Chapter Text
“How long will you keep running?”
As the dawn approaches, Keith had let the somber morning whisk his consciousness from the grasp of his being. The day had barely begun and yet the looming dread of yesterday had already crawled into the forefront. Though his eyes were shut tight, the memories of that day had been seared into his mind.
For so long, he had tried to get away. Away from the screams. Away from the smell of blood. Away from the flashing lights. Away from that orphanage.Away from anything that reminded him of what he’d become.
And yet here he was. Five years later, hoping for a day where he’d finally get away from it all.
Surely today would be the day, right?
~~~
Satellite bases aren’t the most luxurious places in the world but they did as much as any self-sustaining Fenrir branches did. What they lacked in state-of-the-art utilities, the residents made up for with sheer determination to survive. Each one is a functioning member, contributing to keeping the peace and to the betterment of their small-knitted community. No matter how small or large your contribution was, each was as important as the last to survive.
Life in these bases wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately. For what little they could do, these bases were most often ravaged by Aragami attacks. Though they are not completely defenseless—at least one God Eater was stationed to patrol now and again—there was only so much you can do with one guard and over five dozen citizens who are unable to fight back. It was a simple life, yes, but not an easy one.
Keith was on his way to collect the daily rations near the base’s main gates. People have already lined up to get theirs, stretching as far back as the Town Center. And for good reason too. Today was a Saturday and that meant surplus ration packs from Cradle’s warehouses were being given out free of charge.
The daily rations handed out to outlying satellite bases like these were filled with basic foodstuffs such as meat and potatoes, all produced by the factories Cradle managed. Every so often, they’d have an extra good harvest and mix up their food choices. Even going so far as making more out of these raw ingredients; cookies, pastries, chips, you name it. Out here, any commodities beyond the basics are a luxury that Keith and many others did not pass up.
“Yo Keith! ‘Sup” said a young man with a long streak of hazelnut hair. From afar, Keith swears he looked like a lady. “Up early today, eh? I’m surprised”
“Eastern wall’s been struck again. They need more hands down there to help fix it. You haven’t forgotten about that right?”
Josiah went quiet. His petrified grin spoke more than words ever could. But Keith asked anyway.
“...You completely forgot, huh?”
“O-Of course not! I just…got sick. That’s all!” Josiah was lying through his teeth and Keith was no idiot. He could only scoff. He’s done this before and every time it gets more and more apparent. “So anyways… Are you going later?”
“Yeah, right after I help with the repairs. Don’t flake out on us.”
"I'm going to help fix it, alright? Get off my back." And so he did, a smug look on Keith's face as both of them queued up together.
It wasn't long till the line grew shorter and they were greeted by the Cradle Officer in charge of delivering the goods. Incidentally, she was the God Eater stationed at this Satellite Base. She scribbled on her notepad before eventually looking up to greet the two.
"Oh, Keith. Josiah. G'mornin!"
"Hey there, Charlotte. You got the stuff?" Keith asked.
She lifted two large sacks over from the truck and handed them to the two.
"Here…you…go. Oh, by the by…" she said as she checked off a few more boxes on her clipboard "You're going later, yeah?"
"Sure will, just after I finish for today," Keith hoisted the sack over his shoulder. Seeing Charlotte lift each of the sacks without so much as breaking a sweat is commendable. Even the grown men struggled to even carry these with both arms, let alone a single hand.
"Ooh…a bit heavier than expected. What's in these?"
"Some protein substitute, the surplus goods, but mostly potatoes and corn. We had a lil' bit extra this time around so we figured we could increase the rations. A little something to keep you all well-fed."
"Ah damn it. Corn?!" Josiah jumped into the conversation. "You know I hate corn, right?"
"Sounds like a 'you' problem, buddy." Keith retorted. "And besides, it's not that bad. Remember two years ago?"
Josiah's face soured at the thought. "Don't remind me…"
“And uh…Keith,” her face mellowing with concern. “About that thing…”
Keith forced a chuckle. “I-I’m good, thanks…”
“But we could u–”
“...I said I’m good. Alright?” He cut her off, his forced smile now losing its figure, revealing his dismay. His left hand grasped the bandaged armlet attached to his right wrist; its red paint scratched off to the point of non-existence.
I don’t want any more on my conscience…
She could only hold her head down in response. “I see…Tell me if you change your mind, alright?”
But she knew he wouldn’t. They’ve done this for over three years–after all. No matter how many times she asked, she’d always get the same answer. That did not stop her from getting her hopes up, however. Such dedication to something so unsure, was admirable, to say the least.
“Yeah…will do.”
After they had gotten their share of the rations, they waved farewell to Charlotte, who waved lightly back before diving back into her work. Josiah couldn’t help but notice Keith’s sudden shift in emotion as they walked back to their homes. Keith’s face flushed white, prompting Josiah to speak up. “You alright?”
“Hmm? Ah, I’m good. Why do you ask?” Keith was fidgeting with the keys dangling off his belt. It jingled a most unpleasant noise, almost erratic. His accelerated breath was muffled only by the shaking of the sack over their shoulders and their tattered, dusty boots shuffling on the pale rubble beneath.
“You sure? It looks like you’ve seen a ghost. Or an Aragami that looks like a ghost.”
“...A ghost Aragami? Get real. Those don’t exist.” Keith softly chuckled at the thought. “And yeah, I’m sure. Don’t worry...”
He looked far from alright, at least to Josiah. He still had his fingers messing about; his keychains still making an obnoxious metallic clink. Nevertheless, Josiah took his word for it. Instead, opting to shift course.
“What if they did exist? That’d be spooky as hell. Popping out of nowhere, floating around while being untouchable and shit…”
“Don’t Aragami already do that? Y’know, besides the ‘untouchable’ part. Get your head out of your ass.”
“I mean, yeah… I guess they do.” They crossed an alleyway, the path becoming narrower than before; the buildings towered less as they progressed.
“Besides. A ghost can never be as scary as the Aragami. For one thing, they’re real and ghosts aren’t.”
“You can’t be sure about that. Who knows? Maybe an Aragami like that exists. I heard they evolve pretty fast.”
“Eh, I doubt it.” As they neared the edge of the street, Keith parted ways with Josiah, reassuring the agreement they had earlier.
“I’ll show up, I promise,” Keith called his bullshit but gave it naught but a fleeting afterthought.
He repositioned the sack he was carrying to prepare for the vertical ascent. The stairs had visible signs of decay; exposed rust on its crumbling rail guards, steps having holes that—if one was not careful—could allow one’s leg to fall right through, and a roof that no longer exists. It was now more akin to a skylight, except this one goes from end to end.
Atop the staircase was a single doorway; a weathered wooden door that somehow retained its structural integrity despite the cracks and creaks of the hinges. Keith grabbed his keychains and slid the small, iron key in. The doors swung open with a slight nudge from Keith, revealing the sparsely furnished room that consisted of no more than a kitchen counter, a small fridge hooked up to a generator, a relatively large cabinet for his clothes, and a bed no bigger than him.
Just as he set down the sack he was painstakingly carrying, a sudden wave of weakness wafted over his body. It's as if he had inhaled the mist of Zygote fumes.
Feeling a cough coming, he instinctively covered his mouth. A burning sensation ran up his esophagus as he let out a loud wheeze. His hand felt damp. As he took a glance, he was greeted with a crimson sludge.
No, not again.
Taking extreme care to not tumble on the floor, he slowly went for the case peeking under the bed. On it was the Fenrir logo imprinted on the cover. His thumbs felt for the locks and clicked both at once, revealing a set of syringes and a small device with wires and cables attached.
From the set of twenty-four, he took one of the three unused syringes and swiftly plunged the needle down his right arm. His breaths were returning to his lungs but he wasn't out of the woods yet.
He yanked the device off of the case and pressed a button. The device's display flashed yellow and began vibrating. He then attached two of the steel prods and pierced his forearm and the inside of his elbow. He reached out for the larger cable and ripped the bandage off of his armlet.
His hand holding the cable hovered over the armlet's notch, quivering with such intensity. Did he want to go through this again? Nonsense. If he didn't, he'd surely…
There's got to be another way, right?
Another cough rolled down his pipes and out of his mouth. The pool of blood spilled on his floor now served as a reminder.
Right…
If there was another way, he'd have found it already.
He plugged in the wire. Soon after pressing the device again, his arm wouldn't stop twitching. His pulsating veins revealed themselves on his skin, flashing a charcoal black and vermillion.
Just a few more seconds, now.
The pain has ceased, and so too did the veins stop popping out. Keith gobbled up what little breaths of air he could and fell flat on his posterior. It’s done, he thought. His coughs had all but disappeared and the coughs he did have were, thankfully, devoid of any blood.
He turned his head just slightly to his right. A digital clock with a cracked display sat atop a wooden cabinet by the bedside. It was now nearing midday.
After storing back the case and cleaning up the mess, Keith made haste; he set the rations aside in his fridge and grabbed his work jacket and a pair of goggles. It was already midday and the reconstruction could cost him his leisure time. And so without so much as a break in his step, he wore the jacket and put on the goggles, locked the door, and sprinted down the stairs, his legs already springing into action as he zoomed through the passageways towards the Eastern District.
The Eastern District was no more than a carbon copy of its northern counterpart, the place Keith lived in, except for the massive gaping hole in the wall. Some homes, unfortunately, did not survive the siege though from what he had heard from the gossip of the other workers, they got out just in time, thanks to Charlotte’s quick response.
Thankfully, he got there just in the nick of time. The construction crew was still unloading the cores for the wall repairs. The eastern residents (as they were called), as well as other folks from the other districts, were already gathered together.
The sight of camaraderie struck deep within Keith; the unyielding human spirit in this dystopian world of gods-eat-men, a valuable resource that none should take for granted. Even from a distance, he could hear the workers' laughter as they exchanged stories. Men and women help with the load-bearing, assisting in what little they can. The children gleefully ran around just outside their homes, oblivious to the larger, much more unforgiving world.
Just like…
Without even realizing it, Keith fiddled with his armlet, his fingers brushing through the scar that ran from the base of his wrist down the length of his entire arm. Though not visible from a glance, the scar seems to go even further inside.
A human spirit. Do I have such a thing…?
"..."
Pondering over such things would be pointless now. He gave his cheeks a light slap with both his hands, psyching himself to work.
The construction had begun; they had to quicken their pace lest the night fell and they slept unprotected. All the men lined up to grab all the necessary materials to repair the wall: steel panels lined with bias factors which acted as an Aragami repellant of sorts, columns made with reinforced oracle cells, and the cement mixture that was composed of two parts pre-made mix and one part gravel shoveled up from nearby dirt mounds.
After a long afternoon’s work, all that remains is for the wall to dry up and solidify. Assuming that no Aragami were to appear, it would be done by tomorrow morning.
“Yo boss, is there anything else I can help with?” Keith asked as he set down the shovel.
“I think we got it from here. You go rest up for today.” said the man smothered in filth and muck. “Don’t overdo it, seriously. We can handle this just fine.”
Though Keith did not see it that way, he was indeed over-exerting himself. The workload was evenly divided amongst all the residents here. Work that would have easily spilled over tomorrow was accomplished just before dark, all thanks to him. He finished his task rather quickly, opting instead to lend his hand to the others who were struggling. The residents were most grateful and Keith was showered with them.
"Thanks, Keith, we couldn’t have done it without ya."
"Appreciate it, mate."
"Why thank you kindly."
"Don't break 'yer back on me now, hahaha! Thanks!"
Seeing as there was nothing else he could assist with, he took his leave.
And just in time too. The final rays of the morning star had all but dissipated and soon did dusk greet the land.
~~~
As the night began to settle in, the residents of the Satellite base were well on their way to their homes. The sky had lost its glimmer and the breeze of darkness' eve had brushed against Keith's sullied face. In his hands were a set case of beverages: six cans of an unnamed alcoholic beverage he had stored up just for the occasion.
The light panels littered across the walls sparked into life. The soft, dandelion glow ensured that the streets were well illuminated without impeding sleep. The mellow radiance of the panels mixed with the night's dark hues made for a wonderful contrasting skylight reminiscent of a chandelier's glow. The light was just bright enough for Keith to spot two silhouettes atop the northern wall.
Clasping the case's handle tight, he made his way past the residential area and towards a steel door. Swinging it open, he was met with an iron ladder leading up to the topside. He climbed up and was greeted by Charlotte and Josiah who were already snacking on the food they bought.
“Oh Keith, just in time” Charlotte motioned for him to come closer. “Check it out. The sky’s clear again.”
Her gaze was locked on the glittering heavens. Indeed, the sky tonight was as clear as it could be. The stars sprinkled on the night’s endless canvas, glowing majestically and seemingly in harmonious cacophony like stringed instruments in an ensemble, playing second fiddle to the star of the show, which ironically enough, was the ever luminescent lunar satellite.
“Moon’s pretty bright tonight,” said Keith as he found a spot he was most comfortable with, leaning above to fully take in the incredible sight. “Looks like the same one from back then, too.”
“...Cain would have loved to see this.” Charlotte now sported a rather saddened smile. It was rare for her to look as melancholic as this.
Keith could only respond with the same energy “Yeah. Yeah, he would’ve.”
“Say, Keith…” Without taking her gaze away from the sky, she asked “Do you ever miss the orphanage?”
Keith sported a quizzical expression. “Why ask?”
“It’s not that I don’t like the life I have now. I do, but…” She drifted off for a moment. “Do you sometimes wish things would just go back to those times?”
Keith laid flat on the concrete floor, letting the question sink into the deeper recesses of his subconscious before finally finding the words to respond with.
“Hard to say.”
“How so? Was being Dr. Rachel’s little helper that tiring.”
The glow in Keith’s eyes began to fade, almost as if life was taken right before his eyes. Between the scathing winds in his ear and the tune of her voice, all he could hear was the faint beating of his heart. No matter how hard he tried to mouth the words, it just wouldn’t escape his lips.
"Hello? Earth to Keith, are ya there?" said Charlotte as she snapped her fingers. "Are ya tired or something?"
"...You could say that."
"You did most of the work again, didn't you? Goddamnit, how many times do I have to tell you not to push yourself too hard!" She punched his shoulder just hard enough that he'd feel the sting but not leave a mark.
"I just happened to finish early and.."
"And took their workload? Of course, you did…" She sighed in frustration. "Why do you even push yourself too hard?"
It was an easy question to answer. Or at least, it should have been. If he told her right here, right now, would they see him the same? Would she see him the same?
"I just…want to pay my dues. That's all."
"...I guess that makes sense. You've always been like that. Just...watch yourself. Healthcare isn't easy to come by, especially in your case."
He let out a chuckle and nodded. "Will do."
“Yo Keith, I'll help myself to these drinks, alright?" Josiah gestured for a can. Almost half of the snacks were gone and naturally needed something to wash all that down.
“Want one?” asked Keith, to which Charlotte promptly declined.
“Nah, someone’s gotta keep watch tonight,” she said as she placed down her God Arc.
“More for me, then” Josiah was barely halfway through his first drink and already had his mitts on a second and a third one. He was already eyeing for the fourth but was abruptly halted by Charlotte’s fist
“Alright, that’s enough for ya.”
“Oh come on. You’re not even drinking any of these!”
“And who’s gonna pick up after you, huh? I sure as hell ain’t. I still have patrols to do.”
“And besides…” Keith dropped in on their bickering, helping himself to one of the cans and taking one tiny sip. “...Are you gonna let Cain go thirsty?”
Both of their faces quickly turned. Josiah backed off almost immediately at the mention of his name.
“I..yeah, sorry ‘bout that.” Josiah grabbed a can, popped it open, and spilled its contents over the wall, to which Keith and Charlotte did the same.
They sat under the moon's presence, chatting and spending time with each other's company without a care in the world. Living your entire life in this god-forsaken world meant each day was as precious as the last, each life was priceless; a gift not to be taken for granted.
But as precious as they are, even the most beautiful of flowers eventually die out. From the call of fate or otherwise.
He should know. He's seen it first-hand, after all…
After a long night's rest, the morning came without notice. And so too did the Aragami.
There weren't any blaring growls of Vajras nor the usual alarm over the speaker systems. No, not anything of the sort. All that rang through that seemingly uneventful morning were the deafening screams of the crowd running desperately for their lives and the unquestionable sound of gunfire.
"Everyone to the shelter, now!" Without missing a beat, Charlotte was already well on her way to quelling the Aragami siege. This was unlike anything she’d seen before, or faced all at once, for that matter and it was clear to her that this was impossible with just her.
“Vanguard-03 to Cradle, come in! We have an emergency on the Southwest quadrant requesting assistance.” The comms were unresponsive and the waves of Aragami still to come had her sweating bullets.
She tossed out a stun grenade towards one of the incoming Kongous, blinding the simian beasts momentarily before bludgeoning their skulls with her Boost Hammer. With a swift tug on the handle, a pair of jet black jaws emerged from her God Arc and tore right through one of the Kongous left standing.
"Please…Somebody help!"
The wail came from a woman who was running for dear life as a Chi-You had decided for her to be its meal. In her arms was her child weeping in fear of the avian aragami.
From a distance, Keith had heard the screams and saw the pair backed into a corner. Stuck between a rock and an Aragami place. Almost immediately, he ran from the safety of the safehouse and dived head-first into peril. Though he was no God Eater, he had speed far exceeding that of the average human and traversed the rubble posthaste.
After devouring the Kongou, Charlotte tugged on the handle once more, swapping her God Arc to Gun Form, leaping off of the carcass and firing a burst of Oracle shots right down the district, intercepting the Chi-You that was pursuing the pair.
The shots merely grazed its wings. It shrugged it off and kept its sights on the mother who was now clutching her child with tears in her eyes.
Just as the Aragami raised its claws to strike, Keith jumped in to push the two to safety; the claws of the avian just a few inches away from them.
Still rearing to go, the Chi-You was about to swipe with its left wing but not before being utterly crushed by Charlotte’s hammer. “Keith, what the hell are you doing here? It’s not safe!”
“Saving their asses, what else? Would you rather I let them die?” She couldn’t argue with that. She should be grateful. If he was any slower, they would have not made it.
“And besides…” He whispered under his breath “I’m not done yet.”
“What are you... Damn it, just get them to the shelter, quick!” She shot back at the Chi-Yous who were unrelenting in their assault but their steel-clad wings proved to be difficult to get past with just her low-powered rounds. She opted instead to switch back to melee, priming her hammer’s jet thrusters before rocketing down one of them with a mighty blow, clearing a straight path towards the safehouse at the center of the Satellite base.
“Go!” she yelled as she twisted her form with her heels dug deep as she deployed her shield, taking in the aragami’s volatile palm blast. The blast proved too much for her, as not a moment later, her legs trembled as she slowly fell to her knees.
“AUGH…!” Charlotte screamed in anguish as she fell.
As Keith led the lady and her child run ahead, he couldn’t help but look back at Charlotte. Seeing her on the brink of collapse–quite possibly even death–had his heart racing in terror and his mind scrambling to decide.
Something within him clicked; he turned and bolted towards her.
Maybe this was his chance to atone for his sins. He hurriedly rushed to her side, putting her arm over his shoulder for support.
“Charlotte, come on! Keep those eyes open…!” He tried to lift her up but as soon as he did, Charlotte coughed up blood. Upon closer inspection, the left side of her torso was profusely bleeding from a rather deep cup. The blast may not have penetrated her shield but the shockwave from taking the brunt of the attack caused nearby debris to be propelled everywhere and unfortunately made its way towards her.
Things were not looking well for either of them. Charlotte's eyes began fading away, her low exhales going even slower, and her grip on her God Arc had loosened. She tried her damn hardest not to close her eyes but alas, her strength had failed her.
“Charlotte? Charlotte?!” He shook her shoulders, begging God for once in his life to hear his prayers.
In his arms, was a comrade on the brink of death. The smell of blood wafted through the smoke and dust. It almost certainly felt like back then.
At the corner of his eye was her God Arc, shield spit in half but otherwise intact. He knew what he had to do and yet a part of him was saying otherwise. But there wasn’t much time to think, let alone hesitate.
If he didn’t do this, people were going to die.
Innocents are going to die.
His friends are going to die.
He was going to die.
And he had no plans to die just yet.
There are still things he wants to atone for…