Academy days (Book 2 of IA)

[19] But for now...

Cold...

It's real cold...

Cold...

Darkness.

***

​I awoke to the faintest murmur. Little by little I pried my eyes open and looked around. I was back in the Sky Cove Recovery Centre, and quite possibly the exact same room. Outside the window, the city lit up in a bright tapestry of night light, and snowflakes landed on the porch like little white fairies, only to be taken away by a whistling wind. I was alone in the room, but the silence and solitude didn't last long. The door opened and Isa stepped through:

"Sir?..." I muttered, as I mustered my strength trying to sit up, and realised I couldn't feel any of my limbs.

Oh yeah...That bastard Wynd removed all my limbs...

With the sound of silence, Isa took a seat beside my bed. For a long time she simply sat and stared at me, her eyes betraying no emotion.

"So how long have I been out sir?" I asked, trying to break the ice.

The only sound in the background was the howling wind outside, whispering its empty tune to fit the empty space between us. And after what felt like an entire ice age, Isa spoke up:

"One week." Isa's head draped down.

"Oh, I see...So..." I was not really too surprised: at this point I felt like passing out for days, or even weeks has been part of my norm for a while now.

"There are somethings I need to tell you fresh meat." Isa looked up and faced me.

"What is it sir?" I replied.

"You, me, Kuro, and Rumble have all failed the test." Isa's words came down on me like a hammer, and mind you, I was never a fan of blunt weapons. The mere thought of a blunt weapon hitting me just sends shudder through my body, compared to not even flinch a second when I thought of my own head cut off.

The shock was still too real; it must have been painted all over my face. My tongue twisted in my throat, unable to form any words. And my mind descended into the state of anarchy, as the words of 'disband' continued to consume what little thoughts of positively I had left.

"No, this is a joke right?" I let out a nervous laugh.

"No." Isa paused, then continued: "The rest of us fell shortly after you were taken out by Wyndham."

"All of you? Wait, does that also mean Veritas as well?"

Isa looked away for a moment, then answered:

"Yes, and no. She kept on fighting until she sensed you have fallen. And that's when she voluntarily threw away her watch and surrendered."

The words struggled in my mouth, and while I was still struggling at it, Isa continued:

"I know what you are thinking. And this time...It's all my fault." When Isa finished, I was 1000% going to check my ears after. In no world would Isa be apologizing to me, it just absolutely made no sense.

"As your superior, I didn't stop you. And that is a mismanagement on my part." Isa stared down and curled her fists.

"Sir..."

"Don't call me that anymore. I have already resigned my position as your commander."

A million things flooded through my mind, as the information was simply too much to process. And despite drowning in all the sudden events, I thrashed around my mind and reached for the nearest afloat question in my head:

"Then what will happen next? Does that mean the Iron Angel division will have to..."

"No, not yet. Dr. Cherrylove is still holding the division together. But the disbandment will only be a matter of time."

"No, no...There must be some sort of way!..." I raised my voice as I tried to sit up, but couldn't. Seeing me like this, a look of sympathy, or a look of pain that I misread, crossed Isa's face for the first time. While I squirmed and tried to get up, Isa leaned forward and lifted me up...Then hugged me, or what was left of me. Without my robotic limbs, I was no more than a stubby starfish, and weighted no more than a child. And I have to admit, even I was grossed out by my own grotesque. But Isa didn't seemed to care, she just held me and hugged me.

Last time she hugged me, I recall was back in Rochan's pass inside the med tent.

But that was mainly because...

She's worried about me?

But this time...

For the briefest of moments, a thought hit my mind. But it was quickly erased by my logic, as I deem the possibility impossible. We remained in this position for several minutes and I heard a soft whimpering. And of course, going through my experiences with Isa, I would rather believe the building itself was weeping then rather the demon women hugging me...then wait, if the demon women is hugging me, then why am I not dead?
With my mind still in complete disbelief, I tried to lean my head back and look. And she must have sensed I was doing, since every time I tried to crane my neck back, she would hug me tighter, and turn my cheek using her cheek.

Huh...I never knew her skin was this soft...

I blushed for obvious biological reasons. Though as the scary demon women Isa is, one couldn't dismiss the fact that she is super model hot. And to be honest, this was one moment, I really miss having my arms. (You were thinking about something perverted were you? My dear viewer. But no, I meant using my arms to hug her back).

When the whimpering stopped, she pulled away and set me down again.

"Before the surgery, there is something I want to give you." Isa said with glassy eyes, and a soft voice. Which is highly uncharacteristic of her. Then from behind her, she produced me a small rectangular box like object in green decorative Christmas wrappings.

"This is..." I stared at it, and realised I had no hands to take it. And Isa who must have realised it, opened the wrapping for me and revealed a small clear plastic box containing a knife...
It was the very same army knife she picked out for me last time in the mall.

"I promised you last time to pick out a knife for you." Isa said her voice still soft.

"Sir..."

"I told you not to call me sir anymore. Call me Isa." Her voice snapped back to steel again.

"Ok..." I reeled back. "Isa..." the name still rolled uneasily on my tongue, as I looked around panickedly for a fist connecting with my stomach. Not that there is much I can do about it, if it actually came.

"Fine whatever." Isa waved dismissively. Then with a low voice she said: "It's 'happy Christmas' here right?"

"Yep."

"Then...Happy Christmas Kard."

"Happy Christmas Sir-Isa...Agh..." I tied my tongue. And for the first time in forever, Isa giggled. And just as I was about to correct my own sentence, I stopped myself.

Dang, that's pretty cute...

Q: Do you ship Kard and Isa? Xd