Far East Branch - Sick Bay
After their explosive return to Headquarters, the 1st Unit spent the following days balancing their time between filing reports and keeping a careful eye on their incapacitated former Captain. With the Hannibal on the loose and currently no known way of keeping it down, all hands were on deck in the Far East trying to mitigate the damage. While every member of the famous squadron was deeply concerned, they were all well aware of the gravity of the situation. Dawdling was not an option, and the other members continued full operation to pick up the slack.
The exception, of course, was Neo, who had spent every moment since their arrival at Ichiro's bedside. After wordlessly leaving her colleague behind in the lobby, she had followed her unit to the Sick Bay and remained there ever since. With the exception of restroom breaks and minimal self-care, she could only be found in her chair to his left. Such was her new routine of watching over him.
Today was no different, as the exhausted New Type rested against his blankets, using his mattress as a pillow while she slept. Beside her, Alisa gently rubbed her arm as she dozed, providing a familiar presence in her dreams. To her side was Kota who was also lost in a restful sleep, snoring quietly against the sheets as his mind drifted through a realm of whimsical shenanigans. Leaning against the wall, their moodier member simply glared, watching the other man's chest as it rose and fell.
It was a peaceful scene. And so, it remained until a pained groan finally broke the silence.
"Ugh…" A pair of hazel eyes slowly opened, gazing tiredly at the ceiling above. Returning from his comatose state, various shapes and colors began to materialize around him, the first being a head of thick blonde hair.
At the sound of his rousing, her blue eyes snapped in his direction, lighting up with joy as she met his gaze. "Oh! Hi… I was so worried you wouldn't come back to us." Alisa's sigh of relief shook her entire body, the vibrations traveling down her arm and into the woman sleeping at her side.
Stirring, Neo lifted her head, eyes drifting lazily around the room for the source of her disturbance. Turning, she observed her friend's relieved expression. Following Alisa's gaze, her eyes carefully trailed sideways to her guardian, whose eyes were now watching her in return. Smiling at her, Ichiro carefully sat up in his bed, reaching out a comforting hand to take her own. "Hey, guys."
In the moments that followed, Ichiro's vision was filled with violet. At the sight of her now conscious guardian, Neo lunged forward, shooting up from her position and tackling the unsuspecting God Eater back against the mattress. "Ichi!" Her voice was little more than a squeal of delight as she wrapped her arms carefully around his neck.
"Whoa!" The veteran startled slightly as his world shifted around him once more. Thumping against his pillow, he sighed. A gentle hand threaded through her violet locks as he tried to regain his bearings. "Well, good morning to you too."
The woman said nothing in response, only tightening her grip as she buried her face into his chest. Her body trembled slightly as she embraced him, too fearful to let go. From behind her, a third, much more aggravated voice sounded from against the wall.
"It's afternoon. And it's about time you got up. I knew you'd survive. Nothing short of a God itself is gonna take you down." His eyes drifted slightly to the woman currently attached to him before rolling in frustration. "Or maybe that one."
Soma's annoyed response earned a moment of pause, the other veteran observing him with mild confusion. Then, he slowly smirked, his surprise quickly fading in place of amusement. While his words were harsh, they lacked their usual bite. It seemed that the hooded soldier had been worried as well, though it was unlikely he would ever admit it. "My apologies… and good afternoon to you too, Soma."
"Hmph."
Ichiro's grin only widened as Soma averted his eyes, effectively confirming his suspicions.
"Zzz… Ngh! Twice the kitten squared… Zzz."
"…" Four pairs of eyes turned silently towards the sleeping gunner, watching his body shift against the mattress. Ichiro quirked an eyebrow at his outlandish mutterings, while Soma shook his head at the display. Alisa scowled in disapproval beside him and even Neo lifted her head for a moment to stare at him, tilting it in utter confusion. After taking a moment to observe their snoozing teammate, they continued their spirited conversation.
"Look, Hamasaki. At this point, I know you. You're gonna risk life and limb for people like him, and that's fine. Just be smart. We don't need another Lindow." Raising from his position against the wall, Soma turned and stalked from the room in a huff. The ward fell silent once more as the door slid closed behind him.
Following his exit, Alisa sighed in frustration. "He's glad too, just differently. We all are. Especially this one." She gestured casually to the young woman currently lying on top of him.
Ichiro chuckled nervously, growing embarrassed as his brain finally registered the nature of their compromising position. "Yes, I can see that… you can let go now, Neo. I'm quite alright." Raising an arm, he tried unsuccessfully to pry her off of him, pausing to look once again at the sleeping redhead as his ridiculous murmurings continued.
"Earmuffs don't work like that…"
"Uh…" The veteran lifted an eyebrow once more, watching as Kota turned in his sleep. For a moment, his mind wondered what exactly his dream-world companion was trying to do with those earmuffs. But he didn't have long to ponder it, the blonde New Type finally losing her patience with his shenanigans.
"Sorry, just one quick second. Kota! Wake up, now!" Her aggravated shouting was followed by a loud smack to the back of his head, jolting him from his restful sleep.
"Aaah! I'm up, I'm up! I heard everything… We're all thankful, Neo's over the moon, Soma's still weird… We're good. Well, all but your God Arc. That kinda got busted when you saved me."
Cooling off slightly, the Alisa nodded in agreement. "Y-Yeah… Something happened when the Aragami hit. Licca was talking about damage to the core. She said it'd be a while before it's operational."
Ichiro shook his head, slowly sitting up again. "I suspected as much…" The New Type didn't budge, following his movements and shifting her position into his lap. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly as she further constricted around him. "Neo, that's a little tight."
"Tsubaki was all thankful. She said something about 'paid leave'. I didn't really get it, but you can't fight anyway, so… vacation!" The gunner smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at the woman straddling their former Captain. "Since the two of you are benched for now, maybe you could take some time, yeah?"
Ichiro blanched, his body going rigid at the implications. Then, his pale skin alighted, burning a flustered red. "That's - Kota, I would ask you to refrain from - ow! Neo, that hurts."
"Good." The New Type's curt response made him realize too late: Neo was angry.
The color drained immediately from his face as nervousness overrode his embarrassment. "Neo, I -"
"What is wrong with you?!"
"Ack!" He coughed, slowly losing air as her grip tightened around him. "I was… just trying to…"
"N-Neo, stop! You're gonna hurt him!" Now fully awake, Kota stood up and moved forward, trying to peel the steaming woman off of their comrade.
"That's the point!" Neo glowered at him, eyes burning with pained vengeance. "What the hell were you thinking?! Why would you do something so reckless? Are you trying to leave me again?!"
"Ne… o…" Ichiro's voice came out as little more than a rasped whisper. Stars began clouding his vision as he began to realize the gravity of the situation. The image of a broken Neo filled his mind as he recalled her trying to pommel him in the Den lobby. Perhaps it was karma that he would be on the receiving end of a scolding, after giving more to her than he could possibly count. Of course, hers were far more painful…
His vision had nearly faded to black by the time she released him, loosening her arms, and letting him regain oxygen. He gasped, wobbling in his bed as air once again filled his lungs. Stabilizing, he took one look at her rage-filled eyes, and he knew his secret was out. The only reason Neo became this upset was when he was careless. Impatient as she was, it was likely that she had spoken with Licca about her God Arc, only to discover the truth regarding his own. He had knowingly entered the battlefield against an enemy of unknown capability with a damaged God Arc… and Neo knew it.
She wanted to smack him for pulling such a dangerous stunt. And if he weren't already lying in a hospital bed, she would seriously consider putting him there herself.
Ichiro sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "You're right. It was foolish."
"It was. In the future…" Glowering at him, she locked her blue eye with his hazel ones. But as she observed the man beneath her, her sentence trailed into oblivion. Had they always been that color?
Tilting her head slightly, Neo observed him closely. He leaned back slightly as she approached, nervously shifting his gaze. She ignored him, staring intently at his irises. Surely, they must have been the same. She had known him nearly her entire life… hadn't she? She was certain she had. They had spent time together as children… but for some reason, she was having trouble recalling a clear image.
"Just… be careful." Perplexed, Neo climbed off of him, sliding to the floor with a quiet thump. Without another word, she turned and stalked out of the room, leaving everyone else in confusion. As the door slide closed behind her, the veteran shook his head. Sometimes, that woman made him wonder.
Sighing, Alisa turned back to him with an apologetic smile. "Just focus on getting your rest. I'll talk to her." At his silent nod, she turned and quickly left the room in pursuit. The two men stared after her as her voice faded down the hallway. "Neo, come back here! You can't just…"
Turning back to his bedridden comrade, Kota sheepishly scratched his head. He felt bad about watching one of his comrades nearly choke his other one, but he was pretty much powerless to stop it. He had tried his best to separate them, but the gunner could do nothing in the face of Neo's inhuman strength. And that was the case before her transformation. "Aaanyway. Sorry about that. And hey, since this is my bad, I'll lend you all of Bugarally. The first season is rushed, but man it gets so good!"
"Haha… thanks, Kota. I appreciate it."
"No, man. Thank you. You know, for saving me and all."
Ichiro only smiled, earning a grin in return. He was happy to protect his comrades, and were the situation to arise in the future, he would happily do it again. Hopefully, with his God Arc in better condition. He was about to tell him so when Hibari's voice rang out over the intercom, interrupting their banter. "Attention, this is a priority message to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd God Eater Units. Report to the Director's office. The Hannibal Combat Briefing will begin in five minutes. I repeat, the Hannibal Combat Briefing will begin in five minutes. This is a priority message to all members of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Units."
"Welp, that's me. See ya, Ichiro. Give a holler if you need anything. Get me?"
"I'll be alright Kota, but… thank you."
He nodded his gratitude, waving as the excited gunner exited the room. Alone in silence, Ichiro sighed and laid back down. Resting his head against the pillow, he gazed up at the ceiling and pondered. For a moment, Neo's face reentered his mind. Her expression when their eyes met had been unmistakable. He had noticed the shifting of her orb as she examined his own. The coloring of his irises must have caught her attention. Yet for some reason, she didn't seem fazed by them.
He contemplated the possibility of her distraction playing a role before quickly dismissing it. The New Type was far too attentive to miss such an obvious detail, even in her most preoccupied state. Even more unusual, she hadn't bothered to question him about it, which made little sense considering that Neo questioned everything. Rolling to his side, he stared at the wall as a frown pulled at his lips.
What was going on?
. . .
Far East Branch - Director's Office
Following the announcement, God Eaters from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Units made their way to the executive floor. Filing in one at a time, the various members of each unit slowly crowded their way into the spacious office.
Off to one side was the 3rd Unit: Gina, Karel, and Shun, standing side by side, surrounded by other members of the reserves. The sniper waited excitedly for the meeting to start, while her two companions looked bored. To another side was the 2nd Unit, including Kanon, Brendan, and Gunter, as well as their leader, Tatsumi. Kanon looked ready to burst as she glanced around the room while Tatsumi chatted quietly with his second-in-command. Gunter stood off to the side chatting with Otto and other members of the reserves.
In the front, closest to the desk, was the 1st Unit, with the exception of Ichiro, standing in a straight line. At the farthest edge was Lenka, followed by Kota, Alisa, Sakuya, and Soma, with Neo standing beside him at the opposite end. Both God Eaters kept their respective teammates in line; Kota chatting excitedly with Utsugi and Soma keeping Neo distracted from their Captain.
In the center of all the commotion was Major Amamiya and Dr. Sakaki, the new Director of the Far East Branch. Tsubaki's eyes swept the room, taking note of everyone in attendance. The two paused for a moment, conversing quietly amongst themselves as the remainder of the stragglers entered the room and made their way to their respective groups. Finally, with everyone gathered together, the meeting began.
"So, what's this about, Doc? You called us all here, so what do ya got?" Shun spoke out, earning a disapproving glare from the Major. The Doctor, however, only smiled.
"An excellent question, Shun! Yes, indeed. This is about an Aragami with tremendous regenerative capability. That's right the one that destroyed Hamasaki's God Arc. The Hannibal."
"What?!"
"Hamasaki's down? No way…"
"Holy crap, dude…"
Murmurs quickly spread throughout the room as everyone quietly discussed amongst themselves. So the rumors were true. Hamasaki had been decommissioned. Such a revelation stirred nervousness among the reserves, especially the newer recruits. If one of Fenrir's top hunters was defeated by this creature, what chance did they have?
Sakaki slowly raised his hand to regather their attention, bringing silence back to the room. "Yes. The rumors are true. It is also true that, at the current moment, we are unable to destroy it. This novel creature only temporarily stops moving if you remove its core. It quickly regrows in this new type of enemy. I can't say for sure whether it just has really fast re-binding abilities or if they have multiple cores…" Sakaki's lecture was drowned out once again, this time by shouting as the room erupted into a commotion.
"What?!"
"Its core regrows?! No freakin' way!
"So, there's no way to kill it!"
"How do you even handle something like that?"
"An Aragami that can't be killed…"
"It's true." Sakaki's voice raised over the din, slowly drawing them back into hushed whispers. "This is the reality of the situation. No matter how much you cut up a Hannibal, even with your Arc, all you can do is temporarily stop it from moving. We need to strengthen the Bias Factor again. When that time comes, you'll be back to working hard. Rest while you can… Dismissed."
With this final declaration, chaos flared. With the meeting concluded, the God Eaters talked wildly amongst themselves, as the severity of their predicament started to set in. Some had found the situation ideal. As the Aragami had turned to cannibalism, their workloads had fallen dramatically and, for the most part, what monsters did appear were quickly dispatched. Now, they regretted that complacency as, at present, it seemed they were faced with an unbeatable foe. A monster that would rise, no matter how many times it was defeated. A monster so powerful that it had nearly killed one of their strongest God Eaters… and if they didn't find a solution soon, may do the same to the rest of them.
As they filed out of the room, a few God Eaters remained, still trying to process the information. Three members specifically remained frozen in time. Among the chatter, two pairs of eyes looked nervously towards the 2nd Unit's Vice Commander. Brendan stared silently at the floor as his mind raced. Tatsumi and Shun both eyed him carefully as they recalled his harrowing tale during their gathering on the veteran's floor.
They tried, but nothing seemed to work. Supposedly, it can regenerate. Really, really fast. Any wounds dealt to it just disappeared in an instant. They tried all kinds of different methods to exterminate it, but nothing worked. It always healed. Always came back. Then eventually, something happened down there. It broke out of the facility… and escaped.
At first, Shun had thought his words nothing more than a fairytale. A story told to children to frighten them into compliance. But now… it seemed his urban legend had possibly come to life. Perhaps it wasn't so farfetched after all. And if something like that could truly exist…
Unable to keep his concerns quiet any longer, Shun rounded on Brendan. "So, wait, you're telling me the story's actually true? There really is an Aragami that can regenerate?"
"It would appear so." Brendan muttered, his eyes downcast. He hadn't given much credence to the legends either. How could he? They were too outlandish. Too unrealistic. In fact, they were impossible. Aragami couldn't regenerate. At least, that was what he had believed until he saw it with his own eyes. Now only one question remained, and Shun was more than happy to voice it.
"So, is it true? Can this thing actually take the form of a human?!"
Neo's eyes shot up from the floor, darting across the room to the source of the outburst. Soma tensed beside her, his eyes drifting to her fingers twitching violently beneath her gloves.
"You did not just say what I think you said." Otto stalked toward them, his own eyes growing wide as dinner plates. "Did you just say there's an Aragami that looks like a human?"
"Apparently. According to Brendan anyway. Some experiment gone wrong from North America."
Shun's words made Neo's blood run cold. Her fingers froze and her mouth twitched, her body going rigid as Otto's eyes started drifting in her direction. His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed her, a dark thought crossing his mind. Among them, she was one of three God Eaters in the Far East originating from the West. And the Den had seen nothing but misfortune ever since her arrival. But surely, it couldn't be possible… could it? A shiver ran down his spine as the memory of their encounter reentered his mind. The sinister presence surrounding her. The predatory look in her eyes.
Beside her, Soma stepped forward, leveling a glare at the pair of them. Shifting slightly, he placed his body between them, silently warning the man to keep his distance. Neo was on the defensive. He couldn't allow Otto to confront her in her current state. Taking the hint, the other God Eater turned his attention back to Shun. He had no desire to pick a fight with Soma of all people. Not today.
His attention was diverted, but it did nothing to ease the palpable tension in the air. So instead, Kota stepped forward, waving his hands dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous! We saw it ourselves; the Hannibal isn't a human. If anything, it looks more like a giant lizard."
"He's right." Brendan muttered in affirmation. "I fought it myself. I promise you, that thing was anything but human."
Tatsumi nodded, scowling at the shorter man in irritation. "Seriously Shun, quit scaring people. This is not the time for ghost stories."
Shun frowned back at him, crossing his arms in defiance. "He's the one who said it could mutate and change its form over time. How do you know it didn't nix Hamasaki and change back?"
The four fell into uncomfortable silence as the possibility entered their minds. While they were hesitant to take anything he said too seriously, they couldn't deny the uncertainty of the situation. After decommissioning the 1st Unit's former leader, the Hannibal had vanished without a trace, leaving the group only to wonder. Shun's suggestion was ridiculous at best and ludicrous at worst… but up until a few moments ago, they hadn't believed Aragami could regenerate either.
Soma's body shivered as a chill ran down his spine. It took only a moment for him to realize the sensation was very real, as he could feel the temperature falling behind him. Neo was getting restless. Mentally cursing, the veteran looked carefully around the room. He needed to diffuse the situation quickly before the woman froze them all to death. Opening his mouth, he turned his attention to Neo… but he paused his interaction when another God Eater took the very words right out of his mouth.
"Relax." Gunter's voice sounded from the corner of the room. Waiting for Otto, he had hung around, finding himself fascinated by the topic of discussion. He had also found himself watching curiously as the woman of his interest grew tense, likely nervous about the new threat. Sauntering forward, he approached them with his usual grin stretching across his face. "Even if there is an Aragami like that, we just have to figure out its weakness. Then, we can destroy it, just like anything else." Turning, the German God Eater smiled at her in a gesture of comfort.
In response, Neo stared incredulously at him. Her body went rigid as she tried with every fiber of her being not to hiss at him. In attempting to calm her, he had unintentionally made her anxiety worse. The man had no idea he was speaking to the very creature he wished to destroy.
Sakaki frowned as the situation continued to deteriorate. As the New Type bristled, the Doctor decided it was time to intervene. "Enough! While I have thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating discussion, I believe our time is better suited addressing this threat. Out with you. Director's orders."
Their conversation came to an immediate halt as Sakaki shooed them out of his office. His careful eyes watched them through his spectacles and his tone left no room for argument. Their chatter was over for the time being. Nodding and muttering amongst themselves, the group made its way to the door, excusing themselves. Gunter paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on the agitated New Type as he exited the room. Behind him, Otto scowled but said nothing as he followed his friend into the hallway.
With the situation salvaged, the other members of the 1st Unit let out the breath they'd all been holding. It seemed the Far East was safe from her wrath for the time being. Sighing, Alisa smiled nervously at her friend, realizing just how close they had come to a possible outburst. Beside her, Kota shrugged, practically dragging Utsugi with him towards the exit. The last thing they needed with Neo so worked up was the two of them together in the same room. Sakuya followed them, hoping to speak with their leader further on the matter at hand.
As they shuffled out of the office, Paylor pressed his glasses against his nose. Shun's ability to say the wrong thing at the worst possible time would never cease to amaze him. Shaking his head, he muttered quietly to himself as he gathered the documents splayed across his desk. "Baka hodo kowai mono wa nai…"
Soma, Kota, and Alisa stared at him in confusion. To Paylor's side, the Major raised an eyebrow at his murmurings. It wasn't like him to complain so blatantly. It seemed that the God Eaters' antics had tried even his endless patience. Lifting her clipboard, she returned to her notes, glancing over the details until another voice broke the silence.
"Baka wa shinakya naoranai."
Every head in the room turned to Neo as she responded, her eye watching the Doctor with mild amusement. Sakaki blinked in startled confusion as the New Type turned and made her way towards the door. His eyes followed her as she left the room, his mouth falling open slightly in surprise. He wasn't sure what shocked him the most: the words she had spoken, or the fact that she had understood him in the first place.
. . .
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
As always, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Baka hodo kowai mono wa nai - There is nothing more frightening than a fool.
Baka wa shinakya naoranai - The only cure for a fool is death; once a fool, always a fool.