Artificial 7: Genesis Requiem

Chapter 51: Goodbye My Friend

Male Terra's POV:

"Is it bad that gind Selena pulling her gun on Jin hot?"
Seth asks Zoey and Yuzuhara.
"Not really. We all know that you like a woman who can kick you ass and be stylish in the process."
Zoey replied as everyone searched high and low of this wooden city,
leaving no door unopened and no room unchecked.
We all tried to find clues,
but with AJ's aura everywhere,
it made it hard to get a good lock on any specific direction.

One by one,
we all called out to the group,
saying we saw her,
and the first to disappear from the group was Alexander, Female Terra, Elizabeth, and her dirty blonde hair disappearing into the blizzard and then Arthur the 6ft 4in giant of a man going after her.
When everyone else chased after them, it was like they suddenly vanished.

We all wondered around aimlessly in the blizzard until we saw AJ by herself walking into a massive bath house that wasn't too far away from the town.
Once we were inside,
other than a couple of bugs,
there was a phone plugged into the wall with an old curly wire that connects the phone to its charger.
I messed with its answering machines, and I could barely make out Genesis's voice.

It sounded like he was calling Futaba Mine and asking if he's done prepping for the cure.
There are no voicemails beyond that, though.
I put the phone back on charge,
and I heard a cry from Reed, Jeffrey, Maddie,
and Glacia from upstairs!
What's left of the team rushes into the bathrooms only to see AJ take their unconscious bodies through the walls! Jin was a bloody mess,
leaning against the hallway and Relius Hellsing Clover,
his Familiar leaning against a door.
We asked them what happened.

I mean,
we obviously know,
but we need to know if it is a sneak attack or if they attacked on sight.
Relius could barely speak above a whisper,
and he kept coughing up blood and pointing through the door.
Jin was a bit more coherent,
and he said it was an ambush.
"AJ...... she's waiting for you......... she will only....... show herself........... when everyone..... has been dealt with. Go..... finish the mission."
Jin passed out after that.
Ventus kicks down a metal door,
and we scattered the massive factory like room,
using flashlights on our ARs to look around.

"Come on out, Miss AJ........ we only want to taaaaaaaalllk."
Ventus says loudly as we look all over the ground and the cieling beams on occasion.
"Did you really think that would work?" I looked at Ventus,
giving him the really look.
"Whaaaat? I'm just trying to help!" Ventus looks back at me,
and in a second,
AJ drops from above,
crushing Ventus's shoulders and back, then leaping back onto the cieling beams and running further down the factory!

Me, Himiko, Seth, Zoey,
and Yuzuhara chased after her,
running down the main area,
hanging left and seeing Reed and Jeffrey's bodies on the control panels to a bridge that is out of service.
I checked for a pulse,
and thankfully,
they are still alive.
We exit through the hole in the factory and walk up some pipes connected to a water tower,
taking in the blizzard that surrounds the place, but only the factory is the only place with any sunlight.
We hang a right at the water tower to whole new hole in the wall and walk across the ventilation ducts to the other side.

We ended up on the factory second floor hallway where we saw Maddie and Glacia leaning against the wall with mild bleeding from their cheeks and stomach region.
I checked their pulse,
and they were also out cold.
To the right,
I could see AJ on the 3rd floor in a brightly lit room from all the broken windows and the light of the sunset coming through.
"You all stay back. I want to be the one to handel this."
Seth, Zoey, and Yuzuhara do as told,
but Himiko brings up the Pope's orders.

"I don't give a damn about his orders. He played a part in all of this, too. He may be a changed person now, but he still sent her on this double agent suicide mission. Besides, you heard Jin himself. He said she would stop at nothing to make sure it was just us. I beg of you, Miss Himiko. Let this happen. I'll accept any punishments later."
Himiko's eyes soften as she looks at the floor.
"I can not even understand your emotions....... but if this is something you must do..... then do it and have no regrets."
I nod as Himiko moves to the side by Seth.
"If I need any help, I'll call on your power, you two."