Author: What, no reviews other than Ash and Akuma-san? C'mon guys, this is my first fanfic I ever wrote, so cut me some slack! ;_;

Kamino: Maybe you should try and get some new ideas?

Author: And how exactly can I do that without hearing people's opinions first?

Kamino: Just saying…

….

Chapter 5: The Rookie, the Twit and the Gorilla

I found myself standing in an unfamiliar place. Where am I? How did I get here?

Looking around, I observed that I seem to be in some sort of street. What's more was that there was a lack of people around, and I was carrying my God Arc.

Confused, I walked around while calling to see if there is anyone nearby. A low growl from behind was my answer.

Turning around, I saw that the source was single Ogretail. Smirking, I brought up my God Arc… only to realize that it was gone! Not only that, my armlet was gone too!

Panicking, I wondered how this was possible, not realizing that the Ogretail was coming closer.

I realized too late when it lunged at me. I closed and braced myself, waiting to be devoured. When it never came I opened my eyes, and saw that the Ogretail lying on the ground, dead. A familiar figure was standing a few feet from the corpse, a God Arc in one hand. No, it couldn't be…

"Hey kid. Can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?"

Running over towards him, I looked at the man, who was dead for more or less 10 years. I wasn't sure how I felt towards this, but I did know one thing: I had to thank him for rescuing me.

Before I could do that, something horrible happen.

His head began to bleed from the forehead, and then started to split apart, bit by bit. As it opened, a being began to grow from the cavity. It was gruesome, but what shocked me most was that I recognized the being.

It was the form the God Arcs took when in Predator Mode.

The Predator being then swallowed me whole and I fell… deep into a dark, endless void…

BAM!

Waking up, I noticed two things first: One was that my head hurt and two, the room was upside down.

Scratch that, my head was upside down!

Getting up and rubbing my aching head, I noticed that the time was only 0634. Frowning to myself and knowing that going back to sleep was not possible now, I decided to take a cold shower and get some breakfast.

-A while later, at the cafeteria-

As I had guessed, the cafeteria was empty save for the staff. I was grateful though, the dream I had left me pretty jumpy should I meet any fellow Gods Eaters. Looking at the menu for today's rations, I noticed something I didn't see yesterday.

"Giant corn on the cob? What's that?" I asked no one particularly.

One of the staff decided to answer anyway, "Dr Sakaki's idea. Says this way we can save more natural resources on food."

The Doc made the thing? Wonder what it tastes like?

Ordering a helping of the corn, along with some buttered toast and tea, I sat down and decided to try the corn first. Taking it up and looking at it, I noted it had a very unusual color and texture, nothing like the natural corn on the cob I have seen. Shrugging, I opened my mouth and took a bite.

The next few minutes I spent spitting out what I had bitten and washing my mouth with tea. It was bloody disgusting, and as hard as a rock! Who in their right minds authorize that mad doctor to be in charge of rations anyway!

The only person who came into mind was Johannes, who may also be the only person to have never tested the doctor's products himself.

Sighing to myself, I set aside the corn and ate my toast, which thankfully tasted a lot better.

"Hello, Kamino! I didn't think you'd be an early riser." Stiffening for just a moment, I slowly turned to the source of the voice before sighing in relief. It was Licca.

Hey like I said, I was still a bit jumpy from that nightmare.

"I don't always wake up this early. Usually, it's a little later." I said before eating a mouthful of toast.

Licca ordered her food along with a drink and sat on the opposite side of my table. "Are you that eager to go on missions?" she asked. "You shouldn't get so excited or else you'll wear down from lack of sleep."

I sighed, "I'm not excited. Like I said, I just happen to wake up early today, that's all."

"Really~?" Licca asked again, looking into my eyes. I wonder if she could see the fear in them before I turned away.

Desperate to change the subject, I spotted my chance when Licca sipped her drink through a straw, "What are you drinking anyway?"

"Oh, you wanna try?" she asked, seeing no harm. I nodded and took a sip through the straw. My thoughts were, 'What exactly is she drinking? It's not so bad through…'

"What do you think?" Licca asked once I swallowed. I thought about it before answering truthfully, "It's… unique. What is it anyway?"

"Iced curry." When I heard that the first time, I thought there was something in my ears. "I beg your pardon, what was it you say it was?" I asked for confirmation. "Iced curry." Licca repeated.

I knew that curry was a southeastern cuisine that consists of a complex mixture of herbs and spices, with chili commonly added to give it its signature spicy flavor. But… iced curry? And as a drink to boot? God knows what happened to the taste buds of the girl in front me. Oh well, to each man his own, to each woman her own.

A giggle from the side brought our attention to the staff, "Well now, ain't that cute?"Puzzled by their behavior, I asked them what they meant. "Well, you had just drunk from the straw Licca was drinking from, right? Since both your lips had touched it, that's considered… an indirect kiss."

… A what? An indirect kiss? What is that suppose to mean? While I thought about it, I noticed Licca's face was red as a tomato. Was she sick?

"We are not like that! Kamino and I… we're just friends!" Licca shouted.

For the next few minutes, I watched as Licca begun a verbal battle with the cafeteria staff… Well, that what it looks to me anyway. As I sat there finishing the rest of my toast, I thought about what I had seen while I traveled around Japan when an old idea I forgot suddenly came back to me.

"Licca!" I shouted suddenly, bringing the verbal battle to a halt and causing both the mechanic and the staff to look at me in surprise, "There is a favor I'd like to ask of you."

Blinking her eyes, Licca asked, "Yes, what is it?" Gesturing her to come closer, I whispered my idea into Licca's ear. After I was done, I asked anxiously, "Do you think you can do it?"

Licca frowned while crossing her arms, "Hmm… it's difficult, but not impossible. I'll see what I can do." I nodded my head in gratitude, "Thanks Licca, I owe you one."

The mechanic shook her head in amusement, "Don't thank me yet before the deed is done."

Finishing our meal, we parted ways at the entrance before I ran into Tsubaki, "There you are, I have a new mission for you. A new enemy, a Kongou to be precise was last seen at the Tranquil Temple area. You are to locate the target and eliminate as soon as possible. Understood?" Nodding my head, she continued, "This time, you will be accompanied by fellow rookie, Kota Fujiki. This is the first mission the both you will be assigned together, so stay on your toes. Dismissed!"

So I'm partnering with Kota now? Come to think of it, we never went on a mission before. I wonder if he what kind of Gods Eater is he? Speaking of which, I better go look for the guy.

It didn't take long, as he had just arrived by elevator. The first thing he said as he came was, "Hey, umm… are we heading out together this time?" I nodded while answering, "Yeah, you already heard from Tsubaki?"

"Yeah, glad we both survived! That's all that matters in our line of work right? I don't know what my mom and sister would do if something happened to me, so I've got to watch out." Kota said with dim look on his face. Looks like he's trying to balance surviving on missions while worrying about his family. I wonder, how did Kota's mother and sister felt when the official came knocking at the door to announce that Kota had been chosen as a possible candidate for the Gods Eaters?

I didn't have time to contemplate that matter since Kota directed another question to me, "Hey, by the way… you know Sakuya, don't you?" I cocked my head to one side while replying in the positive, "Yeah, I do. I even went on a mission with her once… why?"

"So the two of you are close? She's really pretty, don't you think? Good-looking, friendly, and strong… Like an Amazon Warrior. How hot is that?" Kota said as he enthusiastically moved his hands to prove his point. Uh oh… looks like someone has a crush. But I can't say there's anything wrong with his personal observation on Sakuya though, so I merely nodded my head.

"Alright, I'm all pumped up here!" Kota said, pumping his fists as if to prove his point. "Let's see who can take out the most enemies during this mission!" I practically stared at Kota, dumbfounded at the challenge he thrown at me. Kota then said, "I'm gonna show that Sakuya how awesome I am!" Trying to impress a girl by killing more Aragami? And it didn't occur to him that Sakuya has killed MORE Aragami than the both of us combined? Oh well, no point getting him down after getting pumped up. I merely smiled and shrugged to myself when a thought suddenly occurred to me, 'Wait, does he know that Sakuya's already been taken by Lindow?'

-Area: Tranquil Temple
Mission: Kongou Giant-

Standing within an old tower which once served as a lookout point for guards, Kota and I jumped down with our God Arcs in tow. Our targets for this mission were three Ogretails and one Kongou said to be found within this location. "Time to begin the mission, let's go!" I said to Kota. Surveying the area's layout, I decided that we split up for now. One is to get rid of the Ogretails and two, to find the Kongou as soon as possible. Once it is found, the person located it will fire a signal flare. Nodding to my plan, Kota immediately headed up the left flank while I covered the right. I immediately found one Ogretail and quickly dispatched it. Having fought them before, I was able to quickly dispatch it, owing more to experience than skill.

Before I could report to Kota, by instinct I narrowly dodged several spikes flying from behind me. "Son of a douche…" I said to myself while switching God Arc to gun mode. Having made preparations, I decided to go with the Blast gun along with Spark Mortar Bullets. Firing away, the Ogretail cried out loud as mortar shells bombed it to death. Sighing in relief, I heard Kota talk to me via the armlets on our wrists, "Hey Helsing, you there? I just got one of the Ogretails, how about you?" Looking at the smoking corpse I replied, "This is Helsing; I've found and dispatched the other two. Let's focus on finding that Kongou."

As soon as he heard this, Kota shouted, "What! No way, that means you're ahead of me! That's it, I'm gonna beat this Kongou by myself!"… Are you fricking crazy! How can face an enemy you've never fought before by yourself! I quickly replied, "Kota you twit, don't be a fool! You can't face an unknown enemy by yourself! Kota? Kota! Answer me!" I didn't hear his voice, instead getting a roar followed by some gunfire as reply… Not good. "Kota! Fire the flare so I can find you!" I then heard Kota saying something about being able to handle things himself amidst the gunfire and roaring.

Reaching the end of my limits, I ended losing my marbles, shouting and cursing at Kota all at the same time, "Son of a b*tch, Kota you f*cking moron! There's no way bullets can break the Kongou's balls, let alone its Oracle Cells! Now you drop the f*cking flare before that *sshole of a gorilla beats the sh*t out of you! NOW!" It didn't take long for me to see the flare after that.

… Hey, what can I say? When I lose it, I REALLY lose it.

Sprinting over to the flare's origin, I saw both the target and Kota, the latter looked pretty worn out. Since the Kongou hadn't seen me, I took the opportunity to fire a recovery bullet at Kota before charging in with my Long Blade. Giving it a few slashes, the gorilla like Aragami tried to take a swing me. After I dodged it, it spun around in place, allowing me to give it a few more swipes. Kota suddenly shouted, "I'm of bullets!" Without keeping my eyes off the Kongou, I shouted back, "Reload quickly, I'll keep it distracted!" At that moment, I saw the Kongou bend upward as air begun to gather at the organ on its back. Oh crap.

"WATCH OUT!" I shouted while bringing up my shield with my back towards Kota. As it fired the air bullet, my shield took the brunt of it, pushing me back a bit. I quickly ran towards the Kongou and slashed it straight in the face, causing it to fall on its ass. Taking the opportunity, I mercilessly attacked it, breaking the Oracle cells on its organ, tail and face until it fell flat on its stomach, a chance to devour it. I did just that and shouted as energy filled my body, "Let's do this, partner!" Intent of going full offensive, I switched to Gun mode and fired the Aragami bullets to Kota. "It's a condensed Aragami Bullet! Give the coup de grace when I give the signal!" Kota gave me a thumbs-up, time to finish this.

Stabbing the Kongou on the face, I jumped out the way for Kota to take the shot, "NOW!" The condensed Air Blow made contact and an explosion was seen. The Kongou roared in agony before falling to the ground. It tried to get back up but fell a second time, this time truly dead. I then strolled over to Kota, who asked, "What?" A single patch to the top of the head was my answer, "Are you an IDIOT! You know that it's an enemy we've never face before! You could have been killed, facing it alone!" Kota rubbed his head, mumbling something about doing just fine on his own. "Oh for F*CK's sake!" Kota wincing at my use of profanity, "Did you forget that Mrs. Fujuki and Nozomi are waiting for you? Do you know how they would feel, if anything happened to you…" I slowly quiet down as I let my words sink in.

A while passed before Kota spoke up, "Sorry, I got over-excited. I didn't think things through… Thanks, Kamino." I smiled, "It's cool, Kota. I promised your mother I'd watch out for you, and I don't make promises that I can't keep." Patting his shoulder, I extracted the core from the Kongou before noticing Kota giving it a weird look. "What is it?" I asked. "… Do you really think a Kongou has balls?" Smirking at the question, I asked him, "You sure you wanna find out?" Bursting into laughter, we walked back to the extraction point, the cold weather hardly dimming our spirits.

…..

After our lecture, Kota decided to go visit his family. I wanted to come with him, but I decided to go solo on a mission. As a wise man once said to me:

"Sometimes it's okay to rely on others, sometimes you have to stand on your own."

As I have been relying on others for a while now, I better start to learn how to fight by myself. It's possible to get separated from your team on a mission, so if you have been relying on people until then, you're screwed. Walking up towards the counter, I noticed that Hibari was absent. Finding it odd, I decided to choose a mission myself. Scrawling through the selection, I chose the "Cowboy" mission, due to the fact the mission targets were four Ogretails…. In hindsight, I should have paid more attention to the details. Without a second thought, I left after checking my inventory.

-Location: Wailing Plains
Mission: Cowboy-

Grinning as I sighted my targets, I jumped down from the cliff. It didn't take long for me to get rid of them, but as I moved to extract the cores, I heard a deafening roar. Looking for the source, I literally froze in place. Large black cat-like features, a cape-like organ on its back, sparks of electricity flowing around it, there was no mistaking the Aragami that stood before me. It was a Vajra. I tried to run, but my knees began to buckle before I could make my move. Damn it, move! I barely managed to get away, the Vajra landing where I had been a few moments ago.

You need to relax. Or you'll find yourself freezing up at crucial times.

Remembering Sakuya's advice, I breathed in and out before thinking about what to do next. Back up. I have to call back up! I tried to contact them, but ended getting hit a jolt of electricity. Crying out in pain, I felt my body go numb before seeing the Vajra appear beside me. Taking a swipe, it sent me flying into a nearby building, my back crashing into the wall. Coughing up blood, I quickly threw a stun grenade before finding a suitable place to hide. Once I was secure, I tried contacting the Den again, but received no response. I noticed that my armlet was somewhat cracked. Damn it, the impact from the building must have damaged the communication system!

I had to take care not to let the armlet get damaged further, or my Oracle Cells will go berserk and devour me. I thought about using a flare to signal but decided against it, the Vajra will try to knock it down. That left me with no back-up, no way of getting back, and no communications. I'm pretty much f*cked, aren't I? At that moment, the Vajra suddenly appeared. What the…? I ran out into open with it closing in behind me. How did it find me so soon? Looking behind me, the answer hit me when I saw its face. Its nose, it must have picked up my scent!

I had two options now, I fight or I die here. Well, I choose to fight. Bringing up my God Arc, I turned around and faced my opponent, "C'mon, you son of a b*tch!" I ran full-force towards the Aragami…

…..

-Back at the Den-

"Hey Kota, have you seen Kamino?" Lindow greeted the rookie. Kota looked puzzled, "Huh, he isn't back yet? That's weird… It's been over two hours." Sakuya, who was with Lindow became concerned, "Back from… where?" Kota answered, "He said he wanted to go on a mission solo so he can learn to stand on his own. Well, that's what he said." Lindow chuckled, "Sure sounds like him. Let's check with Hibari." When they reach the operator, she looked surprised, "Kamino? I didn't see him." Kota looked even more confused, while Lindow and Sakuya looked at each other. Hibari checked her computer and said, "That's weird…"

"What is?" Tsubaki asked, having arrived by elevator. Hibari looked up, "Oh Tsubaki! It says here that Gods Eater Helsing is currently on a mission, it's the…" Hibari checked before her eyes widened in horror, "… The Cowboy mission!" Lindow frowned, "Cowboy? Isn't that in the Wailing plains, where a Vajra was last…" the Corporal stopped in mid-sentence. Tsubaki immediately gave rapid fire orders, "Retaliation team, you are to find and rescue Gods Eater Helsing. Failure is not an option!"

…..

Lindow, Sakuya, Soma and Kota sat within the transportation copter, all with solemn expressions on their faces. Lindow occasionally looked out at the stationary tornado in the distance, "Damn it, rookie. Don't go dying on us…" Sakuya looked down at her hands, unable to say anything. Soma didn't say anything, but quietly sat down with his eyes closed, though he occasionally whisper, "Damn it, rookie. Don't you dare die." Kota was anything but calm, he couldn't help blaming himself for not stopping Kamino. If… if he had died…

"We have located both the Gods Eater and the target!" The pilot suddenly shouted. Looking out, Lindow saw both the Vajra and Kamino, both covered in wounds and blood. By the looks of it, the Vajra wasn't moving, but more importantly so was Kamino. Jumping out, the retaliation team landed and ran straight for target. It was surprising when they visually confirmed that Kamino was alive; he was resting against the body of the Vajra when he looked up and waved. But what was even more surprising, was when they confirmed that… the Vajra was dead.

Lindow was the first to reach Kamino, who said with a smirk, "Took your sweet time, eh?" The Corporal looked at the rookie with stunned disbelief, "Rookie, did you…?" Kamino looked behind him, "Oh this? I already killed it and extracted the core. Sorry I did your job for ya." Sakuya came up and examined Kamino's injuries while Soma and Kota shared the same look of disbelief. "You have multiple cuts and bruises, some second-degree burns, a blunt force trauma to the back and your left shoulder has been dislocated. How did you manage to survive, let alone win?" Sakuya asked. Kamino winced, "That will… have to… wait…" Kamino said before passing out. Kota shouted, "Kamino!" before rushing to his friend's side. Lindow remarked, "Relax, he's just out cold. But he sure has quite the satisfied smile on his face. Let's get him back, I'm sure he has one hell of story to tell when he wakes up."

As Sakuya and Kota carried Kamino back to the transport, Lindow inspected the Vajra's corpse. It had several burnt marks on it along with several deep cuts and slashes. There's no mistaking that the rookie gave it hell. As the transport left, the moon shone brightly among the star-covered sky, watching as the group make their way back towards the Den…

….

Phew, that's a lot! This actually went pass the 4000 word count too! Curious to know how the battle went? Please write a review and support!