City of Mercy

The days following Neo's awakening brought varying degrees of confusion to the Den. With the finer details surrounding her absence classified, both the Major and 1st Unit were at a total loss for how to handle the New Type's sudden reappearance. To claim that she had simply been found with no further explanation would invite unwanted questioning and suspicion. To claim that she had simply come back of her own volition would only further solidify ongoing concerns of favoritism. This was especially true as her disappearance had conveniently coincided with the near apocalypse.

In the end, it was unanimously decided that the best course of action would be to say nothing at all. Instead, they would allow the Den's gossips and chatterboxes to do the work for them, leaving her in the Sick Bay to recover and rest. For a couple of days, it seemed that her return would go off without a hitch. But inevitably, a member of the 4th Unit had spotted her sleeping in her hospital bed one morning and mentioned it to a colleague. Within 24 hours, the news had spread to nearly every corner of the Far East Branch with various reactions ranging from apathy and indifference to excitement and fascination.

Some members, like Gina and Kanon, were utterly ecstatic to hear the news. The pink-haired gunner had been so exhilarated that the former Corporal and Soma both had to intervene to avoid her barging in and startling Neo. Others like Brendan and Tatsumi were happy, though showed less enthusiasm than their female companions. Others like Karel and Shun didn't seem to care much either way. The remainder fell in the unhappy camp or simply hadn't heard.

Regardless of their group, each member didn't have long to dwell on the matter. With the Far East filled with uncertainty, most God Eaters were too busy to spend much time concerning themselves with something that ultimately wasn't any of their business. Instead, everyone went on about their normal routines, completing their work, gathering resources, and generally carrying on as though nothing had changed.

Almost everyone.

A loud clang echoed through the clearing. Claws raked against metal as the rumble of an angry roar rattled against his tower shield. With a single gunshot, the monster sagged to its side and fell silent, collapsing at Ichiro's feet. Behind him, the Corporal scowled as the shield came down for the third time that hunt. Grumbling his thanks, he turned his attention to yet another target. An irritated gaze followed him as he moved, Buster Blade lifting to intercept another incoming Ogretail.

Patience wearing thin, Ichiro narrowed his eyes at the Captain. He had been acting as his cover guard for most of their quest and he was growing tired of it. "Would you knock it off?"

Lenka scoffed, his own irritation evident in his voice. "Would you rather we didn't finish the mission?"

"I'd rather we finished it without unnecessary casualties."

"Why not support Kota then? He's ranged, go cover him."

"Because Kota isn't the one charging headlong into everything that moves. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't. I just see no sense in throwing caution to the wind."

"Oh, now you're concerned about caution?"

Kota sighed, shaking his head as the two of them glowered menacingly at one another yet again. He had lost count of how many times the two had started since the beginning of their mission. It had been that way since they first laid eyes on one another, alternating between ignoring and seething at each other. The only thing more impressive than their ability to ceaselessly argue was the fact that they were capable of doing so without missing a single swing of their swords. It was for that reason that both him and his other teammate had long since given up on intervening. So long as their efficacy wasn't affected, they were content to leave them be unless they were actively at each other's throats.

"Jeez…" Shun muttered, watching as the two separated, stomping off in different directions once more. "The hell… what genius thought pairing those two was a good idea?"

The gunner only groaned. "They didn't. Gunter was supposed to be on this mission, but he dropped out at the last minute. We didn't even find out Ichiro was the replacement until he hopped in our transport…"

Shun rolled his eyes. "Of course. Let me guess, he had something 'more important' to attend to?"

"Yeah. He said he needed to go see someone."

"Figures. He couldn't have waited until after the mission? Damn womanizer."

Kota shrugged. "Gunter will be Gunter, I guess…"

The Long Blade wielder shook his head, mentally cursing the German God Eater with every fiber of his being. With nothing more to be done, Shun turned his attention back to the other pair, who were ignoring each other once again, with the exception of occasional glares. "What the hell is their problem anyway? You'd think they'd be happy. Utsugi's teammate was found, Hamasaki's got his girlfriend back. What gives?"

The gunner paused, contemplating how best to answer his question. For Kota, the source of their feud was obvious. After all, said teammate had shot and nearly killed other said teammate's 'girlfriend' fairly recently. But what was he supposed to tell him? The truth wasn't an option. In fact, Shun was probably the last person on Earth he should ever tell the truth to. He could vaguely remember said God Eater mentioning Neo's use of the training room to Otto not too long ago…

Shaking his head, he decided to feign ignorance and quickly change the subject. "Dunno… but whatever it is, we should get back to it. The faster we get this mission done, the lower the chances of them killing each other."

Nodding, Shun lifted his Long Blade. "Don't gotta tell me twice."

Sighing, the pair walked off in the opposite direction, determined to finish their assignment as quickly as possible.

. . .

Far East Branch - Sick Bay

The elevator slowed to a stop at the selected floor. A navy blue hoodie stalked through the doors, its owner navigating swiftly through the hallway. Dr. Sakaki had kept him tied up for most of the morning and afternoon, going over various reports and documentation. It seemed that there had been suspicious activity going on in the surrounding areas. With other teams occupied, he had been charged with assisting the investigation. Loathe as he was to do so, he understood that, at the moment, he was the only option.

Now, with some free time, he was finally making his way to the medical ward.

It would mark his first time seeing Neo since her surprise awakening in the underground containment chamber. Since her relocation to general population, he had been continuously tied up. As a result, he was one of the only members of his unit that hadn't been to visit her. He had been the first to see her open her eyes and hadn't seen them since, much to his frustration.

Wandering through the halls, he kept his eyes forward. He scowled, ignoring the passersby that scurried from his way as he passed. He didn't have the energy to be concerned with them at the moment. In fact, it worked in his favor as he wasn't in any mood for socializing. Right now, there was only one person he was interested in conversing with.

Rounding the corner, he moved briskly towards the sliding door. His frown deepened as he approached his destination. The closer he got to the Sick Bay, the more aware he became of his current dilemma. He hadn't the slightest clue what he was going to say. The last time he had spoken to her, she had been unconscious and, he assumed, possibly moments from death. Now, she was alive, relatively well, and most importantly, wide awake. But that wasn't his concern. Soma's biggest concern was the Million-Fenrir-Point question.

Had she heard him?

Coming to a stop, he found himself staring blankly at the closed door. As she hadn't spoken at all to him upon waking, he couldn't be certain whether or not his words had reached her. If they had, she hadn't given any indication and at the time, he had been far too concerned with getting ahold of Sakaki to contemplate it. Now, he was faced with that reality. If she hadn't heard him, would he have to say it again? If she had… how would she respond?

With a exasperated sigh, he slowly lifted his hand toward the wall. Standing in the corridor wasn't going to help him. It was only going to frustrate him and waste precious time. He wasn't sure when the others would be back or if anyone else had planned on stopping by. If he dallied too long, he would lose his chance entirely. Shaking his head, he took a calming breath and steeled his nerves for whatever was to come. Reaching forward, his fingertips brushed against the button…

But just before they reached it, the door suddenly opened itself.

He paused for a moment, staring blankly at his outstretched hand. Then, an emerging figure vexed him further. Exiting the room was a familiar head of blonde hair atop a tan face and a pair of emerald orbs staring back at him with equal confusion. Gunter Haas. It was a face he was growing increasingly more accustomed to seeing. He raised an eyebrow at the young man, growing even more perplexed when he slowly lifted a finger to his lips. Then, without a word, he stepped passed him and made his way down the hall towards the lift.

'The hell was that about…' Soma shook his head. Turning, he made his way into the medical ward, the door sliding shut behind him. The moment he entered the room, Gunter's reaction made perfect sense. As he approached Neo's bed, the first thing he noticed was the state of her bedside. The room was empty, but evidence of visitors was clearly visible. On the table beside her was an array of small gifts, likely well-wishes from different members of their unit.

The first was a small metal container the veteran immediately recognized as a temperature-controlled storage unit. It was small, and travel-sized, likely containing ice cream ration. A small note taped to the side told him it was from Alisa. Beside it, was a small serving-sized container of pudding. He couldn't read the note sitting beneath the cup, but from the unruly scrawl that was visible, he could deduce that it was from Kota. But the most surprising gift of all was the one sitting beside it. Lying next to Kota's pudding was a small package that he recognized: chocolate. It was one of Neo's favorite treats and one that Soma himself hadn't seen in years. One of the reasons being, of course, that he hadn't bothered to go looking for it. The other being that it was rather difficult to get ahold of. Where on earth had he found such a thing? How?

And more importantly… why?

Shaking his head, he let his eyes drift to the bed itself and the woman wrapped up inside of it. A head of violet hair lie still against the fluffy pillow, eyes closed in restful sleep. And clutched tightly beneath the sheets in her arms was a handmade bunny rabbit, the head poking out from underneath. At least, that's what it appeared to be at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, he noticed the rabbit's unusual texture. Were those… bedsheets?

Soma raised an eyebrow at the unusual sight. He couldn't even begin to explain how he had done it, but it seemed her guardian had taken a portion of her blankets and carefully tied them to create her makeshift animal. He vaguely remembered seeing him folding his sheets during his time in confinement. But that had been, he assumed, to stave off boredom. He hadn't thought that he would use his newfound skill for such a purpose.

More importantly, he hadn't thought that he would find her utilizing said gift as a sleeping companion. Of course, the idea didn't really surprise him. He recalled the image of a much younger Neo tightly holding her stuffed rabbit to her chest in Ichiro's photo album. He knew the young woman was sensitive to touch, and had likely left the rabbit to soothe her during her guardian's absence. Still, it was strange to him. He had grown so accustomed to seeing her as a tiny whirlwind of death, that to see her in a state of peace was rather pleasant. In fact, it was probably one of cutest things he had ever seen. She was so gentle in this state. So innocent. So beautif -

Soma scowled at himself as his mind started wandering off again. What the hell was going on with him? Why couldn't he ever seem to keep his head on straight around her? Maybe it was sleep deprivation. That had to be it. He had been up for countless nights as of late. Perhaps he should take a rest as well. She wasn't up for socializing at the moment anyway. He would return to his quarters, get some much-needed sleep, and recollect his thoughts . Then, he would return at another time when she was alone and hopefully, awake. Taking one last look at her sleeping face, the veteran turned to take his leave.

Or more accurately… her previously sleeping face.

At some point while he was watching her, Neo had stirred. Now, she was staring right back at him, a tired expression on her face. Eyes gazing up at him, she gently tilted her head to the side. Soma felt his breath catch in his throat. In her sleeping state, she was cute. Now, eyes half-lidded, staring sleepily in his direction, she was downright adorable.

"Mn… Soma?"

For a moment, he barely registered that she was speaking to him. His mind was still catching up to the present, trying to figure out when she had even woken up in the first place. He hadn't recalled making any noise and he hadn't approached her beside. What had disturbed her? Was she fully rested? Or had she sensed his presence? Soma didn't know. But either way, she was awake now. There was no point in leaving anymore. Instead, he slowly approached and looked down at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Bored."

With an inward groan, Soma used every bit of his willpower not to roll his eyes in frustration. Of course. Leave it to Neo to come three inches from death and the first words out of her mouth are 'I'm bored.' Sighing, he grumbled and took a seat at her bedside. "Too bad. Rest."

Neo frowned slightly at his blunt response, but offered no further argument. Perhaps she was simply too exhausted to put up a fight. A testament to her current condition… a fact that both relieved and concerned him.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, quietly enjoying each other's company. It was similar to how they had months ago when his friend was grieving the loss of her guardian. The only difference was that there was now no wall between them. The soft rustling of the sheets drew his attention back to her as she slowly sat up in her bed. His eyes followed her movements as she shifted, dropping slightly towards the makeshift animal now lying in her lap.

"Rabbit, huh?"

"Mm-hmm." Neo nodded her head, gazing down at the ears leaning against her stomach. "Ichi made it for me."

"Figured."

Soma fell silent once more, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the chair. The two fell silent once more, both God Eaters uncertain of what to say. Initially, Soma had been concerned about their one-sided conversation. Now that he finally had an opportunity to ask her, he couldn't bring himself to voice his concerns. Searching for some inspiration, his eyes drifted towards her bedside table. His blue orbs dragged along the small collection of gifts, primarily… no, entirely made up of various food items so sweet that he could practically smell the sugar on them. The only exception was Ichiro's gift, likely for her own good, considering her last run-in with sweets. He could still hear the sound of her groaning from the Ex-Corporal's bedroom in his mind.

As his gaze slid to the chocolates beside Kota's pudding, his lips pulled into a frown. It was just starting to occur to him that he was one of the only members who hadn't thought to bring her anything. Alisa's didn't surprise him. The pair, despite appearances, were extremely close friends. Kota's struck him as a bit more unusual. But when considering that he wasn't particularly fond of the pudding to begin with, it made perfect sense. Ichiro, of course, would have been among the first to offer her recovery items and would have caused far more alarm had he not brought her anything.

Yet somehow, despite their own relationship, Soma had arrived empty-handed, the thought never once crossing his mind. It was true that he had been preoccupied with previous engagements. But even Gunter had managed to bring her something, despite being a member of an entirely different unit. Worse, he was probably the last person anyone in the Den would have expected to go out of his way at all. Let alone to bring her such an exotic gift. It was as startling as it was thoughtful… and for some reason, it was bothering him.

"Soma."

"Hmm?" His worrisome thoughts were quickly halted, instead shifting to a pair of heterochromatic eyes. Had she been watching him the entire time?

"Stop it."

"Huh?"

"You're worrying."

The veteran blinked for a moment, confused and slightly annoyed by her sudden command. It was true that he was plagued with self-deprecating thoughts, but the idea that she had read him so easily was aggravating. Why was she always so damned attentive?

"I'm not -"

"I don't need anything else from you." The New Type interrupted him, ceasing any attempt at denial or misdirection. She had seen right through him.

Resigning himself to her scrutiny, he averted his eyes and scowled. The chair groaned beneath his weight as he shifted uncomfortably. "Not the point. Even that airhead brought you -" Soma's sentence trailed off mid-thought. His disparaging thoughts came to a screeching halt as the meaning behind her words finally reached him. "… Else?"

Neo said nothing. She only stared at him, her expression something he couldn't quite place. He looked back at her, his mind reeling as he tried to figure out what he had given her. But as his search came up empty, he found himself even more confused when her lips curled into a smile. "Your thoughtful words were more than enough."

So, she had heard him.

Her response hit Soma like a ton of bricks, leaving the veteran to simply stare at her. His face shifted to match various rotating emotions as he processed this new information. Part of him was relieved. Baring his soul had been difficult for him, even when she was unconscious. Still uncertain of his own resolve, he wasn't certain he could do it again. Another part of him was irritated, wondering why she had waited so long to inform him. Finally, yet another part was deeply unsettled… because it meant that one question remained. A question that only she could answer. His expression froze as this new revelation dawned on him. And his concern must have been evident as once again, she seemingly read his thoughts.

"And… I forgive you."

With those four words, she washed away all of his remaining unease. The veteran, while grateful for her intuitive mind, was seriously beginning to wonder whether or not this woman could actually read his thoughts.

"Besides… Gunter should be the least of your concerns at the moment."

'Wait, what?' His expression quickly shifted to one of confusion. What on earth did that mean? Then, as his eyes drifted downward, he began to comprehend the meaning behind her words. Neo's physical appearance had, for the most part, reverted to its original form. However, remaining in her hyperactive state for so long had certainly had some side effects. With most of her body hidden beneath the sheets, she had kept it hidden from Gunter's prying eyes. Now, Soma was left to wonder as to the severity of the residual effects. Furrowing his brow slightly, he leveled his gaze at the New Type. "How bad is it?"

Neo offered no response to him. Instead, she flashed a pointed, toothy grin and slowly pulled her arm from beneath the blankets. His blue eyes narrowed at the sight of it. It was just as he had feared. After remaining in Overdrive for so long, some aspects of her transformation, it seemed, would remain permanent. For one thing, her now visible canines, he could clearly see, were still slightly extended. But as the New Type rarely smiled, it wasn't likely to pose any difficulty for her in everyday life.

Her hands however, were a different matter entirely.

While the black tar-like discoloration along her arms had receded, it hadn't disappeared completely. Her nails, which were always razor sharp but entirely human, were now small talons extending slightly beyond the fingertip. The darkened infection colored them a deep indigo and stretched partially along the first digit. While her claws weren't anywhere near as pronounced as they were in her other form, they were more than noticeable to anyone actually paying attention.

Neo's grin widened as she observed Soma's reaction. It seemed her concerns were well-founded. "Yeah… I don't think I'll be seeing Gunter anymore… or anyone for that matter."

Soma frowned, his eyes narrowing at his childhood friend. While her smirk never faded, he could hear the bitterness in her voice. He could practically see the gears turning in her head, contemplating her next move. Knowing Neo, she was likely weighing her options and deciding whether or not it would be prudent to simply leave. Wild creature that she was, he knew that she would rather spend the rest of her days in the wilderness than confined, once again, in a laboratory.

"It's not that bad." Shaking his head, the veteran voiced the first words that came to mind. Soma wasn't sure if Neo could see through his attempt at mitigation, but he knew her well enough to know that simply leaving her to her thoughts was dangerous.

A bark of derisive laughter was her response. "Ha! Not that bad? Soma… I have actual claws. I appreciate your concern, but there's no need to lie."

"Cover them."

"Cover them?" Neo's voice raised slightly as she parroted him, her laughter growing even louder. She couldn't tell if he was delusional or naïve. But her mirth didn't last for very long. Within moments, her chuckles halted as pain shot through her abdomen. An instinctive hand wrapped around her stomach to stem the discomfort… and the result only served to widen her bitter smile. Catching on one of the sheets, her talons tore through the fabric like a scalpel through delicate skin. After staring silently at the torn bedsheets for a few moments, she shook her head. "Yeah… good luck with that one."

"We'll commission gloves, or padding, or something. Be more careful until then."

"Until then? The moment Utsugi sees this, he'll -"

"Utsugi won't be a problem."

Neo frowned at her friend, her patience beginning to wane. While she appreciated his sentiment, Soma had never been one for hopeless optimism or ideas of grandeur. She wasn't sure why he was so determined, but it was starting to bother her. "And everyone else?"

"Keep out of sight."

"And then what? You expect me to wear gloves all the time?"

"That's exactly what you'll do." Soma leveled his own scowl, growing frustrated with her stubbornness. Why couldn't she understand that he was trying to help her?

"Yeah, sure. People won't find that strange at all."

"People already find you strange. What's the difference?"

"There's a huge difference!"

"How?! You already hide your wrists. What's the problem with -" Soma's voice halted immediately as he paused. In his frustration, he had once again spoken without thought. The God Eater had managed to catch himself… but it was too late.

Attentive as she was, Neo had already taken notice of his statement, picking apart every fragment. His sentence, on the surface, hadn't been out of the ordinary. But his choice of words had alerted her. It was true that she always kept her forearms covered, going so far as to utilize accessories, long-sleeves, and anything else at her disposal. But as far as anyone else was concerned, it was simply part of her weird fashion sense. Had he mentioned her arms, she would have ignored it and continued her argument… but he hadn't.

The veteran cursed inwardly at his folly. He had allowed his temper to get the best of him again… and now, mere moments after mending his relationship, it seemed he had put it in jeopardy again. He wasn't sure what to say. It was far too late to turn back at that point. But trying to lie would only worsen the situation. Not only would she see through his deceit, but she would be furious that he would attempt to lie to her in the first place.

But in the end, it didn't matter. His silence told her everything she needed to know.

As the Director's son, it was likely that he had access to various documents and classified data. If Johannes had seen her files, it wouldn't be surprising to find out that Soma had seen them as well. But if that were the case…

"… Soma." She received only a raised eyebrow in response. "…How much do you know?"

No words left him as his eyes fell slowly to the floor. He could do nothing more than tell her the truth… and hope that doing so wouldn't damage their already fragile standing. She waited patiently for him, watching as he took a single calming breath.

"…Everything."