Far East Branch – Den Lobby
"Your next mission will be a joint effort with the 2nd Unit to find Nova." Hibari stood behind the mission desk, briefing Utsugi on his next assignment. Thanks to Hamasaki's work, he had successfully been supplied with enough dosages of medication to put him fully back in action. Now, he was taking to the field, assisting in the efforts to locate their missing foe. "Both units are ordered to search the temple ruins. This is a recon mission first and foremost, so even if you find it, do not engage… Good luck."
"Understood."
Beside him, Kanon was groaning, looking a little unsure as they waited for preparation of their transport. The last few days had been nerve wracking at best and downright paralyzing at worst. The fact that there was a second Nova, a derivative of world-eating monster that had nearly devoured the planet, was already bad enough. Then, it wrought utter havoc, including outmaneuvering the 1st Unit and decommissioning the branch's strongest solider. At this point, she couldn't help but feel a bit self-deprecating. What chance did any of them have? "This is gonna suck… my muscles are gonna be all sore from the fear."
Beside her, Brendan tried to reassure her. "Don't let it get to you. We're all a little freaked out, but in the end, it's just a new, insanely powerful monster." Kanon only sighed.
"Right, sure… That totally makes me feel better," Tatsumi muttered, going over the last of his supplies. "Hopefully, we find it soon… then I hope we crush it."
His words earned an immediate response from the operator standing behind the desk. Hibari's face twisted into an annoyed expression. "Weren't you listening? I just said not to engage, Tatsumi. I repeat. Do not engage."
"I know, I know, I was only joking… I'm not crazy enough to take on that thing. I wanna make sure I come home to you."
"Um…" That seemed to catch her off guard, eyes rounding. She quickly recovered, shaking her head, and forcing on her professional mask. "J-Just… complete the mission and come home safe, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don't worry." Tatsumi smiled, taking note of her flustered expression. Though it was brief, he had noticed the tiniest color tinting her face. He logged the mental image in his brain for safekeeping, feeling his heart swell with joy at the thought. After a bit more discussion, the squad made their way toward the metal doors, hopefully for what wouldn't be the final time.
Neo watched them go with a pensive expression on her face. For days she had been locked up in the Den, unable to do little more than watch other God Eaters drift in and out of the building. Without a weapon and the other members watching her every move, she found herself growing incredibly bored. Following the incident, it was decided that she was to remain within their four walls at all times, and that included even leaving the main building — she was permitted to wander the city with a chaperone, something about them being unable to trust her. Her guardian's tone had left no room for debate, and Soma seemed to be siding right along with them. She couldn't say she didn't understand their reasoning, but it still didn't make her any less miserable.
As if that weren't bad enough, the gossip mill, as it always did, continued running at full speed. All around her, she heard chatter and discussion that only served to make her feel even more useless.
"More and more casualty reports listing Nova as the cause come in by the day… And we still can't manage to catch it. If only we could find just one clue, it might be all we need…"
"Did you hear? The third squadron got taken out… they're saying it was the Nova."
"Aragami have been targeting our supply trucks recently, so we're starting to run low on food."
"It's just as well. The Nova is driving them out, that thing is a menace."
"We'll just have to tighten our belts and start rationing food a little more strictly."
Nova, Nova, Nova. Everywhere she turned, that was all she would hear about. The creature that was raising utter panic in Far East. The creature that was so destructive that made her look like a holy saint. The creature that she was powerless to fight against. The trouble it caused extended from the fearful townspeople all the way up to their current director. Even her discussions with Soma were growing disheartening.
"Nova's unique Bias Field is getting harder to detect. Even if we get a whiff of it, by the time we get there it's always long since faded away. There's a chance it's realized we're trying to track it… I may need to increase my device's sensitivity… We have to find it as soon as we can."
Yet here she was. Trapped. Useless. Worthless. Sitting in the Den with nothing to offer but the occasional errand around Headquarters — having the physical strength of a group of men came in handy for certain things. She was at her wit's end; she was ready to tear her hair out. If she couldn't find something to do soon, she was certain she would go completely mad.
"Um… excuse me… Neo?"
"Huh?" The sound of a small voice pulled her out of her deprecating thoughts. It sounded familiar. Turning her attention, she looked over to find a little girl, one she hadn't seen in some time. "Erina…? What is it?"
"I have a question for you!" Neo blinked, her expression slowly morphing into one of confusion. Even since the introduction of the council, she was still unaccustomed to humans coming up and speaking to her. This was true of children especially; Shio was the closest she had come to interacting with one in long while. Erina took her silence as a negative sign, wilting beneath her gaze. "Um, please? It won't take long. I mean, unless you wanna talk. I mean… uh…"
Neo sighed inwardly, shaking her head, and turning to give the girl her full attention. When she had said she wanted something to do, childcare wasn't exactly what she had in mind. But it beat sitting around thinking of all the things she couldn't do. At least this way, she was offering something, even it was only answering a little girl's inquiries. Shrugging, she gestured Erina to lead the way.
"Oh, thank you, thank you! This way!"
The child gripped her gloved hand and pulled, attempting to drag her over in her excitement. Neo let her. She was led over to a coffee table, littered with notes and documents regarding Oracle cells and combat theory. Her eyes widened at the sight of it, she hadn't been expecting something like this. It was foreign to her; trying to get Kota to study anything at all was a challenge in and of itself, and he was a member of the retaliation squad. To see this young child delving into the world of God Eaters was… refreshing. If not a bit disturbing. Neo took a seat, listening as Erina rattled on about the notes in front of them.
As it turned out, the child wanted advice. It seemed she was hoping to become a God Eater someday, something that Neo couldn't fully understand. Why any human would want to recreationally battle man-eating monsters was beyond her; it was the life that was chosen for her, not one she selected. And Erina, no less, the younger sibling of Eric who had gone so gruesomely at the hands of one.
Come to think of it… maybe that was why she wanted to.
"Ugh…" Erina's groan, got her attention. Neo focused; that sound meant she was going to have a another question. "Aragami infection is controlled through regular administration of Bias Factor? That's how God Eaters function?" She turned and gazed up at her expectantly.
"…Yes." Neo answered. It wasn't how she functioned; her Bias Factor was in her DNA. But Erina didn't need to know that.
"That sounds so terrible."
"…It is." She imagined. She had no idea.
"Oh, oh! What about this?"
Neo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She recognized that tone. It meant she was about to start up again, and she could only imagine the topic of choice this time. She sincerely hoped for her own sake that it wasn't regarding the different types of Aragami again. She was convinced she had come very close to traumatizing the child with her descriptions. If she wasn't careful, she might never speak to her again. But it wasn't. Instead, Erina grabbed her notes, practically shoving them into Neo's lap. "I was listening to Licca and some of the other God Eaters the other day… Do you spend a lot of time maintaining your shields?"
"Uh…"
"I mean, they don't seem all that useful to me… Shun says the best defense is a good offense, right?"
Neo twitched, trying to figure out how best to answer her question. Her first instinct was to warn her to never listen to Shun about anything involving combat. The boy was an idiot; the only thing he would lead her to is a very early grave. But she didn't. She controlled herself and took her question into consideration. She couldn't entirely fault Erina for her thought process. Not so long ago, Neo had functioned the same way. Up until Ichiro's disappearance, her shield was little more than a decorative attachment to her weaponry. Had it not been for Soma…
Shaking her head, she refocused. She didn't have time to think about him when Erina was impatiently awaiting an answer. "Shields are important."
"Why?"
"Because they protect you."
"From what?"
"From everything," Neo explained. "You don't want to be caught defenseless when a Vajra swipes at you with twelve-inch claws." Erina squeaked, eyes growing wide at the visual. "Or their lightning bolts… those will hurt tremendously… incapacitate… possibly even kill you. Unless you have a suitable defense against its elements." The New Type instructing anyone on the importance of defenses was the height of irony, and Neo understood that. But what else was she supposed to do? Erina could never hope to outmaneuver enemies the way she did. "You should always have a shield appropriate for your current mission." Yes. For her, the best option was to play it safe… if that were even possible. Were she to come out as an old ranged type, that would be impossible. Neo didn't have the heart to tell her.
"Elements, eh? In other words, you should change your shield depending on which Aragami you're fighting? What a pain! I didn't realize it was all so complicated…"
"It can be."
"Well, tough or not, I suppose it's important if I want to survive."
"Exactly."
Erina let out a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, I've probably taken up enough of your time…" She had. Nearly four hours to be exact. "Thanks, Neo. I really appreciate it."
"Sure."
"Hey… can I… can I call on you again? In future?"
"I'll answer any questions I can."
"No, I-I mean… Well that too, but. I meant when the time comes… will you train me?"
Train her? The child wanted her to train her? In what? Combat, tactics, marksmanship, all of the above? Apparently, tutelage wasn't enough, she wanted her to transform her into a full-fledged soldier. It was a bit foolish in her opinion, and Neo didn't know why she answered the way she did. All she could do was hope she wouldn't regret it. "…Yeah. Fine."
Erina squealed with excitement and delight. Neo grimaced at the high pitch rattling in her sensitive ears. Her entire body went rigid, freezing when she reached over to wrap her little arms around her waist.
"Huh…?"
"You know… people say you're really mean." That was true. People said she was a lot of things, and almost none of them were good. "But… I think they just don't understand you."
"Um…"
"You're so helpful and kind, and strong." Erina pulled away. An almost wistful expression appeared on her face. "I hope… I can be like you someday."
"What?" Neo blanched, completely taken aback by the girl's quiet statement. That was something she never thought she'd hear. It took her so much by surprise that she stayed there stunned, even after Erina offered her final goodbyes. By the time she registered what had happened, she was watching her skip away, humming a happy tune to anyone that could hear. Her startled expression slowly softened into a dark one. The little girl ran up the metal stairs, oblivious to the quiet words spoken to her retreating form. "No, Erina… no, you don't."
Shaking her head, she let out a yawn of her own. Perhaps the child had the right idea. Standing, she turned and looked around, wondering if she should grab a snack in the dining hall first. If she filled her stomach now, it would save her a trip later on.
From the metal doorway, a pair of emerald eyes watched the New Type and the little girl part ways. It was strange to see one with such ferocity interacting with one so small, and rather gentle, might he add — as gentle as was possible for a pint-sized killing machine. But it was endearing in a way, to see Neo showing such patience, almost a joy of sorts, spending time with a young child.
Given all he had learned about her, Gunter was honestly surprised. He would have thought that Neo would despise children given her reaction to even the suggestion of them. From the disaster left behind, one would think she would be far more inclined to snap at them or run away. But perhaps his assumptions had been wrong. Maybe, to some degree, she didn't mind them. Who knew? Maybe in another life, she could have loved them. Maybe even had some of her own. It was saddening to think of all the things that could have been possible, had she only been given the chance.
"Gunter?"
"Hmm?!"
Lost in his daydreams of what ifs, he hadn't noticed the New Type approaching him. He startled slightly at the sight of her; she had a habit of sneaking up on people and standing particularly close. Neo took notice of his reaction and stepped away but didn't leave him, eyeing him curiously.
"Did you just get back?"
"Uh… y-yeah. My squad was on rotation."
"I seee you're still in one piece. No sign of the Nova, I take it?"
"No, not since the last time," he confirmed.
"Certainly, for the best."
"Yeah."
The two fell into awkward silence, Gunter shifting his gaze and Neo keeping her own to the floor. Her fingers toyed with the tips of her gloves, eyes narrowing. She was thinking he could tell. It wasn't like her to come up to him or seek him out. She had approached him for a reason. But he didn't press her. Depending on what she would ask of him, he was uncertain of whether or not he wanted to get involved. Finally, she seemed to find her courage, pulling her eyes from the floor. She wanted to tell him… no, she had to tell him. Perhaps he would allow her, were they surrounded by people. "I was… going to the mess hall."
"Ah," Gunter hummed, lips pulling into a tight smile. To think that the tables would one day turn; that Neo would be the one inviting him for a meal. In another time, he would have jumped at the opportunity, but now… "Um… I wasn't — I'm not really hungry."
"…Even after your mission?" Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. That he could have so much energy after a day of hunting was impressive. But his following words only served to confuse her further.
"Well, no, it's — I uh… already ate."
"…But you just got back," Neo confirmed.
"Uh…"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, zoning in on his facial expressions. He was averting his eyes; a sign he was feeling evasive. His ears were slightly discolored, a light shade of pink; he was likely uncomfortable. His posture was stiff; he looked ready to bolt away at any moment. All clear indications that he was being untruthful. For him to lie to her…
"Ah."
It didn't take long for the pieces to come together, and they were only confirmed when her sharp hearing caught the faintest hint of a grumble from his lower regions. Despite the protests of his mouth, his stomach protested. Gunter wanted to eat. He simply didn't want to eat with her. Realizing his unspoken meaning, she sighed. "…I get it. Enjoy your evening."
"N-Neo…" He started to call weakly after her, but there was little conviction behind it. He did nothing further as she walked away, mentally scolding himself for the sense of relief washing over him. He wanted to go after her. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to clear the air between them; and after their last mission, he had told himself that he could, but he just couldn't…
Shaking his head, he turned and headed toward the cafeteria.
She didn't follow; she went in the other direction. Neo had lost her appetite. Instead, she made her way tiredly toward the lift. Before she could reach it, however, she found herself jolting backward at a sudden impact to her side. Approaching the elevator at the same time, another God Eater had walked into her in his haste. Groaning, she prepared to make her way toward the stairwell. She was tired, she was irritated, and was not in the mood to deal with any more skittish humans fleeing from her presence. But it was the sound of a timid voice that stopped her, not rushing away from her, but the opposite.
"O-Oh, umm… hi Neo!"
Turning back around, she saw a large trail of red hair. Standing there was a familiar face, looking at her with wide hopeful eyes. It took a moment for her to figure out where she recognized him, her mind running back to a time long past. Then, she remembered. She had met this man on her first day back; the 3rd Unit New Type, Terrance. He was one of the few members of that unit — two to be exact, including him — that didn't seem to fear or utterly despise her. Federico appeared to be on the fence about her. He didn't particularly like her, but he generally exercised caution… fair, considering she had nearly taken his head off.
"Hey."
"Going into the lift?" he asked, stepping back to allow her passage. "Where to?" Shaking her head, she decided against it. Taking the stairs would be faster anyway.
"No. Go ahead."
"O-Oh, are you sure…? I can, um…"
"It's fine," Neo replied.
"Oh… Okay."
"Is that all?"
"Yeah… Yeah! I didn't need anything, hehe…"
Nodding her head, Neo made to leave again when a low mumble caught her attention. It was Terrance. She could hear him, starting and ending his sentence, trying to figure out how to word something. It seemed he wanted something after all. Why couldn't the people speaking to her just be honest with themselves? Sighing, she turned around again. "…Yes?"
"I, um… actually, I was… maybe we could… um…"
Neo was getting annoyed. "Spit it out, Terrance."
"Oh! Right. Okay." He swallowed. "I was hoping maybe we could go out sometime…? If you're not busy?"
Neo blinked. Now this was a strange turn of events. "Um… I'm not sure, I…"
"Ah!" Terrance paled, realizing his poor choice of wording. Then, turning nearly the same color as his hair, he sputtered. "N-No, that's — that's not what I meant! I mean, we could, if you wanted to, but I know you're with Gunter, and um…" Neo was hopelessly confused, trying to figure out what it was that he was trying to say. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled. "Kota said you were a talented marksman… and I've been having trouble with my rifle, so…"
Finally, she understood. "You want me to train you."
"Yes! Please… I'll give you anything you want in return. We can go out and — no, wait! Agh… not again…"
Neo sighed. Deciding to save him from himself, she halted his spiraling. "Fine. Meet me in the training room when you're free. I'll help however I can."
"Really?" His eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you! I-I'll look forward to it."
"Yeah." Finally finished with their conversation, Neo turned and made her way swiftly toward the stairwell before he could try and make her socialize further. Her battery was at its limit and all she wanted to do now was go back to her room and rest.
Terrance watched her go, his eyes following her until she disappeared from sight. "…See you soon."