She fought for the dawn of others, but what has she gotten? Can she still see the light with corrosive eyes? What has this cost her?
Chapter 3
The Den was in mourning at the lost of their sunshine. Unlike Lindow, there would be no search mission for her. They all saw the Transformation and the lack of remorse as she attacked those Russian officers. If they ever ran into her again, they would have to kill her on sight.
Unlike Lindow's disappearance instead of Sakuya locking herself away with grief it was Soma. He threw, smashed, sliced, crushed, and destroyed things in his room, but nothing made him feel better. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.
Storming out of his room he made his way to Dr. Sakaki's lab. People moved out of his way, seeing the state of rage he was in. Without knocking, he burst through the door.
"Soma, what a surprise to see you out of your room."
"Why did you Transfer her?" He cut to the chase, he was in no mood to deal with Dr. Sakaki's shenanigans.
"Do you really want the answer to that?"
"Why did you Transfer her?"
"Repeating the question won't change anything."
"You knew she was hated by the higher ups for stopping the Ark Project, so why did you do it?!"
"Don't guilt me any further Soma, just drop it."
"Why out of everyone in the Den, why send her?!"
"Because I took advantage of her selflessness, okay!"
"What?"
"I knew... I knew many of the Higher ups wanted her dead. I knew sending her off would have been like handing her to the executioner, but it had to be done!"
"Why, was your schemes more important than her life?"
"Russia was going to send a Research Team to the Moon. If they found the reason for the vegetation on the Moon, they would have brought it back to Earth for research. And you know how scientist covet their research, they become merciless."
"So you sent someone to retrieve Shio before they could... But why her? Why not Kota, or Alisa, or me?!"
"Because she's far more valuable. Soma... she brought someone back from a permanent coma state; she helped stop the Ark Project; she touched another's God Arc and didn't get rejected by its Oracle Cells; she even reverted an Aragami transformation and went into someone's mind. She truly is an iron maiden. She was the perfect person to draw their attention away from Shio."
"She was the perfect sacrificial lamb." Soma sneered at Dr. Sakaki.
"I knew she was strong, she could handle herself."
"And now she's wondering around the wasteland as an Aragami!"
"Don't push all the blame on me, Soma! You're just as at fault here too!"
"What the hell do you mean?!"
"I offered the Transfer, but she chose to go!"
"What?" She chose to leave them... to leave him?
"You and I both know how selfless she can be. She went after Shio knowing it would made you happy even at the cost of her own."
"The cost of her own?"
"Soma, if you truly don't get it then you are a fool."
"What?!"
"I may be damned for knowingly sending her, but you're damned for blindingly ignoring it. I'm starting to pity her more than before now."
"What the hell are you talking about old man?!"
"Doc! I need to talk to..." Tatsumi said, barging in before noticing the tension in the air. Oh, am I interrupting something?"
"It's alright, Tatsumi. What seems to be the trouble?"
"We... we had a run-in with the First Unit Leader at the Sunken Grid today."
"What?" Soma and Dr. Sakaki said simultaneously. All the tension soon left the room as a seriousness took its place. Dr. Sakaki lost his grin that he greeted Tatsumi with and took on a serious expression.
"I need you to tell me everything, don't leave out any detail."
"Well... you see..."
Karel and Kanon were firing at a Fierce Kongou as Tatsumi and Shun charged at it. When another one came to join in the fray.
"Boy this kinda feels like deja vue, doesn't it?" Tatsumi joked.
"Yeah, all we need now is a Aragami Transforming Gods Eater to come save our asses." Karel smirked.
"Ahh!" Kanon screamed, cause like speaking of the devil she appeared. Running from the direction the Fierce Kongou came from, the First Unit Leader.
She had a face of indifference as she sliced the joining Fierce Kongou in half with a dark blade she formed from her right arm.
"W-what the hell... happened to her?!" Shun said in fear as she flew in the air, diving down to crush the remaining Fierce Kongou with her foot. Making a sickening cracking sound as her bare foot crushed its skull. Once it was all done she did not acknowledge their presence as she sniffed the air.
"Holy crap, this is defiantly not good." Karel said, getting more in a defensive stance.
"Everyone calm down. We have to remain focus and vigilant, we have no idea how she's going to react." Tatsumi said. Then she finally looked at them, making them flinch as her eyes met theirs.
"God... Eaters?" Her voice was normal, but her eyes were crimson and her irises slitted like an Aragami's. "I have no quarrels with you."
They relaxed a little at this but were hurt by her nonrecognition of them. She ignored it and continued to sniff the air. "Ahh... so there you are."
She turned back in the direction she came and stopped at the raised platform. Kneeling down she looked into the dark opening under it.
"There, there, you're safe now. Come out." A noise came from the opening. They were all surprised as a baby Ogretail came out from it, frightened. "You've come a long way from home little one. Your family is worried." She then picked it up like a baby and rose to her feet. "Come, little one. Let's go back to your mama."
"An Ogretail! We have to kill it while it's young before it can do damage." The moment Kanon finished that sentence her blade was at Kanon's throat while she still held the baby Orgetail, but in one arm. "!"
"Pull that trigger then I will have quarrels with you."
Kanon was so scared from the blank look in her eyes she started to whimper tears and dropped her God Arc. With the weapon out of Kanon's hands, she lowered her sword.
"This will never do." She said then turned to the boys. "Tell your leader this message. The land of the white trees are mine. Any Aragami that enters that territory shall be under my protection." Using her free hand, she pointed toward the forest beyond the Sunken Grid. "God Eaters and humans shall be welcomed, but if they try to harm any of the Aragami they shall face my wrath and vice versa. If the Aragami wrongs you and tries to hide in my turf, they shall be dealt with accordingly and they or their body shall be left outside my borders for you. Let it be known and let it be done."
With what she had to say done, she took flight toward the forest of the Sunken Grid.
"I see..." Dr. Sakaki final spoke, after Tatsumi had finished his story. "So she did not blindly attack you?"
"No, Doc. But... she made no signs of recognizing us."
"Yes, but... she still has a human conscious present to not attack on sight."
"Do you think that her consciousness might still exist in that body?" Soma asked, hope returning to him.
"Maybe... Soma, gather all of the First Unit. See what you can find out about this."
"Right."
"Remember, we must play by her rules. We are entering an unknown territory."
*** Quick Note ***
Thanks for pointing out that error, AstridClaire. I must have made a mistake when I was updating the other stories. Good thing I pre-write these stories so I don't have to start from scratch. (^.^)