Moving forward, she climbed completely onto the bed, crawling towards him. Her hand slid slowly down his captured arm, reaching his hand and lacing her fingers with his. Silently, she wrapped her other arm around him, holding him in a gentle embrace. His body shivered slightly as her fingers dragged across his skin and her head rested on his shoulder.
Sighing, he relaxed into her arms, allowing her touch to bring him peace. They remained that way for some time, silent and still as tranquility returned to his mind. His tremors slowed and breaths calmed as the awful memories began to fade, drifting back into the past where they belonged. He had no idea how much time had passed around them. He knew only that his eyelids grew heavy and his heartbeat slowed. He could feel his body moving downwards and his head returning to the fluffy embrace of his pillow, but he was far too tired to protest.
It had been some time since Neo had broken into his room, and he wasn't certain why she had chosen this night to return. But he wasn't going to complain. Her presence had brought him consolation and returned him to the world of dreams.
Only this time, they were far more pleasant.