Far East Branch - Veteran's Floor

Gloved hands moved aimlessly in the darkness. Soma's head swiveled, his eyes squinting to find some form of light. He was bitter. He was lost. He was alone.

"I'm Specimen 13, the Next-Generation Enhanced Operative… but Yuki calls me Neo."

The words of a cheerful little girl echoed through the fog, a small flicker cutting through the blackened haze. He lifted his hand, blocking his eyes from the light as a figure emerged. A small child appeared before him, her brown and golden eyes gazing up at him with joy and wonder.

"Hey Soma! How was your day?"

He knew this child well. Neo. His only friend growing up. While she didn't reside within the same walls, he always found himself comforted by her presence. Her smile was a beacon of hope, drowning out the sadness that so often engulfed him. A gentle glow illuminated her body as she approached him, a glimmer in the abyss.

"Who needs them anyway? You've got me!"

She was right. He did have her. And that fact made him the happiest person in the world. He couldn't imagine getting through much of his childhood without her joyous self to support him. So long as he had her, he would be fine. He didn't need anyone else.

The child beamed at him, her smile fading as she slowly began to grow. Her body twisted and morphed, enlarging, and maturing as she started to rapidly age. Her right eye shifted from brown to hazel, from hazel to blue. Her hair from ebony, to chestnut, to cerulean, and violet. Her scarf from golden to lapis. And within moments, Neo stood before him, no longer a child, but a woman. Her head tilted curiously to one side as she continued forward, her gaze entrapping him. He was rooted to the spot, limbs frozen in place.

What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he get that woman out of his head? He didn't know. All he could do was watch as she stepped toward him, stopping less than a foot away. He gazed down at her, his breath catching as he saw her up close. He had never really paid much attention to her features before. Her heterochromatic eyes, set beneath long lashes, one blue and one gold. Her soft, pillowy lips sitting permanently in a straight line. Her lustrous violet locks falling softly over her shoulders. The way her vibrant azure coats trailed freely down her back.

Below her neutral expression, she bore the scars of her past. An ugly reminder of the life she had once lived. Trailing downward, he observed her violet dress hugging softly against her voluptuous curves. Her swollen bust and wide, enticing hips. Her indigo claws resting gently against her smooth thighs. Had she always been so fascinating to him? So attractive?

Just when had he started to see her in that light?

What was it that called him to her? That drew him in? Was it their bond, forged over years of friendship? No. It couldn't have been. Was it their kinship as Managarm children? No, that wasn't it either. Perhaps it was her inner Aragami reaching out to his own, her Oracle cells attracting his like a magnetic pull. Or perhaps, it was the hypnotic sound of her voice that beckoned him near.

"So… ma…"

He could feel a shiver run down his spine as she spoke to him, her voice like a siren's call. It entranced him… enthralled him… mesmerized him. But above all, it confused him. He was unnerved by the sound and yet so enchanted by it. Excited by it. He felt his body take on a mind of its own as he slowly stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her small form.

"Soma…" She sighed, relaxing against him as he ran his fingers over her strands. Despite its ruffled appearance, it was smooth like violet silk. Her skin was surprisingly soft. It felt like velvet against his fingertips as they traced slowly along the contours of her face. They traveled downward passed the ridged scars upon her neck, punishments engraved in skin.

"S-Soma…" Her breath shuddered as his fingers explored her, brushing lightly along her cerulean coats, from the base at her shoulder blades to the trailing folds below. They were cool and soft to the touch, contrary to its rough appearance. He felt something awaken inside of him as she shivered under his touch. Something long held dormant. Wandering from the appendages, his fingers brushed along the skin of her exposed back.

"Soma?" She called to him again, the soundwaves like music to his ears. It stirred thoughts and emotions that were foreign and unfamiliar to him… and he absolutely loved it. If this was his dream, then he cursed all who would wake him. He loathed the dawn, for when morning came, the song would disappear. She would disappear. Perhaps she would return to him again in another dream. But how long would he have to wait? How much longer would this one last? He didn't know. He didn't care. So long as she kept calling his name…

. . .

"Mn?" A tired groan escaped him as he slowly awakened from his restful slumber. He was having weird dreams again. It was a common occurrence nowadays, particularly whenever the New Type was involved. He could feel his mind stirring from his dreamworld, aggravated by the unusual nature of it. Ironically, he had actually had a good night's sleep, his mind and body well-rested. Even now, he could still hear her calling out to him.

"Soma."

'…Wait.'

No. Even the most vivid corners of his mind couldn't replicate her voice that well. It was too accurate. It was too clear… it was too close. As he slowly came to his senses, he became vaguely aware of his positioning, his arms wrapped carefully around something within his bed. And as that something shifted slightly in his grip, he felt his heart leap into his throat.

Slowly, he angled his eyes downward… and met a heterochromatic pair staring back at him.

"What the hell?!"

Suddenly and violently awake, the veteran shouted, nearly shoving the woman from his grasp. She yelped, startled by his outburst, scrambling to get away from his thrashing form. The result was utter chaos.

Carefully entwined, the two God Eaters couldn't unwrap themselves, and flailed about within their silken prison. Neo jolted backward, trying to exit the bed and escape from his wild movements. But her torn dress caught in the sheets along with her leg, following her as she exited the mattress. And as he was just as tangled as he was, he quickly joined her.

The two tumbled from the bed hitting the ground with a loud thump. Soma's arms lifted instinctively to protect his face from falling debris as their collapse brought every object from his bedside table down upon them. Objects clattered to the floor, ampules rolling across the carpet in every direction. He sighed, lowering his guard when the hailstorm of medical supplies came to an end.

But his relief would only last for a moment.

In the next few seconds, he became acutely aware of extra weight pressing down on him. Opening his eyes, he met hers once more, her head lolling as she tried to recollect her whereabouts. Her gloved hands pressed against his chest as she hoisted herself into a sitting position, regaining her bearings. As her weight shifted downward, Soma felt nearly all of the blood in his body rush to his face. How had they managed to end up in this position again? Did she enjoy being on top of him that much?

The veteran snarled, forcing the impure thoughts from his head. He had his closest friend and teammate sitting comfortably over his hips. He did not need anything of the sort entering his mind, lest his body betray him. He paused and stared up at her for a few moments, subconsciously admiring the image. Then, he exploded.

"Get off me!"

Startled back to life, Neo rolled, yanking the blankets with her as she detangled her body from his. Then, she hopped to her feet and bolted for the door, dragging him slightly behind her as the sheets unraveled around him. Without a backward glance, she disappeared into the hallway and out of sight.

. . .

Wailing Plains

After bursting from Soma's room, wrapped in his bedsheet, Neo collided with her guardian. He had been drawn by their shouting and found himself even more perplexed than they were as she stumbled passed him down the corridor. The debacle quickly spiraled into a domino effect of confusion as each God Eater involved tried to piece together exactly what had happened over the past 14 hours.

Thankfully, once everyone had calmed, they were finally able to arrive at a coherent explanation.

The previous night, Neo had gone and enjoyed her evening out with Gunter. Following some food, dancing, and relaxation, the two had found themselves chatting comfortably beneath the stars. It was then that her date had introduced a pair of wines, as he wasn't entirely certain if she would prefer a red or a white. In the end, he was left with the Merlot. The New Type selected the Moscato, a rare wine that was rather difficult to obtain… and very, very sweet.

Naturally, the woman happily partook of her vintage. All of it.

Neo, a relatively small woman who had never tasted alcohol of any kind during her existence, downed the entire bottle within nine minutes. And as she boasted a metabolism that could put a thoroughbred to shame, the drink went through her body rather quickly. Drunk and disoriented, the woman had found herself stumbling from their resting place where Gunter had attempted, unsuccessfully, to halt her. In doing so, he had accidentally grabbed her scarf. This was the trigger that set the disorderly series of events into motion.

Startled, Neo broke from him, fearful that he was attempting to unfold her appendages. In her drunken state, she mistook his attempts to calm her as pursuit and fled into the night. Gunter attempted to follow her, and nearly succeeded until she escaped into an open street. From there, she quickly outpaced him, disappearing and leading him on a wild goose chase trying to find her.

The New Type couldn't entirely remember precisely what had occurred in between leaving Gunter and reaching the Den. The most likely scenario was that she had gotten caught on a loose beam and wrenched herself free, tearing her dress in the process. Running on the uneven roads had probably resulted in her stumbling and losing one of her shoes which, in her panicked state, she had simply left behind.

The entire ordeal was one that none of them wanted to repeat, least of all Gunter, as it nearly ended with the loss of his life.

With the air cleared and everyone safely back in the Den, the four members decided to try and move on from the incident, vowing to never let Neo touch a drop of alcohol again. Or, at the very least, not without careful supervision. With the fiasco at an end, all four God Eaters returned to normal operations. And, as per usual, there was no shortage of work for the Retaliation Squad.

Trudging through the marshy plains, Neo, Soma, Alisa, and Kota searched for their target in relative silence. Ichiro had declined the mission, once again citing undisclosed health concerns. Sakuya and Utsugi were on patrol duty, leaving the remaining three members to undertake Soma's mission: a remnant gone awry, the Fallen Arda Nova.

Kota and Alisa exchanged curious glances at one another as the other pair took point. Neither dared to say what the other was thinking, instead choosing to leave the moody pair in peace. There had been an unusual tension between the two of them ever since that morning, that continued even now into the field. There was a palpable awkwardness in the air, leading their teammates to believe that something had occurred between them. What it was, however, they would probably never know.

Kota nearly sighed with relief when both Managarm children halted, each looking in different directions for their target. If their senses were activating, it meant that they were finally getting close. And the closer they got, the faster they could finish the mission and return to the relative tranquility of the Den. Or, more accurately, get away from the other two, as he had no interest in getting in the middle of whatever feud they were currently having.

Howling wind assaulted their senses. Soma and Neo squinted their eyes, straining to see through the growing rain. It was bad enough that a novel Aragami had decided to show up in the middle of the Wailing Plains. It was even worse that it had done so during one of the worst storms they had seen. The wall of raindrops made it nearly impossible to see in any direction and without their heightened sensitivity, it was likely that neither one of them would have seen the enemy coming.

Thankfully, they did.

Floating listlessly through the raging storm was their target, the Fallen Arda Nova. It was similar in size and shape to its predecessor, with its primary difference being their coloration. In place of the Goddess's fuchsia skin was pearly white, fading into inky blackness from the corset down. Behind her, the God sported a similar shade, its violet appendages matching the shade of the Goddess's hair. Neo twitched slightly at the sight of them, unable to ignore the similar hue between their strands. She had grown used to seeing the color on her own head, but on another, it was truly disturbing.

Slowly, the two God Eaters looked to one another, casting their tension aside for the time being in favor of combat. The low visibility had made it difficult to see the Aragami, but it also meant that the Aragami had yet to see them. And they planned to use this to their advantage. Assuming that the Fallen Arda Nova shared the same weaknesses as all of its variants, the Goddess would be the easiest target of Neo's focus. If she could get the jump on them, they could enter the battle with an advantage and draw first blood.

Crouching low to the ground, Neo followed the aimlessly moving target with her eyes. She had open terrain and fog of war on her side. If she could cross the distance, she should be able to reach them before either had time to retaliate. Signaling to her teammates, she gripped her scythe and set her trajectory. Behind her, Kota and Alisa nodded and prepared themselves, both of them loading their rifles and taking aim.

All became still as Neo focused. Sparks coursed along her coats as she took a deep breath and dug her feet into the ground. If her assumptions were correct, she was only going to get one shot at this. Three seconds, she counted, exhaling deeply before her muscles uncoiled like a spring. Charging forward, the New Type bolted. She accelerated across the landscape, quickly gaining speed as her target grew closer and closer. Soma followed behind her, aiming to get in a good strike following her engage. Then, within seconds, she was upon them both.

Leaping into the air, she discharged midflight as she passed the unsuspecting goddess, engulfing her in the charge. The moist air around them amplified her electricity, ensuring a painful and powerful hit. Her screech signified Neo's success, earning a howl of excitement from their redheaded gunner. But her triumph didn't last for very long. While the strike was highly effective and well-placed, it also faced her with a dilemma. As expected, the slippery terrain did her no favors as she landed. Her feet slid through the mud, her scythe tearing along the ground behind her to slow her drag.

Behind her, her teammates followed up on her given opportunity. From the air, Soma followed with his Evil One, driving the blade upon the Goddess with full force. His blow connected, shattering the lavender halo with a single strike. It seemed that crushing damage was highly effective on this opponent. For once, his Buster could prove highly beneficial against the Goddess, provided that he could continue to hit her. Following through with the plan, he dove to the side after completing his strike to make way for the third stage of their engagement.

From behind him came a hail of spark bullets, the concussive shells exploding on impact. With the risk of Neo returning to the battle, they had mutually agreed to use spark shots, in the event that she find herself in a projectile's range. Blasts of electricity erupted into crackling spheres with every strike as the bullets struck the Goddess's hair, loosening the cell bindings. The familiar cracking of the strands told them that they were getting close.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough.

Slowly, the Goddess rose, regaining her bearings and turning her attention to her surrounding foes. The God floated behind her, wrapping his arms protectively around her battered form. Their initial plan hadn't been enough to destroy the target, but it had certainly been effective. The 1st Unit got what they wanted: an advantage.

With the Aragami pair back on their feet, the battle began in earnest. Bright purple spheres fired across the marshy wetlands, the divine shots spewing mud and dirt through the air with every impact. Following the team's dynamic entry, the God had gone on the defensive, carefully guarding his Goddess while she sent volley after volley of ranged elemental attacks. This forced the God Eaters on the defensive, unable to focus on offensive strikes while dodging deadly beams.

Kota and Alisa remained at range, firing bullets when they could at their target. Most were blocked by the God, but the ongoing damage succeeded in irritating the couple. Turning, the God lifted the Goddess into his arms, taking aim at the gunner pair with divine light. Finally, an opening. Neo took the opportunity, rushing into range with her eyes set on the Goddess.

A decision that would nearly prove fatal.

Firing the beam, the God and Goddess sent the two gunners scattering from the blinding light. And as Neo leapt toward them, they began to turn, sweeping the beam across the terrain. Alarmed, Neo lifted her shield in record time, yelping as the light made contact. She closed her eyes against brightness as it passed over her buckler, narrowly avoiding a painful and deadly fate. But as she opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with her opponents. Finishing their sweep, the God and Goddess had charged, crossing the distance and descending upon the New Type in an instant. With a swing of his mighty black fist, the God launched her clear across the clearing, the force knocking the wind out of her as she splattered through the mud.

Soma glowered at her flying form, rushing in from the opposite side and taking advantage of the Aragami's distraction. He would scold her for her behavior another time. A quick devour to the opposite arm sent him into Burst mode, allowing him to disengage from the pair before the second fist could reach him. Holding its attention, he guided it towards his other teammates, taking careful note of their positioning. He bided his time, waiting for the moment that the Goddess separated herself from the God. Then, he dove, freeing the way for the two gunners to rain hell upon her once more.

The sound of unbinding cells echoed through the area with a resounding crack, cutting through the howling winds. Her hair cells unbound, leaving her with a jagged, wild appearance. And beneath it was a look of pained rage. Lifting her broken body, the God swung the Goddess towards its melee target looping around to the other side. Soma lifted his tower, sliding backward from the force as the Goddess struck his shield with a metal screech. Their attacks were growing erratic. They were getting desperate.

Taking the brunt of their focus, Soma held steady with his tower shield, absorbing blow after blow from the God and Goddess pair. They were trying to break through. The sound of gunfire cut through the wailing storm as the other pair reloaded, taking aim at the God's hulking form. Their distraction worked, successfully irritating him and drawing his attention.

Soma lowered his shield, quickly following after it as it rushed towards them. The God had made a fatal mistake in turning its back on him. With the power of Burst still coursing through his veins, his body became a crimson streak as he bolted after the two with his Buster raised. Leaping into the air, he summoned all of his strength in preparation for a finishing blow.

The God paused, halting to drive his fist towards Alisa's retreating form. And in that moment, Soma descended, bringing all of the force of his Evil One behind him. The blade struck, its imbued power tearing through its ebony hide. The God fell with a roar, Soma's Arc protruding from its body as the trio reached the ground. Left undefended, the Goddess fell shortly after under a final rain of electrical bullets.

The battle was won.

With the threat neutralized, the 1st Unit took a few moments to appreciate their work. Alisa sighed, wiping her drenched hair from her face. Kota hooped and hollered, celebrating their epic victory. Soma grumbled quiet praise as he extracted the core, citing Neo's entrance as key to their success. There was no response. A few moments of silence gave them pause as the three suddenly realized that there was one member missing from their merry band.

Turning, all four God Eaters looked in the direction of the New Type, where she was last seen. Neo was still on the ground, unmoving. She had never returned to the battle. Alarmed, the trio quickly made their way toward her, Kota loading recovery bullets as they ran. They had assumed her being cautious, simply staying out of the way as the three took point. Now, they were panicked as it became clear that she had never moved in the first place.

"Neo!" Alisa called, kneeling beside her muddy body. She prepared for the worst, seeing her still form lying lifelessly in the marsh. Thankfully, it seemed her friend was very much alive, although a bit worse for wear. Quiet groans escaped her throat as she lay in the pouring rain, waiting patiently for her damaged body to repair.

"Damn it, Neo…" Soma growled, earning a sharp glare from the New Type as she turned her head in his direction.

"Come off it, Soma." She snapped, wincing slightly as Kota pelted her with recovery bullets at point blank range.

His scowl deepened at her harsh tone. It seemed that her attitude was growing along with her recklessness, her fuse growing shorter every day. Waiting any longer to evaluate her condition could prove devastating. Falling silent, he slowly turned his attention to Alisa who shared his concerned expression. Her head slowly nodded, making a silent exchange as Neo climbed to her feet.

It was time.