There's something you should know. The reason why I wasn't updating until now was because of work and I only could update a story at a time. Besides that, I really want to take my time with this fanfic because there's a certain part that I want to write and I think it needs more work.
The cliffhanger in the last chapter was because I'm so evil and I feed on your despair. I love when you scream "WHY!?"
Chapter 4: Trust
It was dark outside, the moon was the only light during the terrifying darkness of the night. Inside an abandoned factory, in a little room, Maria was reading the bible. Her eyes were focused on the old, yellowed, pages that were ready to turn apart with a little touch. Maria hears a noise and closes the book, carefully. She looks at the door of her room and saw her foster mother coming in. She had what appear to be a bouquet of flowers. She smiles at Maria and kneels in front of her. She gives her the bouquet of flowers and pats her head. Maria looks at the flowers and couldn't help but smile at their beauty.
"I found them on the wood with your father. I'm as surprised as you to actually find them... I want you to have them" Maria's mother smile. "We are leaving tomorrow and I want you to now that no matter what happens... There's something you shouldn't forget" She point at the flowers. "Hope... There's always hope. No matter how dark a situation can be, no matter how bad it is... There's always hope that it will get better. As long you have Hope, everything is possible... Even this flowers"
"... Why are you saying this?" Maria asks, worried. "Is something going to happen to you? Or Dad?"
"No, nothing bad is going to happen to us... But if it does, I want you to know how much I care about you and your brother" She hug Maria and didn't let go of her. Meanwhile, in other room of the factory, Adam was with his father. He had a rifle in his hands and bullets on the table. While he was reloading the gun, Adam looks the outside world from the window. The darkness invades the world and took over it for the next hours. Adam's father looks at him, without saying a word. He knew that Adam was worried about tomorrow's journey, but he needs to speak with him and calm him down. He put the gun on the table and walk next to his son.
"You are worried. I can tell" He said and put his hand on Adam's shoulder. "Listen to me, Son. The outside world is cruel, I'm not going to lie. There are dangers at every corner. As soon you look away, something will jump at your throat without any hesitation. We live in a ruthless world, is either eat or be eaten. If you want to survive, you have to be brave and be a step ahead of your enemies" He looks at Adam in the eyes. "And the most important thing you need to know is... Trust no one"
"Trust... No one? But... What if...?"
"'What if' what? You don't know what other people might do to you. Don't be stupid. If you want to survive in this world you better start thinking like a man. The only people you need to trust is your family. Trust in them and protect them at all cost, even at the cost of your own life... If something were to happen tomorrow... I want you to protect your sister. Can you promise me that?" He looks at Adam in the eyes and waits for him to answer. Adam hesitates for a moment, followed by his hand trembling. He closes his hand and put them in his pockets.
"Y-Yes" He said.
"Say it again. Without any doubt"
"Yes... I will protect Maria"
Adam saw in terror how the Aragami surrounds Murasaki and they all jump one at the time at her to devour her. In less than a second, she disappears from his sight and the Aragamis were on top of her. He looks away and saw his escape route behind him. He didn't lose time, grab Maria's hand and run away from the Aragamis, but Maria stops him as soon they take five or six steps away from the monsters. Maria shakes off his hand and looks at him in the eyes with anger. She had Isaac in her hands, alongside with the bible.
"We can't leave her there!" She yells at her brother.
"She's dead! We can't do anything for her! Let's go!" Adam grabs her hand again, but Maria refuses to move at all.
"I'm staying!" She yells.
"I'm not leaving you behind! I promise that I'll protect you and that's what I'm going to do!"
"Then you better break that promise because I'm not leaving her!" Maria keeps yelling and Adam, without thinking, slap her. Maria back away from him and touch the cheek where Adam slap her.
"I'm not saying it twice... Let's go"
"No, I'm not-" Maria's sentence was interrupted by the multiple roars of the Aragamis. Maria and Adam look at the group of monsters running away before red lightning hit them all and, by the children surprise, reduce them to dust. The Green Hannibal avoid the lightning and roar at the source of the attack, Murasaki. Adam and Maria look how she stands up surrounded by what remains of the Aragamis. Her wings were out, but they were bigger, larger and they were glowing; her hair change color from white to red, her eyes were completely black and electricity run over her whole body.
"Murasaki!" Said Maria with happiness mixed with fear and concern. Murasaki didn't look at Maria, she just focuses on the Green Hannibal who's been waiting for her to make the first move. Murasaki smiles viciously at the Aragami.
"My turn..." Murasaki takes a step forward and disappears from everyone's sight. Adam and Maria look everywhere around them as soon she disappears. Murasaki appears on top of the Green Hannibal's head and stabs him in the head with her wings. The Aragami roar and try to take her off of his head, but Murasaki refuse to fall so easily. She digs her wings too deep into the Aragami's skull that it went through it and in one, precise, move, she cut his skull in half. Every movement she made with her wings create red bolts, like her wings, were producing electricity. The Green Hannibal move violently and finally shake her off of what was left of his head. Murasaki landed on the floor, without any difficulty and look how the Aragami's head regenerate almost instantly. The Hannibal roar and his wings glow, he was calling for more Aragamis to come to his aid. Adam and Maria could feel an oppressive force in the air coming from the Hannibal. Murasaki didn't move, she simply stood there, watching at the Aragami calling for backups. She then raises her wings, they glow red before releasing an invisible wave that counteracts the Aragami's calling. The Green Hannibal notice it and look at Murasaki with hatred in which she responds with a smile.
"I told you..." She said. "You are not the only one that can play dirty. You want to kill me... Do it yourself" The Green Hannibal let out a sharp roar and run right at Murasaki. "That's it... Bring it on!" She ran right at him too and they both jump on each other's throat...
Dr. Rachel Claudius was in her laboratory, reading the file of a certain person, the next possible member of the Blood Unit. She was reading in silence and what get her attention was the backstory of this person... She was the daughter of two 1st Generation God Eaters. She was surprised to find out about her just now. "How come I never heard a word about her until now?" Thought Rachel. "Kurumi Kuroki... So her parents were part of the first God Eaters. That means she's a God Eater Child" In that moment, Julius Visconti enters the laboratory and walk to Rachel.
"Did you call me, Doctor Rachel?" Julius asks. Rachel turns to him.
"Yes, thanks for coming. Soon you'll have another member in the Blood Unit. She will take the aptitude test next week and I want you to take a look into this" Rachel give the file to Julius and he gives them a quick look. Everything seems in order and the possible new member of Blood seem quite promising.
"She looks promising," Said Julius. "She's not the only member this week, isn't she?"
"That's right. Next week there will be another person joining the Unit. Finally, Blood is growing after a year of not finding new members"
"Up until now I only have Romeo on the team. This is good for us" Julius stare at the file, at the picture of Kurumi Kuroki. She was a slender, fairly tall girl with glasses. Her long black hair was loosely tied towards the left side of her shoulder. Her eyes were, surprisingly, purple. Julius was surprised by her picture because she was smiling kindly, something weird in this kind of picture because he's used to seeing people unhappy or serious. "Did you speak with her?"
"Not personally, but I will soon" Said Rachel. In that moment, Fran speaks through the speakers of the laboratory.
"Dr. Rachel. We detect an unusually powerful bias fields in the area. We believe it was emitted by a new species of Psion" Said Fran. "A horde of Aragamis were heading to the area, but suddenly stopped when another bias fields appear in the radar counteracting the previous bias field. We don't have any visual so we recommend sending God Eaters to investigate the area"
"I'll go" Said Julius. "I'll take Romeo with me"
"Be careful, Julius. More Psions are showing up at every minute. This might be powerful"
"We'll be careful. We'll continue our conversation later. Now, if you'll excuse me" Julius bow to her and leave the laboratory. Rachel moves to a desk and takes out another file with Fenrir's logo on it and the words "Top Secret" writing on top of it. She opens it and pictures of Murasaki Sakaki appear, alongside data of the Prototype God Arc and her transformation into a giant Aragami. She smiles at those pictures.
"Who would've thought that is because of you that we are here in the first place" She whispers with a smile on her face. "I bet you were the one that produces that bias field... Didn't you, Sakaki?"
Julius and Romeo arrive at the area where the bias field was detected. When they arrive they didn't found anything at all, there wasn't a single Aragami in the area or anything at all. The whole place was empty. Julius walks down the streets of the abandoned city and when he turned around the corner of the street he was surprised to find a pool of blood in the middle of the street. On top of it, there was a skeletal wing that belongs to a Dyaus Pita, or that's what he thought. He takes the wing and gives a closer look to it. The wing was smaller, almost of the side of a human. Romeo walks to his side.
"What happened here?" He asks and kneels in front of the pool of blood. He touches it. "It's fresh"
"I think two Psions fight here. Fran told me that she detects two bias fields so it's the logical explanation. Two Psions that we still haven't seen" Julius leave the wing in the ground and look at the blood. His eyes scan the area and found a trail of blood near the pool. The trail ends at the end of the street and disappear.
"Should we search for the Psions?" Romeo asks.
"No, we are not dealing with them now. We'll take this to Dr. Rachel so she can examine it" Julius grab the wing and take a syringe out of his pocket. "We'll take a little of blood too. Romeo, search the area and see if you can find something else"
"Sure" Romeo walk away from Julius and didn't find much. Only blood and some Ogretails dead. He approaches the trail of blood and found something unexpected... A walkman stained in blood. He grabs it and examines it. Romeo hit the play button and music came out of it.
Now it's a beautiful day,
The postman delivered a letter from your lover,
Only a phone call away,
You tried to track him down but somebody stole his number,
As a matter of fact,
You're getting used to life without him in your way.
Romeo stops the music and smile at the walkman. "Cool, it's still working!" He said happily. Julius finish taking the blood and walk to him.
"What did you find?" Julius asks and Romeo shows him the walkman. "A music player?"
"Oh, you've seen a Walkman before too?" Romeo asks. "I knew a guy that had one. I'm surprised to find one that's still working"
"... It was near the trail of blood?" Julius asks, serious.
"Yes... Do you think the owner is still alive or something?"
"... Maybe. I don't know. If you want to take it go ahead. It was on the floor after all"
"Cool! Now I just need headphones"
Adam saw from the corner of a building at the God Eater searching the area. He saw them in the area where the battle took place not too long ago. The God Eater left as quickly as they arrive. He turns around and goes back inside the building. He took the stairs to the last floor, which took him a while when he finally arrive, he found Maria watching over Murasaki inside one of the apartments. She was lying in a bed, completely covered in blood and she was missing a wing, her wound hasn't healed at all, she had no blood in her body but for some unknown reason, she was still breathing. She wasn't dead. Her hair changes back to white and her skin was pale now. He stays in the room in silence and remembers the fight she had with the Aragami. It was the both incredible and unbelievable, but what shocked him the most was that at every moment in the fight, she didn't stop looking at them. Seeing if they were safe. Adam's opinion about Murasaki was changing little by little, but he still didn't trust her at all. She might've saved him and Maria, but there's something about her that makes him uneasy. He sighs and walks to Murasaki.
"... How is she?" Adam asks. He wasn't worried about her, but he wanted to know how she was doing.
"She's alive... Don't ask me how" Maria answer. Isaac gets near Maria's feet and lay on them. "Adam... We might need to leave. That Aragami looked really pissed when Murasaki almost beat it to death"
"I know... But we can't just lift her and take her with us. I think we are better here. Is the last floor and we are far away from the street. Good thing she took us here instead of the subway"
"... What do we do know?" Maria asks Adam and he shakes his head.
"I don't know... I'll say that we left her here and leave, but you'll yell at me again and I have to admit... She isn't so bad, but I still don't trust her. She needs to do more than just saving my life to trust her" Adam cross his arms.
"Whatever you say..." Maria look outside the window, the sun was right above the city. "I suggest that... We search for food for us... and her"
"You stay with her. I'll take care of that" Adam go to the door of the apartment and was ready to head out.
"Are you sure?" Maria follows him to the door.
"We can't go together. Besides, I'm faster than you. Don't worry, I bring food like Dad used to do" Adam take a look at Murasaki. "If... Something happens or she starts acting weird... Run" He said and leave. Maria went back to the apartment and stay with Murasaki. She never leaves her side, no matter what.
"You might not trust her, Adam. But you are starting to care a little about her" Maria whisper. "What awaits us in this world? Where will our decisions lead us? I want to know that I can completely rely on you, Murasaki. That way I can stop being afraid of this world. I want to be just as brave as you are... Will you teach me to be brave? To stop being afraid? To overcome this world...? Will you stay with us to the very end?"