Chapter XVI
It had gotten late, yet there was still so much left to do. There would only be more that needed doing as things progressed, too. Still, Zeilla was content with the progress that had been made so far. Her eyes had begun to tire and while her body felt ready for action it was her mind that had been doing most of the work. Wisdom told her she could do with some sleep-rest.
The Spartan looked around quickly. The sleeping partitions were set up and many were getting bunked down for the night, the guard roster was long since drawn up so those watching throughout had already slept and there were plenty of Sekirei keeping their weapons close at hand. She couldn't see her own Sekirei, save for Kagari spinning around in an office chair behind her to the left.
She tapped her headset. "Matsu, you there?"
There was no response for about thirty seconds, but then a click and a groan crackled through.
"/ /Yeah, I'm here… tired, so it's a tech call./ /"
"Can you set up an alarm to wake me up in four hours? Through your computer and the communicator you added to my translator?"
There was a brief mutter and rustling, then a clatter of fingers on a keyboard. "/ /Done. Now I'm going to sleep./ /"
"Thanks, Matsu."
The crackle of faint static vanished.
Zeilla stood with no regard for her chair and stretched her muscles, rolling her joints and shaking out each limb. Four hours should be enough. She eyed Sekirei #6 for a moment before clearing her throat to get his attention.
"I'm going to catch some shut-eye, Kagari. If anyone has anything for my attention, ask them to leave a note on my desk so I can get to it in the morning."
The silver haired male nodded and returned to spinning around with small kicks to the feet of his own chair.
She watched him at it out of curiosity for a few rotations, wondering what possessed him to test his inner ear so. Her eye lids drooped again, reminding her to rest. Zeilla shrugged and shifted her armament as she sat down on the floor where her chair had been.
Tipped on one side without its lid, the large wooden shipping crate serving as her desk was big enough to allow her to shuffle inside. It was also strong enough to let her lean into one corner. The Spartan folded her arms and let her head fall against her chest and the side of the crate as she shut her eyes, then she slowed her breathing and recalled the long and technical list of her MJOLNIR armour specifications.
She was asleep in less than a minute.
Having been trained for the possibility of unforeseen emergency deployments the Spartan III quickly slipped through to the sleep cycle with the best value to her. Rejuvenating her muscles and reducing brain activity to eliminate dreaming. Had she been uncertain of her safety she would have pictured something else and stayed close to waking. With Sekirei in the dosens around her and the growing bonds to five of them Zeilla felt safe. Even if the base was attacked, she would be allowed a few moments of confusion and slow thinking.
Though four hours passed by at the same pace as any other block of time, the Spartan didn't experience more than a few minutes.
There was an insistent and irritating tone blaring in one ear. It grew louder and louder as her senses focused and she recalled recent events. Zeilla recognized the feel of Matsu's jury-rigged headset and that the alarm she had requested was doing its job.
Oh… I didn't think about how I was going to stop the alarm.
"Matsu?"
The alarm tone continued. Though she waited, nothing filtered around it.
"Matsu? Hello… or have you been night-crawling again?"
Only the alarm replied.
With an exhale Zeilla detached the device and folded the headbands together with the microphone. When she attempted to sit up however, there was unexpected resistance. Upon a proper inspection of her surroundings it was evident Kagari had crawled under her desk beside her and fallen asleep. Knowing his usual behavior, she doubted he had intentionally wrapped his arms around her waist and tangled their legs.
He was sleeping peacefully, nestled under her arm and resting his head back on her shoulder. Slack-jawed and breathing softly, his face had lost all of its tension to the point he could have been another person in the dim light.
"Hey, Kagari, wake up."
The young alien didn't twitch a single micron.
"Kagari? Homura? Wake up, will you?"
He rolled is head towards her and settled on her chest.
"I seem to have trouble with sleeping Sekirei lately." She muttered to herself. "Sekirei number Six, Homura, wake up."
Kagari sighed in contentment.
Zeilla narrowed her eyes. "If I have to yell then I might wake up the others, Kagari. Wake up and let me get out of this hovel. I have work to do."
She couldn't see his face, but the noise he made sounded decidedly happy.
"Wakey wakey, you clingy alien."
He remained quiet, breathing steadily yet faster and deeper than before.
Zeilla rose a brow. "Hmm… Kagari…"
He made that happy noise again.
"Homura Homura Homura…"
The Sekirei raised his head, brushing his cheek up her chest as he did so, then settled in to nuzzling her neckline and inhaling deeply. She could feel the heat of his breath slowly seeping into her clothing as he continued to exhale to the same degree before the respiratory cycle repeated. Craning her neck to observe his contented expression she decided that Sekirei likely had an instinctive desire to be close to their Ashikabi, not merely one of their conscious choice. If hearing his name spoken by her was enough to elicit a response while their bond was likely quite weak, then Zeilla supposed Minato Sahashi's attachment to his Sekirei might explain their gathering in his bedroom each night. It amused her to note that while Kagari held himself with indifference and acted with a professionalism expected from a fellow Spartan, with his guard completely down when asleep he was little different to Matsu.
It was something she would never reveal to the redheaded gutter-mind, for Kagari's sake. She needed him focused, not worrying about his behavior. As amusing as his retribution upon #2 could be, the shame might be too much for him to do more than attempt to hide. He'd become unsure of himself around his own Ashikabi like some pubescent idiot. Zeilla preferred him how he was: a fellow warrior.
As if he had heard her thoughts the very Human looking alien hummed happily and snuggled up against her all the more, even trying to push himself up. He ended up with his nose in her ear and grabbing at her breasts with both hands through her jacket and undersized Kevlar vest. The Spartan gently pulled at one arm but he dug his fingers in.
Zeilla frowned. If I wake him up now, he'll figure it out on his own. The moment might be even more shocking to him. I'm not going to waste time letting him go wild either… but how to handle this...
She carefully tossed her headset out of the crate and then felt the sides for purchase. Indeed, her fingers found some ridges in the wooden planks that made up the faces of the crate. With the aid of her boot heels gripping the floor Zeilla slowly dragged both herself and her Sekirei out. Kagari slipped behind her somewhat by the time she had the edges of the crate in reach and tightened his grip on her Kevlar in an effort not to be dislodged just in time. Zeilla used her boots to grip the concrete floor of the warehouse and prevent the crate from sliding, then hauled both of them out and stood.
With one hand, she reached behind her head and grabbed a fist full of his jacket, then used brute force to break his grip. After a jolt she pulled him clear of her body. It didn't surprise her to see him stirring while he hung off the ground. She gave him a few moments to awaken more fully.
"Hey, Kagari."
He opened his eyes and looked around, shifting a bit in discomfort. "Zeilla… uh…"
The Spartan set him down, let him steady himself, then let go and retrieved her headset. Once it was carefully connected and secured to her head – pinning back her hair – he seemed much more alert. Fortunately, the alarm had ceased.
"You know, it might be a good idea to find a bed if you are tired. Sleeping in a chair isn't healthy."
Kagari gave her a confused look and blinked.
"Well, now that you're up and awake how about you sit with me in going over logistics." She suggested, knowing full well that most her other Sekirei would jump at the chance to spend time with her. "You might learn a thing or two."
He simply nodded and went looking for a chair.
Kagari hadn't taken to desk-work with much enthusiasm once she left him to some simple tasks, but she was sure he would be fine. He had been quite attentive and applied himself fully as she taught him, after all. Zeilla needed to get her body moving. Many of the Sekirei – and most of the Ashikabi, if they were honest – also needed to move about.
After she demonstrated the basics of her exercise plan they seemed ready to change their minds.
"Keep going! If you're still breathing you can do another one!" she barked, even as she dropped down and completed another press-up. "Move!"
Most of the Sekirei finished the burpee. A few Ashikabi managed a sluggish, pitiful hop before they stooped down again. A bunch of bodies lay where they had collapsed in sweaty messes. Zeilla watched them constantly, and murmured data to Matsu via headset.
She pushed them until the last Sekirei gave up – #96 Midorino, the sailor-outfitted one with a mean look on her face. Only then did she herself stop.
"I know you Sekirei can do more." She taunted. "Now, remember how many you were able to to. Every day you will do half that number, rest, then repeat. Every day, three repetitions. This is on top of combat training."
A few groans and complaints rose from the exhausted bodies.
"This is so you Sekirei can fight harder for longer. This is so you Ashikabi can defend yourselves – even if only for a short time. Whenever you feel like giving up, remember the ones you are bonded to."
"That would make me give up sooner." Midorino scoffed and folded her arms. "You'd have to be insane to work hard for my Ashikabi."
The Spartan narrowed her eyes and shook out her limbs by habit. "You're not likely to be doing this for him, then. You have the drive to become stronger through effort like this, and merely need the patience to see results when they come in their time."
The Sekirei looked away and huffed. She gave no response.
"Alright, everyone. Go get some food in your bellies. Make sure to get meat – protein is good for building muscle. Those who've come off guard-duty get priority in the showers so they can sleep asap."
Zeilla left the sheparding of the youths to those Sekirei and Ashikabi who had volunteered for service-oriented roles. She had other things on her mind.
"Matsu, how are the civillians settling in?"
"/ /You only every ask about boring things, huh. They are fine. Miya has them whipped already, and the garden will soon look more like a farm thanks to Kusano and Tsukiumi. I almost want you to take over a park or something./ /"
"Leave that for after we deal with the immediate threat." She advised. "Given that Mr. Koya is there will you be able to convince Miya to allow firearms to be kept and trained with on her property? Regardless of the rumored Demon of the North those people need to be able to defend themselves."
"/ /I'll ask at a good time. You've had me ask her for too many things – I swear she might just snap and kill me./ /"
"I'm not a fan of giving guns to kids either, but they can't fight any other way. Miya can't be expected to protect them alone. The chance that attackers could get shot should be a decent deterrant." She insisted. "That's only one thing I wanted to bring up. I want to see if we can acquire some video games that can serve as simulators – let the kids unwind while they train up tactical and strategic thinking."
"/ /Hm, that I can manage. You just need to send a team or two to buy or steal the gear and games. I'll let you know when I have something."
"Thanks."
The Spartan marched over to a small space set aside near the office-access door, where a hastily arranged pile of papers had ended up. As she flicked through them, she knew she would need to find someone to organize the 'office' for her, or else waste time doing it herself. Data on the Ashikabi had to be divided by role, as did the data on the Sekirei, then special note made of any that needed more assistance than others. Hopefully there were some who were talented enough and able to provide that assistance.
Movement in the corner of her eye pulled her from her thoughts. A Sekirei approached her.
"#54 Kuruse." She murmured under her breath. "Florentino's unofficial adopted daughter."
The blond alien in a short red dress held a three-pronged spear in one hand. She smiled and made sure to halt just out of range of Zeilla.
"Ashikabi of War, may I speak with you?"
"What is it?"
Kuruse looked around briefly, then stepped closer. "I have to confess… I don't have a proper Ashikabi – not like the others. Florentino-sama didn't make me react, and I still don't have my true power. All I have is a crest."
Zeilla frowned. "So, this is the weakness you mentioned at the meeting. Yet you call him your Ashikabi?"
"He has been good to me." She replied with a fond smile, and raised a hand to fidged with the aqua-blue ribbon woven into a braid along one side of her head. "He gave me a place to stay. He and his wife welcomed me as if I was family, and I tried to repay him with my Sekirei contract… but it didn't work, somehow."
"Curious situation… you didn't do well in the burpee test – better than Humans but lesser than Sekirei by a clear margin. You fight with a polearm? How good are you?"
The girl hefted the trident and spun it over her head for a few rotations before she slammed the butt into the warehouse floor with visable effort. The impact did make a small indentation in the concrete, but no cracks or clouds of dust erupted.
"As you can see, all I have is the sharpness of my weapon and my skill." She lamented, though her smile never left her lips entirely.
"You want me to train you personally?"
Kuruse shook her head. "I want you."
Zeilla leveled a non-plussed stare at the alien.
"I need you." She corrected. "I need to unlock my true power, or I will always be a burden to the others and Florentino-sama."
"Of all the Ashikabi here you chose me?"
"Who else?" she countered, as if the question needed no answer.
The Spartan stepped forward and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "There are many Ashikabi here. Go talk with them and your fellow Sekirei. Perhaps one of them is a good match for you. I have my hands full."
"I will not! I need you to take me!"
The sudden desperation in her voice deepend Zeilla's frown. "Explain. Now."
Kuruse ducked her head and let her trident fall back against her shoulder. "I haven't been able to repay Florentino-sama. The longer I live as his daughter the longer I receive from them, unable to give back more than my time and effort. They have taught me many things… I can't repay them as I am now… I need you."
"You need an Ashikabi-"
"I need you!" she insisted. "With you power I can not only unlock my Norito but also become strong enough repay Florentino-sama!"
Zeilla gestured to the other parts of the warehouse. "Have you considered any of the others at all?"
"Please!" the alien whispered. "I beg you... I need more than just any Ashikabi."
"If you feel that strongly about this, I'd say you already have one in the Florentino couple. An adopted child you may be, but you belong with them."
The Spartan used the shoulder in her grasp to turn Kuruse around and gave her a gentle push. The girl looked back at her with tears in her eyes.
"If I became your proper Ashikabi, could you really say that you were the one to repay them?" Zeilla challenged. "Or would it be that I paid your debt, and thus you would become indebted to me?"
From the way Kuruse's knees gave out and left her hunched in a heap on the floor, she had not considered her own proposed solution fully. Her shoulders quivered and she brought her hands up to cover her face.
"Go, Kuruse. Find someone you can bargin with in your own strength. Do not sell yourself short by begging for anyones help. If you feel so strongly that you must repay the Florentino couple then you will be able to manage this."
"/ /Wow, ruthless./ /"
"Eh? You have enough time to comment on my management style? Sounds like you need more work to do."
"/ /Hey! I can eavesdrop and work at the same time./ /"
"Matsu, find me someone who can design an office for me. I'd be better use figuring out how to handle all these different melee weapons."
"/ /As I said, you're ruthless. I'm slaving away here and you're giving me more work. Don't you have plenty of minions, now?/ /"
Zeilla cycled a breath. "Do you know what the reward for hard work is, Matsu?"
"/ /Snuggle time with Mina-tan?/ /"
"More hard work."
"/ /More?! But... Dam./ /"
