God Eater 3 (Complete Retelling)

Chapter 3: Waiting For A New Path

Guard: DISOBEDIENT LITTLE PUNKS!!!!

    In a small storage room back at the Port, the guard mercilessly beats Luca and Hugo with a steel security baton. This was their "reward" for saving lives and disobeying the orders given to them. After several hits, the guard becomes exhausted and throws his baton in anger.

Guard: *pant pant* Monsters... The whole damn lot of you, nothing but ungrateful monsters!
Luca: "M-Monsters" you say? *cough* That's rich coming from you...
Guard: ...What did you say to me?
Luca: Someone who goes around beating children because they were being "disobedient" or threatening to use them as Aragami bait just to get them to work. The only real monster here is you!

    Luca's words and the look of defiance in his eyes made the guard furious. He pulled a knife from his holster, grabbed Luca by the collar of his cloak and pinned him against a wall. He then pointed the tip of his knife at the black tape on the left side of Luca's face.

Guard: I would love nothing more than to continue where we left off years ago! *holsters knife* But the Governor says that A grade AGEs like you are rare and can be sold off for a high price.

    The guard let Luca go, then order the other guards to take them back to their cell. On the way there, they run into another pair of guards escorting an AGE with spiky blonde hair, a long black scarf, and black tape across his nose. After placing them back in their cell, the guards lock the door then leave. The spiky-haired AGE stretches his arms then stares at Luca and Hugo.

Spiky-Haired AGE: *whistle* You guys look like crap. What'd you do this time?
Hugo: Disobeyed orders by saving a few lives. They're just upset 'cause there won't be less mouths to feed.
Spiky-Haired AGE: Man, seeing you like this, yeah I'll bet they were pissed.
Luca: ...Where's Keith? He's not with you?
Spiky-Haired AGE: Aw come on, man! That's the first thing you ask?! No "Hey Zeke, good to see ya! We missed your awesomeness!" None of that?!
Hugo: Hehe, fine. Welcome back, Zeke.
Zeke: Thank you, Hugo! That's better! You left out the part about my awesomeness but I forgive you. Oh, and my little bro is doing some maintenance on the comms equipment for the powers that be. Anyway, on my patrol, I heard the guards talking about Port that got swallowed up by the ash a few days back.
Hugo: Thats news to me. But Ports being engulfed by the Ashlands is not that rare.
Zeke: Yeah, totally. But what if it was slowly and slowly getting closer to our Port, huh?
Luca: Are saying it might be an Ash Storm?
Zeke: Good chance it might be. Not that we can do anything about it if it does end up right on our doorstep. Once your caught in an Ash Storm, boom, game over.

    Ash Storms, a collection of ash in the form of a massive wall of black mist. Anything caught in its wake has no chance of survival. As night came, the thoughts of an Ash Storm hitting the Port filled Luca's mind. He wasn't concerned for his own safety, but the safety of Hugo, Zeke, and the children he shared his cell with. While everyone else is fast asleep, Hugo notices how Luca is lost in thought so he decides to sit down and talk with him.

Hugo: Luca...
Luca: Oh, Hugo...
Hugo: Looks like everyone's sound asleep. I hope the kids are at least having some pleasant dreams while their sleeping.
Luca: Yeah... It can get pretty quiet at night. This is the only time they can ever have a moment of peace. But sooner or later, they'll be forced into combat and then their peaceful nights will be filled with nightmares. That's no life for kids like them.
Hugo: What we need is a place where AGEs can live their lives without being controlled or pushed around by anyone. A place where kids like Marr, Lil, and Sho can have a future that's free of monsters. For now, we just have to wait. I'm sure that someday, we'll get our chance at freedom.

Hugo's resolve is as adamant as when he and Luca were kids. As Luca nodded in agreement to his words, their cell door opened, and in came a tired AGE with a blonde ponytail and a tool belt wrapped around his waist.

AGE: *groaning mumbles* ...sleeeeppyyyyyy... Huh?
Hugo: Hey, Keith. *points left* Your bed's that way.

Keith continues to walk and before he reaches his own bed, he falls flat on Zeke.

Zeke: OW!!!!
Hugo: ...Right, on that note, get some shuteye, Luca. You of all people look like you could use it.
Luca: R-Right...

Luca follows Hugo's advice and tries to get some rest. That's all any of them can do for now. Rest and hope that whatever new path opens for them, a bright future would be at the end of it.