Alright I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint my 'Corrosive Angel' fans, the end means the end. There's not going to be a honeymoon, but if you're patient I was going to do another story with a 'honeymoon' like ending.

Chapter 35

"Thanks for the feathers. This should be enough, I'm glad you work so fast!"

"Anytime Saki."

"I need to pass it over to analyzation. Hold on a bit."

****** A bit later ******

"The results came in." Saki said, jousting me awake. "I am 100% sure that this is a part of Lindow."

Of course it is, I could tell by its scent. "Now, that only means two things. One, that he is very likely still alive. Two, is the progression of his Aragami Transformation. The progress of his transformation can be determined by this say Aragami-based material, called 'Black Wing'..."

"What about it?"

"We were able to find out that the Oracle Cells are out of control, by looking at the cells of the wings. Now, I have to request a few things. To proceed with a quick capture of Lindow if possible and..." Saki was being so serious, I rarely see him like this. "In order to find out how far his transformation has gone, gather Black Wings. This is more serious than I thought."

"Consider it done." If I remember correctly I already have some Black Wings which I found from my previous missions. All I needed to do was grab them from my room and come back.

But on my way there I ran into Kota and he looked upset.

"Something's up..." Crap, he's catching on to me. "What are you doing after your missions lately? We're friends, aren't we? You better not be keeping any secrets from me!"

"But I am." There's no way I can lie to my pact. "Listen, I've been trying to do something, but I'm scared of what you guys reaction will be."

"What the hell could you possibly be doing that you're running yourself ragged?! Even Sakuya's starting to worry."

"I'm looking for something for Saki." I couldn't lie, but that didn't mean I had to tell the whole truth... I'm sorry Kota. "It's wounded and all alone and it needs our help. So I have to find it soon... Please, just trust me. As my friend, trust me... I know my limits."

Kota didn't like my answer but he gave in none the less. "If I ever see you with baggy eyes again, I'm tying you to your bed and making you sleep."

"Ah... that actually sounds pretty good right now. I think I will go to sleep after I deliver something to Saki."

"Well make it quick then go to bed. You've been looking sickly these past few days."

"I will... thanks for worry Kota."

"Hey, what are friends for."

****** 3 minutes later in Saki's Lab ******

"Hey! I didn't expect you to bring them all at once!" Saki was excited.

"I told you to consider it done. Here." I handed them over to him.

"Thanks! Yeah, this should be enough. It'll take a while for the analysis though, I hope was can prove that he's still alright... Hm?... Oh, sorry for the bad choice of words. When the analysis progresses a little more... I'll issue a Search Mission for Lindow! It looks like he should still be human!"

"That's good news... but if you don't mind Saki. I'm going to sleep like I promised Kota. I'll see you tomorrow, call me if you need me."

****** 2 days later ******

Today must be the day of announcing the Search Mission, like Saki promised, since everyone had been gathered at the Entrance. Tsubaki has an air of happiness around her.

"DNA results indicate it's Lindow Amanya. As of 1200 hours the search is on again." The whole Den was in an uproar of shock and joy. "All though alive the infection may have spread. Be careful when coming into contact with him... My brother, the lost child. I'm counting on you all."

"Lindow... he's alive..." Sakuya was almost to tears with her joy, it did me good to see her this happy again after such a long time.

"Sakuya!" Alisa must be feeling the relief too with all that guilt she's been carrying.

"Right... let's bring him back ASAP." Even Soma had excitement hidden in his voice.

"Yes... let's bring him back without fail. Without fail!" Alisa's getting pumped up.

"Alright! Now that that's settled, let's go for it Leader!" Kota...

"Yes." I said calmly, basking in my pacts rare simultaneous happiness.

"1st unit will remain on combat duty." Way to break the ice Hibari, "2nd and 3rd unit will focus on the search."

"Huh, but why?" Kota was losing his excitement.

"Tsubaki says that the 1st unit is needed to repel Aragami." Darn it Hibari, why did we have to be so good at our jobs? "And must not leave the Den."

"I can understand your point of view. But..." It'd take more than that to stop Alisa.

"Don't worry! Just leave the search for Lindow to us!" Tatsumi... "We'll find him in no time."

"Tatsumi..." and now she yields.

"We'll let you know as soon as we find him! Right Gina?" Kanon said cutely, turning to Gina who responded with a nod.

"Yes... We will... You're not the only ones who want Lindow to come back you know." Gina...

"Hey, we just got two Rookies..." said Brendan to the Rookies. "We got the man power to do the job, right?" That's Brendan for you, always encouraging with a cool attitude.

"Right!" Annette and Frederico said at the same time. Then Frederico turned to me.

"Um, can you show us the Right time to disengage, so you can switch perspectives?"

"Oh, me too!" Said Annette, while raising her hand. As I explained it to them, Sakuya drew closer to get everyone's attention.

"Yes... Sure. This might seem like an odd thing to say, but... Help us out everyone." They all nodded to her in response.

"Roger! Good luck to you too 1st unit." Added in Tatsumi, then he walked up to me to tap my shoulder. "If it comes to it, we'll back you up anytime."

"Likewise my friend." We both nodded to each other. Then he walked over to Hibari.

"Alright! Hey, Hibari... when I bring Lindow back safely, have dinner with me." Sly Tatsumi, sly.

"Yes... um... Well... Yes. It's not out of the question, please get the job done." I didn't hear a rejection in that statement.

"Huh?" We all laughed at Tatsumi's confoundment. Soma started to head back to his room. But then I noticed something... where did Ren go?

****** Lab Floor ******

I should have known I'd find him here by the Soda Machine with a First Love Juice.

"Lindow... was certainly well loved by his peers."

"Of course, he's a good man."

"Right, even though he was a knucklehead who couldn't count." True. "Oh! Haha, come to think of it, he did it when you first fought that Ogretail, right?"

Wait, did Lindow tell him about that? "Yeah, it was probably his way of breaking the tension. He did a pretty good job too..." With that he got up from leaning on the Machine. "And look at you, a fine Leader... Guiding the new God Eaters... Well-liked by all... Which is precisely why I need to tell you this."

"What?"

"Dealing with a Gods Eater with the Aragami Infection. An Aragami Infection is a rapid mutation caused when a Bias Factor supply is cut off. If it spreads you'll lose your humanity. A normal God Arc will have no effect on you."

"What are you saying Ren?"

"The way to deal with an Infected Gods Eater, though not full proof, as you must be a match."

I don't like where this is going, I've heard of this 'Assisted Suicide' from the Terminal and Gen. If what he's about to say what I think he's about to say, I'm the only one who came out okay from touching Lindow's God Arc, so I'm a match. No, the responsibility of the dirty deed would fall on me. I shook my head at this.

"Stop it..."

"Is to use the Aramaga-Infect's own God Arc to kill him."

"STOP IT!" I grabbed Ren's shoulders, pushing him back into the Machine. Making him drop his juice can as I breathed heavy with anger and fear. But he still continued, unfazed.

"Let's just say that you were tracking Lindow and were fortunate enough to run into him. Tell me... what would you do if he became an Aragami? Would you be able to 'kill' that Aragami?" I let go of Ren, backing off without a word. Refusing to grace such a question with an answer. He went to pick up his juice and didn't turn to look at me as he continued to speak.

"In this world we must make selfish and foolish choices. It's always been that way."

"But in the end it's always your choice..."

"The choice that Lindow made that day... would you say it led to a happy ending for everyone? And as for you... what kind of choice will you make?" He turned to look at me at that question.

"My own."

"Perhaps I disturbed you with such talk. I'm heading back to the client now." He placed his soda can on top of the trash can, and left with me more sadness at the burden I chose to carry on my own for my pact. But man, must I feel so alone?

****** Next day in the Entrance ******

"Lame! Why can't the First Unit go out on the search?! He's a member of the First Unit, we should do the search! Right, Leader?" Soma addressed Okami.

She said nothing, many had gathered in the Entrance at the excitement of Lindow's return. But with all the excitement in the air a gloomy cloud loomed over the 1sr unit Leader Okami. She laid on the Entrance couch opposite of Soma and the others with her back turned to them.

Although Soma secretly enjoyed the view of Okami's curves. Her tone legs, her ample buttocks, and her seductive outline which she exposed unknowingly. Even though he liked what he saw, and his imagination was going wild with images of him getting a taste of her delectable exposed neck as her hair fell to the couch due to gravity, he hated seeing her plagued by sadness. But the thing was, he didn't know what could have saddened her like this. Surely not being able to go on the Search Missions would make her this sad, something else must be at work.

"Hey, hey, don't look so depressed! I'm more than enough to find Lindow!" Said Shun, thinking that was the reason she was down. "I'll find him real quick! Make sure there's a party ready for us when we get back!"

But Okami only slightly turned her head toward him to give him a weak smile only to return back to her previous state. She found it sweet how Shun tried to cheer her up, but that was not what plagued her mind. She was haunted by the idea of what state they would find Lindow in and the words that Ren left her with. Both at the incident near the Soda machine and the one when she tried to apologize to him this morning, for the actions she committed to him, at the Sick Bay. She felt bad that she let her temper get the best of her that she would lay a hand on him, even if it was only a hard grab.

"I'm really sorry about earlier too..." said Ren in response to her apology. "The matter of life and death in humans isn't easy, I know. But the moment of judgement is right in front of you. You'll have to decide, very soon."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now let's focus on finding Lindow first."

"Please, remember. This is reality. You can't avoid it."

But he was right, this was something she couldn't avoid and she knew it. What if Lindow's transformation as already gone too far? What if it was too late? What if they couldn't save him? 'No!' she screamed in her mind as the what ifs began to plague her.

"Come now Leader, it's not that bad. Cheer up!" Alisa said, getting up from her spot on her couch to lean where Okami was and pat her on the shoulder. But as she made contact images came flashing through both their heads. "Oh... Could this be? Resonance..."

This was bad, worried that Alisa would see too much and debated whether to draw away from her. But drawing away would only bring more attention to her than she already needed.

"..." Alisa silenced and sorted through the images. "Lindow?!" All Okami could think at that moment was 'crap!'

"..." Alisa tried pushing for more, but silently Okami forced her back. "Oh, its ending... Was that the Resonance?"

"What are you talking about?" Okami couldn't lie to Alisa or anyone in her pact so she would walk around their questions to the best of her ability.

"Hm, maybe it was just my imagination... I think I saw Lindow, you, and... There was someone else. It was faint but..."

"I have mission orders to defeat an Amaterasu." Tsubaki came around, interrupting Alisa to Okami's relief. She wasn't in the mood for missions, the burden of her silence was weighing her down. "Sorry, but I need the First Unit to handle this as priority. Attacks with guns barely work on Amaterasu. Therefore, it is expected that this will mostly be melee combat."

But to everyone's surprise and horror, there was no change in Okami. Usually she would be excited at the prospect of fighting a strong new type Aragami, let alone a new-type Ouroboros. They were one of her favorites, yet she was still under her looming cloud of blues. This even threw Tsubaki off guard.

"Don't let your mind wonder and get stomped on by the giant. Give this mission your full attention!"

"Understood..." They were all stomped by this behavior. Where was that energy Okami had whenever she addressed Tsubaki? She had too much respect for the woman to give her nothing but her all. But this... this was weak.

But her mind was also plagued also by conversation with Dr. Sakaki. He hadn't told HQ about Lindow's possible transformation. Doing so would cause them to reject the Search Missions. Now she was his partner in crime, adding more on to her long list of secrets she was forced to keep. Adding more to remorse and internal suffering to keep everyone happy. But, what about her? Didn't she have a right to feel happy? The pressure was slowly killing her, to the point that she would give anything for just one small act of kindness.

"Here." Soma said to Okami, out stretching a can of First Love Juice to her. "You like this stuff, right? So cheer up and pull yourself together. We have a job to do."

A tiny tear tried to escape out of the corner of her eye. This was it... this was the random act of kindness she was looking for to remind her why she was doing this. This was the energy boost she needed to keep going. Revived, she took the can from him and chugged it down.

"Alright, let's do this." It lacked her usual enthusiasm, but it was a great improvement from her other state. And that was enough to relieve everyone on the Floor, to the point that they didn't care she just downed a whole can of that godawful juice.

Soma felt that there was more to her behavior, but he let it go for now. Since seeing her get out of her rut lifted that annoying weight off his chest.

****** Aegis Island ******

"Soma."

"Yeah?"

"You do realize that we are under-man power for this mission?" Alisa stated to me.

"I noticed."

"Yet... We took down the Amaterasu without a problem." So Alisa was starting to notice. "Okami... broke its tentacles without a sweat and went directly after its face and horn as if knowing its weakness on instinct."

"The Aragami bullets you shot helped boost her strength."

"That's the thing. Most of those... I didn't fire. It's as if she went into a Burst on her own." Alisa said as if stating an ugly truth.

Come to think of it, she gave us both one Aragami bullet while shooting the last one in a random direction. It's one thing not to favortize, but why waste the bullet when she could've fired it at the Amaterasu? Not to mention she randomly shot recovery bullets at nothing. She was off her game and yet she wasn't as she took down the Amaterasu.

"Not to mention the recovery bullets shot at us when we were at our weakest while she was in blade-form." The fact that this was rising Alisa's attention drew my concern. "Soma... do you think maybe she's-"

"You saw her this afternoon, she was not feeling herself. Perhaps she still a little hay wired. Let's not make this into something big."

"A-alright... if you say so."

"Hey guys, hurry up! I'm hungry and want to eat." We both flinched at this, her appetite has been getting bigger. Will there come a time when the Den's food wouldn't be able to satisfy her hunger?