Amidst the thick smoke surrounding the pulsating flames, crashed a few feets into the ground, Chris laid there covered in rubble, blood dripping from his gear as he struggled to breathe.
"Blergghhhh!!" He instantly pulled his arm from the rubble and shot it to his chest as he retched in pain, vomitting blood.
His head which was tilted from his fractured neckbone let out snapping sounds as he forcibly turned it to glance at his left shoulder, but before he succeeded something sticking from the rubble a few steps away caught his attention. A hand clad in the HV Corp's EEM gear stuck from the heap of stones wielding a gun in its grip.
That was his hand.
Right at that moment, he felt a sharp pain sear from his empty left shoulder, using his remaning hand to clench his mouth closed, stopping the scream from escaping.
The man saw it, no, it was as if the mutanaut wanted to show him.
That same very arm he had blasted, the one that was loosely hanging off a tiny piece, that was the same hand that had just struck him.
Moreover, now, from where he laid, Chris could clearly see the huge part he had blown off together with the mutanaut's massive arm growing back with speed.
It was regenerating!
Wickedly so.
**
"Huh, what was that? Didn't quite catch it—say it again.."
"You're the best I've ever had, Miss Katarina Argent." Chris said gently carelessing Katarina's cheek.
"What? For real?" She asked, genuinely curious.
"Of course not. Thought saying it will, y'know, cheer you up a bit."
"Why jinx it then, you prickhead!?" Katarina shot back, a grimace etched on her face as she landed a solid punch on Chris's jaw.
In one swift motion, she grabbed the sheets that covered them and leapt out of bed.
Left exposed and frustrated, Chris quickly shot his hands down to shield his masculine gem just as the door creaked open.
The man grew more restless seeing the grinning faces peering through the doorway—a man with a braid and a bright-eyed redhead lady. Chris rolled down, skillfully ducking on the floor, behind the bed stand.
Katarina, still clutching the sheet around her, burst into laughter at the sight.
"You two lovebirds mind if I join the fun?" the braided man asked, flashing a smug grin.
"I'm all for it," Katarina replied, turning to Chris with a teasing smile.
"I'll crack your skull open, you moron. Go find your own girl!" Chris shot back, veins bulging at his temples as he glared at the braid-haired man.
"Aw, come on, bro! Where's the fun in that when my best friend has one already? Katarina, it seems your guy's all burnt out. How about we just go, just us two?"
"Heey! Don't leave me out!" the redhead chimed in, her eyes alight with excitement.
"Come eat me righ away strawberry!" Katarina chimed in in excitement hearing the redhead, he eyes seemed to glow. At this the redhead blushed nervously.
"I swear, Sasaki, I'll smash your head in once I get up!" Chris yelled, his face flushed as he reached for his trousers carelessly strewn across the floor.
But just as he reached for them, Sasaki - of the braids- lunged in and snatched them first.
In a fit of rage, Chris crawled under the bed, his fingers closing around a dagger. He aimed a swift stab at Sasaki's leg, but the man dodged with practiced ease, laughing as he shoved the redhead aside and dashed away.
"H-hey! Come back here, Sasaki! P-please!!"
Katarina and the redhead, who still supported herself on the ground from Sasaki's shove, erupted into laughter in unison.
Moments later, beneath the bright blue, cloudless sky, the four of them sat on the rooftop of a tall building, taking in the view below.
"The Newbies sure are working hard," Chris said, watching a group of young men squatting with large rocks balanced on their heads.
"Yeah, that yellow one reminds me of you, Chris," Sasaki pointed out, finger aimed at a blonde kid who seemed more flustered than the rest.
"What, you can see that clearly from this height? Which one is it?" the redhead replied, squinting at the scene below.
"Just forget it. This guy's eyesight is something else. What about the new kid is like me, though?" Chris asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.
"Ah, just his lack of confidence. Hard to believe someone like you used to be like that," Sasaki said with a smirk.
"Pfft. Can't blame him, you know. He used to have a really tiny cock as a teen," the redhead chimed in, covering her mouth to suppress a laugh.
Katarina and Sasaki erupted in laughter, unable to hold back their amusement.
"Tch. Who even told you that?" Chris shot back, feigning irritation.
"Don't be so embarrassed. Kate loved you anyway, didn't she?" the redhead teased, a grin on her face.
"Man, you people need to get your noses off other people's lives. Besides, that wasn't the reason I was the way I was back then."
"Always thought you both suited each other so well," Sasaki said, leaning his back on the ground with a carefree attitude, his hands resting behind his head.
"I know, right?" Chris replied, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Nah, you're just a lucky guy," Katarina added with a cheeky grin.
"So how'd you two meet, anyway? Childhood friends or something?"
"Katarina and I met when I was in high school. She saved my life, you know,"
"Whaaat? Didn't expect that," the redhead said, looking genuinely surprised.
"Shouldn't it be the other way around? Brotherhood ain't proud, man," Sasaki teased, shaking his head playfully.
"Well, it kind of makes sense. He seemed timid when he enrolled here," the redhead shot back.
"Yeah, but he was still tough. Wasn't he able to come here in the first place cause he passed the recruitment test? He was even second place among his peers. What exactly did she save you from? Bullies?"
"Kate actually saved me from myself,"
"What? Suicide?" the redhead asked, her eyes wide with concern.
"Well, something like that. But it's more like the bastard lost himelf and almost did something that could've gotten him killed."
"Damn. Starting to sound interesting," Sasaki said, his tone shifting as he leaned in.
"Don't really wanna talk about it. Besides, it's best to hear it from the man himself."
"I don't wanna remember it either. If Kate ain't telling ya, then forget it," Chris said firmly.
Noticing the seriousness in their faces, Sasaki decided to drop the subject.
After a moment of silence, he said, "But you know, you really are meant to be together, to the point it's cringing me out. To think you're both relocating to the Northern headquarters; the system sure does favour couples."
"It's probably just a coincidence. Beats me, Sasaki. Give my regards to the woman of your fantasies when you finally meet in the south. Bet she's nowhere near as beautiful as my sweetcake, though." Chris said, brushing his thumb gently against Katarina's cheek.
"And you, flower, be sure to take care of this place for us. You're the only one among us four who isn't leaving after all," he added, turning to the redhead.
"Hey, you better take care of Katarina. Won't ever forgive you if something happens to that cute ass, ya hear?" Sasaki said with a mischievous grin, his gaze wandering toward Katarina's butt that was seated not very far from his face.
"It's me you should be worried abo–" Chris paused with a grimace, noticing where Sasaki was looking. "Where the hell are your eyes flashing at, Sasaki!? Want me to gouge them out for ya?!"
Sasaki exhaled, smiling at the banter.
After a while, his smile slowly faded as a serious thought crossed his mind. "Yo, Chris, do you trust the organization?" he asked, his expression turning somber.
"Huh, what's it to you?" Chris replied, suddenly serious.
"What the hell?" the others raised their eyebrows, their expressions turning serious as well.
"Where'd that come from all of a sudden?" they asked, concern creeping into their voices.
Sasaki sighed and continued, "I know saying things like this goes against the code, but honestly, I don't know either. Ever since the general returned, the organization has become way more active than usual. Everyone's suddenly being allocated to their duty headquarters, and the battle satellites, which hadn't launched in over a hundred years, have suddenly gone operational."
"Well, no doubt these days have been busy. Not only did we start training with an extra-complex kind of ACE tech, but the lower ranks have had their training hours lengthened to match ours," Chris explained.
"Yeah, and I heard it's not just General Lancelot, but all the other HV generals dispatched to EDEN have been summoned back," the redhead added, brushing her jaw thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it, it feels like some kind of preparation,"
"Yeah..." Sasaki agreed with Katarina, a serious look on his face. "Feels like something extremely huge is approaching."
Hearing this, the others fell into an unusual silence, each lost in their thoughts.
Seeing the change in atmosphere, Sasaki continued, "Hey, I might be worrying over nothing, but this uneasy feeling just won't go away." He looked up at the sky, his expression heavy. "Listen, my dear friends..."
"What's with that corny line all of a sudden?"
"Wherever we may go, please take care of yourselves. Don't trust the organization too much, and always look out for yourself before anything else."
"Oh, and if you ever miss me too much, just remember I'm probably somewhere having a good time with the woman of my dreams," he added with a playful grin.
'...'
Everyone grimaced.
'No one would miss you, asshole.'
***
And just two months after that day, this monster emerged in the north, something that had never occurred for over two centuries,
'Something's off…'
'Something's definitely off.'
'Could this be what he meant by 'Something extremely huge is approaching'?'
'Dammit, Sasaki! Kate's dead! Forget protecting her; I can't even protect myself right now!'
Chris's heart raced as he grappled with the crushing weight of despair. He had once felt strong, confident that his training had prepared him for this moment. Now, he was left questioning everything.
'Shit, shit, shit!' The chaos around him blurred his thoughts, smoke filling his senses as the ground trembled beneath him. His gear lay in tatters, and now it has become extremely hard to move.
'What's happening? Nothing is going the way it should! Why is that monster so powerful? Why didn't anyone tell us they could regenerate? Didn't our ancestors defeat them in the war? Why didn't they pass on the knowledge?'
'Why the hell is this happening? Fuck!!' Chris's voice broke, his bloodied face a mask of horror.
'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" Panic surged through him, but then a desperate thought struck—'01 module!!'
It hadn't worked earlier, but this was no time for doubt. 'If I can summon the battle Sentinels, I might be able to hold it off until reinforcements arrive—'
Before he could finish his thought, the monstrous figure meters away, which was facing the opposite direction suddenly leapt with a speed and grace that defied its size, disappearing into the sky in an instant.
The ground beneath ruptured and quaked aggressively from the impact, as burning debris and ash spewed forth, soaring all over the place.
The monster was out of sight for a long while, but Chris deeply understood what was coming as he struggled, desperately crawling away, ignoring the searing pain of the hot ground that burned his now exposed palm beneath.
Unable to yet achieve any significant distance from his three limbed staggered flee, the mutanaut landed behind him with a devastating crash, sending shockwaves that violently knocked him away.
Chris's back crashed high against a broken zipline rod as he dropped accurately vertical. Miraculously, he nailed an upright landing, but then his trembling legs gave out, causing him to immediately collapse to his knees, retching at the sharp pain that surged through him.
The world began to blur, and he felt the metallic taste of blood rise in his throat, forcing him to retch violently.
As he raised his head, terror gripped him at the sight of the monster emerging from the flames, its gaze locked onto him.
With a surge of determination, Chris reached for the small lever on his cracked chest plate, his fingers trembling as he grasped it tightly.
CLUNK!
He pulled the 01 module's switch without hesitation.
But nothing happened.
Panic set in as Chris saw the Mutanaut take another step closer, his trembling intensifying.
"Tch!"
CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!
The man kept pulling out of desperation but nothing was happening. Tears welled in his eyes.
"I… I don't wanna die!" he gasped, struggling to rise.
The monster's deadly focus never wavered as it advanced, each step slamming into the ground with a terrifying quake.
"You… can't you fucking take a joke?!" Chris cried, staggering away. "I… I said I'd kill you and everyone earlier… Couldn't you tell that it was just a joke?! How could I even do that when I'm not even a star soldier? Did you even think that through?!!" He screamed, weeping bitterly, as he kept pacing through the ash and fading flames with his desperate, staggered run.
"Please don't kill me… please… someone! Anyone! Save me!!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
Suddenly, he spotted Vonn, lying motionless with his back flat on the ground, bloodied and battered. One of his eyes stared blankly at Chris, the other formerly hidden beneath an eyepatch, now looked dark and hollow.
The man looked back at the monster, who was still approaching. It took a clear step at a time, and thus wasn't very fast. This was the same monster that had just displayed an insane level of agility moments earlier.
Why was it moving so slow?
It was almost as if it's deliberately toying with him. It was like it understood that the currently gravely injured man wouldn't be able to escape it.
Almost as if the Mutanaut possessed some intelligence.
Shrugging the thought, a surge of determination fueled Chris as he dashed towards Vonn.
Reaching Vonn, Chris turned, grabbing his pants and lifting him with one hand, despite the agony shooting through him.
Impressively holding Vonn high mid-air, Chris pulled Vonn closer, looking desperately into his bloodied, expressionless face.
"Hrree… hrrree," Vonn opened his mouth, seemingly trying to speak, but just like before, all that left his mouth were meaningless sounds.
With tears streaming down his face, Chris forced a painful smile. "Please, little friend, keep him busy for me. Die for this hero of humanity."
Without waiting for a response, he hurled Vonn towards the Mutanaut.
The creature paused, a tentacle shooting out to catch Vonn mid-air. Chris turned and fled in his usual staggered motion, the haunting crunch of bone echoing in his ears as he dashed into the shadows, heart pounding with grief and terror.