Beware the power of the White Queen and the Dark King, they don't even know their own minds.
The Delayed Reunion
The propellers of the Chopper rang through the ears of the three passengers that were lost in their own thoughts as the Chopper headed to the lands beyond the ocean. They left the Den early in the morning and had to make a stop at Fenrir's China Branch to refuel but they were making their way to Finland. They should've been tired but they weren't, the slight anticipation of a long awaited reunion had them all excited and energized. A light drizzle came down as the morning sun began to brighten the grey clouded sky as if the universe was trying to tell them that today was going to be a dreary day.
But they couldn't afford to have such thoughts. Umiko was just within their reach, they couldn't back down now. To distract themselves from their negative thoughts they began to talk among each other.
"I can't believe we're going to see Leader again." Alisa happily commented. She turned to Soma who seemed to be meditating with his head down, eyes closed, and arms crossed. "Aren't you excited, Soma?"
"Hmph, nervous is more like it." Soma said, opening his eyes to look at Alisa. Soma may not say it out loud but he was actually scared. After their last encounter would Umiko really want to see him?
"I know what you mean, I'm nervous too. It's been so long, I wonder how much she's changed? I wonder how much we have changed to her?"
"Relax, Alisa. It's only been six months, none of us have changed that much." Dr. Sakaki assured her. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Tst, I just can't believe you brought along all that stuff." Soma commented, pointing the multitude of luggage that Alisa brought. Many of them with questionable luggage or questionable necessity.
"We don't know how long we're going to be in Finland, we got to be prepared for anything." Alisa huffed in defense. "I'm more surprised you managed to stuff all your supplies in one backpack."
"Hmph, I don't like carrying baggage. And I'm certainly not carrying yours."
"Fine, be a jerk! I wasn't planning on having you help me anyway." Alisa pouted. "Honestly, I don't know how Umiko could handle your gruff behavior."
Alisa didn't see it, but her words twisted a cord in Soma. Making him flinch at the accusation, because in reality he wondered how Umiko tolerated him too. Noticing the tension building up, Dr. Sakaki decided to step in.
"Now, now, don't be that way. It's early in the morning and we're all tired." Dr. Sakaki said, waving his hands in an up-and-down motion as if to cool things down. "We're heading to another Branch so we've got to be on our best behavior. We're representing the Far East Branch now, let's leave a good impression."
"Director Sakaki, we've just arrived at the Finland Branch. We'll be landing shortly." The pilot called out to the back as the Chopper began to descend.
Looking out the window, they saw that the Branch just looked like the Den in a blue hint. Fenrir, once you've seen one Branch you've seen them all, same old same old. At least it looked like less of a wasteland with the wild greenery surrounding it. The Far East Branch had nothing but Dry dirt and winds for the most part. As they landed on the roof they saw that a blonde man in a white coat and an eye patch was waiting for them by the landing point. They were being given a landing welcome by the Finland Director himself, Garland von Schicksal.
Soma slightly hissed at the sight of the man, he didn't want anything to do with the people that were apparently related by 'blood.' All they ever wanted was to judge and use him, in Garland's case mostly use.
The Chopper touched down as the propellers began to come to a halt. They began to step out, Dr. Sakaki taking the lead as Soma and Alisa flanked his side. The light drizzle tickled their skin and hair as they came over to Director Finland.
"Ah, Dr. Sakaki. Glad you could make it." Garland greeted him then looked over at his choice of escorts. "What's this, you brought the damaged one with you? I honestly thought you would've brought your lap dog Lindow with you."
Alisa flinched at his curt accusations, but Dr. Sakaki stepped up to her defense.
"Believe it or not, Alisa is one of our finest God Eaters in the Den and was my first choice. She has had her issues in the past and she's overcome them. And besides..." Dr. Sakaki grinned at Garland in snark. "Lindow's far too stubborn to be considered a lap dog."
"Hmph, I see... then I shall watch the comparison with great interest." Then Garland turned his head to Dr. Sakaki's second choice and realized it was Soma. "I should've known you'd be here. With your skill and experience what better choice could Dr. Sakaki have made?"
"..."
"You've grown. Those eyes... they look a lot like your father's." Soma's eyes slanted at Garland's delineation.
"I don't have a father... Keep that in mind."
"Hn, funny, so does Umiko." Garland chuckled to himself as his arms crossed.
"!" Soma's eyes widened in anger at the mention of her name from his lips.
"Or so she believes. Such a fragile thing the human mind is, always on guard but easily broken."
"Bastard!" Soma growled at him, but Dr. Sakaki held him back to keep him from doing anything stupid. They were a long way from their Den, the last thing they wanted was to start a quarrel in another's Den.
"Oh my," Garland grinned at his nephew's antics. "Did I evoke your savage blood?"
Soma growled at that, this man was truly trying to test him.
"Now, now, don't be like that." Garland said, looking down at Soma with his one eye with the hint of delight. "It's been far too long since I've last seen you nephew. Let's make the best of this visit."
"Tst." Soma clicked his tongue on his teeth and looked away from Garland, annoyed the man was trying to play the family card after so many years of no communication. The man could be a mere stranger for all Soma cared.
"But I digress. You're all here to see the fruit of my work." Garland said, waving his hand toward the roof entrance before crossing his arms behind his back. "Come, I'll show you around."
They followed him inside as he gave them a tour of the facility. The Floor layouts were just the same as they were back at the Far East Branch. God Eaters gathered around the Entrance, checking for missions or searching through their Terminal storage. The only difference there was that the Merchant had their own stand. The Mesh Hall was filled with God Eaters filling up with their rations or gossiping among themselves. They got a couple of stares as they pasted by, and salutes addressed toward the Directors as they passed by the God Eaters in White and/or Black outfits.
Even the Rookies and Veterans Floors had the same layout. What really differentiated was the Lab Floor and the Training Area. The Sick Bay was a standard issued hospital facility in the Branch, but the Training room was larger than most and more complex. The room had stairs, bridges, different levels of platforms and elevations, tunnels, and blind spots that it would make any Laser tag arena jealous. They watched as the new Rookies moved along the false terrain as they hunted down cyber Ogertails.
"I think you've seen enough of the Branch." Garland commented as they left the viewing area of the Training room. "Let's head over to the labs, there's someone we have to pick up."
Heading to the elevator the group went down to a lower Floor, past the Director's Floor and God Arc Hangar. It was the Basement Floor, as the elevator doors opened up they were greeted by the massive room full of scientists and engineers working on the upkeep of their giant God Arc Soldiers. The God Arc Soldiers stood tall, slightly turning and moving their head as the engineers worked around them. Their Buster blades and Long blades were maintenance and enhanced as some of the God Arc Soldiers marched out with massive God Arcs resting on their shoulders.
"Incredible..." Alisa gasped in awe.
"Indeed, but that's not why I brought you here." Garland said, interrupting their astound stares as he moved them toward the back room labs. "This here, is were we contain our... experiments."
"Experiments?" Alisa and Soma questioned at the same time before Garland opened one of the many lab doors. Inside was blue and gray lab room with a white tile floor. The place with spacious and almost empty, if it wasn't for the lab machine and monitor in the corner of the room along with that Terminal in the other. And those... two giant Test tubes on the opposite wall from the door. Private God Arc Hangars were placed by each of the tubes, one of the Hangars still holding a Thunder Chainsaw EX. Each Test tube was labeled by a digit, one being '01' while the other '02.' Tube 02 was empty and drained while 01 ... was filled with a mysterious green liquid... and a boy floating in it.
"Oh!" Alisa gasped in shock, realizing that it was the boy named Sora that came along with the Director that day to retrieve Umiko. He was peacefully slumbering in only a black white-beater shirt and boxers as he floated without a care in the tube. On the side of each his shoulders was tattooed the number 01.
"Don't worry, he can still breath." Garland reassured to them. "His body soaks in the dosage before it drowns his lungs."
"But what exactly is that?" Dr. Sakaki questioned, slightly fearing what he hypothesized it was as the moved in closer.
"Liquified Aragami core."
"!" They all turned to stare at Garland as he gave that shocking answer.
"Originally I dosed them with concentrated Jormungandr core, but later we soon found out we could get the same results from other High-Type Aragami. The results were astounding." Garland explained as his eye smothered in glee while he looked at his triumphant efforts in the tube.
"This is disgusting..." Soma growled as he looked at the greater picture of this whole experiment.
"This is appalling! This experiment is beyond unorthodox!" Alisa shouted in outrage.
"Unorthodox?" Garland then turned to look at them with his one eye as he addressed Alisa and Soma. "Tell me, how do you feel when you kill the gods? Scared? Superior? Or perhaps do you feel pleasure...? Going against the Aragamis, who devour all substance, who wipe out all of mankind."
"!" The two of them had no idea where he was going with this. Looking back at the Test tube, Garland continued on.
"You know, if you look at the laws of natural selection progress, there is no further for human evolution. We are all destined to be destroyed. Do you think the price of life is worth it?"
"Wha! That's..." Alisa couldn't even finish the sentence, this whole thing was... "repulsive."
"So you experiment with one life in the hopes that it'll save thousands?" Dr. Sakaki, the scientist in him could see the logic behind it but the man inside him could not approve of it.
"Hm, indeed." Garland turned to the side to look at Dr. Sakaki. "At the moment the whole nation is living under the fear of Aragami. The God Eaters of Fenrir share a dream of spreading our hives and securing the survival of mankind all over this world. However, mankind has chosen to hide behind these protective walls. To be honest, I am fed up with this childish sanctuary. Therefore I proposed a means of human evolution."
"So you've used your own God Eaters to accomplish your goal?" Soma grunted in disgust at how Garland had so blindingly used and abused lives.
"Not just any Gods Eater, the perfect specimens." Garland said, placing a hand on the tube. "They've already shown potential from their gene pool, and worked out better than I could've imagined. But my are they picky. They refused to have their God Arcs too far apart from them and detest any one else touching them. We had many hospital runs that day when the engineers tried. Giving in, we simply gave the means of storing their God Arcs here and the knowledge to self maintenance them."
"You keep saying them, is there another?" Alisa asked.
"Yes, No. 2. She's out on an early mission at the moment, so I am afraid you won't be meeting her until later." Garland grinned at Alisa, something about his grin said that he was hiding something.
"A girl?! You can't have a girl and boy staying together in the same room, it's scandalous!" Alisa shouted in appall, causing Garland to chuckle.
"We originally planned to give them separate rooms after the initial tests, but they grew so use to this that they didn't see the need to move. And besides, judging by their relationship I see no reason why they should need to be separated."
"Relationship?" Soma questioned.
"We're getting off the subject. Let me show you the achievements of my... Evolution Project." Garland walked over to the machine in the corner, pressing a button that activated the speaker in the Test tube. "Sora..."
Sora's crimson eyes shot open, making Alisa jump back in startle. Soma and Dr. Sakaki slightly flinched back at the sudden movement in the tube.
"It's time to get up." Garland finished, pulling a switch that drained the tube. Once the Test tube was fully drained, the front of its glass slid to the side. Opening to allow Sora to step out. Ignoring the others, he faced Garland and saluted him with a fist pump to the heart which remained there.
"What orders do you have for me today, Director Garland?" Sora said detachedly, his eyes eerily devoid of emotions. "What does my Leader command?"
"Good morning, Sora." Garland smirked at him. "We have work to do. Get dressed, we must show our guests what you can do."
Nodding to Garland for good measures, Sora walked over to the Terminal and pulled out his custom-made Dengeki PS uniform look-alike. Vexed that he was so unconcernedly changing in front of her, Alisa covered her eyes.
"Have you no shame! There is a lady present!"
"?" Sora turned a little to look at her, titling his head to the side in confusion. "But, you are in my room."
"Ooh!" Alisa hissed at him, turning her head with a blush as he continued with his actions.
Once the uniform- more like a bodysuit- was on, he slid on his boots and grabbed his custom-designed Sweeper Noir coat. Putting it on, they noticed the slight changes to the design. White color 01 were branded in the same area his tattoos were. On his back was embroidered a silhouette of the side view of an onyx man sitting in a bleached sun, his leg dangling down and seen on one of the wavy corona rays of the sun. The only color visible in the embroider was the man's red eye as he looked to the right. Once fully dressed, Sora turned to Garland and stood tall.
"Grab your God Arc." Garland ordered. "We're heading to the Training room."
Going back to his Test tube, Sora grabbed his God Arc from its Hangar and rested it on his shoulder as he walked over to join the others. Readied to go, Garland lead the way back to the Training room. Leaving Sora by the entrance of the room, Garland lead the others to the observing area of the room on the higher level. Taking a set of stairs, they headed to a monitor room which had a wide view window of the Training ground below. Sora walked into the room cool and collect. Once he was in the center, Garland began to instruct Sora.
"We will now begin the simulation. Starting off light and working our way to more challenging Aragami." Garland informed to Sora before activating the cyber Aragami. "Begin."
He started light, dealing with a herd of cyber Ogretail, which he sliced as he tracked them down in the terrain. But then it got harder as cyber Cocoon Maidens were added on the higher elevation, firing down at him as he ducked behind the walls. Turning them into top priority, Sora jumped into the air much higher than a normal Gods Eater and slashed down on one of the Cocoon Maidens. Leaping from platform to platform, he took care of the others.
"Hm, not bad." Garland praised. "But let's take this up a notch."
Messing with a few more buttons on the monitor, two Kongous and a Sariel materialized into the Training room. Not wasting a second, Sora took a Devouring bite out of one of the Kongous and went into Burst mode. Hyped and Boosted with a burst, Sora easily took down the Kongous with little to no effort. And, for the first time... there was excitement in his eyes. They were startled when his pupils began to slit. What he did next really took the cake to them. Jumping into the air, he slashed his God Arc into the Sariel. The Sariel wailed and flew wild as the God Arc got stuck halfway in its body, coming from its shoulder down as Sora still held on. Pushing a dark glow from his hands into the God Arc, the chainsaw began to move. Sawing into the Sariel as it sliced it in two.
"What the hell was that?!" Soma growled, alarmed at what he had just saw.
"That is but a taste of a Blood Rage." Garland explained. "A new mode discovered through the experiments."
"I see... and that's the limit your experiments evolved your God Eaters to?" Dr. Sakaki said.
"Hmph, not even close." Garland smirk at Dr. Sakaki before turning to the window again and going on the speaker. "Sora, enough playing. Drop your God Arc. Show me what you can do."
"!"
"What?!" Alisa gasped.
"Are you mad?!" Soma snarled at him.
"Be quiet and watch." Garland shot back at them as he used the monitor to materialize a Spartacus into the room. The others were stunned by the Aragami before them even if it was cybernetic. What was that thing? It resembled a Hannibal but had the armor of a Fallen Spark Borg Camlann, arm armor of a Caligula, and the wings/fists similar to Susano'o.
"Is that an artificially-made Aragami, created by random selections in your logging system?" Dr. Sakaki asked in disbelief of what he was seeing.
"No... that's a real Aragami that appeared out of nowhere and started to reek havoc on our land. Meet Spartacus." Garland said before looking at Dr. Sakaki from the corner of his eye. "You're a long way from home, Paylor."
The Spartacus roared, regaining everyone's attention. They're eyes widen as Sora stuck his God Arc in the ground under him.
"Sorry, Kaminari." Sora said down to his God Arc before taking off his Noir coat and getting into a fighting stance. As the Spartacus came charging at him, he transformed Borg Camlann tail needles out of his arms and began slicing it back. Once he had pushed it back far enough to make it lose it's balance on the edge of the platform, Sora stabbed one of his needle arms into the Spartacus' left chest and twirl himself onto it's back.
"Oh my God." Alisa gasped in fear as Sora's arms changed into Devouring mouths of God Arcs. One gripped into the Spartacus' shoulder while the other devoured at its neck. Angered and in pain, the Spartacus smacked at Sora right after he jumped off.
Just as he did that his pupils slitted to a more Aragami look, the teeth in his mouth became sharp and fang-like as a beastly smile came over his face. His body began to change, a dark corona came over him. Borg Camlann armor formed from his body with massive shoulder blade armor. His arms became like a Caligula, Corrosive Hannibal horns formed on his forehead, and Spartacus wings grew on his back. He pulled out a Caligula blade from each of his arms and savagely slashed at the Aragami. Having enough, Sora let out a burst of darkness that seemed to take form as his eyes started to glow.
"This ends now!" Sora growled at the Spartacus, circling around it as he destructively sliced at it with his Caligula blade from his arms. The darkness around him seem to consume his blades and the Aragami. "O brilliant blade of coldest steel, rend the infinite darkness, and crush my enemies to nothing!"
"You're dead!" Suddenly flashing from the Spartacus' side to its top, Sora came down on it hard. Stabbing it with a force that knocked it to the ground and left a giant hole in its center. "Savage Wolf Fury!"
The cyber Aragami dematerialized as Sora emerged the victor. Still breathing heavy from his excitement, Sora slowly got back to his feet. Blood lust still coated his face as he looked down at his hands. The slow clapping sound from the Director dulled his eyes back to their emotionless dim. Slowly Sora change back into normal, clothes and all. Sora looked up at the viewing window, the others slightly flinched as his eyes passed them.
"Well done, Sora. That was quite impressive." Garland complemented. "Head back up here, we'll continue with the demonstration when No. 2 arrives."
"Sir." Sora saluted before going to grab his God Arc and Noir coat. Gently putting it on his shoulder, he headed out of the room, coat in arm. Once he was gone, Garland turned to address the others. Smirking at the variety of expressions on their faces.
"So, what did you think?"
"What do we think? You've turned them into damn monsters!" Soma growled at him.
"Not to mention the possible side-effects you've done to their personalities. I mean my God, that boy expressed less feelings and emotions than a rock. I almost thought he was a doll!" Alisa criticized.
"Monsters? No, I've created elite God Eaters." Garland countered.
"Looks to me like you've tried to turn man into gods." Dr. Sakaki retorted.
"Such power will be needed if we ever hope to defeat the savage gods." Garland said. "This is still but a taste of what my new form of God Eaters can do. Wait until you see No. 2. Although she was late to the party, she has proven to be slightly stronger than No. 1. Must be due to the fact of being a New-Type."
"!" The three of them became alarmed when Garland mention about the mysterious No. 2 being a New-Type. They wanted to ask but they fear about the answer they would get. That is, except for one of them...
"Hey... where's Umiko?" Soma asked.
"I told you, No. 2 is on a mission right now. We can meet up with her later." They were all horrified by his answer.
"You transmuted her?!" Soma snarled at Garland, grabbing the front collar of Garland's coat.
"Transmuted her? I made her better." Garland grinned down at Soma.
"You Asshole!" Soma was about to punch him when Sora came into the room. Coming to his Director's aid, Sora pushed Soma away and got in between the two.
"Do you need assistance, sir?" Sora asked behind him to Garland, tightening his grip on his God Arc as he got ready to attack and defend. Soma was already pissed with this guy. Not only was he defending his uncle's actions, he had the gall to share a room with Umiko and act like it was a normal thing. This guy was too close to Umiko for Soma's liking, and he was always so stony-eyed and immovable. Soma hated this guy... a lot.
"No, that won't be necessary. We were just having a discussion." Garland said, crossing his arms behind his back as he headed out the room. "Let's head back to the Entrance. I want to see what's taking No. 2 so long."
"Her name is Umiko." Soma barked at him.
"I know." Garland smirked back at him. "I just like getting you all wild up, reminds me of the times when you were small."
"Tst, bastard."
"I can't be a bastard, Soma, I have a father. Your Grandfather would be so disappointed that you denied his existence, Soma." Garland bantered, picking on Soma.
"Damn you, you annoying thorn in my side." Garland chuckled at Soma and was about to counter him when he was interrupted by the cheering and screams of the female God Eaters as they came into the Entrance. They huddled closer to the group as they walked pass but never surrounded or touch them, the three of them were aghast by this strange behavior from the ladies.
"Kya! Sora-sempai!" The female God Eaters cheered.
"Morning, Sora-sempai!" Random ones cheered. "You're looking good today!"
"Hey, Sora Sensei."
They giggled as he look at them and scampered off in their huddles. The others looked at him in question, while Garland simple smirked. He was use to the reactions Sora was getting from the females in the Branch, he was handsome and he had that quiet mystery about him that seem to be attractive to young females.
"What a strange mystery girls are." They all sweat dropped at his nonchalance and obliviousness to the effects he had on girls.
"Heh, you never cease to amuse me, Sora." Garland chuckled before turning to address the operator lady at the Mission Desk. "Get No. 2 on the line and put it on speaker."
"Yes sir." She pushed a couple of buttons and sat back as the ring tone went off.
Finally, someone picked up the line. The connections the Branch's lines had were amazing. They could hear everything going on the other line as if they were there. They could hear the rain dripping down on the ground; they could hear the person on the other line running as their feet crunched down on the grass; they could hear... the multiple sounds of scampering in the background.
"Director, is there something you need?" Her voice... it has been far too long since Soma had heard Umiko's voice. Just the sound of her somehow made Soma's heart skip a beat.
"No. 2, why haven't you return to the Branch yet? The mission should have been completed a long time ago." Just as Garland said that a roar in the background went off.
"The initial objection has been completed sir. However, multiple uncalculated interferences came to intervene before my departure." A couple of growls and snarls went off to prove her point. "It shall be a while before I return, sir."
"Do you need reinforcement?"
"That will not be necessary. The situation is within my control, it will just take some time."
"Negative, soldier. I'm sending No. 1 to back you up. Secure your location and await for extraction."
"As you wish, Director. Perhaps I could use the break." Soma and Alisa were caught off guard by her sudden yield, usually her stubborn nature wouldn't allow others to take her as weak. There was something wrong with their old Unit Leader. She was always so full of life, but now she was like a doll. Her voice was so monotone it put robots to shame. "I will hold my ground until Sora arrives."
The line was disconnected and once again she was gone. The idea of it made Soma quench inside.
"Should I head out now, sir?" Sora asked, impassive as ever even though his partner was in danger.
"Yes, however we will be accompanying you this time." Their eyes dilated at the notion of Garland's idea, even Sora's slightly. Soma and Alisa could handle themselves, but Garland and Dr. Sakaki would be sitting ducks. Their lack of fighting abilities would just make them extra baggage.
"Sir, I must advise against this." Sora insisted.
"I trust in your abilities, Sora. Our presence should be of no trouble to you."
"Very well, Director. We'd best be off then, Umiko is waiting for us." Sora said, yielding to his Director.
'Yes,' Soma thought to himself, trying to convince himself that she would want to see him again. 'Yes... she was.'
*** Author's Notes ***
Kaminari - Thunder
I know the quote Sora used during his Blood Rage was the special move Yuri Lowell used in Tales of Vesperia, but I really loved that move... and that awesome five word quote he did with Flynn.
Also, to be honest... I always wanted the Chainsaw God Arcs to actually chainsaw the Aragami. I mean, if they already have the down side of being noisy they should at least have a power boost of a chainsaw effect. If not as a regular move, at least in Burst mode. That's what they should do in Gods Eater Burst 2 instead of that Spear and Hammer stuff, or at least bring back the Pistol God Arc. And don't get me started with that so called 'Death Scythe' God Arc, I was so excited about it when I first heard of it. I was even going to make a Grim Reaper based character off of it, to be honest that's what Okami was originally going to be. But when I saw it I was so upset, you call that a Scythe? That wasn't a Scythe, it was a bloody Axe.
