Sometimes the destructive union of two opposing elements can be devastatingly beautiful.
Blue Vs. Red
It had been a long day for all of them in the First Unit. Soma had returned to his room after his shower to see that his door was fixed. Like his word, Azar had indeed repaired his damages. However, the claw marks on the wall were another story. Soma had to keep his head down as he passed the angered janitor lady, jumping up and down and ranting about the damages she would have to repair.
So far that day he had minor missions with Lindow and Sakuya most of the day, while Kota and Alisa were stuck with the Slade twins. None of them had seen Fia all day after that incident at breakfast. At first they thought she was doing missions with Blaise and Rangi, but those two had been doing their own two man missions all day. So she had been most likely training with her dad... that poor girl.
"Do you think Fia is alright?" Sakuya asked in concern. They all gathered in the Mesh Hall for a well deserved early dinner after their long day. The sun was still up, but well on its way to the horizon.
"Dad has always favored Fia when it comes to training. She's the one that resembles him the most out of all of us, so he tries to mold the best out of her. (Chuckle) If we're not careful, she'll become his Mini Me." Blaise explained.
"Ugh, God forbid." Rangi groaned. "We already have to deal with one asshole in our family, we don't need another one."
"Bitch, I will slap you back into your mother." Azar sassed out behind them. They all turned around, stifling a scream as they looked upon Azar and Fia... covered from head to toe in blood. The twins flinched away from their father, closer to Kota and Alisa in fear.
"Speaking of assholes, hello Father." Rangi smirked.
"Screw you too, Rangi." He smirked back.
"Christ, man, what happen to you two?!" Kota yelled out in concern. The look on Fia's face was so blank.
"To be honest we had a pretty busy day. We were suppose to relax with a mission in the Infernal Subway after a long day of non-stop field training. It was suppose to be a simple scouting mission, just to make sure the area was clear."
"And... was it clear?" Kota nervously asked.
"It was certainly clear after we got done with it." His smirk looked even more evil with all the blood covering his face. "Right, Fia?"
"God... blood... there was blood everywhere."
"(Chuckle) I know. That Sekhmet never saw it coming."
"Ugh," Fia groaned out in disgust.
"And what you did to that Fallen Chi-You. Priceless!"
"O God..." She looked like she was going to throw up. What the hell did she do?
"And that Chi-You pussed out like a bitch."
"Ugh, Dad, I don't need to remember that shit."
"Heh, you're right. I'm not use to seeing an Aragami bleed so much blood like that anymore. It was like magic."
"God, Dad, stop smirking like that. It's creepy."
"Jeez, fine. Let's just invite your boyfriend for the mission and get out of here."
"!" They all gasped in shock, Soma's hands clinched in anger.
"You have a boyfriend, Fia?!" Kota asked in surprise.
"Not to my knowing." She answered with a lack of care.
"Sure you do," Azar corrected, pointing a finger at Soma. "It's that boy right there."
"!" They all looked at Soma in shock as he blushed.
"I'm not her boyfriend!"
"Are you saying you're not a boy or my friend, Soma?"
"Not now, Fia. Save the sarcasm for later." Soma growled at her, unable to keep eye contact with her.
"Regardless, we still want you to join us for a mission." Azar requested, disregarding Soma's denial.
"!" The Slades were caught off guard that their father had actually invited an outsider on one of his Aragami killing sprees.
"And what exactly would we be targeting?" Soma smirked with his arms crossed. But his smirk slowly faded as Azar's grew.
"A Caligula."
"?!"
"You mean that crazy strong new breed of Hannibal?!" Alisa said in surprise.
"Indeed, so are you in kid or not?"
"I told you it's Soma." Soma hissed before he took a breath to calm down. "But yes, I'll go as long as a Slade is going just to make sure you guys don't go overboard."
"Heh, by all means try." Azar smirked before turning toward his other kids. "There's still a free slot open. Any of you want to come?"
"Sorry, Dad, me and the twins got a mission with Lindow in the City of Mercy with Lindow." Blaise declined. "We've got some Gboros to take care of."
"Damn. Well at least you'll be close by. What about you, Rangi?"
"Cocoon Maiden infestation in the Sunken Grid. Going to take care of it with Sakuya."
"Aw, dude, that sounds like fun." Kota said, being sarcastic. "Apparently some Aragami gore splatter has attracted Cocoon Maidens to the Infernal Subway too. Me and Alisa have to take care of it."
"Well you all seem busy. I think it's about time for us to head out." Azar commented with a stretch, as him and Fia waited for Soma to come along too.
"Why don't we tag along." Lindow suggested, much to the twins grimace. "We are going to the same mission area after all."
"You do have a point there."
"Aren't you going to clean up first?"
"The blood attracts the prey much easier. Now come along then, junior."
"Now you're just doing it to piss me off. My name is Soma."
*** City of Mercy ***
"Ahh, just before twilight. The perfect time to go on a mission." Azar said out like a breath of fresh air.
"I'd suggest we should split up now, General." Lindow politely advised. "My team can head over toward the church while your team can head over in the other direction."
"Well that sounds reasonable." Then he turned toward Fia as Lindow's group left the Starting Point. "Sooo, shall we take a stroll around the city?"
"Not like we have much choice on the matter, do we."
"We always have a choice. I'm just very enthusiastic about my walks."
"Because you get to kill homicidal Aragami?"
"It's because I get to shoot my gun and guts spill out. Heh hehha hahaha."
"Sweet Christ you two. Let's just get this mission over with before you nut jobs go in a blood rage on me."
"It's best to go with the flow when Daddy gets like this. Otherwise you only get headaches." Fia suggested, giving Soma a comforting tap on his shoulder by his side.
"You're one to talk, you Trigger-happy she-wolf." Soma teased at her, grinning at how the nickname bugged her.
"She-wolf?! I am a lady, you scoundrel." His smirk just grew wider as she hissed out her insult. He had forgotten the presence of her father as he was enjoying pushing her buttons.
"Says the woman who sneaks into my room at night."
"Fuck you, Soma, I'll tear your room apart!"
"Jeez, Fia, I didn't think you wanted me so badly."
"Bite me, Soma!"
"No thanks, you're covered in Aragami blood."
"Ugh, you annoying cur!"
"Should I start calling him son, Fia?" Azar interrupted, bringing Soma back to reality. He couldn't believe he picked at Fia in such a way and Azar didn't freak out.
"You're not helping, Dad!" She growled in frustration. "Ugh, I'm so mad I could strangle something! Let's just get this mission over with."
Fia had jumped off the Starting Point, leaving the guys alone.
"You've got some balls talking to my daughter like that in my presence."
"Uh... !" Things got nerve wrecking when Azar got in front of him.
"But if you kids ever don't use safety I will punch you."
"It was just a joke! And shouldn't you be saying that I shouldn't ever touch your daughter?!" But Azar just kept raising his fist at Soma every time he said the a-word.
"If you kids ever don't use safety I will punch you, again and again and again. And then I'll shot you."
"..."
"Let's get going before Fia takes all the fun." Azar grinned, jumping off the Starting Point as if nothing happened.
"The fuck...?"
*** With Lindow's Unit ***
Lindow's team had heard one of their targets inside the church, most likely eating some salvage material. They had taken cover behind the wall just outside chapel room, waiting for Lindow to give the signal.
"Alright, we're moving in. You guys ready?"
"Yup." "Right." "I'm game." The Slade siblings said together. Lindow gave them a nod to signal them to move out.
Rushing in, Lindow changed his Aragami-arm into gun mode and started to fire.
"Eat this- Aw crap!" Lindow stopped mid-action as they came to the knowledge that it wasn't one of the three targeted Gboros but two. The fight was going to be harder than they expected. But so what if they were going to face their targets at once instead of one at a time, they've been through worse odds. "Alright, come on help me out."
"Got it!" Blaise replied, firing his cannon God Arc at one of the Gboros while the twins charged at the other one. Switching from side to side between each other, confusing the Gboro as they charged. Nina shot at the Gboro's eyes, blinding it while Lynn pierced at its teeth. In anger the Gboro started thrashing around and smacking into the wall. The wall was already structurally unsound, the extra thrashing to it had the entrance tumbling down.
"Ah!"
"Lynn, get back!" Nina warned. Lynn had jumped back to the others, getting closed in with the others... and the Gboros.
"Ahh, great." Lindow sighed in annoyance. "Can this get any worse?"
ROAR
Rang out through the church as their last Gboro target came jumping into the church through the Aragami entrance. Due to the increasing disaster piling up on them, Blaise had only two words.
"Ahh, crap..."
*** Back with Fia's Group ***
"Did you guys feel that?" Fia asked the guys, feeling the sudden small rumble from the ground as they exited the alley way. "It felt like a small earthquake. (Gasp) Do you think the others are okay?"
"You're over reacting, Squirt. Don't worry about it." Azar waved off her concerns as they continued in their direction. Fia still looked behind her toward the church with worry.
"But still, there could've been a cave-in from the trimmer."
"Sweetie, have I ever steered you wrong?"
"..."
"Ouch... well that's a huge kick in the nuts. By the way, we have more company than expected."
"!" Fia's eyes widen with Soma's as her father pointed at the rouge Blaze Fallen Zygote flying around the open area with the Caligula that just jumped in. The Zygote shrieked at hearing them coming and glided its way toward them. "Looks like we got more trash to take out."
"Come on!" Fia taunted at the Zygote, wanting to get rid of the small guy before going after the big guy. Jumping in the air she began bombarding the Zygote with fires from her gun-mode, a twisted grin came on her face as it came falling down. "Heh haha, it's raining bullets today."
"Fia, don't let your guard down!" Soma warned as he saw her getting too excited for her own good.
Just as Soma had warned her, a Frost Fallen Zygote came flying out of the back room of the church. Coming in at her fast for a bite. "What?!"
The Zygote had caught her by surprise, she had no time to turn her God Arc and fire to stop its incoming teeth. But it was Soma who came to save the day, sending a hard blow down on the Zygote. Knocking it to the ground along with the other defeated one. Angered by her minor lapse in attention, Soma turned to Fia, fuming.
"I told you not to let your guard down!" He growled at her.
"Ahh, my knight in a blue hoodie!"
"Don't give me that!" Soma sneered at her, focusing on extracting the cores as he lectured her. "That could've ended bad, and you know it. Be more careful next time, Idiot."
"Yes, Mom." Fia whined out, but still moved in closer to Soma to give him a peck on the cheek. "But still, thank you. I can always count on you to have my back."
"!"
"Focus your fire, Fia!" Her father ordered at her as he jumped around the Caligula in a relentless bombardment of fire. "We are going to tear this beast apart!"
"Heh!"
"Back me up!" Soma ordered at her, passing Fia as he charged at the Caligula. Finally recovering from his moments blushing-shock at her kiss.
"Yeah, yeah. I swear, it must be the men that I attract." Fia exhaled, she was beginning to see a pattern in the men she hung around. All demanding, and all of them charge full-heartedly into trouble.
The Caligula let off a blizzard around it, giving Fia only a second to hide behind Soma's shield. She was already in gun-mode and wouldn't have enough time to change into blade-mode for her shield.
"Ah, bitch, that's cold!" Fia yelped out behind Soma. "Lucky we're all wearing coats."
"It's not that bad." Soma shrugged off.
"Not that bad?! Soma, it's 70 degrees out here and yet it's snowing. That attack created it's own blizzard and still you leave your coat unzipped!"
"Never knew you were a bitch to the cold." Soma teased with a smirk, never letting down his shield as the attack went on. "What's next, are you going to say you're afraid of snowman."
"Terrified."
"... what?"
"Look out it's coming!" Fia shouted as it charged at them on two legs. Caught in the moment she threw down a Stun Grenade, stopping the Caligula in it's tracks and blinding Soma for a second.
"Ah Damn It! You could've warned me you were going to do that, you jerk." Soma hissed.
"Sorry, I usually do, but I was acting on instinct."
"Get it in the eyes!" Azar demanded as he took advantage of the Caligula's temporary stun as he fired at its arm guard. "Shoot out its eyes!"
"Your dad's insane!" Soma said, attacking at the Caligula's head.
"We've already established that." Fia groaned out, firing at the halo scale on its back. Recovering from its stun, the Caligula pulled out its arm blades, slicing at them in a deadly dance. "Whoa!"
"Get back!"
"Heh!" Azar grinned as he fired the shot to take out the Caligula's arm armor. Not taking the damage well, the Caligula made a run for it to Sector M. "Don't let him get away."
Azar practically chimed the command. Rushing around the corner they didn't even give it enough time to devour the salvage material. Enraged, the Caligula flew in the air to come down on Azar with a frost spear, who dodged it at the last second. Use to a Hannibal, Fia thought that was it. But she was sorely mistaken when the Caligula dash behind itself, toward her, with a blade attack.
"Ah!" She was knocked back and into Soma, who caught her like a good teammate.
"Get up, Squirt! You've had worse." Azar called back to her in his weird way of showing his concern. Firing at its leg, he knocked the Caligula down.
"Yeah... right." Fia agreed, righting herself on her feet then charging at the knocked down Caligula. "Come on, you pansy! On your feet!"
She was able to break off its head armor before it got back on its feet. Its loss of armor made it angry and wild with its swings. But finally getting the hang of its fighting patterns, they were able to easily dodge it. Soma sliced at its limbs while Azar shot at its tail. But it was Fia's shots to the chest that finally took it down.
"Man, is that it?" Soma retorted in disbelief, that fight was easier than he expected.
"Oh I'm not done yet!" Fia chuckled out, bending to her knees as she poked the Caligula's head with her barrel. "Come on! Get up, you little weasel!"
"Fia, it's dead. It's not going to come back if you keep poking at it."
"Ugh, if only." Azar complained. "That fight was such a cock tease."
"Yeah... it was kinda a buzz killer." Fia sighed out, getting back up on her feet as she looked to her dad and Soma. "Wanna see if the others need help on their mission?"
"Oh of course. Let's kill some more Aragami and make our coats redder."
"An impossible feat, you legal sociopath. We're already covered in blood."
"Dry blood, there's a difference."
"Ugh, that's right. It's going to be a nightmare getting this stuff out of my hair."
"You guys are nuts, no wonder why most in the Den turned to beer." Soma groaned out in exhaustion as they made their way passed the Starting Point and toward the church.
"Ooo, I'd love some tea right about now." Fia sighed out.
"?!" Soma had to hold back a gulp in nervousness. Nothing went well for him or the First Unit when Fia craved for tea. But that nervousness was replaced by a new one as they came upon the closed-in entrance of the church. "What the?!"
"I knew that rumble was trouble!" Fia said in slight panicked, clawing at the rubble with her bare hands. "They could be stuck in there!"
"Calm down, Fia." Soma tried to soothed to her. "We don't know if they're really in there."
But a roar and a gun shot begged a differ. Changing in gun-mode in panic, Fia began firing at the debris.
"Dig Soma, dig. We gotta break through!"
"GH!" Soma grunted as he began to deliver crushing blows on the rubble.
"Daddy, what are you doing just standing there?! Help us get them out!"
"Oh that won't be necessary." Azar replied back. Keeping his distance, pistol in his hostel, and crossing his arms. "But you might wanna back up."
"?"
"!" But Soma sensed it, the build up of Oracle Cell activity on the other side. "Move!"
"?!" Fia blinked in confusion as Soma grabbed her by the middle and jumped back. Carrying her like a football as the close-in exploded open from the other side.
Blaise's cannon had cleared an opening for them on the other side. They had looked beat up, with a few scratches here and there and parts of their clothes ripped by what was most likely large teeth. Few splats of blood covered them as three Gboros laid dead on the chapel floor. Two missing chunks out of them, one looking like it was blown in half and the other looking like someone had taken a large bite out of it. The last one had it's mouth wide open, eyes missing, and piercing cuts all over it.
"Nice shot, Blaise!" Lindow complimented. "Where were you when I got stuck in here last time?"
"Nah it was nothing." Then Blaise looked through the dust cloud and saw the other three waiting at the entrance. "Oh hey guys! Done with your mission already?"
"..." Soma was having a hard time taking what he was seeing all in. "... What... happened here?'
"Nothing." The twins said at the same time, earning a smirk from their dad as he looked at their work.
"Heh, that's my girls."
"More importantly, Soma." Lindow pointed out, changing into a teasing manner. "Why are you holding Fia like a football?"
"?!"
"Because he plans to score a touchdown."
"Shut the hell up, Fia!" Soma growled out in embarrassment.
"I take that back, apparently he plans to boot me."