User blog:Roinelll/Solace 5-04

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Swampside Heron

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Once more I stared at the papers and read it carefully. "A charged Chi-You with weakness to Blaze has been sighted at the abandoned factory." I read it half loud, mostly to myself and groaned. "A fucking spark based Chi-You?!"

"Be careful with that one." Called King and I turned to him as for now concern was in his voice. "That damn beast can hit you hard enough that you'll be stunned for a few second, or even outright paralyzed." He frowned, looking over his assignments. Which were at least ten times thicker than mines... "I'm not envying you guys right now that's for sure."

"Damn, well thanks for the heads up!" I called to the male, who grunted in response leaving to get his job done. Meanwhile Mark tried to sneak away, however he was stopped by the Major. "I'm going to see the Doc, he should have some more info about this damn Chi-You..." After grabbing the shoulder of Kota I pulled him after me.

We left in a hurry and called for the elevator, once inside Kota spoke up a little bit scared. "Is there a problem, Captain?" I looked at him and laughed lightly. "Sierra?" He repeated, nervousness creeping into his voice. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't want to repeat myself, go and get the others." I told him before stepping out on the laboratories floor. "In the meantime, I'll go and check... on that girl, okay?" He nodded to me and I waited until the elevators shutter closed. Time to see how Soma handled that lil' bundle of dangerous energy.

When I stepped into the lab, I burst into laughter instantly. "WHAT THE HELL?!" I couldn't help, but hold my stomach at the sight what greeted me. "Soma?" I turned to the rather irritated God Eater, who glared at me and did nothing. "Okay, the Doc will be livid, I tell you." The girl ate the equipment, like... literally at least half of everything. "You didn't even bother stopping her, did you?"

"SIRA!!" Boundled the girl to me and sat down in front of me. "SOMA, SIRA!" She cried out happily and way too loudly. I really hope the walls are sound proofed thoroughly.

"Serves the damn fox right." Grumbled the dark skinned God Eater as he ignored the cheery monstrous girl. "I'm not a god damn babysitter!"

"Yet here you are, preventing the girl from leaving." The snicker left me rather menacingly, to what the glare turned on me even harder. "Look, Soma." I started, but he scoffed and turned away. I knelt down to the pale girl and she looked at me with wide eyes. "Most probably she wanted some attention from you." I extended my right arm forward and stopped halfway between me and her. "I can bet anything in the world, that she only did all these to get you to look at her."

"Sira?" The Aragami girl tilted her head and looked at me first, then to my arm. I spread my palm open and let her observe it, she then mimicked the motion. "Hungry?" Her gaze was locked onto my hand and she turned hers over and laid it over mines. "Sira hungry?"

"No I'm not hungry." I watched as she pressed her palm into mines and chuckled. "Are you hungry?" Well, she just ate a quite decent part of the equipment, still... After seeing her capable of gorging up so much Aragami... She looked at me and then back to my palm. "Apparently she is sated for now."

"Whatever, I'm leaving." Called Soma and stood up. "Keep that damn brat out of harms way." He said and left.

"So he does care." Once more I chuckled and the girl tried to imitate me, although it turned out weird it still gave me a small laugh. "You heard that little one? Soma cares about you in his own way." Hearing the name she did cry 'SOMA!' rather happily, while I patted her head lightly.

Interestingly enough it took some minutes for the others to gather and... marvel at the girls erm... teethwork... not to mention the state she was in. "Hey guys, kept you long enough." I called to them as the girl was still busy playing with my palm, rather focused on it too. "Got some things to share, so sit down, sit down."

"Share?" Alisa repeated as they took seats, herself the farthest away from the young gunner. "Is this about, her?" She looked at the pale humanoid monster and I nodded. It was evident she had now second guesses seeing the girl still covered in dried black blood. "We're listening Captain."

"Is this about the last time we were sent away?" Kota asked and I nodded to him too, he tried his best not to look at the gore bather girl. "Then let's hear it."

"Where is the doctor anyways?" Sakuya asked and I chuckled. "I'm figuring he hadn't seen the state of this room as of yet." Called the medic and once more I chuckled. She was avoiding the topic of the Aragami girl also.

"All things in order." I called and waited for a few seconds retracting my arm and standing up. "Well for starters we... oh wait a moment, we need to hear this one." I giggled as the door opened and a tired researcher stepped in. He looked around, holding a hand before his mouth as he yawned and then I saw his eyes. '''Knew it! They're wide as saucers!!''' "Yo doc, hope you made back-ups!" I greeted the shocked researcher with a sneer. "Soma watched as... this child decided to taste your gizmos, but at least I think she had more than enough of tasting metal."

His eyes closed and the elder took off his glasses, fishing out from his pocket a small cloth to wipe it. With his seemingly closed eyes he ran through the room taking in all the damage his equipment suffered, then he turned back to the girl in front of me now playing with her feet. "I... see..." Said Dr. Sakaki and then I was in the center of his gaze. "I would like a detailed report on your... findings."

"Sure." I nodded with a grin and looked down as the child kicked my leg lightly, she was looking at me with wide eyes of interest. "Well, for starters as all of you can see... her early morning snack was a success. The dessert was a Quadriga."

"Dessert?" Kota repeated. "But... Captain, that is not a dessert." Apparently confused about the topic and his gaze looked over the mess the female monster was presenting. "Or... I don't understand?"

Not being able to help, but sneer. "Oh, but it is. Especially after she gorged down over five dozen Ogretail type Aragami." At the incredulous stares they gave me, I grinned. "In fact, not even the Quadriga seemed to actually sate her, but nothing else was present."

"That's remarkable." Stated the researcher and looked over the small being. "Consuming such a large quantity of matter and energy should have influenced her visual appearance, but from what I can see... She is still being herself." The doctor hummed to himself. "Marvelous, if we could understand the concept behind this ability to store such an incredible amount of energy..." His voice trailed off, apparently he was lost in his own world of theories.

Sakuya looked over her and she stood up. "If you allow me, I'll get something to clean her up." Called the medic and left the room, as she did the pale girl called a 'Saya' after her.

"Ah right, Doc. I presume you introduced us to her and tried to teach her our names?" I turned to the elder, who was still lost in his thoughts, so I walked up to him and touched his shoulder. "Doc?"

"Oh... right, right!" He finally finished polishing his glasses and put them back on. "That is correct, she was very eager to learn too! Well, it seems her capabilities have a sort of limit for the moment, or at least I am guessing that it is. Because longer names are simply cut down to 'size' and she doesn't have a point of trouble recalling that way."

"So... you can understand us, is that right?" I turned to the pale female who looked at me with a happy 'SIRA!'. "I will take that as a yes, so... I wonder, can you name everyone here?" She looked at me first, then over everyone else in the room.

"Kota!" She chirped happily and crawled to the young gunner. "Asa!" She then looked over the Russian female and proceeded to go over there too. "Saki!" Her happy cry engulfed the room as she rolled on the floor to the elder. "SIRA!!" Finally she cheered for me and took her place in front of my once more.

"Marvelous. Isn't it?" Stated the elder. "She is learning extremely fast, and while she has trouble of expressing herself to us, understanding is not a problem for her. Absolutely marvelous."

"I wonder, is that something related to her being an Aragami with human traits, or something else?" I called and knelt down once more, to pat the girl on her head. "Well, doc. What can you tell us about a Fallen Chi-You?"

"Fallen Chi-You?" Wondered the elder and I showed him the mission request that I was given not that long ago. "Hmm, this is interesting. Is this one different from the magmatic one, right?"

"According to King, totally." I frowned and groaned. "Not to mention I doubt it's a coincidence it turned spark..."

"What do you mean, Captain?" Kota asked with a frown.

"Ah nothing much, I mean... Fierce Kongou?" I laughed, counting on my finger. "This new Chi-You?" A second finger rose. "Cocoon Maidens, yep a new Fallen type if you want to know." My third finger indicated it. "Oh and don't forget a Spark variant of the Vajratail popped up also!" My fourth finger indicated the count. "I doubt it's a coincidence... In fact, somehow I get the feeling even the fallen burning Aragami are related to me too..."

At this moment, Sakuya came back with a few towels and a can of spray. She had caught the end of my sentence and turned to me while kneeling down to the playful Aragami child. "What do you mean Captain?" She asked while pulling one arm of the curious girl in her hand and spraying it with the can.

"I recalled one of the earlier conversations involving me, the Director and C." I recalled with a frown. "According to that pale bastard... Because the Director involved me in this, the Aragami started evolving... Seeing as how both Fierce Kongou and that Mutant Bird-brain are the result of Izanagi's influence... Things are going to go downhill pretty fast."

"Are you sure about that?" Asked me the elder as we observed how the spray dissolved the dried blood and was wiped off with a clean cloth. "Outside the Wukong and the Freeze Ogre, why would you say that?"

"The magmatic Aragami started popping up after we first encountered Bird-brain, and they are spreading all over the populace. Similarly, after the encounter with the Fierce, the spark attribute fallens are emerging." I voiced my reasons and the elder hummed. "I don't know what caused the emergence of the freeze ones, but I don't like it either..."

"Captain." Alisa spoke up, having turned to her. "Does this have to do with the matter you questioned the doctor earlier?"

"Yeah!" Kota agreed. "What was that about when you sent us off?"

I turned to the elder, who looked at me with a blank face. "Will you tell them, or shall I?" I asked with noticeable mirth in my voice. "The choice is yours, doc."

"I believe it would be better if I were to do the explanation." Said the elder with a shallow sigh. "However, by doing so you would have to lend me the helping hand..." His voice turned grave and serious. "Which would mean, turning on the Director and making Fenrir your enemy."

"D-doc?!" Kota blurted, frightened. "J-just what is going on?"

"Oh nothing much, it just involves this child, me and pretty much everyone on the 1st Unit." I called with a chuckle. "Also, Lindow died because of this crap."

"LIDO!" Cried the Aragami girl and we turned to her in surprise, Sakuya was half done removing the blood stains from the ragged flag she was wearing. "LIDO!" Repeated happily the Aragami child and we just stared at her even more. "LIDO!!" She repeated and jumped up as if just now recalling something. "LIDO!"

"Doc?" I turned to the also surprised elder. "You... introduced Lindow to her?" At the hearing of the name, the girl practically jumped me with a cry of 'LIDO!', her voice sounded very urgent, almost panicking. "Because it seems she does know him."

"Do you know Lindow?!" Sakuya caught onto the slim sliver of hope she might have presented and when the girl replied with a 'LIDO!' her eyes teared up. "Is he alive?" Questioned the medic, but the girl in her arms just tilted her head. "Is Lindow alive?" Her question came once more to what the girl blinked first before erupting in a 'LIDO HUNGRY!'.

"Crap..." I summarized my thoughts as Sakuya tried her best to question the girl and turned to the doctor. "Is that what I think it implies?" For my question, I got a slow nod from the elder and I stepped to the medic. "Sakuya, that's enough..." I reached for her shoulder to let the girl go, but she shook her head vehemently.

"I... It's Lindow!" She cried, the tears flowing down her flushed cheeks. "He's alive." She laughed weakly. "Lindow is still alive." She stated as the girl in her arms squirmed.

"I... don't think so." I gave a sigh and looked at her and she looked at me confused, before she could have denied my claim, I spoke up. "In what even would be Lindow hungry as an Aragami?" My question froze the air all around us... "Because that is what this girl just now implied... Lindow isn't himself anymore... But a Deusphage."

"That...." The medics eyes widened as she looked at me, then back to the curious girl as she wondered just what those things are flowing from the woman's eyes. "That can't be..." She mouthed almost silently. "Not... Not Lindow..."

"So then name my why didn't he come back to us yet?" My voice was grave, but... that couldn't be helped. "He's out there, if alive. But then, why didn't he come back yet?"

To my question, the medic couldn't answer. Her words were choking in her throat, she looked at me with eyes filled with tears, but no sound left her lips. In the end the Russian girl spoke up. "Because he can't." Alisa summarized it, understanding where I wanted to lead the conversation. "He can't because he suffers from an infection."

"Given just how panicky this child was just moments ago, I do believe that might be the case. So either Lindow returns and gets killed on spot, or..." I said, but then the thought struck me. "I wonder... Lindow would return and get well... instead of turning into a monster. This is too strange, don't you think?"

"W-what are you implying?" Sakuya's voice was hoarse and she looked like she was close to bawling like a small child. Honestly, while I couldn't completely understand her feelings, it was clear she was very attached to him. "Ca... Sierra, what do you think happened?"

"I do believe that Lindow somehow managed to lose control over his Bias Factor and... is in the process of turning into a Deusphage. However, he might be severely injured and because of that unable to return to us." I turned towards the pale Aragami female and knelt down. "Where is Lindow?"

"LIDO!!" Cried the small monster and grabbed onto me. "HUNGRY LIDO!!" She looked at me with wide eyes and I sighed in defeat.

"I don't think we can get an answer from her. Doc, get a team to sweep the area where we found her... That's the best we can do right now." I turned towards the medic, she was shaken, but still managing to hold on. "Come to think of it... doc, why do you think she avoided Soma despite being seemingly attached to him and made contact with Lindow?"

"Humm?" He looked at me, surprised. "What do you mean, Sierra?"

"Well, it's just a feeling I get from her." I looked at the small girl, who was now trying her best to calm the crying Sakuya. "I doubt she would know his name, or even act with so much concern for someone whe never knew." My summary felt spot on, despite that... it seemed to lack something important. "However, that would mean she met with Lindow before he... disappeared during Moon in the Welkin and possibly after it too."

"That is a possibility, yes." Stated Dr. Sakaki and I turned to him.

"Was he in your little hunt for the Singularity?" I asked the professor, who did his best not to flinch. "So, what IS the Singularity? Aside from this little Aragami girl being one?" As the others picked up their heads I noticed their expressions change in various ways. "Aside from the fact you've been hinting at a humanoid Aragami in one of your earlier lectures."

With a deep sigh, the elder looked at me. "You are quite perceptive Sierra." He said while taking off his glasses. "A Singularity, is a very special Aragami in existence." He started and I sneaked a peak at Kota, who always dozed off during lectures, but surprisingly he was very vigilant now. "In essence, they are a fledgling Nova."

"Nova..." I parroted and looked at the small child. "Now that explains the unreasonable amount of matter she was able to devour." We all looked at her and felt a shiver run down my spine. "I don't know what the director wants from her, but Doc. As long you don't plan to hand her over, we are on your side in this. Understood?"

"Much appreciated." Came the elders reply and I nodded.

"Good, now then for the next matter, Kota, Alis and Sakuya." I called to the teams gunners and they looked at me, Sakuya looked exhausted a bit though. "The R&D informed every Unit leader that their gunners can either request a new bullet for field testing, or to administer minor changes to the bullet modules and have them field tested." They looked at me for a while, before responding in an affirmative answer. "Also for the time being Kota has to be removed from the team, R&D took his Mousy Blow for a pending God Arc Reconstruction."

At this the researcher hummed. "Young Kota." He called and the named God Eater turned to the elder. "I remember that your family lives in the Outer Ghetto, is that correct?" To answer Dr. Sakaki the boy nodded. "You have a younger sister, if my memory serves right."

"Yea, I have. Nozomi." He answered without thinking and I frowned. "Why, Doc?"

"Splendid!" He called and I realized the reason, bursting into laughter. "Now-now, that isn't proper behaviour to laugh at someone." Said the elder with a smile and I shook my head.

"Good job getting roped into baby sitting!" I called to the boy, who looked at me confused. "That was underhanded, Doc. Pulling strings like that..."

"I'll reassure you that I had nothing to do with it, merely a coincidence." Yeah right... Stated the researcher and I shook my head disapprovingly. "Well, since you are for the moment unable to join team exercise I want you to help me with her." Explained Dr. Sakaki to the young gunner. "With your experience in having a younger sibling, you are a very valuable person for this job."

"Babysitting." I said with a grin and laughed at the confused boy. "Best job ever." I called and laughed even more. "Be careful she is a handful." I turned to the other two females. "Well, we should go the mission won't resolve itself without us."

End of Chapter 2017,05,18

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