.~*Part Twenty-Two*~.
The hum of medical machines penetrated the silence, aided by the scribbling of the nurse's pen upon their clipboard. Strong traces of cleaning supplies hung in the air, mixed with the scent of perfume to create a sickly-sweet scent that churned one's stomach.
Stationary in the wheelchair, Tachibana avoided staring at the patient on the bed. Though the motor on the chair was fine, she could not bring herself to use the control. Though Dr. Ishikawa had reassured her that she was a welcome visitor, something unseen held her back from approaching the nurse or patient.
As a senior officer of Xio, having served at Kamiki's side for well around a decade, she had seen many injuries over the years. Bodies that were little more than ash. Torsos or limbs crushed. Injuries to the soul that were never revealed until it was too late. The list was endless and yet each new injury surprised her.
This was different. This was an injury she was responsible for. No matter what others might think, she alone held the responsibility for Daichi's condition. Tachibana had been there in the field. Every moment, almost helpless until unable to stand by no longer. The moment she had chosen to go up after him, his fate was in her hands.
"I can't… I can't lose him. None of this is his fault…"
The sorrow and dread in Daichi's eyes tore at her heartstrings. "You won't," Tachibana answered, keeping her eyes locked on his as she braced against the swaying head of the kaijū. "I'll fight for him. Ultraman will come and save him, I promise. He's never let us down before, and he won't this time. But he can't do anything if we're both still up here."
For a moment, Tachibana allowed her seriousness to drop away as she released her grip on him, knowing he had enough strength to hold on. Reaching over, she shifted the hair from his face and cupped his cheek in a mother-like way. "We'll go down together. They're working to contain him, not hurt him. Everything is going to be fine, Daichi. I promise."
She had made him an impossible promise and then failed to act upon it. Dropping her gaze, the deputy studied her hands, thinking about the shock that had spread across his face at her maternal gesture. 'Did I have any right…? I only meant to calm him down, and yet it felt so… natural.' The word echoed through her mind, piercing through her defenses. Why did her actions dictate forbidden maternal affection?
"Why isn't he fighting us?" she had to ask as they released the hooks and began the treacherous journey across.
"I… I believe that he's still… still fighting the energy," Daichi panted with a glance her way.
About to ask for elaboration, his legs buckled and collapsed beneath him before she could. His panting, too, came in harsh gasps and his hand flew to his chest to grip the front of his uniform. Not expecting the fall, Tachibana barely caught herself before she hit the armored skin beneath her. "Daichi! Easy… Easy, where does it hurt? Breathe…"
"J-Just… need… to catch… my breath…" he gasped, his eyes screwed shut. "I… landed pretty hard… when he threw me…"
Nodding in the knowledge that all they could do was wait it out, but not for long. Given the chance, she radioed down to have the medic team ready. Though the connection was shaky and broken, she managed to decipher the acknowledgment.
Feeling the shift beneath her boots, the agitation within the beast grew. Allowing only a few more seconds to pass, she gripped him tight, hauling him to his feet despite his yelp. "Come on. I know you want to rest, and I know it hurts, but we need to get down. Do you say he's still fighting? We need to be down on the ground in case he can't anymore, okay?" At his nod, she continued the walk to the edge. "We won't be able to slide completely since there are drops in these ridges, but you were right. We'll get down much faster this way."
"Do you trust me?"
"Why wouldn't I trust you, Daichi?"
Breathing intensifying, the captain closed her eyes. 'Why did I not realize it was a loaded question? He tried to warn me, and I brushed it aside.' Would anything have changed if she had simply realized sooner? She had promised to trust him, but also requested he would do no stupid stunts.
That request had fallen on deaf ears.
Resting a hand on the patient's shoulder, Tachibana stared down at the youth with kind eyes. Despite her anger at his stupidity, he was still with them and injured. Focusing on positive energy was needed now, not a rightfully earned scolding.
"Captain…?"
"How are you holding up?" was the question, voice gentle but leaving no room for his nonsense. She knew him all too well, aware that he would play off his injuries like usual if given the chance. His pain tolerance level was simply incredible, but it left a lot to be desired.
"I'll live, ma'am."
Smiling at the simple reply, she lightly squeezed his shoulder. Switching gears, her head shook. "That's not what I asked, though, is it?" she reiterated, tilting her head a bit. Though he tried to hide it, his pain was obvious. She could also see that he was aware of his attempted deception.
He sucked in a semi-deep breath and stiffly nodded. "I'm not leaving him. Not until… he's back in the containment unit and… safe in the lab." Though he tried to hide it, she could hear every struggled word.
The day's events would not stop. Again and again, the events raced through her head. Moments that stood about against the terror they had all endured all until the moment everything had truly gone wrong.
"Stop this!" Tachibana snarled, fighting for control over the struggling youth. "Daichi, enough! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Don't let them hurt him! Please!" the liaison cried, refusing to back down. "I can get through to him! Let me try!"
Pulling him back a foot or two was a battle, and yet she refused to release him. How could he remain so strong? What had changed? Don't be a fool! You're going to get yourself killed if you keep this up!" While working to keep him contained, nearby her superior had joined in the fray. Kamiki was firing his warning shots as the kaijū shrieked and stomped the ground in his fury.
"Gomora… please…" Utter despair filled his voice, the begging clear. What went on in his mind gave way to madness as his struggles renewed. "Usamiked ag otok uremot o erok aw ihsataw! Usedx namaroturu! Etes aki!"
Caught off guard, her grip slackened. Once her clarity was lost, the liaison had slipped away to race across the grounds. "Daichi!" Tachibana almost screeched as she tore after him. "Daichi, come back!"
The kaijū above them roared his fury, slamming a foot down on the ground below. The valley floor, unable to take the heavy abuse, began to crack and splinter. Stumbling, she tripped and hit her knees but caught herself before she fully face-planted into the trembling ground.
The moment of failure. The moment all was lost was when their eyes had met. The fear he had held and a name she had been unable to scream out.
Sayuri Tachibana had been…
Helpless.
Breathing hitched, the deputy tried to keep the gasp soft and silent. Again, she was not free from that horrific moment. His life slipped away though moments later Kamiki fought to bring him back. His desperation for a hopeless cause.
"Sayuri, stop. It's… It's okay. He's in so much pain… Let him go."
'Please. Please, don't let him die.' She could not be sure who she prayed to, but the thought of losing yet another young life… To lose another officer that never should have been out of the lab to begin with… The thought was unbearable. With fat tears rolling down, stinging against open lacerations she hadn't noticed before, Tachibana abandoned the wound on his side.
Hands resting on his cheeks and ears, she hunched over to press her forehead against his. The shock of the warm blood against his cold skin sent shivers down her spine. "Stay with me… Daichi, please… I can't… I can't lose another one… Not like this."
'Stop it!' Fingernails dug into the palm of her hand; the deputy coerced her thoughts back to the present through mild pain. Forcing herself forward, she rolled further into the room and closer to the bed. Shying away would help no one, let alone herself! 'I have a mission now. A duty to help him and X.' Now that Dr. Guruman had confirmed suspicions about Daichi and X, she had to move on with that information. There was no time to dwell on mental trauma—that could be saved for later when she could reach out to one of the counselors employed at the base.
"I'll be done here in just a moment."
Attention shifting towards the interruption, the deputy captain was almost surprised to see that time had not stood still during the soliloquy. 'Life goes on,' was the quiet reminder as a sigh escaped her lips. "Take your time, please. There is no need to rush on my account. You are doing what you need to."
With a pleasant smile, the nurse continued to update the notes and check over the various machines to adjust them as needed. Lowering the clipboard, she then looked over to the deputy with a faint trace of embarrassed blush. "I realize I failed to introduce myself. My name is Yoko Izumi, and I am only one of the surgical nurses that oversaw tonight's surgery. The others are either cleaning up or have gone down to fill out NDAs with Dr. Matsui."
"Ah, that explains the silence on this floor." The calm and collected words came easier than she thought they would have, but Tachibana did not shy away. Carefully composed speech was her forte—except in front of a camera as discovered with that media crew a few weeks back.
Izumi fixed the clipboard under an arm. "Yes, ma'am. Will you be using the other bed? I can make it up for you, captain."
Tachibana politely declined, not wanting to put her out. "I doubt I'll be getting any sleep tonight, even if I were to lay down, unfortunately." At Izumi's continued insistence, she sighed and relented if only to silence her protests. "At least allow me to help. I insist!"
"That will not happen! You are injured and in a wheelchair. I will not allow you to exaggerate those injuries further because of pride," Izumi argued back. Setting the clipboard on a cart, she unfolded the blankets on the neighboring bed and then lowered the frame to a decent height for the deputy. "There. When you're ready, it's ready. Now, is there anything else you require, ma'am? Coffee? Some food?"
"I, uh… No, thank you," she stammered, embarrassed at being seen as so helpless. The wheelchair had not been her idea, and being restricted to it was hell, but it was at least comfortable. "Well, maybe I do. Would you happen to have a charging cable? I guess in all the rushing around earlier, no one remembered to bring me one for my Debaizā."
Izumi shook her head, a tad upset she was unable to render aid. "Unfortunately, nothing I have would be compatible with your device, ma'am. However, I can request for one to be brought in the morning. Now then, I'm going to enter this information into the computer system under his false name. I'll be just outside the room or nearby. Use the call button if you need to, otherwise, I'll return in about an hour for a check-in."
Walking toward the door, she turned once more with a respectful bow. "Make sure you get some rest, ma'am. Given the circumstances, it may be difficult, but you need it." Offering a friendly smile, she left.
Tachibana merely nodded with no words to say. Rubbing the back of her neck, a sigh breathed from her lips. Now that all distractions were gone, it was time to move on with her mission. It was a moment both dreamed and dreaded; she could either face it or run like a coward.
Shifting his Debaizā into an empty robe pocket, Tachibana flipped the footrests on the wheelchair up and pushed herself up. Though every movement pulled at her ribs, she refused to back down. This first 'reunion' would not be made while she sat in comfort while he was bedridden. With small, tentative steps, she approached.
Russet-brown eyes surveyed the youth with a feeling of deep sorrow, taking in the various tubes and drains attached to him. Where a normal smile would be was now a throat tube for breathing. Numerous surgical drains fed into small bags, draining any excess fluid from the many surgical sites. Aside from the various stitches were the bandages holding him together almost like Frankenstein's monster.
All this combined made the scrawny youth appear even smaller than usual. The unnatural hitch of his chest as the ventilator breathed for him sealed the reality of the change. Sight traveling across his broken-yet-healing body, she viewed the heavy bruising that covered his visible flesh. Faint scars he bore that they did not know of before that moment. Remnants of his battles with kaijū?
'His hair… It's parted wrong,' the deputy noted, gaze falling on the heavy bandages upon his head. Reaching out, she shifted the few visible strands with the utmost attention to detail. Though it was difficult to move them beneath the bandage, she tried her best to get him back to resembling himself somewhat. "There you are…"
Pausing, Tachibana's fingers curled into her palms at the familiarity she showed. "What… What am I doing? I'm acting like I'm your mother!" Nervous laughter ached her ribs. Without much thought, she rested a hand against her side protectively. "I'm… I'm not, of course, but…"
The terminology was correct, however, despite numerous denials. Without quite meaning to, she had become the maternal figure of the team, one they all came to for advice at one point or another. Their respect, loyalty, and admiration were a blessing. In a sense, it was a pleasant feeling, as though her husband and daughters were here instead of being separated by thousands of miles. However, it was also a burden of responsibility and promise, and knowing that if her heart was not guarded it would end in pain.
The plastic of the bedframe beneath her fingers was rough and held a texture she was far from delighted about. All it did was seal reality. "Daichi…" Her voice was startling, breaking into the otherwise starkness of the silent room. A name spoke in grief only hours ago now held a hope, yet she had to wonder if he could even hear it. Kamiki had claimed his brainwave activity was incredibly strong all things considered. That meant something, right? Daichi deserved to have someone familiar talking to him instead of strangers.
"Dai…" Throat dry, she swallowed. "Daichi," the woman began again, struggling to find the right words to convey. What did one say in moments like this? 'Steady,' she reminded, eyes closing in a moment to gather mental strength. 'Remain strong. I can do this.' Grip loosening, she reached out towards his fingers, system pausing at the small twitch of his finger. Involuntary or not, it was real.
"I…" Chin dropped; wet lips parted in her struggle. "You… You came back…" Her beloved had been right. Without quite meaning to, she had come to see the intrepid youth as a third child. Undoubtedly, she had been drawn to the knowledge that he had been left without a mother's love for so long, or perhaps it had to do with how long she had known him. Sayuri Tachibana had taken the bumbling scientist under her wing and turned him into a proper officer of Xio. She had helped him gain pride and standing amongst the greats.
She had pointed him in the right direction, but it was Dr. Daichi Oozora who had made a name for himself within the halls of Xio—even though it had been a rocky start.
"Are you happy here?"
Seemingly startled by the question, the youth paused to stare in her direction, a look of bewilderment on his face. "Happy, ma'am?" Unsure of what he meant, he asked her to elaborate as he adjusted the black frame on his face.
"It is a simple question, doctor," she replied with an arched brow, entertained at how he hid his nervousness by playing with his glasses. "You came from UNVER and a team able to study kaijū in the wild. I could hear your joy as you spoke about the creatures you used to study. It was if you, erm, came alive, so to speak." Noting the crimson spreading across his cheeks, she hid her amusement behind a crooked finger.
Dipping his head, Daichi looked away from her interested eyes. "I… did enjoy it there, lieutenant," he began with a small gulp, shifting his fingers over a raised concrete flowerbed at his side. "In some ways I miss it, but I wouldn't trade the opportunities I have for those from the past."
"Why did you ever leave? If you don't mind me asking that is. Surely UNVER with its infinite resources has more opportunities for a scientist of your caliber. You are young, yes, and I might not be an expert on the subject, but I know a prodigy when I see one." Gripping her wrist behind her back, she slowed her pace as they entered the garden expanse. "I've read some of your research papers and your thesis so I could know you better as both a person and our hopeful liaison. However, papers can only say so much. What they did tell me, however, is that you would probably be considered more advanced than most scientists in the Research Division here. Aside from those on Dr. Guruman's team."
Daichi shook his head, almost seemingly offended by the thought. "Oh, no! No, I'm no better than any of the scientists here, ma'am!" he exclaimed, voice almost squeaking in a panic. "Yes, working with UNVER was great in some ways, but it… I…" Hesitation froze his sentence, a distant gaze in his eyes disappeared as his sight dropped to the ground. "It…"
Brow furrowing, Tachibana's friendly smile slipped away at the tremble in his voice. "You refer to the incident with the Seagorath and Seamons about four years ago. The research ship that went down off the coast of Western Papua, correct?" At his small nod, a sigh escaped her lips, realizing his reluctance to talk about such a time. By the time the coast guard and Xio responded, there had been only a handful of survivors and the mated kaijū had retreated into the sea.
To this day, no one knew why the two creatures had attacked the vessel, and many families had blamed UNVER for the senseless tragedy. Among the survivors had been one of UNVER's newest recruits and recent graduate from the Academy, Dr. Daichi Oozora. He had only been sixteen at the time.
Not wishing to discuss it further, Daichi moved on with the conversation. "I came to Xio at Dr. Guruman's invitation. I considered his offer and reasonings for several days before I eventually accepted. Some might call it a demotion or pure stupidity, but I saw it as an opportunity I could not ignore. Japan is the one place on Earth where the activity is the strongest, and I want to know why so we can at the very least slow it down. I wanted to make it make a difference."
Tilting her head, she leaned forward a bit in almost a cutesy way. "Were you not making one before?" Spotting his affront, Tachibana held up her hand. "I meant in the research you were doing, Daichi. UNVER has far better labs, more funding for their science division, and-"
"I wasn't happy there! I never was!" he interrupted, gripping at his bulging pocket. Before she had time to question him about it, he removed the Spark Doll she hadn't realized he was carrying. Back to the tall flowerbed, he slid down until his back was against the concrete, his head resting back against it and Gomora resting on his thigh. "Neither was Gomora, ma'am." Shoulders slumped, his pointer finger ran between the Spark Doll's horns and down his rigid back rhythmically, more for his comfort than anything. "I… I don't want to go back. Chief… Chief Minamikawa chose that path for me despite my wishes to return to Tokyo. Please… Please don't send me back…"
Curiosity slipped into a concerned frown. From his defeated posture and vacant expression, the pain in his voice was clear. What had happened at UNVER that he wanted to avoid going back at all costs? The research vessel tragedy had been a year or two before the invitation had been sent out from what she knew.
Looking around a moment more, the lieutenant decided to follow suit, sitting on the ground beside him with one knee bent up. "I apologize if I have made you believe in any capacity that I'm going to send you away, Daichi. That was never my intention, I assure you."
"I know," he murmured as a breeze tussled his hair. His tone was quieter now, and his posture more relaxed than it had been. "I shouldn't be upset even if you were going to. I've been passed around most of my life for one reason or another."
Though she strained to hear him, the lieutenant's eyes softened as she understood what he was referring to. From his file, she knew that her trainee was orphaned at a young age. Beyond that, however, his life was a mystery until he was recruited into UNVER's Academy a few years later. However, his statement…
It was starting to make sense. The constant apologies. The desperation to fit in and the claim about earning his keep. As much as she wanted to ask for further clarification, it was not her place to question his past. If he wanted to open up to her, he would. Forcing the subject would only hinder any trust built between them.
So, instead, Tachibana remained seated beside him as an equal. As of this moment, there were no ranks between them, only a tentative companionship. The silence was relaxing, with only the wind carrying voices on a gentle breeze. On a small level, the woman was satisfied with what she had been able to learn. The scientist had the makings of a fantastic officer and a source of pride for her team. There was more to him beneath what was shown on the surface.
Clearing her throat, she looked out to the distance at a pair of birds playing in one of the numerous small fountains. If only their lives were so simple. "Well, Daichi, I hope you'll stick around here for a long time. I want you to stay." Pausing a moment, a chuckle escaped. "You and Gomora." Though she did not look at him, she took note of the tell-tale signs that he had teared up again. How he removed his glasses to clean them. The hitched breaths. The whisper of gratitude.
A smile creased her lips at his change. What her new officer needed was a break and a chance—any chance—to express what was really in his heart. Her eagerness to watch him grow knew no bounds from this point forward.
Head tilting back, a tightness formed across her chest as her eyes clenched shut. Words that had been rehearsed in silence vanished into the void. Though lips parted, not one sound slipped out. What words could be said that would relay the utter relief and joy overflowing from her heart?
The fear, guilt, and despair that had consumed her soul slipped away, as lost and forgotten as the unspoken words. After all that had been witnessed, to stand here knowing that the youth taken under her wing would not only survive but thrive… Perhaps it was a blessing that silence hung in the air.
He was here. He was real.
Fully entwining her fingers with his but avoiding the pulse oximeter, Tachibana noted the increasing warmth. Resting the opposite hand on their clasped hands, she hoped he could sense that he was not alone; that someone was by his side to watch over him. "I… I'm here, Daichi. Okay? You aren't… You'll never be alone…"
It was not a statement made lightly, now knowing what she knew. There was more than one presence in the room. There was another, an Ultra, that was among them, currently working within his body to heal the damage done. A previously unknown giant that had brought him back from the abyss. Was there any way she could show the seijin the gratitude he deserved?
Then again, did X deserve that praise?
Now that the truth was clear to her, the weary captain was able to look back on the past several months in a new light. Daichi's perpetual exhaustion. How he would stretch himself thin not only working both divisions but also as a vigilante. His weight loss but abnormal muscle growth. All of it had been caused by the seijin he currently shared a body with.
Lightly tracing a thumb over his roughened flesh, she wondered about the earlier energy explosion. Had he already healed any burns he might have had? For the life of her, she was unable to recall if his hand had been injured in some way. The other had been, but this one… This one had remained normal. Untouched. Yet, before her eyes, that prismatic sheen returned to travel down his arm and fade out around his fingertips. An almost cybernetic flash followed, crisscrossing his flesh.
Something other than X was at work here. Now that she could see it for herself, Tachibana realized that Kamiki's seijin ancestry theory had some merit.
"I… I should declare you a fool for what you put us all through." The words at last emerged, brought on by the surge of emotion the sight brought. They were not spoken only to him, though, but to the Ultra within. "I should yell. Scream, even. Rebuke you both for the pain you caused. No matter how much I want to, though, I cannot bring myself to do so. You were guided by your heart and need to do what is right. You made your choice—a sacrifice few others would."
Though he did not stir, she knew at least one of them could hear. At least, that was the hope. Still, the captain spoke in a soft yet tense tone as though both could understand. "I know the strength of love, thus your desire to protect at all costs is something I understand wholeheartedly. But you are an idiot beyond all measure."
The words came out more brutally than was meant, and all at once, she realized why Kamiki had exploded the way he had at Dr. Guruman. Like her, he had become overwhelmed with simple emotions and the events of the day catching up. However, unlike him, she had let most of the pain escape little by little behind closed doors.
"You acted with little to no regard for your safety, and you paid a hefty price. You moved without a plan… but you saved the lives of your team. Your actions would normally earn you a severe disciplinary hearing, but I would say that you've, er, graciously accepted the consequences."
No one could claim that the liaison avoided punishment for irrational behavior for all his faults. Even after he had first utilized Cyber Gomora in battle, he had openly joked around about being in trouble but still accepted his punishment.
This time things had been more severe. A punishment that created a ripple effect across the team. Not one person had been left unaffected by the events in the valley. Yet, the actions in the valley and behavior of her team afterward factored down to one simple truth: Love of family.
It was no secret—at least to her—that Daichi had become quite attached to his team. Tachibana could understand such a thing. A team that worked as closely as theirs did, well, it became a tight-knit community. Each person had a purpose, a gear that worked in sync with the others.
Coworkers that had become acquaintances. Acquaintances soon became friends. And friends… Well, friends became family.
One would only see men and women working together to the untrained eye. However, to those that knew, the truth was clear. Familial love wasn't only shown in big gestures and sitting down to eat meals together at the end of the day. Little things, like a question about how someone was feeling or even bringing a cup of coffee over to their desk, were a sign of love. It was in the way they spoke to each other, and the secret smiles they shared.
It was dinner brought to an overworked comrade without any promise of repayment. The laughter shared over an inside joke. That didn't even begin to cover the moments held in silence. A listening ear or words of comfort after a difficult day. A shoulder to cry on and gentle reassurance.
For someone like Daichi, though, a family was everything he had not truly known after the disappearance of his parents. It was a truth he had been robbed of.
Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, Tachibana let slip a pained hiss. Though not severe, her injuries were still very much apparent. "Daichi… Your extended family did not show you the love you deserve. They should have given you the world, but they failed." If she was speaking out of turn, the deputy no longer cared. These were words that needed to be said. Maybe he could or couldn't hear, but she was going to try.
"From what you chose to tell both Kamiki and me, I have come to understand how much was stolen from you. I know that's where your insistence on treating everyone with fairness stems from. No matter what others might think of you, you have always tried to be a positive influence. You are firm in your beliefs despite what anyone does to you. Just like that night after the Shinjuku Gyu-en incident."
That night when the truth had come out, he had firmly declared he wanted no pity from anyone. Though Daichi had claimed it was not the life he had grown up in, both captains had been able to easily see through his half-truths. Her heart and eyes had wept for him. For a child to not only lose the love of his parents but to be rejected by the extended family he had come to live with… the thought was unbearable. No one deserved something like that.
At least he had Gomora through it all, and now he had an Ultra as well as the team here at Xio to be with him. Daichi was never alone, not for one second.
Every movement the kaijū had made earlier in the day had been discerning. The strategist had watched every motion like a hawk, trying to understand why he did what he did. For him to behave the way he was. In her experience, kaijū were mindless creatures hellbent on destruction and chaos. It was why she had been against the experiment from the start. More than three times she tried to dissuade the captain from following the liaison's psychotic idea. Each time, her justified concerns had been dismissed.
"But they weren't justified, were they?" The thoughts emerged from her mind into vocal sound, but Tachibana did not attempt to reel them back in. "I was wrong to fear Gomora. He… You were right to trust him. I… I was wrong."
The creature's every action had been to communicate with Daichi. To keep him safe or give him comfort. She couldn't be certain, but the strategist was sure she had seen wipe a tear away from the young man's face – as absurd as that sounded.
Everything had been going so well until the moment the skies had turned black. That was the moment fear had set in amongst the group. Each crash of the energy against the shielding as it seemed to search for any weakness in their defense.
The only one who had not been afraid, who had not raised a weapon, was a peacemaker she had not believed in. For pity's sake, he had openly scolded a kaijū for throwing a tantrum! Daichi had claimed to have a connection with Gomora, and yet not one person held faith. Even Kamiki had wavered.
It was obvious why. They had not forgotten but had chosen to not accept the truth. She, herself, had chosen to not accept it. Humans and kaijū… the idea of peace between the two was something left to the imagination. A dream made for those who did not face the horror and reality that the defense forces did.
"If we don't trust them, why would they ever trust us? If we don't take the first step, no one will. The fighting will never end until one of us is exterminated. No one wants to die, and that's an interest I'm sure that both humans and kaijū share!"
Silent thoughts and vocal responses became the same, tripping over each other as Tachibana struggled to regain her composure. Swallowing hard as a lump formed anew in the throat, the maternal figure bowed her head low. Her face, usually so serene, began to crumble. The severity of a normally calm voice gave way to trembling softness. "I… Daichi… I'm so sorry!"
Releasing his hand, she instead gripped the frame of the bed with white knuckles as her knees buckled. Squeezing her eyes shut was a weak attempt at fighting back the threatened tears. "I didn't… I… You…"
Reaching into a pocket, she removed his Debaizā with a grip equal to the one on the bedframe. "All this time… You've been fighting all this time. You… You took on a responsibility that you didn't have to. Daichi, why? Why didn't you tell us? You pushed yourself to the limit, to the brink of exhaustion! It makes sense… It finally, finally, makes sense. Your disappearances. The injuries you would hide. So why? You didn't even reach out to me out of everyone who might have understood. You understood what I was going through with Nexus, but you never spoke up."
Stop.
It needed to stop.
Putting all this blame on someone who was backed into a corner was wrong. Daichi didn't deserve that. Everything he had done had been to protect and guide the world into a new era.
Lowering into a crouch when her knees would support her no longer, Tachibana's face pressed into the crook of her arm. Fat tears rolled down flushed cheeks, soaking into the fabric of a sleeve. Though her side screamed at her, there was no strength to stand.
"Daichi, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you!" Fingers releasing the Debaizā onto the bed, her fingers came to cover the hitched sobs threatening to escape her mouth. Eyes clenched, she barely realized the stinging sensation of salty tears soaking into a scratch on her cheek. Stop, stop, stop, st-
"Captain, you did protect him."
What?
Turning her attention sharply to the door, Tachibana's watery eyes filled with confusion. Nurse Izumi had not entered, so, who…? Wait. Gaze raised to the bed, her eyes widened at the glow emanating from the Debaizā. 'Is that…?' The silver of the frame changed into a golden hue, sparking a bit with cybernetic energy. "X…"
The blue avatar flickered on the screen, though this time he seemed a bit… different. Not a simple solid form, but more fluid in movement. "Yes," he replied in a voice revealing exhaustion. Raising a blue digitized hand, he studied in what seemed to be a perplexed manner. "Strange… Quite strange…"
Wiping away the tears on a sleeve, she braced and pushed herself back onto her feet with a few mumbled curses under her breath. The floor beneath her swayed as though she were on a boat experiencing rough seas. Her side feared no better.
Fumbling for the wheelchair, the injured fighter almost sobbed with relief as comfort and stability found her. With eyes clenched, she gripped the armrests, waiting for the dizziness to subside.
"C̴̠̅̓̀̚ã̵̤̓p̶̥̲̺̤͑͐͛t̸̙͔͔̍́̽͊á̴̹̋̃ȉ̶̙n̷̡͈̱̈́̾ ̴̱̺͙̖̀͌̓ Tachibana, ̵̤̉ă̵̧̾͌r̵͔͕͙͊̾é̵̮͌̎̏ͅ ̴̩̟͂͊̏̈́y̴̲̅̅o̶̪̐̐̇͝u̵̲̍ ̷͖̙̪̈́̑̌ō̴͖̪k̷̼̖͇̋̆͂ͅä̶̞͙́y̷̝̫̐͠?" X questioned; his attention now focused on the injured deputy.
He was put on the back burner as her thoughts regathered. Only once the captain was certain that the dizzy spell had passed did she open her eyes to stare at the flickering screen. "I will be fine." Was he real? Could it be something imagined? Nexus had spoken to her in echoed whispers, never anything like this! 'I won't get my answers if I continue to gawk.' Inhaling and releasing, Tachibana cleared her throat. "I was correct, then. Daichi is…"
The figure on the screen nodded, again perplexed as he tested out the movements of his arms.
"Should I be asking if you are all right, er, X?" Why did he seem so… confused? Though he was very much digitalized, she could almost sense the expression on his otherwise stoic face.
The Ultra focused his eyes on her. "I am ű̸̢̮̩̈͘ͅn̷̛̗̓c̶̯͑͠e̴̘̐r̶̮͗̏͠t̶͎̤̰͉̓ą̶́i̶̱̠̣͘n̴̞͌̈́. This is… new. I will figure it out later, though." He winced as another flicker went through the screen. Sensing her concern, though, he waved off her worry. "I am all right. Most of my ȇ̴̮n̷̙̒̈e̶̯̲̽̍r̷̖͐́͝g̴̙̙͍͌̓̕ý̴̬̤̙̜́ is going to r̶̟̰̩̱̂́e̷̖̕ṕ̴̝̑a̷̛͇̠̼̋̋i̶͍͎͇̝̾̑r̶̤̾͛̚ ̸̃́́ͅṱ̶̓͛̾͝h̸̼̙̀̓̀̋͜ȇ̷̩̤̥̂̃̈́ damage done. It was… q̶̞͇̰̍̒͊u̴̳̜̻̓̐i̴̧͒̂ẗ̶̯̺́̏e̵̤̣͓͗ ̶͙̙̪̯̎̌͠͝ę̵̦̎x̴̛̮͍̣̫̏̄̚t̷̗̠̙̏͝ẽ̴̤̱̯̃ͅṇ̷̨͇̈́͛̏̒s̷͔̺̮͊̈̀̒i̶̜̅̿͂v̶̭̱͆̇͌ͅe̶͕͚̖͍͊̈́͝.̸̧̱̀̏."
Curling her fingers into the palm, the deputy's frown deepened at the glitching audio. While she was unaware of how the Ultra existed in such a small device, she did not dare to question it. 'He's just as hurt as Daichi, I'd assume, for him to be sounding like this. Almost like a corrupted file…' Clearing her throat, she inched the wheelchair forward. More important than anything else, there was one thing that needed to be said. "Thank you, X."
The digitized Ultra sighed, shoulders sinking. "I do not d̶̛̻̃̓ȩ̶̛͖̤͚̊͘͝ŝ̵̲̻͉̭̫͂̈̍e̷͕͔͐r̶̮̻̱̦͎̃̅v̴̬̈͊͐̄̃ē̷̯̳̮͗ ̸̢̤̪̑͐̀y̵̘̟̺̎̑̈́͂̌o̵̞̳̐͐̃ǔ̸̡̏̈́̚r̴̡̻͚̞̃ ̵͉͂͋̕̕ț̷̗̞̦̊͑h̵̭͊́̾̉ą̸̧̯̆̄̉n̷̨̬̙̝͇̑̿̓ķ̶͔̪̯͉̈́̋̾s̵̝̦̅͊́ or praise… Not now, not é̸̞̳̖̹̅͑̒v̸̓̎̊́͜͜e̸̡͚͔͍͌̎̌̐r̵̹̓͌͛." His form glitched once again in his struggle to maintain semblance. "I…"
Tachibana shook her head. "No. What you need now is rest. Even I can see your exhaustion. You've done enough for us. You brought him back to us. I don't… I don't know how you did it, and right now, I don't need explanations."
"No. I w̵̖̅͝ơ̴͇̓̿̇ͅn̸͇͙̗̞͛̃͝'̷̖̹̪̇͆̕͝ẗ̸̨̝̼̜̀̀͝ ̷̧̛̰̠̮̏͛̿͠r̸̝͙̮̫̒̐̒͌ę̵̳͈͓̟͂ś̷̮̝̅̀̚͜͝t̷̥͐͘ until I f̴̯̤̎͆̎̕̕͜i̶̛͕̥̪͓̎n̶̛̬̹͇̔̀̂͝ĩ̶̳̲s̷̢̘̺͍͌͆̀̐͜͠h̴̜̲̩́̒̏. He's m̴̮̽y̷̯̙͋ ̷͉̯͎͎̹̀̑͌́̓f̷̪̈́r̵͇͌̓̓̔ḯ̴̼͗̏̚͜e̷̫̭̅n̵̞͈̥̗͆̄̿̆͘d̶̗̘̼̪̄͌."
"Listen to yourself! You are wearing yourself out, and that will not help Daichi!" she hissed, taking on a tone worthy of her position. "You are a member of Xio and as such, I am your commanding officer! You will rest! He is in no immediate danger at this moment, but you will be if you don't rest."
If the Ultra could scowl, she was sure that's what he would be doing in response to her criticism. It was not that she wanted to get after him, but the knowledge that pushing himself too far would only cut his life short. There had to be a limit. "X, please… You've done enough. His body… This rapid healing could be more damaging than anything." Right or wrong about her assumption, she still spoke with increasing worry. Who knew how much more either one could take?
For a long minute, X was silent in thought. Just when she feared her statements might have turned him against her, he nodded. "I will… decrease my efforts. I'll continue healing h̶͙̖̺̒͑͒í̴̭̖m̵͖̳͉͆͋̿̃͝,̵̱̅̊ ̷͕͔̔̃̆b̵̲̊̄̑̿͆u̸͓͋̀̚͠t̸͚̘̦̭̂ ̵̠̯̣͇̠͒n̶̡͖̆̈̂̕o̶͖͂̾̽̕͝ţ̷̼̪̑̀ ̶͍͖̜̯̿̀̆͋͘ͅẃ̶̨̬͈̤͜ȉ̷͔͍̥͐̒̚̚ṫ̶͈̙̹̼͌̆̓̏h̶̡̟̥͖̐̈́͘͝ ̵̼̫̭̫̙͂̂̊̈́͜ã̸̟̑̈́̈́̀̑s̷͉̰̔̓̉́̉̈́̆͘ ̶̧̖̈́̔͆͝m̴̟͓̟̫̭̪̏͛ų̸̛͉̬͙̥͍̝͂̿͊͊̓̽́c̴̡̨̧͓̲̺̹̾͗͌͝h̸͚͚͙̗̞̙̃ ̷̛̹̓̀̆̋̌́̕͜v̵͓̼́́ȋ̵̪̖͚̱̮̮͓̭̽g̵̨̢͎̥̺̘̭̏͂̌̇̒ọ̷̤͎̬͖̦̈͛͌͑͝r̶̡͓͔̭͒͒͂͑̂̓̊͜͝ …" The audio trailed off as his image fizzled again and the screen went blank.
Tachibana immediately reached out to grip the Debaizā, quietly calling for him to answer. When no answer came after several minutes had passed, she was resigned to the knowledge the Ultra had most likely collapsed from exhaustion. Shoulders slumped; the deputy sighed. At least she had made contact. That was the most important aspect of the past few minutes. There was a peace settling in her heart where agitation had once been.
Maybe now she could get some proper rest.
Pulling away, she returned to the second bed, thankful to Nurse Izumi for fixing it up. With minimal effort, she was able to climb in and lay back in the comfort of the blankets and mattress. Though not severely comfortable, with the agitation gone, her exhaustion hit full swing and within minutes she had drifted off.