User blog:One-Eyed Serpent/Never Stand Alone (ARC2) - Chapter 10 - Scatter

--[side:HERO]--

When all the alarms in the Far East Fenrir Branch sounded; the first thing I did was rush down to the Hangar and go retrieve Masamune. Gil-san and Captain was also there, and I hesitated for a moment when Gil-san looked at me, face unreadable.

I opened my mouth to apologize-

He turned and walked away.

I bit my lip.

I feel horrible.

“Hiro,” I looked up at Captain, my face as miserable as my feelings, and he gave me a sympathetic look. He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, and I concentrated on it so I wouldn’t end up an emotional wreck. “Later. We’ll all talk later.” He promised.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

Later.

We have Aragami to kill.

--

Once upon a time (specifically around seven months ago), I would’ve thought that Operation Monkey Business was a very dreadful mission.

This right here proved me wrong.

Oh so wrong.

Aragami was everywhere in any direction I looked; and the fact that there aren’t as many God Eaters and God Arc Soldiers terrified me.

Please let us all live through this.

<p class="MsoNormal">I used that prayer to fuel myself and to keep on delivering killing strikes to any of the beasts that come across me, Devouring them with my Predator afterwards. I managed to stay with Captain, but I was more concerned about the others from Blood than the fact the only Captain and I are defending this particular area.

<p class="MsoNormal">Please let us all live through this. Please let us all live through this.'' Please let us all live through thi- ''

<p class="MsoNormal">“/Hiro, Julius, Ryuuka is on his way for assistance,/” I twitched when I heard the news, but it didn’t deter me from Releasing my Predator and capturing a couple of Vajratails, swinging them around to bash a Borg Camlann with my crude mace repeatedly. I Devoured the core immediately, before rolling back just in time to dodge the Borg’s tail and hear Doctor Rachel continue. “/''He’s arriving ETA 2 minutes. Please hang on until then; I’ll go check on the others.''/”

<p class="MsoNormal">Captain and I touched our earpieces, confirming the Doctor’s request just in time as a Quad – a Fallen one at that – barreled in, launching missiles that nearly got us.

<p class="MsoNormal">I grimaced; I was beginning to tire, and the endless flow of Aragami didn’t give me enough time to stop and catch my breath.

<p class="MsoNormal">Please let us all live through this. Please let us all live through this.

<p class="MsoNormal">Captain just shouted ‘Hiro, out of the way!” at the same time a mechanical roar rattled my ears, and I nearly cried in relief when I saw the familiar Fenrir Banner – Shuuten Douji’s body changed again; did it get taller? – and the red war paint.

<p class="MsoNormal">Izanami-san is here.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Soldier rammed into the surprised Quad with unforgiving force, knocking the Aragami off its feet and into Shuuten Douji’s mercy.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nonexistent mercy.

<p class="MsoNormal">I watched in fascination as the God Arc Soldier ignored its weapon in favor of tearing at the missile pods with its own two hands, successfully ripping of the entirety of one pod just as the Quad had enough of Izanami-san. The Aragami got up on its feet, and Izanami-san motioned for us to get behind him

<p class="MsoNormal">I think I know where this is going.

<p class="MsoNormal">I wasted no time in darting over to Shuuten Douji’s shadow, and the God Arc Soldier chucked the missile pod and shot it.

<p class="MsoNormal">''I knew it. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">The explosion was… explosive (I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do that) that I was almost knocked off my feet even with Shuuten Douji taking the brunt of it. I heard the mechanical warrior hiss, and I became worried for Izanami-san; he still feels pain, doesn’t he? Even in that armor.

<p class="MsoNormal">So, with that thought, Captain and I left Izanami-san’s protective cocoon and began hacking at the severely weakened Quadriga. It was Captain who spotted the core, and while he went and Devoured it – delivering the killing blow at the same time – I pressed my earpiece.

<p class="MsoNormal">Only to jerk away from the violent static that came through.

<p class="MsoNormal">Shit. Jammed. Of all times to get comm. jammed!

<p class="MsoNormal">“Captain, I’m jammed!” I reported, urging my Predator to feed faster so we could continue fighting, as an absurd amount of Ogretails and its variants headed for our position.

<p class="MsoNormal">I saw Captain have the same reaction as I had earlier, and I cursed in my head. The explosion must’ve affected the radio transmitter. Dammit.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ryuuka!” I heard Captain call out to our team mate. “My and Hiro’s communications are jammed! Can you please find the others? I last saw Ciel with First Unit at our 3 o’clock; Nana further up at the frontlines with Romeo for the vanguard teams; and Gil said he’d help out Forth Unit somewhere to our 7 o’clock! You don’t have to bring them all here, just check on them!”

<p class="MsoNormal">That was a sensible course of action; but even then I can help but be scared since we’re separated. I’ve never had a mission that split my squad. I find the idea of staying away from them – especially when Aragami are involved – terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

<p class="MsoNormal">Please let us all live through this. Please let us all live through this. Please let us all live through this.

<p class="MsoNormal">I saw Izanami-san move Shuuten Douji’s head, and he left to carry out Captain’s request.

<p class="MsoNormal">Please let us all live through this.'' ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Please… ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Let us live through this… ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''-- ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''A smile full of twisted elation, on a face alike his own. Blood pooling on the floor. A Devoured Corpse. Heritage Devoured. Sadness. So much sadness. Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts. Hurt the one who hurt you. Revenge. Avenge the one who died. Who died? Gil died. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Gil’s dead. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Hurt the one who hurt you. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Iamsorryeveryoneifailedfailedfailediamsorrykillmei’malonedon’twantobealonetakemebackhomehome. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">Once again, I’ve died.

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">I was numb.

<p class="MsoNormal">So numb.

<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know how long I was kneeling on the ground, cradling the bloody head and severed limbs to me. I don’t care if it was bloody.

<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t care.

<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t care anymore.

<p class="MsoNormal">Heritage lay broken by the body – don’tlookdon’tlooklookatityoursin – and Shuuten Douji’s back was torn open viciously. Dead.

<p class="MsoNormal">The living weapons are dead.

<p class="MsoNormal">Just like their owners-

<p class="MsoNormal">''Nononononononononononononotdeadnotdeadnotdeadeadeadeadsoverydeadyourfaultallyourfault- ''

<p class="MsoNormal">-were dead.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was normal for God Eaters to die young. It was normal. It was normal.

<p class="MsoNormal">'Allyourfault''. '''

<p class="MsoNormal">I should move on, keeping moving forward.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Death shouldn’t shackle you to the past.”

<p class="MsoNormal">You’re right. It shouldn’t. It shouldn’t.

<p class="MsoNormal">IthurtsithurtstakemymiseryawayiwantthembackfixeverythingwhathaveIdone-

<p class="MsoNormal">I stood up on weak legs.

<p class="MsoNormal">“AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHhhhHHHHHHH!!!!!” I screamed out all my grief – griefpainhurtregretguiltyou’reafailureHiroyou’renotahero – and strengthened my resolve.

<p class="MsoNormal">For Blood and Ryuu-san and Gil-san and Doctor Rachel and Doctor Leah.

<p class="MsoNormal">Even if I died a little inside.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was the truth; Ryuu-san and Gil-san are dead – andit’sALLYOURFAULT – and maybe even us, only not physically. Denying that fact would be shaming them. I have to move forward. Move forward even when it hurts. Move forward even when I know nothing would be the same. I wouldn’t be the same.

<p class="MsoNormal">I move forward.

<p class="MsoNormal">And so the seasons change.

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">“''Even if the morrow is barren of promises, ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''Nothing shall forestall my return.” ''

<p class="MsoNormal">-LOVELESS, Act III, verse 4

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">ARC 2 END

<p class="MsoNormal">~

<p class="MsoNormal">Fall to Pieces

<p class="MsoNormal">~

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">JFC, ARC 2 finally done. SEE YA NEXT ARC GUYS.