Happy New Year everybody! I wish you all a prosperous year and more Dargumi!
division
Shu had to be the quickest out of the group. When Daryl and Ayase bailed out, they would already be at command center. But him, he had to fly as quickly as possible back to base. He had to be quick! There was no time to lose! Right when the Angels attacked, he noticed that they were not actively trying to kill him. That meant he served a purpose! But for what?
And then they mentioned attacking the base as well...and it all became clear. He needed to get to Inori before they got her!
Or else, another war will start and Pallbearer will have the ultimate weapon.
-GC-
"Daryl! Daryl! No!" Tsugumi cried in a mix of terror and fear. With tears rolling down her eyes, she frantically mashed as many holographic buttons as possible to hack into the mainframe.
He couldn't die! He can't die! He won't die! Not while she was still alive!
Hacking in was easy; Jessica had forgotten to update the firewalls. She was lucky. For what hacking would have taken minutes, it really took seconds to accomplish. That was a good thing too! Every second counted!
Soon, the bright red "Bail Out" button popped in front of her and Tsugumi slammed hard on it. She could even feel the hologram waver in her force. But she didn't care about her toy. She wanted to know if he was alive!
Tsugumi pulled up the security video and saw Daryl heaving breathlessly in his pod. "Thank goodness..." She sighed in relief.
But then, for a split second, she felt glass penetrate in her lower abdomen. Warmth rose up to her chest. Something red and wet dribbled down her leg and she ceased to stand.
They found her!
As she collapsed in her glass cage, before the hologram flickered out, she glanced at Daryl's unconscious form for one fleeting moment.
"Thank goodness...you're alright..."
"Tch. So this was the famous Black Swan hacking into our system." An Angel sneered at the small form before kicking Tsugumi in the side. This Angel had shoulder length auburn hair with piercing blue eyes. She was very tall and slender and she held a few crystal knives in her hands. On her back, there was a two tattooed on it.
Two more Angels appeared by her side. One Angel was actually a little meeker. She had short chestnut colored hair, which was tied into two curly low pigtails. Her lips were pink and she seemed to be blushing. She wore the same uniform except her chest was a bit larger and she looked like a young teenager. The number twelve was tattooed on her back. The other angel seemed to be neutral with everything. She also had short hair that was purple and tied up into a small bun. She had a nine tattooed onto her back.
"Angel Nine, you rescue our fellow comrade Ryo. Angel Twelve, you rescue our dear sister." Angel Two ordered and both dispersed. She focused her attention back onto her main target, which was only a few floors away. "I get to take down the Major General himself!"
And she quickly flew off down the hallway, not even caring to notice that a hand reached out from a pod.
Angel Two raced up the stairs and banged into the first room. No one was there. No matter! She would just have to obliterate each room! Luckily, she spotted a girl standing by the main control panel.
Jessica frantically turned around and readied her gun to fire.
Bam! Bam!
Angel Two smirked and chucked a few crystal knives at the young girl. "Heh! Did you really think you can kill me like that?"
Jessica staggered back and clutched onto her side. Dammit! She got her! Jessica tried to reach for her gun again, but another crystal knife stopped her. The young girl winced in pain and dropped to the floor, only looking up to see the treacherous Angel.
Angel Two knelt down and pushed away Jessica's green hat and pulled her up by a wad of her hair. "You're his personal attendant. Major General Yan, where is he?"
Jessica remained silent.
"Dear girl, you don't have much time to live. The crystals have started to appear." Angel Two warned and to prove her point, she revealed a formation of purple crystals on her neck. "It won't be long until these crystals reach your heart. So I ask you, before you die, where is your commander!?" She angrily shouted and threw Jessica against the control panel.
Jessica began to cough up more blood and the knife dug deeper into her back. She slid down from the keyboards with her blood soaking everything and plopped down onto the floor. But through all that, she didn't utter a single word.
"Not going to talk, eh?" Angel Two snickered as she licked her knives. "Well die!"
She chucked two more knives at the girl. Jessica felt it penetrate her in the front and she welled herself up in pain. Tears streamed her face while blood began to seep her clothes and pool around her. She mustn't cry. She needed to remain strong.
Angel Two scoffed, "Not going to die?"
"Stop it!"
Angel Two turned back and saw someone in a wheelchair pointing a gun at her. This one, she knew only as the Black Swan's partner, Ayase Shinomiya. She was one of the best Endlave pilots in Funeral Parlor.
"Greetings, you must be Ayase Shinomiya. Nice to meet you. I'm Angel Two." The Angel spoke and pointed her knives at the disabled woman. "Since you won't be doing much fighting in that, you should just tell me where your commander is."
Ayase smirked. "I don't know. The only person here who knows of his whereabouts is the girl you nearly killed."
"Oh her? I didn't kill her yet?" Angel Two glanced at the unconscious body on the floor before chucking another knife at her.
"Don't you dare!" Ayase shot another bullet to redirect the knife.
"Nice shot." Angel Two flatly replied, but she reappeared beside Ayase and knocked her over. "But how are you going to fight me when you can't even use your legs?"
Ayase smirked and slammed her fist into a button of her wheelchair. Suddenly, the wheelchair began to transform where the wheels began to hover, wings stretched out from the side, and a shield began to envelope Ayase to bring her back to her seat. Ayase quickly placed on her headgear and pushed her miniature Endlave forward. She needed to divert this Angel's attention long enough before reinforcements arrive!
"Miniature Endlave? I suspect the Major General reconfigured your wheelchair. It's a shame that he prefers to fight rather than engineer shit. He could have been of some use to you instead of rushing to his death." Angel Two proclaimed and chucked more knives at the new robot.
"That's not going to work!" Ayase launched missiles at the Angel.
One missile managed to scrape her while the Angel was dodging. Angel Two grimaced and covered her exposed waist. She suddenly sprung forth and began exchanging blows with the Endlave. But Ayase blocked each one successfully and she used her claws to try to stab her. Angel Two blocked that. She swung her arm and let it crystallize before stabbing it into the leg of the robot. Ayase immediately pulled it out and threw it back at the Angel.
"You are proving to be a hassle." Angel Two grumbled. "I will kill you!"
"I want to see you try!" Ayase pulled her lever and another missile flew out from her robotic arm.
This time, it obliterated the wall behind the Angel.
-GC-
Angel Nine aimed her crystal gun at the lock and fired meticulously. Her rapid shots were like a machine gun. Soon, the lock was no more and the glass door swung open.
Ryo smirked and swing himself out of bed. "Took you long enough."
Angel Nine nodded and radioed her sister. "Angel Twelve, have you secured our sister?"
Angel Twelve answered back in a scared voice. "I'm almost there!"
"Why are you scared? It's only our sister."
"I know! I just don't like all this fighting. And I've never seen our family act so violently!"
"Well, it will only be for a short time." Angel Nine reassured.
"Is Angel One going to turn against us? She was with the enemy for a long time!"
"She's incomplete at the moment. When that man is done with her, she will be on our side again."
"Okay then." Angel Twelve located her position and she pried the door open.
Inside, she potted a pink haired girl sitting absentmindedly on a wooden chair. Angel Twelve ran up to her and grabbed her on the arm. "Come on! Angel One! We must leave!"
"Who-who are you?" Inori stammered.
"I'm your youngest sister! Angel Twelve!" The Angel cried and tried to pull. "We have to go! Before they come to get us!"
"They? Who are they?"
"The enemy!" Angel Twelve managed to get Inori out of her seat and pulled her towards the entrance. She managed to find Angel Nine along the way and they both ran towards their second eldest sister.
Once they arrived, a man suddenly pummeled through the roof and threw off Angel Two. He looked pretty pissed off as he quickly dispelled the Void on his legs.
Angel Two scoffed and spat blood out of her mouth. "No fair. Reinforcements came and its the King himself." But she glanced back and saw her sisters finished their task. "No matter. We got what we came for. Sisters! Fall back!"
"Yes ma'am!" Both sisters grabbed onto their captured person and quickly flew out.
"Inori!" Shu cried and tried to follow after, but his eye caught onto a downed Jessica and a struggling Ayase. He quickly helped Ayase out of her mangled robot. "Ayase! How are you doing?"
Ayase coughed and heaved in slow breaths. "I'm fine Shu! I managed to hold them off. Get medical assistance now! Tsugumi and Jessica are injured and Daryl was gunned down in his Endlave!"
"Y-Yes!" Shu quickly phoned for Yahiro. "Yahiro! Abandon your post and get over here! Bring as many medics as possible now!"
-GC-
Daryl found himself in front of a small flat out in the countryside. He glanced at his reflection in the door. He was much younger, by eight years to be exact. His hair was tousled and he looked like he had not slept in days. He wore a plain white shirt and black pants. His cheek was cut and he had multiple bandages up his arm. What was he doing here?
He knocked on the door.
A slender woman with wavy brown hair and brown eyes opened the door. She seemed to be surprised of his appearance. But then, her expression turned into terror and she quickly grabbed onto his shirt.
She cried, "I know you! Where's my husband?"
Daryl opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
The woman seemed to understand his silence and she merely slumped to the floor. Her tears began to stain her porch and she kept her head down. She cried and cried, silently, but obviously.
Daryl felt so useless. Why did he have to bring such misfortune to this perfect family?
"Mommy? Why are you crying?" A young girl yawned. She had the same wavy hair except it was lighter and cut short. She glanced up and suddenly lit up like a light bulb. "Big Brother! You're here! Where's Daddy?"
Where was her father?
Suddenly she shoved a lit up firecracker right into his face.
Flash!
Daryl winced at the blinding lights that suddenly entered his eyes. He coughed and instinctually grabbed onto his chest at first before gradually relaxing. Was that a dream?
He quickly sat up and looked around. He was in a hospital room. He had no bandages on, but he had this massive headache. And he was feeling a little bit dizzy. What happened? All he remembered was getting stabbed in all his sides from the Angel's attack. Did Jessica run into a glitch while bailing him out? That was impossible!
Daryl silently got out of bed and hobbled his way to the door. Where was his team? His hall of the hospital was empty!
Suddenly, relief swept over him when Yahiro finally arrived.
"Yahiro. What's the status on my team?" Daryl ordered.
"Major General Yan, I understand you are concerned but please be mindful of your body and return to bed." Yahiro stated and tried to guide Daryl back in.
"My body is fine!" Daryl spat back and shoved Yahiro against the wall.
"Guh!" Yahiro gasped once he hit the wall. "I didn't expect someone who's been in a coma for two weeks to be this active."
Daryl's face dropped. "Two weeks...I was out for two weeks!"
Yahiro nodded. "When the medics got here, you were in severe cardiac arrest. We were considered lucky to get you stabilized."
"What?" What about the others? What about Tsugumi? "How's Tsugumi? Is she alright? What about Jessica and Ayase and Shu?"
"Shu and Ayase are fine. Ayase only had a few cuts and bruises." Yahiro said but his face fell with the next sentence. "But Tsugumi had a few shards of glass imbedded into her back. It wasn't lethal, but she's bedridden for now. And Jessica...she's got multiple knife wounds on her body. One of her lungs is punctured and she lost a lot of blood."
Shit! This was worse than he thought! Daryl quickly left his room and scrambled to find Tsugumi. She was nearby only a few floors down from his floor. And Jessica was near the top floor, where critical patients meet. He'll have to check with her later after he made sure Tsugumi was alright. Daryl quickly ran left and straight and rammed through the first door he saw.
"Tsugumi!" Daryl shouted, but halted awkwardly in his steps when he saw Ayase and Shu were playing cards with her.
"Oh Daryl! You're finally awake!" Shu exclaimed.
"You're pretty active for someone who's been sleeping for two weeks." Ayase snarked.
"Shut up!" Daryl growled at her and went to Tsugumi. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. The doctor said that I can get out of here by tomorrow." Tsugumi said and smirked. "You were worried about me, weren't you?"
"He better be..." Ayase flatly said.
"Uh-maybe...a little."
Ayase glared at him.
"Okay. A lot!"
Tsugumi gleamed and reached up to hug him. She longed to touch him again after this fiasco. "I was worried sick as well. And thank you for caring."
Daryl really liked this moment except Ayase was ready to murder him, so he quickly pulled back. "Um...how badly were you injured?"
"Not bad. Just some glass got into my back and some bruises. But I was worried sick about you! You got stabbed in so many places and for some reason, Jessie didn't bail you! You were practically dead."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Jessica didn't bail me? What do you mean by that?"
"Everything was functioning correctly in the system, but you were never bailed out for some reason." Tsugumi explained. "I think Jessica may have been preoccupied with something so she couldn't bail you at that point."
"No she wouldn't. I trained her myself. She would never make this mistake." Daryl darkly replied and stood up. "That bitch! I'm going to kill her!"
"Daryl!" Tsugumi yelled. "Shu! Aya-nee! Stop him!"
"Way ahead of you!" Ayase tripped him by her wheel while Shu ran to block the doors.
"What is it? I'm not going to actually kill her!" Daryl retorted. "I'm just going to scold her first and then punch her till she's in a coma."
"Does 'critical condition' mean anything to you?" Ayase flatly said. "I saw her wounds myself. That bitch stabbed her in the front and the back and she threw her around like a rag doll. She was lucky to be alive. I think she got the punishment she needed for insubordination."
Daryl growled at Ayase and pushed her to the side. "I'm still going to show her who's the boss here!" And he quickly fled out.
"That Stupid Sprout!" Tsugumi exasperatedly yelled and threw her covers over. "Shu! Grab my crutches!"
Daryl dashed into the elevator and once he was on the top floor, he barged through the critical room the resting bedrooms for critical patients. She would definitely be in here if she was discharged from the critical operating room. And he was right. At the farthest end of the hall was a room with Jessica's name on it and when he got past, he saw the girl lying face up, wide awake and staring at the ceiling. She looked nearly comatose if she didn't respond to him banging her door shut. She had an IV running into her arm and a blood tube and an oxygen mask for safety concerns.
"You little bitch!" Daryl snarled and he slapped her right across the face. He pulled off her mask and grabbed her by her shirt.
"Not dead yet, I see." She monotonously replied.
"So you were trying to kill me? Why?" Daryl demanded. "Because of your actions, you nearly put the whole team in jeopardy. Tsugumi was hurt because of you!"
"We would have all died anyways!" Jessica angrily yelled back.
"Then, if we were all going to die, why were you actively trying to kill me? I never expected you to commit insubordination!"
Jessica glared at him and darkly said, "You're a real piece of work Yan."
"Answer my question!" Daryl yelled and slapped her in the face once again.
"You! How dare you do this to me!? I see you for what you really are! You are nothing but a murderer and a psychopath!"
"You are spouting nonsense now!"
"I'm not! You were going to use Ayase as a decoy for the enemy to attack! That's why you let her use your Steiner!" Jessica proclaimed.
Ayase gasped from behind their door. They had just gotten to this room and they were already listening in. Right now did not seem like a nice time to interrupt.
Tears welled up Jessica's eyes as she kept her angry glare. "I thought you were better than this! I thought you wouldn't turn back into that psycho! But i was wrong. Daryl Yan! I fucking hate you! You suck! I hate you! I hate you! I can't believe my father would give his life for you! You're not even worth it!" She angrily punched him, but her strength was diminished so her punches felt like taps.
"It's your dad again! Is that what this is about? What is it about Rowan that has to do with this?"
"Everything!" Jessica yelled and punched him again. "My father saved you for a reason! He believed there was good in you! So I believed you were a good person! But you just turned on your word against him!"
"Jessica! Believe it or not! Your dad is dead!" Daryl snarled at her, irritated that this point was brought up once again.
"No! His spirit lives with you! That's why he wanted to save you! He loved you more than you can imagine! He spent his days off just to be with you so you wouldn't get lonely. He greeted you every morning and made sure you were alright by night. He would always talk about you and say that you were a nice person! Everything he believed about you; you threw away like it was nothing! I hate you! I hate you, stupid big brother!" Jessica's punches grew even weaker and she succumbed to crying while desperately clinging onto him. "Daddy was not a liar! Right? Daddy was not lying to me all those years ago? Everything Daddy did for you... He's in heaven for a reason...right?" She choked out and cried and cried and cried.
"Jessica!" Daryl wanted to shake her. She was acting ridiculous again. She needed a reality check. But this sight of her was eerie...
"Daddy! Daddy!" A small child of ten years old cried as she cowered at the foot of a bed.
The firecracker was long gone and near it stood an angry teen ready to kill her. He towered over her. He could kick her if he really wanted to. She was backed up against the wall with her arms desperately covering her head and crying madly and loudly. Sakuya was a deep sleeper so no one would interrupt her pummeling.
"You little bitch! You'll get what's coming!" Daryl growled and wound up a fist.
"Daddy! Mommy! Save me!" Little Jessica cried and cried. "Daddy! Where are you!?"
He stopped.
Daryl's fist slowly turned into an open palm and he softly held the crying girl. He couldn't do it. She was still his best friend's daughter. And she didn't deserve this. And she was right.
She was a mess. Her bed was stained in tears and when he brought the poor girl into a hug; her tears were wetting his clothes. He softly brushed the top of her head and let her cry into his chest. He knew this from the start. He knew that on that night, she needed to be held like this instead of being sent away like her cries were nothing.
"You're the worst." She cried in choked tears.
"I know," he softly answered, "I'm sorry, Jessica, I'm sorry for everything."
"...daddy..."
"He was right…about everything. Don't worry; I won't do anything bad to him anymore. I promise."
He felt the frantic little girl begin to calm down. He should have done this a long time ago. He should have held her ten year old self like this when she was crying because of her dad's death. And now he held onto her so that she could find a closure for Rowan and herself.
Ayase slowly wheeled herself away from the door and Shu followed suit. Both had white sullen faces. Even though Ayase should be really pissed off that Daryl tried to sacrifice her, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She realized how broken Jessica became because of it and that usurped all her hatred. And Shu felt sorry that Jessica's family was already screwed up from a missing father and a mother who lived far away. He had already been through that scenario once, but he managed to live because his memories were gone. Jessica had all her memories and she clung onto that one person who kept her alive and happy. And over and over again, he diminished her belief in him to a minuscule amount. And now...it was all gone. What could she believe in now?
They felt so sorry for her.
Tsugumi gritted her teeth and averted her ready eyes. She quickly darted away and ran for the elevators.
"Tsugumi!" Shu gasped.
Ayase hissed in a whisper. "What are you doing?"
"I know how to solve this!" Tsugumi exclaimed and pushed one button, the floor button. She needed to get home quick! She glanced at their confused faces once again and said, "I know how to make Jessica believe in her father again! And I know how to make Daryl keep his word!"
Aww! Look at Daryl being such a good big brother! And yes, he is allowed to worry more about Tsugumi, the least injured, rather than Jessica, most likely dying. Why? L. O. V. E. Overrules everything!
And have a happy new year! Review!