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(Setting) Uni's Apartment
| >Hawaiian, or John, arrives at the foot of the apartment building, rolling up his sleeves, to get to his storage in his arm, pulling out a suppressor, as he made his way up.
>"Time is a luxury I can't afford."
>His shoulder holster now empty, as he stands at the door of Uni's apartment, gun silenced and ready. He knocks on the door.
"Uni! It's John! Boss man says you forgot about the shift change, and you aren't responding to your phone!"
| > There was no response but you can make out the sound of items being moved about. It's faint, but due to the silence of the hallway, it can be heard at a greater effect.
| "Vae."
>John swears, thinking back to the messages, it as suspicious that she suddenly blurted out 'I'm fine', but things always had a habit of only making sense to him looking back long after he'd run out of time to fix them.
"Answer Uni, or I'm busting down the door!"
| > Still no response, all there is now is a faint mechanical sound — similar to that of a floppy disk being read.
> However, long before John break the door down, it quietly opened itself ajar. A gesture to either mock or welcome him.
| >John says nothing, slowly walking in, and looking for the source of the noise, scanning with his gun.
| > The apartment was barely illuminated. Strangely, there is not a single usual heaps of items piled in around the apartment.
> The only light source visible was the overhead light. It shone and highlighted something: a body, not breathing, of an azure-haired lady. Her mechanical eye glows blue, but there was not a single sign that she is even alive at all.
| "morde meum globes."
>slowly made his way over to her, putting a hand on her neck to check the pulse.
"Anyone home?!"
| > There was absolutely no pulse coming out of her and no one did respond to the question. It was quiet — as quiet as it can be with the whirring inside the room. The whirs seem to come from her, however.
> The body was quite definitely not in a state of anything fine. There is a clear fatal piercing wound just right where the liver would be. It had made a gaping hole and strange blue liquids leaks out from the wound.
| "Cunne, cunne, CUNNE!"
>John shouts, frustrated. There's nothing he could do. He keeps scanning the place, going around to check the apartment, and to find something to stop the bleeding.
| > The apartment is strangely empty, there was only a familiar bed right where the body lies, and a cupboard next to it. There is no sign of the heaps usually placed inside the apartment.
> The bare empty room shows and despite the lack of light, anyone can tell there is nothing else inside.
"...I.."
> A voice suddenly comes out of the lifeless body. It is weak, but it was hers; it was Uni's.
| "Uni? Uni!"
>John rips some of the bed sheets, And tries to desperately stop the bleeding.
"Come on, stay with me."
>He dials the emergency number for the ambulance...
| > The number doesn't register somehow. In fact, there is not a single bar of reception available inside.
> Uni, confused at weak, attempts to see where John is. She tries to focus her left eye to look at him, whereas her right eye doesn't even open at all.
"...Don't."
> She says. The instant she voiced the refusal, the door shuts and a locking sound can be heard.
"...Don't."
> She repeats what she said. Her bleeding doesn't seem to stop one single bit.
| "I won't. Easy, I'm right here."
>John let's go of the pressure on her abdomen, but keeps the cloth on it.
"Uni, I'm going to get you out of here, like it or not."
| > Despite her lack of pulse, she moves her hand up. Her finger seems to be pointing to something on the ceiling.
> She didn't muster a word. Her expression pale, much like a corpse.
| >John looks, snapping his gun to what Uni is pointing at, ready to fire at the sight of movement.
| > A gunshot was fired from precisely where Uni pointed, but it missed John or Uni — hitting the walls behind them instead.
"Curses."
> A voice was heard and not long after, a figure reveals itself. The figure was a discernable male, and he seems to hung on to the ceiling by an augmented hand.
"Shoot me all you want, I'm an open target."
> The same raspy voice calls out John, perhaps even challenging him to do so.
| "You must be scumbag of the hour."
>John takes a lazy shot at Ea's hanging arm.
"Name's Hawaiian, scumbag of the month, 48 months in a row and counting."
| > He descended too slowly for someone who fell. Throughout his descent he stares at John, not with a look of despise, but interest.
"Ea."
> He says, seemingly trying to make it his introduction.
"Let's keep this short. I will be returning her to where she belongs."
> He puts forward the arm John had shot. Its golden ornate was disrupted by the visible hole made by the bullet.
"You shouldn't stop the matter that isn't yours. I will leave you unharmed."
| "Have you seen me? I'm not unharmed. I'm broken."
>John spreads his hands.
"So how about a compromise. You leave her, and maybe, just maybe on a happy cunne of a day, I'll tell you where her daughter is."
| "I already know where she is. I know all escaping our sphere."
> He doesn't look impressed by the compromise.
"They both will return to their thrones again. Not in their mechanical body, but in the flesh they hid."
> He glances at the lifeless Uni behind John.
"Besides, that body of hers won't hold any longer, dead or alive. Machines are not meant to contain our essence. They only hinder us."
| "Hmm... Maybe put the throne in GC? ...or weekend visits?"
>John ponders, but keeps his gun at his side.
"And either way, if I can survive an explosion, I'm sure she can survive this."
| "I like your wit and demeanor. You remind me of my child."
> He smiles approvingly but nevertheless gave a persisting expression that insists his victory.
"Alas, neither can be done. The longer she is here, inside that body, the more she will be left suffering."
> His other hand then takes out an object from behind him; it's a mechanical part, resembling that of a liver.
"A lab rat cannot stray far from their home, no matter how high they think of themselves."
| "Well, if you say that she's suffering, why not put her out of it?"
>John raises his gun to Uni, pointing it at her.
"After all, what's a lab rat to a lab rat?"
| "She is suffering here, precisely here. I am here to retrieve what she stole, but also Uni herself — in her wholeness."
> He doesn't react to John's action, even giving a greenlight from the looks of it.
"That body can die. All I seek is what I already have; right here, in my hand. This is Uni. That mortal body is not."
> He gestures to the the mechanical thing he held, showing him the goal he already accomplished.
"Shoot her if you think that will change my decision."
| >John thinks about it...
"So what you are saying is..."
>He slowly moved his aim from Uni to Ea's kneecaps.
"Whatever I do, nothing will change."
| > He smiles, and the smile turns into a chuckling from him.
"You truly bear a surprising resemblance to my child."
> He places back the mechanical part to a bag behind him, looking back at John then raising his hands up.
"I'm not a warrior, you can aim and shoot and I will be defeated at a blink. Easy, is it not?"
| "If I defeat you, you are dead. I'm not happy with that."
>John pops one kneecap.
"But if I take everything thing from you, you will be nothing, and only then, will I be happy."
>He pops the second kneecap, and walks over, taking the bag.
| > Ea falls, both of his knees shot and damaged. He lets John take the bag, and as he said before, he doesn't defend himself.
"If that is what you want, I can't stop you. You have taken me down."
> But suddenly, Ea's damaged hand began to glow in a similar fashion as Uni's eye. The golden glow began to power a mechanism in the room and the sound of a rotating gear is heard.
"—And her as well."
> A projectile was rapidly fired from the wall. It easily pierced Uni's chest.
| "..Agh! J-Joh..n—"
> Uni cried in pain, the projectile was no joking matter: it was a long metallic rod, shining in bronze. It impaled Uni's chest and stuck her into the wall behind.
| "Sore loser."
>John shoot the rest of his bullets, 4 to be exact, in to the head of Ea.
"It's all going to be fine, Uni!"
>He reloads his hand gun, and makes his way over to Uni, looking for a way to remove the rod.
| > Ea body drops lifelessly. There was not a single effort to his defense. Blood doesn't pour out and instead, it was the very same blue liquid as the one in Uni's liver wound.
> The rod is planted deep, down to the very base of the wall — and Uni is already in the verge of her breath. She held the rod, but there was no energy as she tries to pull out the rod.
"H..He.. lp."
> She says with a fading voice. She struggles to breathe and her glowing eye began to flicker on and off.
| "Remember those pneumatic walls you had? Now would be a good time."
>John carefully moves her hands to the side, and takes a closer look as to what was in the bag.
| > It's a mechanical part, shaped like a liver augmentation. It is glowing in the same hue as Uni's eye. It has been carefully removed from some part of her body, as evident from the many precisely cuts.
> Uni's breathing can be heard. They are heavy, each breath tries to save another second of her life. Her hands are as cold as one would expect from someone that doesn't seem to have anymore pulse.
| "Just to tell you a head of time, this is going to hurt."
>John takes out the part, looking for an interface, and looks in the liver hole, for the port.
| > There was none. All visible is only leaking artificial veins, and like cables, they don't connect to anything without their header.
> Amidst John's search, the sound of a door clicking open can be heard — and there was only one door locked in the room.
| >John was half way during Operation 'Put-thingie-in-liver' when the door began to open.
"You better be a paramedic!"
| > The door shows Ea, with gun pointed to the two. The Ea John had shot is visibly in the room, still.
"There is so much wrong in your attempts. Your chance of killing that mortal body is higher now."
> He is on the other side of the door, showing that he was the one opening it from outside.
"I won't force you to hand over what is mine. You have the freedom of killing her."
| "Yeah, and I didn't ask for a subscription on your cruddy magazine."
>John tries to draw faster to take a shot at Ea, dropping the mechanism in to Uni.
| > A gunshot echoes loudly, this time it connects directly to John's arm, preventing him from using his gun.
"Fall."
> He said in a commanding voice.
"I favor heroes able to use their tongue for more than warcries. You show a promising talent."
> He began walking into the room whilst keeping his gun drawn.
| "Funny. I never made myself out as a hero."
>John slowly gets up, as a fuck you to Ea's command, and points a fingergun at him.
| "Consider yourself as one."
> He ignores John, while keeping a distance from him.
"I won't ever attempt to kill you, but if you want a second chance—"
> He goes for the bag behind him again, this time pulling a different item. It's a silver cup, decorated with jewelries.
"—Uni's distant child is still in the city. You can try saving her and progress forward, if you want."
> He offers the ornated cup to John.
"This will prove to be useful if you seek to do it."
| "Hello there, asshole."
"Ah, and mister Doe, good evening."
"I must say, long time no see."
>Three voices came from the apartment entrance, as three figures entered it, one by one. While the sources for the voices where different, voices themselves were the same.
>Three tall teenagers, exact same faces, exact same blond hair, exact same yellow business suit. And three exact same laser pistols, aimed at Ea.
"You have some friends, mister Doe."
>4th copy came in.
| > Ea smiled and very slowly turns to face the many new arrival.
"I never thought I will have to endure another battle again."
> He kept his gun pointed to John while scanning the copies — all four of them.
"I have offered him a chance. If you choose the path of battle, then I will hold back no further."
| "Battle?"
>Four copies exchanged glances and smirked in exact same manner.
"Battle means there are two sides doing the fighting."
"I don't plan on giving you the courtesy of resisting, though."
"All these codexes of honor are for the pussies anyway."
>Each line said by another body, the copies continued their casual advance into the room, their guns still pointing at Ea. Fourth copy split up from the group, and went for the bag.
"Now we can do this the hard way or the easy way."
| "Spoken like him; the king I know of and his clay-friend."
> Ea drops his gun straight to the apartment floor, giving a slight echo.
"My current body won't be able to withstand any power I exert. A fight will be foolish."
> His augmented arm can be seen glowing as he say his words.
| "I think there's enough illumination as it is."
>Says one of the copies, and four loud, dry blasts of air ionization precede four beams of blue light, one burrowing into the apartment wall, and the remaining three — Ea, with one of the beams hitting the glowing hand.
| > Ea's body was frail and weak. The shots easily subdue him, but in his second defeat, he stood with his hand being luminescent — bathing in a dim red light.
"—Your followers are the one who chose your fate, Uni. Die peacefully."
> At the last word he spoke before he fell, Uni began groaning in utter pain. Her hyperventlation is clear and her only open eye rapidly flickers.
"...Agh!"
| "Who is he calling a follower?"
"Dunno. You?"
"Me?"
"Or me. Or me. He might even mean—"
"Alright boys, enough, let's wrap it all up."
>The four kept exchanging lines, as they spread out across the apartment. One of them went for the bag on the floor, while the remaining three split up, with two walking up to the most recent Ea's body, and making couple more control shots, while the last one going to the first body. None of them seemed to care about the suffering woman.
| > The bodies of Ea are all lifeless Lilim bodies now. Nothing out of the ordinary seems to have happened as it receives more shot — the shots pierced them as though any gunshot should.
> The bag as picked up, is empty. The silver cup held by Ea before was also nowhere to be seen.
| (Sorry for the absence, had to take younger ones to to the moving pictures.)
>John has lost consciousness from the loss of blood...
| "Oh boy, looks like mister Doe had enough of it."
"What, again?"
"What's with him and his obsession with being shot?"
"You ask me. Oh wait, you are me."
"Don't start this again."
>Meanwhile, outside the apartment building a single black Vendetta LTH, painted with yellow stripes on it, landed on the rooftop. It's cargo doors opened, letting out a large team of heavily armed and equipped troopers, in white armor with yellow stripes.
| >Before long they made their way into the apartment, and packed all the bodies into bags. Under command of four clones, they also put both wounded man and woman on stretchers, and loaded them into the hovercraft. Leaving four teenager copies on the ground, the craft took off and flew away into the direction of the Airport.
|
| > Sometime later, long after the fight has commenced, the apartment floors are back to their quiet state. The same goes for Uni's apartment. Its door is open just enough to let light enters in.
| > A vehicle arrives to break the silence, a rather fast entry with a quick stop. The driver steps out and waits for the passanger.
| "That was a masterful driving skill you possess, Kazuki."
> The only passenger, a blond-haired lady, exits the car. She takes a good glance at the apartment building with a wide smile carved to her face.
"Is this the place? It's tremendously quiet for a living space Mother chose."
> She immediately darts her attention to a single window at the second floor for no apparent reason.
"—Ah, I see. This is indeed the place. I can sense her from up there!"
| > Kazuki smiles a little, seeing the girl happy fills warmth inside of him.
"Thank you. Yes, this is it alright."
> Leading to the door, he loses his smile at the sight of it's improper opening.
| > She picks up her pace, entering the apartment without any single thought. Her impatient act stops, however, the instant she sees the inside of the apartment.
"There is.. no one here."
> She hurriedly scans the place, with one of her eye illuminating the dimly lit room.
"Mother? Mother?!"
> Yet, there wasn't a single response from the empty apartment.
| "What the hell..."
> Kazuki mutters, looking upon the inside. Upon stepping in, mentally he freaks.
| > Blood was splattered nearly everywhere. The illumination provided by the lady helped only to reveal the damage inside the room: a bed with a ripped bed sheets, and a wall with a clear sign of breaking down.
"—What is.. what is this, Kazuki? I can feel her here, I can. But where is she?"
> She scatters around the room, panicking after seeing the blood. Thoughts run through her mind before she glares at Kazuki.
"What is this, Kazuki?!"
> She repeats the question sternly.
| "I... I don't know.. I don't!"
> He begins looking around for clues as to what happened, taking out his phone to see if he can contact someone for help, his first contacts are Uni herself, and John.
| > Uni's phone returned an answer, but the only sound heard was the city traffic — it goes on for ten seconds before the call fades and cuts away.
| (*Uni's contact number)
| >"Hello, This is John."
>A voice comes trough.
| >>368006
"Hey, It's me, Kazuki. Have you seen Uni, recently? Just got to her apartment and things don't look so good."
| >"Yeah... about that... Is there anyone there with you?"
>John's voice get's serious, obviously not wanting to let loose ears know.
| >>368015
>"Oh christ. There was an attempt at Uni's life. She's in a coma now, I managed to get in time. Though I have to say, I'm hurt that you don't care about me."
| >>368018
"W-What? I didn't even know you were involved!"
> Kazuki looks to the girl with him, trying to decipher.
"You two are okay though, so where are you?"
| >>368023
"..."
>There's an odd silence.
"I'm in space. And to the kid, as far as she knows, I'm Hawaiian."
| "What happened to Mother, Kazuki?!"
> The girl had asked again, promptly waiting for an answer. Her eyes show a glass-like reflection to her worried emotion.
"Where is she?!"
| >>368032
>>368033
> Kazuki remains silent for what seems the longest, before swearing and looking to the window.
" Just a sec, John."
> He looks from the window to her.
"Someone tried to attack her, and she's being treated right now. I.. I don't know why, or how it went down, or what even happened, but.. She's okay, She is."
> He tries his best to keep her calmed.
| >"Kaz, pass the phone to the kid, I was the one responsible. Say it's Hawaiian from the bar."
| "I.. I.."
> Her expression grows pale. She steps back slowly before dropping down to a sitting position.
"... I.."
> There is no knowing what she will say as her worry rises and overflows.
| >>368044
>>368042
> Kazuki watches her for a second before sighing, walking to her and offering the phone.
"Here, talk to Hawaiian."
| > She takes the phone slowly, but she doesn't utter a single word, her heavy breathing was all that can be heard on the other side of the call.
| >"Kid? You there? Look, I'm sorry. I fucked up, I didn't make it to your mother in time, but I was fast enough to stop HIM, and keep her alive. She's in good hands now, and her condition is stable. "
| "She.. she is? Mother is alive?"
> A small smile builds on her face, with it, a chip of her worries have disappeared.
"I— I trust her to always be alive. Please take care of her, John."
> She hands the phone back to Kazuki. The tears she held contrasts with the smile she now have.
| >"Hey Kid! Don't... Agh damn it, she gave it back, didn't she."
| >"Well, tell the kid to keep an eye on you, and you keep an eye on her, because I'm still stuck in a hospital bed."
| "Sounds about right."
> Kazuki licks his teeth, a wave of distrust rolls over him.
"Alright then. I'll take care of her. You, take care of Uni. I know that bed isn't gonna hold you long."
| "Mother truly has made useful allies."
> The lady says once the call disconnects. She kept sitting, her hands laid bare on the floor.
"—But I too, shall assist her."
> From where her palms touch, the floor would illuminate. She drew what seems to be nonsensical symbols and they began glowing, too.
"Perusna, arise. I am Iuventas, Daughter of Uni."
> The room began making various mechanical noises at her command.
"I knew that signal didn't come from Mother, but from her room."
| "But to think she would let her signature be in the signal.."
> She stands up slowly while taking a deep breath.
"Astir, Perusna!"
> With her command, the room glows the same hue as Uni's eye. The many mechanical noises amplifies — creating a sound akin to a working train.
"Kazuki, you have promised to watch over me — from here, I shall promise you my hand as well."
> She looks at Kazuki, her fear was nowhere to be found. It was long replaced with a smile.
| > With little time between thoughts, he nods willingly.
| >>368149
> Kazuki returns the smile, before relaxing his original state of mind.
"Iuventas.. I like it."
| > She kept her smile. As they speak, the room has settled down to a less audible working noise.
"It's a name you cannot say anywhere else."
> She closes her eyes, opening them only to look at Kazuki again.
"—Nor should it be recorded—"
> Suddenly, a creaking noise can be heard. Several tracking devices had stopped working. It let out a soot in its dying wake.
"But I trust you with the name, Kazuki. Let's save Uni with the best of our ability."
| >>368167
"I promise not to, I will need to call you something, though."
> He straightens himself and takes one more look around the room.
"Is there anything in here we can salvage before we leave?"
| >>368204
"No, I don't feel any importance inside. Perusna is strangely empty."
> She too, looks around the room. The sight of the blood still made her wince.
"I wonder.. Mother is not the type to empty her territory; usually she will have treasures stocked."
| "Maybe she has moved some stuff.."
>Kazuki snaps his fingers.
"She's had a lot of sales every once and awhile. selling stuff for.. Well, free."
| "That does sound like Mother's doing."
> She glances the room one last time. The glowing symbols retain their shape and their pulsing, breathing light softly highlights the room's sparseness.
"—Then, where are we going, Kazuki?"
| "I suppose we head to my place. I'll have to set up an area for you to stay.."
> He clears his throat.
"There's a few you can make friends with, whilst we're there."
| "Friends are good."
> She nods, taking her step forward to leave the room. As she walks, the symbols fade back to darkness — turning the room into its previous state: barely lit, and bloodied.
"I will be in your care, Kazuki. Please have me in your household until Mother comes back."
> She says, already outside of the apartment and waiting for Kazuki.
| > He follows her out before climbing into the vehicle he took her in.
"No problem. Let's get going."
> He pauses after starting the engine.
"Say, what do I call you around others? Ivy?"
| "Mother never gave me any other name. Hmm—"
> She sat inside, thinking of a name of her own without much success.
"—Minerva. I remember the name mentioned during my ascension. I'm sure the base won't mind us using it."
| "Minerva... Alright."
> He gases on the pedal, spinning the tires and returning to his outrageously fast driving.
"Well, Minerva, let's go. And you've gotta explain time some of this, ascension, and base stuff... Whatever you're allowed to, anyways."
| "All of them are confidential information."
> She replies in the flattest and most stoic voice she could muster.
"—But I don't care about the base's rules when Mother is in danger."
> She leans back to her seat, closing her eyes down.
"The base is where our thrones are. Mother and I share the same throne — it's the throne that always aligns to Kornephoros — the bright star of the constellation."
> Suddenly, she points to a seemingly arbitrary point in the sky.
"—There."
| > Kazuki takes a glance up, not keeping his eyes off the road for more than a split second.
"Eh? it's.. Base is here on the ground, right?"
> He takes a sharp turn with barely any loss of momentum.
| "It's.. hard to explain! The moment we ascended, we are granted a mortal body — this is when we know of the ground itself. Some of us don't ascend and prefer to stay where the thrones are."
> She keeps her attention to the road, looking at the strangely different environment than what she is used to.
"Mother is one of the early few that chose to ascend, but not everyone agreed on her choice; calling her a thief and such for her to take a life out of a mortal."
| > The scenery becomes a blur as Kazuki finds a straight. the speedometer reads 180km and going.
"A thief, huh? so what are you, exactly? If originally, your not mortals?"
(Opening thread...)
| "I'm a human, of course!"
> She says with an unconvincing smile.
"—My body is, at least. We were told to never recall the time before our ascension. They say that it is our choice to be human, so we should live the life of a human—"
> She leaned forward, noticing the sudden ramp in speed.
"—But I am many things, Kazuki. I'm new, I can still remember the days when all I can say are zeroes. Mother isn't, however, and her body is degrading — she is too much of a human now."
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| > The apartement building stood still. It's quiet as ever. There were barely any life around.
> Up at the second floor, Uni's apartment resides. Its metal door closed and locked. There were almost no sound coming out of it.