God Eater: Shattered Dawn

Chapter 35: Monster

Love this Monster remix, it's so good. Also love Monster by Skillet. Just two great songs.

I feel so underpowered on God Eater. Just started a file and it took me half an hour to fight a vajra and I just had to give up on it, as it wasn't the main mission :(

Soma's POV

It took a while for Sakuya to get through to me, but when she finally did, I was...glad.

Lupa was still unhappy when I went to see her, but she got over it. We weren't exactly on good terms with each other, but we were able to speak without killing each other.

Right. Mission.

My mission was going to be with Sakuya, Aria and Lupa. A medic, a blast gunner and an all rounder, I guess.

Not a bad mix.

I sat next to Lupa, finding her giving me a headphone to listen to her album. This routine was pretty much second nature by now.

She stayed hostile for a while, then slowly seemed to warm to me, leaning her head on my shoulder and closing her eyes.

"Yesterday, I went to see you because I needed to talk to you about something." She mumbled, eyes tight shut. "I don't feel Jack there anymore. Not at all."

A tugging sensation, a dream trying to come back. I frowned. "So he-"

"So Jack's been fully taken over." Sakuya interrupted, sitting opposite me and Lupa.

"Yeah..." she went quiet, eyes saddened. Sakuya shrugged and went back to whatever she was doing.

"If it weren't for those angels...that damned old lady..." I hissed softly. It was her fault Lupa was this way.

"Eh?!" Lupa exclaimed in surprise. "What's got into you?!"

"...I didn't say anything." I stated, scowling. What the hell was she on about?

A look of surprise. Then realisation. Then once again sadness.

Sakuya was leading the mission, and therefore explained the details. "Our targets are a Prithvi Mata, three Fallen Gboro-Gboros (freeze) and a Darfang. Freeze is weak to blaze, so use that if you can. Okay?"

"Sure. We got this. " Aria replied for the three of us.

"...we've not got this." Ari was shaking her head firmly, nervously looking round the landscape.

It was more water than land.

The marshy field had various lakes and streams trickling down from the mountainside, making the ground difficult to traverse.

The soggy mud pulled at my boots, threatening to drag my shoes straight off. I cursed with each step, knowing that our slow pace would easily attract attention.

Sakuya wasn't having much luck either, stumbling in front of me every few seconds.

Ari kept poking my shoulder as we trudged onwards, attempting to get on my nerves. It was bloody well working.

Lupa was humming a tune at the back of our little group, not focusing on where she was walking.

Sakuya sighed. "This is ridiculous. We're going to have to call the mission off at this rate."

Trekking through the bog, with no enemies to speak of, I had to admit she was right.

I was bored of the mission anyway.

Then again, it probably wouldn't be worth the ranting from Tsubaki. "Hey, is that...?" Aria stepped out of our line formation, squinting into the distance.

"Eek!" It was a surprise Lupa had lasted this long. She tripped, stumbling over into the lake we were passing by. But it wasn't just her.

Sakuya swept out of the way as Lupa tumbled forward, but for some reason my limbs weren't responding. Her body crashed into mine, sending me tumbling with her into the murky water.

Her terrified eyes, hair whooshing behind her, an apologetic look, then I was claimed by the lake's frosty hands.

The ice cold water nocked the air from my lungs, my muscles aching from the chill. Disorientated, I watched the light shining through the water.

My heart echoed in my head, the beats thumping. Was this how it ended?

Ba-dump. I let my last breath leave in a shower of bubbles, watching them float away. Death was too easy.

Ba-dump. The vague feeling of someone wrapping an arm round my chest, violently disturbing the water as they tried to make me move, pulling me upwards to the surface. Or was it the lake floor?

Ba-dump. The surface slowly began to reach out to me. I watched the light increase.

Ba-dump. My lungs burned, a horrific throbbing that brought me to my senses. I was going to drown. Whoever was helping would drown soon too.

Ba-dump. I could feel their grip loosening as they began to weaken, yet they insisted on trying to help me. Where were the other two?

Ba-dump. I wearily looked up into the two beautiful eyes, one reflecting the water, the other a determined red. Then I blacked out.

Lupa's POV

I dragged us onto the bank of the lake, coughing up the huge quantities of water I had swallowed.

Shivering, I looked about for Sakuya and Ari, my limbs beginning to cramp. My eyes weren't working very well. Probably sore from the salt water.

At least my eyepiece seemed water proof.

My clothes were sticking to me, weighing me down as I pulled Soma further out of the water.

Just as I was worriedly deliberating whether CPR would need to be used, he sat bolt upright. Then he had to lie back down on his side, retching as he forced the water out of his lungs.

We wouldn't be much help in a fight.

"...what happened?" Soma weakly dragged himself into a sitting position beside me.

I saw red.

"You idiot!" I shouted, slapping him hard round the face. "You wanted to die, didn't you?"

He hung his head silently, neither denying nor confirming what I had said, a red hand mark on his face from where my hand had made contact.

Why was he so...so...

"You insufferable idiot!" I growled, clutching my hands on my knees. "So you're a monster. Get over it. Your life is far from perfect. Get over it. Death is the easy way out. You're a coward!"

"Wake up to reality." He grumbled softly, standing up. My shoulders hunched as my heart in my chest tightened. "I am a monster. I am a coward. The world doesn't need me."

"That's a lie!" I stood up, thumping my fists onto his back. "What about your comrades? They need you." I felt tears begin to slip down my cheeks again. "I need you..."

My words trailed off into a whisper as I wrapped my arms around him from behind.

He didn't pull me away, nor did he embrace me. All he did was stare at the ground emotionlessly. And it hurt.

"...I'm sorry." He said finally, lifting my hands away from him, but he kept hold of one. The warmth seeping through his gloved fingers stopped my shivering.

He gently rubbed my fingers, encouraging blood to flow into my blue skin. Eventually I regained feeling in my hands.

"Sorry...will never cut it." I shook my head slowly, noticing how strong his hands were, big yet gentle as he held my own. "But please, never give in to death again."

We caught eye contact, so I could tell he was serious. "...I wont."

I gave him another quick hug before checking for our allies.