This sets apart Arc 1 and 2, so yeah, I bet this'll be REALLY important.
Oh yeah, I'll try to make this as long as possible. Don't wait for anything GEN size, though.
Finally, after dealing with what they considered were the largest threats, the divided God Eaters returned to the Central. Arthur received immediate medical attention, but the rest of the group went on to comment on the Aragami they had fought, each more troubling than the other. Everyone had managed to destroy an important threat, but more importantly everyone had managed to come back alive, and that was what made everyone so calm, despite the terrible situation they were in. For a while, they seemed like a group of normal God Eaters commenting on the finds of their day.
-Yeah, because nothing we did could harm it. But there was this grenade I had for special occasions...
-Seriously, it generated darkness around it?
-The smell was terrible, I tell you. I need a bath, and I need it like yesterday.
Their conversation was only interrupted when a helicopter noise was heard clearly in the room, as if it was landing right in their room instead of in the exterior of the Central's main facilities.
-Did you ask for more reinforcements? - Lina asked to Baluar, who was standing right at her side.
-Not really - was his answer -. I did ask for more people than I came with, though as you can imagine they weren't available when I asked.
-Maybe it is them.
-Maybe...
Someone knocked at the door and almost immediately kicked it open.
-Hm, not surprising after seeing who it is. - Baluar commented upon seeing the tall figure standing in the door's frame. His black eyes almost burned with determination.
-Huh? - Lina couldn't help but wonder who the newly arrived man was.
-Ken Bladehart, a great God Eater and the most hotheaded person I've ever met. - Baluar commented. Beoblade silently nodded. He then directed his words towards the newcomer: - Hey you! Don't you know the meaning of "waiting"?
-Yeah, nice seeing you, too, Bal. - Ken commented. The two then greeted each other as old friends do after spending a long time without seing each other before beginning to talk about trivial matters. Something in Ken's right ring finger attracted Baluar's attention.
-What is that ring there, Ken? Anyone important in your life? - He asked.
-That's a story for another time. For now, here comes the rest of us. - Ken commented, seeing as more and more people entered the Central.
-Could we get a proper introduction of each and every one of them? - Lina asked.
-Sure, I don't see why not. - Ken responded. First person he introduced was a man who seemed to be in his mid-thirties, with black, ruffled hair and blue eyes lurking behind a pair of red glasses that seemed to analyze each and every situation. - Wolfram Larcia, one guy that can almost predict the future and whom I came across by complete accident. - The alluded let out a "Hmph" sound, and Ken moved to the woman right next to him. Her red hair stood out, practically shining from both the places it was tied. Her blue eyes moved clumsily between all the present people she hadn't met. - Anya Mercer, from the same unit.
-It is my pleasure to meet you all. - She said, bowing down.
-Sure, sure. - Ken moved on to the next God Eater, a calm man who also had red hair and whose blue eyes seemed to pierce through anyone they looked upon. - Souichi Kazehaya, an experienced and balanced fighter.
-Nice to meet you. - He said with a relaxed tone.
-And here we have Yuka Ichinose. - Ken said as the woman came close. Her eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, with her wavy blonde hair reaching just past her shoulders. - I don't know how she survived so long without Soma, though...
-Guten abend. - She said after Ken finished her phrase. - Before you ask, yes I do speak English, thank you very much.
-And that's it, eh? - Baluar commented. - I've met each and every one of them before; some I've seen more, some I've seen less. Can tell it's a reliable bunch, the lot of them. We're gonna take over this Branch again easily at this rate.
Everyone had chilled out on the couches. While there were things to do, they were so tired after either travelling or fighting for hours, they simply needed a rest.
They really had faith in that they could deal with the threat at hand efficiently, and their faith showed. Each God Eater was enjoying from their conversations with the others, exchanging experiences and such. No tension showed in any of them, except maybe for Lina, who while happy from receiving expert assistance, felt uneasy. She felt, she knew something was going to happen. She was startled when she heard a rather loud noise, but her adrenaline left her when she realized it was nothing but Baluar's cellphone ringing at the tone of Thunderstruck, a song Lina identified as an old, 92 years old rock track. After realizing which track the phone was ringing to, Lina began to enjoy listening to it, almost to the point of feeling bad when Baluar picked up the call.
-Yeah? Yeah, I'll pay up. - He picked up the phone with his usual voice tone and a careless expression, but after a few seconds his face morphed into a dark frown. - You can't be serious... No wait, you are always serious. Wait, what?! - After a few seconds, he simply finished the call.
-Did something go wrong? - Lina asked.
-Yeah. - For her short experience, Lina knew that if someone asked him something so obvious and he didn't answer sarcastically, then there was something really screwed up. - Another branch was invaded. Central Africa branch. Fully wiped out. And now Aragami are apparently preparing to expand from that branch to all surrounding branches.
As if it wasn't already enough, Sol ran into the room, panting from how quickly she had run to bring them the news.
-Aragami... they are preparing again!
-We really need to make a course of action, and we need it yesterday. - Nanako said.
-In my opinion, we should all stick around here and then travel as quickly as possible to the branch that was already destroyed. - Came the opinion of Ken. - Everyone there is dead anyway.
-I strongly disagree, Ken. - Baluar commented. - If we don't go there ASAP, then we're gonna be in trouble. What if they simultaneously attack several branches? They'll be unstoppable by then. We CAN split up our forces, but only in two major groups, I'd say. Splitting in five, for instance, would be suicidal.
-So you suggest splitting up now, at our worst time? - Beoblade commented.
-Unless you have a better idea on how to deal with problems separated by thousands of kilometers and by a goddamn ocean in the middle, then yes, I do. - Baluar commented, his voice echoing through the now silent Central.
An awkward silence followed. Lina couldn't really stay inactive in such a situation.
-So?! Who's going to where?! - She asked.
-I didn't make this whole trip to go back in an eye-blink. I'm staying, and probably everyone who came along will do so, too. - Ken answered.
-I'm staying here. - Beoblade said without giving an explanation as to why the decision was taken. - And I doubt Arthur can go anywhere in his current condition, so he's staying.
-I'm not gonna stay here. - Nanako said. - I think it's imperative that we get out of here and go to that branch before our inaction costs us millions of human lifes. - At that moment, Lyrr simply nodded.
-I second Nanako. - Baluar commented. - So the only one missing is you, Lina.
Lina's decision was costy, but she knew she was doing the right thing. Many experienced God Eaters where protecting her Branch. She was simply of no use there.
-Everyone's staying, so I'm gonna go with you. When do we leave?
Having prepared for what was going to come, the unit that remained stationed in South America Branch -composed of Beoblade, Arthur (who was in the medical facilities, quickly recovering from his wounds), Ken, Wolfram, Anya and Yuka- was preparing itself to face off against an Aragami invasion much like the one the branch had suffered mere days ago. Maybe not as large in size, but also diminished were the forces waiting for it.
Meanwhile, the other unit -consisting solely of Lina, Baluar, Nanako and Lyrr- was preparing itself for leaving the Branch.
-How are we leaving? - Lina asked, having just realized it.
-Why, I'll fly the way there, of course. - Nanako answered, with a grin in her face.
-I know that grin. You'd better put on your seat belt. - Baluar whispered to Lina's ear.
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