City of Mercy
"Hey, watch it!"
Soma's voice boomed across the large clearing. It came a moment too late to stop the incoming strike, one that would certainly be fatal. Or at least, it would have been had Neo's guardian not intervened. With a carefully timed grab, Ichiro was able to snatch the New Type out of the air and dive for cover out of harm's way. The shrill sound of blades passed overhead as razor wings missed them by a hair's breadth.
It was their first mission together in a little while and interestingly enough, Neo's first battle against the Dyaus Pita. Wielding a divine arsenal and a resistance to both of her elements, it was far from what one could call an even matchup. Its terrifying movement speed wasn't helping either, requiring her to push into Level 3 Burst to outpace it. It was by far the most dangerous foe she had faced besides the Hannibal. A battle of epic proportions that could end her with a single wrong move. And of course, she was recklessly throwing herself right into the center of it.
With the creature's focus on Lenka for the time being, Ichiro rounded on her, readying his shield should he need it. "For gods' sake, would you please be careful?!"
"I would've been fine. Probably."
"You would've been sawed in half!"
"That's why I said probably."
"What?!"
Ichiro never received an answer to his inquiry, the New Type leaping off into the fray once more. This had been the case for the past few days. Her reckless behavior had worsened, nowadays tipping into the territory of purposeful endangerment. He didn't know what had gotten into her or why she was behaving so irrationally, but it was pushing far beyond his patience.
Soma had noticed the change as well, sharing her guardian's sentiment that something needed to be done. If she was behaving this way in a team-based environment, it was inarguable that she was probably doing it on her own as well. Possibly even worse. At this point, it was only a matter of time before she killed herself and neither one of them had any intention of letting that happen. They were going to need to have an intervention when this was over to get to the bottom of this.
"Hello? 1st Unit, do you copy?!" Hibari's voice sounded through their radios. She sounded panicked.
"We read you. What's wrong?" Lenka replied, sliding narrowly beneath a vicious claw.
"I just received an emergency call from the Research Unit… Tatsumi, Shun, and Karel have encountered an unidentified Aragami at the factory ruins. Requesting for retreat backup."
"Kind of in the middle of something here." Ichiro muttered. He spun around the New Type with his shield raised, blocking an incoming sphere from her flank. Hibari's voice continued as he shot her a furious glare.
"I know, and you need to prioritize that first, but…" The line went silent for a few moments, the operator trying to collect her thoughts. "Listen, I understand this is completely personal and I don't mean to burden you, but… if possible… if you could please take care of your mission quickly and help Tatsumi out…"
All four God Eaters could hear the concern in her voice, an unusual tone during a mission. And while they would love to take amusement in her worry over the lovesick fool, it simply wasn't the time.
"That would be fantastic, but… I'm not sure how fast we can be." Lenka responded dejectedly.
Soma nodded, flipping into the air to place a careful strike over the Emperor's crown. "Utsugi's right. Even if we finish the mission right this second, we still need a transport."
Their radios once again went silent as Soma voiced their unanimous concern. Wherever Tatsumi was, it was far outside of their location. After slaying the Dyaus, they would still need to wait for a chopper, board it, and fly to their coordinates. There was no way that they would be able to do so in reasonable time. At this point, they almost needed a miracle… or something extremely fast.
"I'll go." Neo volunteered, earning a startled look from her three teammates.
The Captain narrowed his eyes at her, blocking an incoming bolt. "You do realize we're in the middle of a mission, don't you?"
"You said it yourself. We don't have time. Besides, from the way this thing's acting, it's on its last legs. You'll be fine without me."
The four fell silent, contemplating her offer. Her assumption wasn't incorrect. Based on its movements and its unfolded crimson wings, the Dyaus likely didn't have much fight left in him. With or without her, they could probably finish their mission within fifteen minutes. Then, they could call a transport and make their way to the other squad. In Level 3 Burst, Neo could probably cross the distance in nearly half that time, assuming that she didn't encounter any trouble along the way. It was a risky move, but entirely possible. In fact, it was almost preferable. If not only for her personal health.
"Neo's right." Ichiro agreed. At this point, they would be better off sending her to another location. In her current state against their current foe, she was almost more of a hinderance than help. With her gone, he could focus entirely on the task at hand without fear of her leaping to her demise every thirty seconds.
Soma seemed to understand and share his sentiment. Tatsumi, Karel, and Shun were all there, leaving her with backup should she need it. At the very least, she would be able to help them escape, even if they didn't emerge victorious in combat. "Go straight there, get them, and leave." At Neo's silence, he reiterated with deadly force. "Neo. Get in and get out. Do you understand?"
"Fine." She muttered. She wasn't in the mood to argue. Instead, she looked to Lenka, the only one left who hadn't voiced his opinion.
Sighing, the Captain shook his head. He didn't like the idea, but it was their best strategy at the moment. Besides, denying her was pointless anyway. There was nothing to stop Neo from ignoring instructions she didn't care to follow. "You heard him. No unnecessary risks."
Neo rolled her eyes, but nodded, turning towards the nearest, most open city street. "Hibari. Location?"
"Sunken Grid. Do you know how to get there from your coordinates?"
"I think so. Once I exit the city, it should be a straight shot."
"Alright… Please Neo, hurry."
At the sound of the operator's voice, she took off down the empty street. Emerging from the city, Neo darted forward. Her feet kicked up a dusty cloud as she accelerated across the open terrain.
. . .
Sunken Grid
Shun grunted, swinging his Long Blade with all his might, slashing across the Kongou's face. His nose scrunched in disgust as it retaliated with a large spray of blood across his jacket. Behind him, Karel followed up after him, pelting the monster's lifting arm with a spark bullet. Tatsumi brought up the rear with the final strike, leaping into the fray with a calculated series of consecutive strikes, one, two, and three. Both melees leapt backward to safety as the monster spun, its heavy fists passing mere inches from their faces.
"Oh, come on!" Shun griped, his eyes turning to another Kongou quickly closing in on them. How many of those stupid gorillas were running around out there?
He didn't know. But his irritation quickly turned to panic as the Kongou continued on right passed them. And rushing behind it, a new challenger entered the field. Like a black speeding bullet, an Aragami of unknown origin rushed toward them. It slid to a stop, cornering its fleeing quarry with a threatening fist. With a vicious roar, it swiped, once, twice. Both Kongous soared through the air like ragdolls, blood spraying across the ground from the sheer force of the blows.
Shun's complaining quickly turned to a nervous waver as the creature bellowed, leaping into the air with practiced motion. "Wh-What the hell is that frikkin thing?!" It spun, full circle, in the air. Then, it came down, using the momentum of its flip to drive its fist into the Kongou's head. It splattered, crushing the skull and painting the walls.
Karel shook his head in disbelief as Shun backed towards him. "This is bad… we need to fall back out of here right now!" Shun seconded his suggestion, backing away even further as the black reptilian monstrosity turned its attention towards them.
Tatsumi however, remained relatively calm. "It's only one. Split off and retreat. Go! Don't look back!" His eyes met with the monster's savage ones, rows of serrated teeth bared menacingly in his direction.
Quick reflexes worked in Tatsumi's favor, leaping backwards from an incoming swipe. But they only got him so far as the Aragami swung a second time in rapid succession. His buckler protected him from the brunt of the damage, but the force threw him off his feet. Shun and Karel watched in horror as his body slid between them across the ground.
"This… This will definitely not end well…" Slowly, the Captain sat up, looking the creature in its crimson eyes. It stared back at him, stepping forward. "No... No!" Tatsumi crawled backward, his eyes locked pointedly on his adversary. He couldn't die. Not yet. He had too much to do. He had to find Brendan and Lindow. He had to take Hibari out to dinner. He had to -
Duck?
From behind them, water splashed beneath the rapid footsteps. Had backup finally arrived? Someone was coming to their aid.
Neo was a violet blur, leaping into the fray with little more than a snarl as a warning. She landed, lurching forward on all fours to slow her charge. Her eyes lifted, gazing upward at the monster before her. She recognized this beast. They had met once before when it bested her in battle. The Hannibal. But this one was different, its skin as black as coal and divine energy radiating from every cell in its body.
The trio backed away from the encroaching conflict watching in confusion as the two stared one another down. It was as though they were communicating, each sizing up the other. The Hannibal growled at her, a low ominous rumble of warning. To their surprise, Neo answered its challenge a violent hiss. Her eyes narrowed at the Hannibal as it stepped forward, backing away as she swiped with a gloved hand. Something was wrong… this creature didn't want to fight.
But in the end, it had no choice. Losing out to its killer instinct, it raised its fist in the air to strike. This was going to hurt. Neo leapt to her feet, buckler activating as she planted her feet carefully to brace for impact. Then, the Hannibal swung, its fist crashing into her shield with the force of a wrecking ball. But Neo didn't move. Nothing did. Or perhaps it was simply her world that stood still, the familiar sensation rippling through her body and mind.
. . .
"Ngh…" A pained groan poured from his lips as he stumbled forward down the frozen stairs. His heartbeat thumped in his ears like a war drum, drowning out all sound around him. He gripped his arm in agony, eyes sweeping across the tundra through a veil of grey.
"Where the hell did I end up?"
Spear-like icicles dangled from the stone above, with wind throwing ice and snow. "What am… Who am I?"
His eyes drifted downward to his arms, the pain threatening to overtake his entire body. His left hand was human, clenched violently over his right, which was unrecognizable. A twisted, mutated appendage of ebony and crimson wrapped in chains. His feet stomped through the snow as he stumbled through the frozen city. "My God Arc… Where's… Where's my God Arc?"
Blue. A brilliant hue entered his mind, the light almost blinding. It radiated from the center; the forehead of a gargantuan woman vast enough to swallow the world.
Every step was torture, his legs dragging across the ground like two lead weights. "Aegis… Aegis is… That's where I…"
A blinding flash. A perished child, its small, lifeless form rooted to the ground below.
"Aegis. Where is Aegis? Oh…"
Another flash. That same child kneeling beside him, her body wrapped in Fenrir's flag. A dim glow emanated from her palms as she carefully held his mutated arm.
"Am I dead? No… M-Maybe…"
The world pulsed and faded. From grey to black. From black to grey.
"Sleep… and agony… and need… so much pain…"
From grey to black. From black to grey. A Vajra turned towards him with the face of a cruel goddess. He recognized this creature… their kind had ambushed him in the Old City. She stalked forward, her jaws opening menacingly. He could feel every cell in his body coming to life. From grey to black. From black to grey. The goddess roared her challenge, her unholy maw falling open to reveal the blackness within.
From grey to red.
When he awakened, the goddess was dead, her slain body lying still in the ice. Yet, it wasn't enough. "Ngh… Aragami… Here."
The world was spinning, a voice ringing in his head. A voice of an entity he could not see. "Who's there? Who calls? Who calls?! Where are you?!"
"Spinning and spinning… falling forever…" His gaze turned upward at the full moon above, holding his arm to the light. What was that? Did that belong to him? He didn't know. Did the moon always look so luscious? He couldn't remember.
. . .
He was running. He hadn't a clue where. He journeyed across the landscape, searching, but for what, he didn't know. His legs carried him so quickly now, steaking blindingly wherever they took him. They brought him to the Sunken Grid, his senses drawing him forward. Drawing him to… something.
Then he saw them. Kongous ambushing his allies.
"Aragami! Wicked beast! You'll pay! You'll pay for hurting them!"
He lifted his mutated arm. It seemed so much larger now. A single punch sent the Aragami flying, crashing into a nearby wall. His eyes glanced towards the other God Eaters, gazing upon him with fear. They looked so small to him now. "The hell are they just standing there?!"
He faced the Kongous once more, curling his other mutated hand into a fist. "Damn it… Not enough… Not enough! Bastards, cowards, monsters!" He swung, batting it away. It soared just like the other. He was so strong now.
"Die, die, diiiieee!" He was in the air, soaring with more height than he ever thought possible. Then, he landed, his fist driving straight into the ground and through the Kongou's head. So much blood. So much death. Yet still…
"Run, beast! If it weren't for your kind, you…"
A thought. A terrible thought. "Where are they?! Did they get away in time?"
He looked wildly around for them, trying to find his allies. Where? Where?
There. He saw them. Tatsumi, Karel, and Shun. The monsters didn't hurt them. They were alright. They were safe. Wait…
"No! I can't stop it!" His arm moved of its own accord, his body moving forward. "No… No, no! Ruun!" He couldn't control it. He couldn't think. He was driven forward by instinct alone despite his desperate pleas. Yet still, they stood, gazing at him with bewildered faces.
"Damn you! Please! Run! Get the hell out of here!"
They didn't listen. Tatsumi stepped forward, protecting his allies. He dodged the first swipe but was unprepared for the second. His body flew, the shield just barely protecting him from certain death. Why? Why did they stay?! "Don't fight, just flee! Flee and…"
Something was coming. Fast. He could feel it. Then… he could see it. His movements paused for only a moment as she leapt over them landing defiantly before him. Her stance mimicked his own, animalistic and feral. He recognized this woman. Chocolate skin and violet hair… she looked so alive now, eyes burning with unbridled rage.
"Kid… Is that… you?"
He stepped forward towards her. She swiped at him, unflinching. She was going to fight.
"You can't. You can't. No, no… Stoooooooop!"
. . .
The world returned from grey as their resonance ended. Time resumed, Neo and Hannibal gazing at one another unmoving. They were two silent creatures, one large, one small. Then, they backed away, their battle at an end. Her gaze traveled upward, her tearful eyes meeting with its own.
The Hannibal stood tall, leaving its offensive stance. Then it turned and fled, leaping towards a nearby ledge. He landed and sprung again, climbing over the wall.
Shun stared in utter disbelief at the display. He had never seen anything like it in his life. A creature so powerful, so monstrous, driven off by a woman not even five feet tall. "You chased it off. That was amazing! I -"
"Holy crap… What the hell happened?" Karel approached, looking wildly between the two of them. He couldn't believe it any more than his colleague could.
Tatsumi simply chuckled in relief. "Heh… Heh… You saved our lives. What was that? It can't have been normal. I mean…" His sentence trailed off as he noticed Neo's blank expression. She was staring forward, her eyes following the Hannibal's every movement as it crawled out of sight. "Huh? Hey, you alright?"
She couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear any of them. Her mind was a raging tumult of painful thoughts, her body trembling. Tatsumi stepped closer, looking around her and waving a hand in front of her face. There was no reaction. Neo was lost in a sorrowful trance. Then, she finally reacted… in the worst way possible.
"Wh - hey!"
Tatsumi's calls were ignored. Her God Arc fell to the ground with a clatter. Neo tore her gloves from her hands and bolted, taking off in the direction of the fleeing Hannibal. Accelerating as much as she could across the terrain, she threw herself as hard as her limbs would allow, grasping for anything she could get her claws on. Grabbing onto a dangling pipe, she swung herself once more, scaling the wall and vanishing from sight.
Shun and Karel stared, mouths agape as she disappeared, both from her physical capability as well as the action itself. Tatsumi frowned, turning a solemn gaze in her direction. He had never seen Neo crack before. He had never seen her display much of anything apart from irritation, let alone tears. All three of them were in shock, uncertain of what to do. The true gravity of the situation didn't register with any of them until a group of loud footsteps sounded behind them.
. . .
Wilderness
Tell me what would happen.
'No…'
You track Lindow down to wherever he is… Tell me what would happen if you saw an Aragami there instead. If you saw what he became.
'No!'
Could you put him down? Could you slay the beast?
Ren's words rang in her head as she ran, her feet thundering across the ground. She could still see him. He was there, a large black mass staring longingly over the horizon. She had nearly reached him… but upon catching sight of her, the Hannibal took off at a run, placing an increasing about of distance between them. Disadvantaged from a head start, Neo called upon her Oracles cells, streaking across the landscape in desperate pursuit.
She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it.
Because if Lindow couldn't be saved… what hope did she have?
She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, falling to all fours as she accelerated like a crimson speeding bullet. Dust kicked up as they passed, the pair a blur as they ran, one after the other… but it was no use. Even in Level 3 Burst, try as she might, the distance between them kept growing larger and larger. Even with all of her power behind her… it wasn't enough. The Hannibal had bested her once more.
Her chest heaved and her lungs burned with strain. She could feel her core-like heart hammering in chest as she slowly decelerated. Blood pumped wildly through her body, trying to keep up with her intense activity. As she finally came to a stop, she stood and watched as the black silhouette grew smaller, and smaller, until finally… it was gone. Her legs gave out, collapsing beneath her weight as she sank to the ground.
'No… No…'
She panted, sweat pouring from every inch of her body as her claws dug into the ground. What was she going to do now? Where was she going to go? Was this their fate? Why…? It wasn't fair. Her fangs dug into her bottom lip as her vision faded to grey. She could taste the coppery tang of blood dripping on her tongue, but she didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
Her heartbeat grew louder and louder, ringing in her head as she fought to keep control. She could feel her body trembling as her Oracle cells fought a molecular war, threatening to burst from her very body. And for a moment, she thought of letting go. What was the point of fighting anymore? If it was her destiny to become a monster, then why not just get it over with? Run off into the wilderness never to be seen again. She could spare Ichiro the pain of slaying her. She could spare herself the pain of hurting him.
With nothing left, Neo sagged into the ground, her voice breaking into an anguished wail. Clapping her hand over her mouth, she curled into a ball, trying in vain to silence her choked sobs.
. . .
"Any sign of her?" Ichiro called.
"None." Soma replied, rage dripping from his voice.
"Nothing over here!" Utsugi shouted.
Finishing their mission, the trio had made their way to the Sunken Grid as quickly as they could. They knew that Neo would have already arrived, and that she was strong enough to handle whatever she may find. This was especially true if she were with the other three, which was the only reason the two veterans had agreed to split up in the first place.
Now, they were regretting it. When they finally made it, they found the three missing God Eaters standing idly around, but no New Type. When they questioned them, they learned that she had done the most Neo thing possible and run off after an unidentified monster. Alone.
She had done precisely the one thing they told her not to do.
Sending the other three back to the exfiltration sight, the 1st Unit members quickly took pursuit. Unfortunately, as none of them were capable of clearing the height, they were forced to find another way around the wall. By the time they had looped around, both the Hannibal and the New Type were gone. They were able to follow the pairs of footprints for a good bit of the way, engraved in mud. But as they reached drier ground, they disappeared, leaving them at a total loss. Considering their speed and Neo's tenacity, she could be literally anywhere.
"Damn it! That is the last time that woman is going anywhere." Ichiro grumbled, his own patience at this point, utterly exhausted. He had just about had it with her behavior. While he was sympathetic to whatever it was that was bothering her, this had gone too far. He could tolerate her mood swings and unstable temper. He could tolerate her insatiable curiosity and endless troublemaking. He could even tolerate her imaginary companions and unquenchable thirst for blood. But what he would not tolerate was her senselessly endangering her very life.
Lenka shook his head, recalling their mention that Neo couldn't be caged. "How exactly are you going to stop her?"
"I don't know, Utsugi. I'll lock her in my bedroom if I have to and stand outside the door."
"I'm all for it. I'll take second shift." Soma replied, fully prepared to help him do whatever was necessary to restrain that girl. Assuming he didn't throttle her on sight.
At this point, they weren't sure what to do. The best they could hope for would be to turn around and request a transport. With a birds eye view, they would have a better chance at spotting her, and they could cover more ground. But doing so could take at least a half an hour, and at top speed, Neo could have left the area by then. And that was if she hadn't already engaged the Hannibal and gotten herself killed.
Ichiro sighed. "Sense anything?"
"Total silence." Soma muttered.
Lenka shook his head. "This is getting us nowhere. At this point, we may as well set up another search party. It's not ideal, but we're never gonna find her on foot."
Much as he hated to admit it, Lenka was right. Wandering aimlessly around would only aggravate them and waste precious time. "Alright, let's go then. If we hurry, we might be able to find her before nightfall." Ichiro agreed, turning back the way they came.
The pair started off, making it only about nine paces before realizing they were missing a member. Turning, Ichiro called, wondering if he hadn't heard them. "Soma, we're heading back. Come on, the sooner we go, the sooner we can locate her."
In truth, Soma couldn't hear him. At all. He had keened his senses, searching anywhere and everywhere for any sign of life. He had been about to call it quits when an energy signature started to reach him. Something was out there. Then, he heard the sound of a miserable howl. The moment it reached his ears, his mind went blank.
"Soma, where are you going?!" Lenka shouted. Without warning, Soma turned and ran, leaving both men behind and alarmed. He could feel his temper rising as yet another one of his members blatantly defied orders. While generally pretty lackadaisical regarding matters of rank, this was getting ridiculous. Soma and Neo both were going to need a stern talking to.
Ichiro watched him for a moment, suddenly starting after him as a thought reached his mind. There was only one thing that could draw the other veteran so thoughtlessly away. "It must be Neo!"
"Wait, what?! Hamasaki!" Lenka sighed as yet another of his subordinates took off on his own accord. Apparently, all three of them were going to need this discussion. Charging after them, he brought up the rear. He didn't have a clue what was going on at this point, but if he didn't keep up with them, there would be missing two more God Eaters.
The two followed Soma a short distance across the landscape, his body tense and never wavering from its path. It wasn't until he finally slowed that the two were able to catch up with him. And when they did, they saw what had stopped him.
Soma slowly came to his senses, the effects of the call fading away. The sound had stopped before he could cover too much ground, but thankfully, it was enough. With his mind returning to him, he immediately felt his anger returning and was about three seconds from unleashing it on their bullheaded companion. But when he caught sight of her, he wavered.
Lying on the ground out in the open was their missing New Type. The Hannibal was nowhere in sight, likely outrunning her and vanishing into the city. She was on her side, body curled into a ball with her hands clamped tightly over her mouth. Her shoulders trembled as she held tight, clearly trying to remain as silent as possible. Sighing, the veteran walked forward, feeling more relief than rage at this point just knowing that she was alive.
She remained still as the three made their way towards her, giving no indication she even knew they were there. It wasn't until Soma got a little too close that she finally reacted. Enraged, Neo leapt to her feet and swiped at him, her face twisted into an angry snarl. The claws passed close, but not enough to strike him. It was a warning… which was a good sign. Deterrents meant that Neo was still in control. But for how long, he didn't know.
Utsugi frowned at the display, recognizing the familiar reaction from the Infernal Subway. She was lashing out again, and this time he couldn't even begin to imagine why. His eyes drifted to her guardian. He gave him a stern look which he quickly shot back. Ichiro wasn't in the mood for this right now.
As the quickest of them, Soma continued forward, unconcerned, and unabashed. He couldn't sense any sparks, so it wasn't likely Neo was going to shock him. In the worst case, he would simply move out of the way and help Hamasaki deal with her if she truly became violent. But somehow, he didn't think that would be necessary this time. There was something about the look in her eyes that told him aggression wasn't going to be the end result.
He reached her, eyeing her as she glared at him. She grew agitated swiping at him again, this time well within range. But her strike was slow and imprecise, proving his theory that she had no desire for an actual fight. He caught her wrist, halting her assault easily and staring down at her. "What's wrong?"
With those two simple words, the floodgates opened. Neo came apart at the seams, unintelligible as she erupted into a fountain of tears. Soma let her hand fall and she quickly grabbed for the closest object she could find which, at the moment, was him. The veteran blinked, startled as Neo threw herself at him, burying her face into his chest to muffle her voice. His eyes widened in surprise, locking briefly with Hamasaki's before slowly glossing over. His mind was a battlefield, vying for control against the call of Neo's voice.
He couldn't move. He couldn't think. All he could do was take a page from the New Type's manual, and function entirely on instinct. And as he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, that was exactly what he did. Ichiro stayed back, concern lining his features as he watched her melt down. He had no idea what had set off this chain of events, but he had a feeling. Looking off into the distance, his mind traveled to the unidentified Aragami… and who it must be.
Utsugi looked on silently, keeping an eye out for any incoming threats while Soma consoled her. His gaze drifted away from the pair, landing instead on her guardian. He wouldn't say anything for the moment, primarily because he didn't have a single clue what to make of the situation. But he would have to broach the topic with him again soon, and preferably before his next trip to North America.
He had seen her lash out at Soma without prejudice upon his approach. Ichiro had assured him that she wasn't dangerous, and he desperately wanted to believe him. But with each passing day, that was getting increasingly more difficult. Her volatility was becoming impossible to ignore and doing so would be as irresponsible as it was foolish. The New Type was tumbling down a slippery slope… and it was only a matter of time before somebody got hurt.