Far East Branch - Sick Bay
Neo and Soma spent the remainder of their afternoon organizing his belongings and tidying up around his room. As much as someone like Neo was capable of tidying, that is. After questioning his reading glasses, she eventually began questioning other things around his room. His color scheme, his decorations, even his set of yellow shirts and matching ties, which ultimately earned her a scolding for digging through his belongings. He quickly realized that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate so long as she remained in his quarters.
It turned out that if he wanted her to stop derailing his train of thought, he would need to give her something to do. As a result, the veteran decided to leave the organization and stacking of the books to the New Type, as any attempts at actual cleaning led to disaster. Her efforts generally resulted in making the situation worse, as the woman didn't really have much knowledge of proper - or really any - tidying technique.
Regardless, they enjoyed themselves and by the end of it, his room was far less cluttered than when they started. After finishing the work and reading together for a while, the pair went their separate ways. With Neo agreeing to help her friend in the art of Aragami skills in exchange for a generous payment of First Love Juice, they decided to start training when next available. Although slightly irritated by her deviousness, he didn't really mind it too much. It wasn't like he was going to drink his ration anyway.
The days that followed brought a bit more excitement to the Den. During their downtime, Kanon had finally returned to Headquarters, bringing horror stories of her time in the wilderness. After protecting their rookie, she and her teammate had made their way to Aegis Island, hoping to use the underground tunnelways to make it safely home. In transit, their plan was thwarted and their path blocked by the unexpected appearance of a Type 1 Deusphage, the Tsukuyomi.
Kanon had managed to escape the onslaught, returning to base and apprising everyone of what she had found. Soma, Sakuya, Alisa, and Kota were dispatched immediately to deal with the threat in the hopes of finding her missing colleague. The group was able to destroy the Aragami, but by the time they arrived, Brendan was nowhere to be found.
Following those events, Neo had taken the time to meet with Kanon in the medical ward, both to check subtly on her condition and to gather information. She was growing impatient with the wild goose chase and, at this point, figured that the other God Eater may have some greater insight on the overall situation. The New Type had an understanding of Aragami patterns. Perhaps, with Daiba's help, she could piece together the pathways they had taken and figure out where Brendan may have gone.
The gunner sat quietly on her bed in the medical ward, eyes staring lazily at the curtain. It was thick and pastel green in shade, one of the only shades of color inside of the otherwise white room. Kanon made an internal note to herself regarding the similar hue between them and her own outfit, wondering if she should change her look. Green wasn't a common color in the Far East. Perhaps there was a reason for it.
The dull hum of the sliding door paused her wardrobe considerations, drawing her gaze to the entranceway. Stepping through the opening was the only other person with stranger fashion sense than her own, as evidence by her bright pink denim romper. Covering her legs were a pair of blood red tights, complete with a pair of black snow boots with pom-poms on her feet. Covering her hands, as always, were a pair of matching pink gloves. It was a clash of the seasons and Kanon couldn't even begin to figure out what to make of it. But that was just who Neo was.
Striding towards the bed, the New Type stared down at her with a look that could only be described as annoyance. "Where is Brendan?"
Kanon shook her head. "I… I don't know at this point."
"What happened?"
"What?"
"Tell me what happened. If I'm going to find him, I need to retrace your steps."
Kanon sagged slightly into her hospital bed at the realization. "Oh Neo, I'm so sorry for causing so much trouble. See, we were ambushed by this blue Aragami we've never seen before. After we let Annette escape, we made it to Aegis Island. That's where we were attacked. We put up a fight for a while, but we began losing so Brendan said he'd be the bait…"
Neo listened carefully to Kanon's story, her eyes narrowing with each new detail. So, he had decided to martyr himself for the sake of his comrades. Typical. "And you just let him?"
Her tone held a brutal edge that made the gunner shrink before her gaze. It was a bit unnerving to see the New Type in such a foul mood. In fact, it wasn't like her at all. Neo was always a bit cranky, sure, but today was different somehow. Like something specific was bothering her. Sighing, Kanon lowered her head. "I know… I always talk so big about doing my best… But I'm powerless, and I end up relying on somebody…"
The other woman said nothing. What could she say? She didn't want to blatantly agree with her, for fear of hurting her feelings. Kanon had enough trouble shooting her allies by accident. The last thing Neo wanted to do was give her an actual reason. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and pressed forward. "So, he created a diversion to allow you time to escape?"
"Yeah. That's pretty much what happened."
To her surprise, the New Type scoffed and rolled her eyes. It was almost as if she were expecting her answer. "Of course he did. I guess he's still the same…" She muttered quietly to herself.
The words reached Kanon's ears, albeit barely, and earned a curious expression in response. Neo spoke as though she knew Brendan. As though this were exactly the type of thing she knew he would do. The idea struck her as odd considering that the two had never met before and from what she could tell, the New Type actually went to great lengths to avoid him.
Unfortunately, Neo never gave her an opportunity to voice her inquiry. "Let's go." Turning on her heel, she went back the way she came, leaving a dumbfounded Kanon tottering behind her.
"W-Wait! Where are we going?"
"To get that selfless dunce."
. . .
Far East Branch - Lobby
In the lobby hall, Tatsumi sat tiredly on the familiar sofa, venting his frustrations to the Far East's resident sounding board. "I don't know what to do. It's just been one thing after another. First, Lindow goes missing and he's confirmed dead. Then it turns out he's actually alive, but no one can find him. Then three members of my unit go missing. Annette comes back, Kanon and Brendan are gone. Now Kanon's back and Brendan is still MIA. I can't keep up anymore."
Ichiro slowly nodded his head, sympathetic to the Captain's frustration. As a squad leader, it was always difficult to lose any one of their members. And Tatsumi had lost three in the span of a week. While two of them had finally returned, the one remaining was understandably stressing him beyond belief. "Try to take it one step at a time. The good news is that Kanon has been found. At least that's one less person to worry about."
Tatsumi sighed. "Yeah, I know. I know, you're right but…"
"What?"
"I don't know, it's just… it sounds like Kanon and Brendan were being chased by a really strong Aragami… I mean, this is all hard enough for the 1st Unit to handle, right? What are the rest of us supposed to do…"
Ichiro frowned, unamused by that type of talk. "You will be fine. Your unit is strong. Brendan will turn up… we just have to be patient and keep looking."
"Haha, thanks for the compliment, but that's kind of a lie." The Defense Squad Captain laughed, taking note of Ichiro's unhappy expression. "I'm not trying to put myself down or anything. The fact is, we're ranks below the 1st Unit in terms of strength, objectively speaking. That being said, we're still pretty useful, right?"
"Of course you are. Listen, you may not possess the same level of power, but that doesn't diminish the importance of your squadron. You may not see it as such… but I'm sure the survivors of The Great Barrier Breach would think very differently."
"Yeah… Yeah, you're right. We do our best in what we can. And this goes for us both."
"Exactly."
Tatsumi perked up, seemingly pulling himself out of his funk. "Alright. Enough with the ranting. I'm gonna go get Shun and Karel and go find our little Brendan!"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Anyway, thanks for listening. I know you've got enough on your own plate to deal with."
"Think nothing of it. I am always happy to help however I can."
"Alright, let's do this! Later Hamasaki."
"See you."
. . .
That was the last conversation the veteran had with Tatsumi prior to his departure. Since then, he hadn't heard from him nor word of his return. It had been a while since his squadron moved out, but not so long as to draw concern. For now, he would just wait patiently for news and keep an ear out for any hints of Brendan's whereabouts.
"Neo! Neo, wait! Slow down!" Kanon's call across the headquarter lobby drew his attention. Spotting the two of them, the veteran lifted a curious eyebrow at the unfolding spectacle.
Emerging from the elevator lift, Neo strode through the hall with a look of fierce determination that Ichiro hadn't seen in some time. Walking briskly behind her was the 2nd Unit gunner, trying desperately to keep up. What on earth were those two doing? Sighing, he hoisted himself from the couch and strolled toward them. It seemed his work was never done. "Neo, what are you doing now?"
The New Type paused, turning her attention to her confused guardian. "Going to get Brendan."
The veteran's brow raised even further. "You know where he is?"
"N-No, not technically…" Kanon stammered, looking wildly between the two God Eaters.
"So, your plan is… what exactly?" Ichiro questioned, his earlier relief fading into irritation.
"Was I unclear?" Neo snapped, her tone startling Kanon. It seemed her mood was swinging again.
Her guardian, however, was unfazed. "You are not wandering off into the wilderness without a strategy."
"Watch me."
"Neo." His voice lowered, the warning in his tone not going unnoticed.
At the sound of his rumble, she shrank slightly. But she didn't back down. "Ichiro. I need to do this. Please… don't get in my way."
The three fell silent. His expression softened at her plea, although he couldn't help being confused by it. Such resolution was surprising for Neo, especially for someone that she didn't even know. Granted, the New Type had always held a deep-seeded desire to aid people, especially in her youth… but somehow this was different. This went beyond kindness. It was almost personal. He sighed, pondering on the matter for a few moments before finally giving in. "Alright. I won't stop you. But I'm coming with you."
Neo's expression lifted at his affirmation, a grin forming on her lips. Kanon, unfortunately, was slightly less moved. "Hey guys? I hate to be that person, but… we still don't know where to start. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for your assistance. But if we don't have any leads…"
"Actually, there might be one." Hibari interrupted, beckoning the three of them toward the mission desk. She waited patiently for the trio to approach her before gently turning her computer monitor. On the screen was a small pinging circle near the City of Mercy. "There's a report of a Prithvi Mata with a large blade gash in the Old City. They think Brendan's the one responsible. If that's the case, then -"
"She's still out there with him." Neo murmured. Her eyes grew dark, lips curling into an angry snarl.
Her teammates looked sideways at her, noting the sudden shift in her demeanor. She was swinging again, this time for the worse. Their concerned expressions went unnoticed by her. At the moment, she was filled only with rage. The Prithvi Mata; Neo's sworn enemy. Aptly named the Frozen Witch. She would never pass up a chance to bring one of them down and in fact, would enjoy nothing more.
"Go to him."
Her eyes slowly lifted at the sound of a familiar voice calling out to her. It seemed that he had finally decided to show himself.
At her silence, Ren continued. "Hurry. The Prithvi Mata is a dangerous foe, and your comrade is already exhausted. You must go immediately."
He was right. She didn't have time to be brooding. Brendan didn't have time. Turning towards him, she nodded. "You will assist me, yes?"
Ren nodded. "Absolutely!"
To his side, Kanon echoed him. "Of course! Let's go! It's my turn to help him this time…" Pumped up, she turned and darted towards the stairwell with Neo and Ren following quickly after her. Behind them, Ichiro shook his head and followed. He hadn't missed the direction of Neo's eyes. She wasn't speaking to either of them. Her apparition must have returned.
. . .
City of Mercy
Their trip to the city was an uneventful one. The four God Eaters traveled in silence and continued as such long after they arrived. Kanon and Ren remained focused, their eyes sweeping the area for any signs of their adversary. Neo took point, her own senses scanning the vicinity for her prey. Ichiro followed close behind, keeping a careful eye on her as they traveled. Her lips started to move, head turning occasionally to her right side. She was doing it again. Curious, he silently picked up his pace to better hear her.
Ren walked beside The New Type, his crimson orbs looking around the old city. "It's been a while since I've visited this place."
"That's by choice, no?"
"Somewhat. It holds many memories."
"Yeah, I know the feeling."
"It was foolish of him to leave us."
"It was. He and I didn't spend much time together, but…"
"He is kind… truly selfless to a fault."
"Yeah, no kidding."
Ichiro raised an eyebrow as Neo spoke to herself, snippets of her conversation reaching him. He couldn't be entirely certain about the topic of their discussion, but from the direction it was going, it was probably about Brendan or possibly Lindow. From the solemn droop of her body language, it was likely the latter.
Ren smiled at her. "We will find him, I'm sure of it. But first, we must locate your ally."
"Yeah, his dumbass is out here somewhere. We find her, we find him."
The other New Type quirked an eyebrow at the viciousness in her tone. Something had gotten under her skin. "…You don't like them, do you?"
"Depends. You'll need to specify."
"The Prithvi Mata. You seem to hold a particular disdain for them. Why is that?"
"…You wouldn't understand. Besides, it was a long time ago."
"I see. You lost someone dear to you, I take it."
"Yeah… and I could've saved him. If it weren't for her…" Neo scowled, shaking her head. It wouldn't be accurate to say that Hiroyuki would have survived. The supplies they located would have likely lasted them another few months, assuming that she partook of none of it. But it was still precious time they had lost. Perhaps the components they found could have brought forth a signaling device more quickly, and they would've have been found. Or not. It was impossible to know. The only thing that was certain was that it would have increased their chances. "The Frozen Witch took him from me. I won't let her take Brendan too."
"I understand. Oh! Perhaps I might make a suggestion…"
Behind her, the veteran frowned. He knew that tone, and thus who she must have been talking about. He could recall his father's voice over his final recordings detailing the account.
It resembled a Vajra, but its face…
The Prithvi Mata. Neo and his father must have encountered one during their time in the wilderness. It had destroyed their new base of operations and everything inside of it, forcing them to backtrack to their increasingly uninhabitable location. It was likely that Neo blamed the Aragami for his father's death, as its ambush was ultimately what set the wheels in motion.
It brought him joy to see just how much Hiroyuki had meant to her. She had done everything in her power to save him and given the chance, she would do it all again. Ichiro always knew Neo loved his father, but to see it brought him hope. That she was capable of such proved that she was still human. What confused him was her concern for the 2nd Unit Vice Captain. She had never shown any interest in him before. Why was she so upset…?
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted as the woman in question accelerated without warning. "Wha - Neo, wait!" He called.
She ignored him. Aggravated, her guardian took off after her with a startled Kanon quickly following behind. He had no idea what Ren was telling her, but he would have some stern words for him on encouraging reckless behavior. If he could speak to him, that is.
Neo ran all the way through the city, cutting down any nuisances that crossed her path. With Ren by her side, the two of them quickly dispatched all foes with little effort and continued forward to their ultimate goal. Ren had made the recommendation, and now that she thought about it, it was a pretty good one. If she were Brendan, she would try to find cover. Staying out in the open was a death sentence, especially in an injured or exhausted state. There was only one place in the City of Mercy that afforded the best coverage and stability and, ironically, was the last place she had faced these monsters within the city limits.
Her feet picked up the pace, her strides growing larger as she felt the familiar pull of an Aragami drawing near. The air around her grew cold as the temperature dropped, growing lower the closer she got to the Cathedral. The sound of a loud crash confirmed her suspicions. They were there.
. . .
City of Mercy - Cathedral
Brendan panted as he lowered his tower shield, rolling to the side to avoid another incoming icicle. After dealing a nasty blow to the Prithvi Mata's face, it had grown enraged and pursued him through the city. He had managed to lose it for a little while, taking cover in the area's sturdiest building. It was there that he took the last of his Restore Pills, leaving him in the best condition he could reach at this point. Relentless as it was, the Aragami had found him and was now quickly pressing him back as he tried to maneuver within the confined space.
With his slower weapon, he was already at a disadvantage against the rapid feline. Prithvi's were incredibly nimble creatures and their elemental power only added to that threat. Combined with the low movement in the area and his growing exhaustion, he was losing ground. But escaping the building was impossible at that point. Turning his back on the Prithvi would be all but signing his death warrant. He was trapped. He didn't know how much longer he was going to hold out at this rate.
Lifting his blade, he readied himself for combat once more. If he was going to die, he would go down swinging. The monster roared, its unnatural jaw unhinging to a frightening depth. This was it. Then…
'What the…'
Brendan felt his body quiver as the air around him nearly froze. He had grown accustomed to the lower temperature in the area, as a deathly chill followed the Aragami wherever she went. But this was something different. It was getting even colder. Stranger still, the chill was coming from behind him. The frigid bite was accentuated by a pair of rapidly approaching footsteps. "Holy…"
Neo leapt over him at high speed, her scythe clutched tightly in her right hand. With her left, she struck the Mata right across its pale face. Landing, she slid across the ground, whirling her weapon in a deadly flourish. The startled Aragami turned, lines of red dripping down its porcelain skin.
Brendan's eyes grew wide at the sight, the long red slashes raising alarm. Were those… claw marks?!
He didn't know what to make of it. And he didn't have the energy nor the time. The Vice Commander was alarmed by the New Type's unexpected entrance, but relieved by her assistance. It seemed that luck was on his side this day.
The New Type herself was livid, eyes burning with rage as she circled the large creature. A low rumble escaped its throat, a threatening song of warning. Neo responded in kind with a violent hiss of her own, every muscle in her body coiling in preparation. "You can't have him, Frozen Witch. Face me… I will be your end."
The Prithvi charged, leaping towards her with extended claws. Neo all but sidestepped it, maneuvering around its legs and delivering a counterstrike to its sensitive stomach. An angry scream was her reward, followed a familiar chill. She turned to see an icy projectile launching towards her.
"Neo, look out!" Brendan warned.
It was unnecessary. She hopped back to dodge the block smirking before it collided with the ground and exploded in a cloud of icy mist. Neo remained hidden in the fog for a few moments, switching her weapon into gun form as she scrolled through her bullets. This was going to hurt… but she didn't care. Not if it meant that she could send her nemesis to the grave. The Prithvi charged towards her, mouth agape for a nice, frozen meal.
She didn't get one.
Neo waited for the right moment, taking aim as the monster approached. When it was two paces away, she shouted. "Now, Ren!" Then, she unloaded. Her entire magazine of blast bullets fired into the monster's gaping maw, the explosions all but blowing its entire head apart. In such close proximity, with nowhere else to go, the force of the eruption sent both of them backward. The Prithvi fell to the ground, unmoving. The New Type shrieked, flames grasping at almost every inch of her body as she tumbled into the solid wall.
Thankfully, her pain was short-lived. Following her signal, Ren fired his own bullets, trailing her moving body with his barrel and sinking four recovery shots into her as she soared. The burns quickly healed, but the stars in her eyes took a few moments to disappear. He rushed to her side, helping her stand.
"That was reckless." He commented, giving her a mildly irritated look for, once again, disregarding her well-being.
"Shut up." She muttered, shifting her weapon back into scythe.
"I… thank you…" Brendan said, a look of utter astonishment on his face. He had never seen someone singlehandedly take on such a foe, let alone with such ferocity. Of course, what else could he expect from a Special Op? "I don't know how much longer I could've held out."
Neo turned away from him, avoiding his gaze as she walked towards the headless form. Her boots splashed through the growing pool of crimson, her red tights dying deeper as she knelt before it. With her back to him, he couldn't see the woman driving her arm shoulder-deep into the carcass and pulling out the core. She had just swallowed the last of reward when a second pair of footsteps echoed through the Cathedral.
"Brendan!" Kanon shouted, nearly tackling the Vice Captain. She was glad to see him safe. "Are you alright!? We heard there was a Prithvi Mata prowling about…"
"Hehe, happy to see you too. And I don't think we need to worry about that." He replied, inclining his head towards the slain creature in the corner of the hall.
Kanon's mouth fell open at the sight of it, its lifeless body twisted into a crumbled bloody heap on the floor. Its head was simply… missing, no more than a mess of splattered meat. She thought she could see an eye lying a few feet away, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to think about it either. Standing beside the horrific display was their missing New Type, looking filthy but otherwise unfazed. Her clothes were singed, which was certainly cause for some concern.
Ichiro acknowledged the two of them briefly before storming towards the bloody woman with a look that spoke a thousand words. "Do I even need to say it?" He snapped, glaring down at the woman as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I had it under control. Ren wouldn't let anything happen to me."
"That's -" Her guardian started to retort, before quickly shutting his mouth. He couldn't reveal to her that Ren wasn't real. For now, he had to play along. With a frustrated sigh, he relaxed his posture. "…Thanks for looking out for her. Somebody has to." He muttered to no one in particular.
Neo glared at him, unhappy with his smart remark. Beside her, Ren smiled and nodded his head. "Certainly! Your companion can be truly thoughtless at times."
"Thoughtless?!" She turned, leveling her glare instead at the snickering New Type.
Her guardian held back a grin at her response. Perhaps this Ren character wasn't so bad after all.
"Come on, let's call for exfil! We need to get you to the medical ward right away!" Kannon fussed, flitting around him as she sent the message.
Brendan waved her away, trying to convince her that he was going to be fine. He would be once he could get some much-needed rest. Distancing himself from his worrying teammate, he wandered his way towards the New Type nodding his acknowledgement. "Seriously, I appreciate it. I've said it once before, and I'll say it again. Special Ops is something else."
Neo turned towards him, shrugging her shoulders in response. Beside her, Ichiro nodded. "That's our job, after all. Although, I wasn't really needed for this one." He muttered, glancing once more at the mutilated corpse at his side.
Brendan grinned at the display, watching as Neo scowled once more at his complaint. Those two were a mess, but the Far East was better off for them. As he watched, he felt his lips fall, his eyes focusing on the New Type's face. There it was again, that strange sense of familiarity that plagued him whenever he was in her presence. He was almost convinced at this point that they had met somewhere before, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out when or where. He didn't get much longer to ponder it either.
The woman noticed him staring, her eyes narrowing at him before turning away. Sighing, Brendan shook his head, wandering towards the wall to give her some space. It was incredibly confusing to him that she would go to so much trouble to help, only to resume ignoring him moments later. He would never understand that woman. "Hmm…? What's this…?"
A small piece of pink fabric caught his attention lying on the ground not far from Neo's impact site. The strings were burned and frayed at the edges, the eye path clearly beyond repair. Even still, she may want it back. Turning, he made to call out to her, only to find her acutely absent. Where she stood only moments ago was now her guardian, irritated and alone.
Neo herself was nowhere to be found.
. . .
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
New costume unlocked!
Neo's outfits: h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/imgur -.-c-o-m /a/oRN8qWj