Chapter. 13

Lance shot up as he awoke, again sweating. He looked around to see he was still in the sickbay. "You okay?" Asked Raven.

Lance took a few long breaths. "I don't know." Lance sat up and removed the pads attached to his chest. He looked to Raven was making glances at his right arm. "You want to know about this?" Lance held up his right arm.

"Sorry for staring."

"It's fine." Lance waved for Raven to come sit by him.

Raven grabbed a stool and placed it next to Lance's bed. "It looks burnt."

"It's not, it's biometal. A mix of space metal and human flesh."

"What?"

"I was born in a lab, meant to become a weapon against the aragami. I had three older sisters but they died before I came along. They were used to make this arm for me."

Raven covered her mouth. "That's horrible."

"Still, it gives me a sense of peace to have it. I've never met them but it's like they're always with me, like I'm not just living for myself. If that makes sense."

"It does." Raven hung her head. "I too was meant to be a weapon." Lance tilted his head. "I was born in Europe, living in the Gods Eater HQ. When I was seven some people came to our house and my parents told me to hide."

"What happened?"

They were killed. I now know it was by a company called ATC."

"What?!"

Raven leaned back from Lance's outburst. "You know it?"

"That's one of the companies that made me."

"What, really?" Lance gives a nod. "This is must be fate that we'd meet like this."

"I don't believe in fate, only the ones we make for ourselves." Lance reach out and held Raven's hand. "That's what Gods Eaters do, we fight fate for thou's who can't."

"That sounds so strong."

"Anyone can be strong. Anyway, you said you were a weapon?"

"Right. When my parents were killed people from a rival company took me before they could be killed." Raven lowed her gaze again. "But it was as a test subject. To help humans and aragami coexist in peace."

"Did Eve have a part in this?"

"Yes. When I became a Gods Eater at fourteen I was injected with pheromones along with oracle cells. Did you know that aragami attack other aragami but no one that look like them?"

"Yeah, I learned that with Shio. Also, orgetails don't attack me since after I got my second god arc."

"I wondered about that. Though I've seen many things with the hunters but none have two god arcs."

"I got when I was fighting off a hannibal in an orgetail nest. They all died to defend me." Lance sighed and ran his hands down his face. "I returned them to the pool they came from and the mother core turned into my right god arc."

"Mother core?"

"It's how aragami are born, from a large core that makes one type of aragami. I could show you if you'd like."

"I'd like that."

"Sorry to interrupt you, continue."

"Right. The pheromones were from a prithvi mata they captured. They were about to achieve a breakthrough when the lab was under attack and everyone was killed by ATC. Except for me and the prithvi mata, Eve."

"Was it you who named her Eve?"

"No. When I touched her a vine connected to my armlet and..."

"You resonated. It happens when I get on Kirito."

"Eve sees me in a way like her own child. She's been with me for five years. I love her as much as my own parents."

"That's good, trust is very important. Thank you for sharing with me."

"Thank you for listening."

Lance looked around to see his comrades still in their beds. "Is it alright to go see them?"

"Sure, sure." Raven nods and get up to back away.

Lance got up and went to Alisa's bed who still slept. "Aly. I'll find the nova and make it pay for what it did to you and everyone. I promise." Alisa brushed some of Alisa's hair aside and kissed her forehead.

Next Lance went where Kota was. "Rest up Kota, you fought hard friend. I won't let you're honor be taken away." Lance patted Kota's hand and walked away to Soma. "Soma... The son is not responsible for the sins of the father. We'll kill this nova just like the last one." Lance patted Soma's hand and held it for a moment. "For now, get better my brother."

Lance's phone started to ring. Lance checked to find a text from Paylor wanting to meet with him.

...

Paylor spoke up as Lance stepped into his office. "A whole unit. That monster managed to bring down a whole unit to their knees. they'll survive, thank goodness, but they will be laid up for quite some time to recover. longer still before they can fight again."

"That thing..." Lance's fists were shacking.

"I... I am truly sorry. This was a disaster. I should have seen it coming. The second nova is growing at a pace unprecedented. I didn't see that risk. I didn't predict it."

"We can play the blame game later, for now how do we stop this thing?"

"Right. That monster must have devoured countess aragami by now. Likely a sea of twisted and chaotic bias factors are warring within it. We have to face the possibility that engaging the nova in combat is not a viable option. If even our vaunted first unit stood no chance."

"So how do we stop this thing? We can't let it run free."

"To be honest... I don't know. I am at a loss." Paylor shook his head and began typing on his keyboard. "No... No. There is one possibly."

"What? I'm open to anything at this point."

"It would need the entire first unit in prime form if it is to end better then our last attempt. Haha... Oh, it's crazy , but it just might work."

"Crazy is what I do, what is it?"

"We'll wait, however. No point in getting everyone's hopes up. Once the other have fully recovered, we can broach this again. Raven and Torri provided me with a preliminary report of the encounter." Paylor brings up said report on one of his monitors. "It's interesting to say the least. The girl they saw may very well have been Shio."

"So it was her." Lance turned his gaze aside as he remembered.

"Expect... We've seen no evidence of a singularity or any anomaly. Suffice to say, a deep investigation is in order."

"And that's where I come in. I'll fine a way to kill this thing, I owe it to everyone." Lance muttered the last few words.

"It all comes down to this. We cannot afford to press the den would be defenseless if it chose to attack us here. Moreover, until everyone is back on their feet, I am... hesitant to plan further strategies." Paylor pushed up his glasses. "I know a lot of pressure just fell upon your shoulders."

"Tell me when there isn't." Lance cracked a grin which made Paylor smiled.

"I'm glad to know you're up for the challenge. Now about the others treatment."

"Raven said they were infected with something."

"Yes, according to the report from Raven, traces of the nova's bias factor have been detected in all three of their bodies. Most likely, this happened when they took the brunt of the nova's attack. If we don't remove bias factor quickly, I fear the worst."

Lance wasted no time to respond. "What can I do? what do you need?"

"I need some aragami materials to purge the nova bias factors from their bodies. The others have all volunteered to help, so I'd like you to go with them."

"Understood." Lance spun around and dashed out of the office.

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