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“...Log seventy-three, January twenty-ninth.
“The stealth operation on the home of All for One was a relative success. We were able to access the building, partially map the interior and exterior, and access material that could be useful for our ends. This was all done with little injury beyond what was expected and zero casualties.
“Unfortunately, it’s clear that he was prepared for a move like this. There were many areas of the property that were clearly built to be traps or misdirects, there was existing security that could not be bypassed and left us with only a partial map. Even with our successes, there’s no guarantee that what we have can be verified, and there’s nothing stopping him from simply moving once he finds out that this operation took place— assuming he hasn’t already.
“Beyond the status of the mission, there is…one more thing of note.
“On the property, there was a room that seemed completely ordinary. It had seemingly useful documents concealed in particularly strategic hidden places. There were even papers under the damn wallpaper. As we got through everything, though, my lieutenant and I got the sense that something was…off. Can’t say I’m sure why we felt that way, but we stayed to investigate further, knocking on walls and all that. And lo and behold, some of the knocks were hollow.
“The passage we found was completely covered by the wall, there was no sign of a door. I have to imagine that All for One uses a meta ability to access it. We peons, of course, had to bust through it. It was a pretty long hallway, I wouldn’t be surprised if it went below ground. There was a vault at the end of it, and we didn’t exactly have time to lockpick, so I blasted it open, and, um…
“...There was a person inside.
“Male, about one and a half or two meters, white hair, green eyes with admittedly unsettling white pupils. There was food and a bed, too, and an IV stand that didn’t really look like it was in use. He was definitely malnourished, though. Not a threat. He came with us without resistance or complaint.
“He hasn’t responded to any questioning. In fact, he hasn’t said a word since we found him. The Lieutenant and I have discerned that his ID is most likely to be the brother of All for One. If that’s the case then we’re uncertain whether or not his silence is an act of resistance.
“Knowing their connection, we would have had plenty of reason to kill him right then and there, but if at some point we’re able to get him talking, he could be an invaluable source of information. He could also be useful as a potential weakness to exploit against our enemy.
“And uh…at risk of sounding weak-willed…it just didn’t feel right. To kill him. I know full well I might regret it later, but…I dunno. He was pale, and sick. We speculate he might have been starving himself. He looked at us like we were the first people he’s ever met. And that’s…that’s a real bad way.
“...We’re no bleeding hearts, though. It’s still an option if he turns out to be a liability.
“At any rate, he’s essentially our prisoner until we decide otherwise. We haven’t said as much to him, for obvious reasons. He has his own quarters to reduce the chance that one of ours will find out who he is and take some poorly-thought vigilante action. The room isn’t great, but I imagine his standards are pretty low. He doesn’t seem to have done much except stare out the window, anyway. He’s eating and drinking for us, which is promising.
“‘Course, he could’ve just finally gotten hungry enough.
“This has been an…interesting development for us. Here’s hoping it pays off.”
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“...Log eighty, February fifth.
“That asshole’s started sleeping with the window open.
“The insulation in the barracks isn’t exactly up to code, so standing by that door you may as well be in the goddamn tundra. He doesn’t lay down, either. He just…leans against the wall. It doesn’t look all that comfortable, I’m not sure how he sleeps that way.
“We’re not worried about escape. The screen’s rubber-cemented in, and we’re carving out time to monitor the space. We’d hear if he tried to claw his way out or shout for help.
“Still sucks though.
“I wanted to tell him to knock it off, but the Lieutenant pointed out that he might be more inclined to talk if we let him get fresh air.
“Oh, yeah, he still hasn’t said anything, by the way. Not a damn word. Not even after all this pampering.
"What we do know more-or-less certainly is that we were right. He has to be All for One's brother. It's the only thing that can explain the aggression we've seen, including the man himself showing up at some of our outposts. He usually likes to let his minions deal with us, but lately he's been paying us visits and tearing things up all on his own. We doubt he knows the exact location of his brother, otherwise he would've been at our doorstep within a day of the operation.
"I mean, it's not like we could patch up the wall, you know? I'm sure it didn't take him long to figure out what happened.
"We had to think about it, but we've decided we're not telling the brother. Considering the way he was kept, I can't imagine he'd react calmly to the news, and while inducing a panic could make him talk, there's no guarantee. Not to mention the fact that even though he hasn't presented with one, we can't confirm whether or not he has a meta ability that would be destructive under duress.
“We’re moving survivors and units that haven’t been hit to back-up outposts, where they exist. Where they don’t, I’ve granted permission for some of them to set up new ones. Hopefully those won’t be found as quickly.
“The Lieutenant and I have already started considering plans for moving ourselves. We’ve kept well-hidden so far, but there’s no guarantee he won’t find us at some point or another if we sit for too long. I can’t imagine that there are a lot of places that would accommodate what we have here, and a moving operation would have to be done very carefully if we’re to pull it off without attracting unwanted attention, but it’s apparent now that our only choices are either that or standing our ground against All for One himself, and…
“...Listen. I don’t think any one of us would shy away from fighting him, much less me or the Lieutenant, but…we can’t be fools about this. We have the greatest numbers here, but they’re not great enough, and at this point, we feel every single loss we take.
“...For his own sake, he’d better start talking soon.”
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“...Log eighty-three, February eighth.
“We’ve made arrangements to begin migrating our headquarters and barracks. By our estimations this could last anywhere from two to five days. The quicker the better, obviously, but there’s a lot to take into account and even more that could slow us down.
“Like fucking vault boy, for instance.
“He was supposed to have left first. We put Kujou, one of our best, on point to lead the first group out SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE we trust her to keep that precious cargo safe and know she can hold hers and everyone else’s own if she gets held up by the enemy. But no, that asshole REFUSED to go. He just…he just wouldn’t even leave his room! His shit- which amounts to some goddamn sheets and a pillow- is already PACKED UP. HE’S READY, he just won’t LEAVE, and now we have to shuffle captains around with time we don’t have.
“I was, and still am, seriously questioning if he’s doing shit like this on purpose. Is it possible that he’s TRYING to slow us down? Whatever, I won’t let it work. If he really wants to stay behind so badly, then I have no problem with it. He can take what comes to him.
“He looks enough like a ghost, anyway. Seriously, he’s…kind of off-putting to look at. He’s all pale and skinny, his hair’s always hanging in front of his eyes, and even when you CAN see his eyes they’re, you know, white in the middle. I’m not sure how he can see, to be honest. And sometimes I swear they’re…glowing? Could that be his meta ability, or is it just an optical illusion? The Lieutenant and I have been debating.
“And he STILL hasn’t breathed a damn word to us. The Lieutenant seems to have faith in him, but…I don’t know how much longer we can afford to offer that. When time runs out…we’ll have to make a choice.
“What will that be? To be honest, I don’t-”
*BANG BANG BANG, creeeeeak*
"Commander? Am I intruding?"
“...No. Go ahead.”
”Our guest is expressing a willingness to communicate, and I think he wants you there.”
“...”
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“...Okay. To start, we need to ask you some questions. While you can answer at your pace, we are expecting answers, and we are expecting these answers to be true. If they aren’t…”
“...We’ll find out. And so will you. Is that understood?”
“...”
“Good.”
”We’ll begin with a basic one: What is your name?"
"..."
"...Well?"
"...U-uh…"
"Did you forget or something?"
*...*
"...For the record, he shook his head."
"...Yo…Yoi…chi. My name is…my name is Yoichi."
"There we go. You have a last name, Yoichi?"
"...Just Yoichi…is fine…"
"...Hm."
"Yoichi, it's, uh, nice to meet you. Before we move on, there's something we need you to confirm: How are you connected to All for One?"
"...You…you already know that."
"...You listen in on us?"
"The walls…are thin. I…wanted to know what might happen to me. But also, it was…um…nice. To hear regular conversation. It’s…been a long time."
”...Right. Can you tell us the nature of your connection anyway? For the record?”
“...Sure. I’m…All for One is…my older brother.”
”Thank you.”
“...”
”What can you tell us about him?”
“...I’m not sure that I know him at all anymore. It’s possible I never did.”
”...”
“...”
”...U-uh, okay. Anything…else…?”
“...”
“...Last name, even?”
“...”
“...*sigh* You know, it’s really in the best interest of a lot of people—including you—if you work with us, here. If you say you’re gonna talk to us, you should, you know, actually do that.”
“...*sigh* Right. Of course.”
”Are you…all right?”
“The reason that I stayed behind instead of going with your friend is because I wanted to travel with you. ”
“...O…kay…”
”Kujou isn’t our friend, per se, but-”
“I’m sorry. I don’t really feel like having this conversation anymore.”
“WHAT?”
“Please let me know when we’re leaving…if, I’m, um, coming along still.”
”Wh- Commander, where are you-”
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“Log eighty-three…and a half, I guess.”
“The interview went poorly, to put it lightly. We didn’t really learn anything new at all. At best we confirmed what we already knew, which is…something, I guess, but not much more than that.
“And…I guess we know his name now. Sort of. His first name. I think it would be…strange to address him that way.
“...It’s not an important detail, but I couldn’t help but notice the change in his demeanor when I insisted he should talk. He was obviously…irritated, I think, but also…it seemed almost as though he was also…sad, maybe? Disappointed? I dunno. It’s not an important detail, it just…felt worth mentioning. I suppose.
“...At any rate, I’ll talk it over with the Lieutenant in case, I guess, but…I anticipate that we’ll be bringing him along with us. We’re not…monsters. Did he really think…?
“...Anyway, speculation on things like that isn’t helpful. We’ll see how this case progresses.”
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"...Log…Log eighty-six, February eleven. Eleventh.
"We're here. Th…the operation. To move. It went okay. Even without, uh, ya know, the extra time. Everyone is…safe. And counted for. Accounted, fuck.
"We…uh, we had…one little hiccup. There was…there was a guy. An off…allfer…Auffie guy. We dunno…how much he caught on. I don'think he knows the route, he woulda stopped us himself. Tha's why he had a guy, I think. Scopin' it out once he tried to get us n' found out we weren't there.
"He was…he was a big guy. Still took us by surprise, though. Lieutenant turned around in the nick of time. Must've picked up on movement or somethin'. I dunno.
"He uh, grabbed vault boy though, and things got…hairy.
"Gotta hand it to vault boy, I never woulda thought he could put up the fight he did. He had this…look in his eye. It was…uh, impressive. Surprising.
"He definitely has a meta ability. It's…green. Whatever it is, it helped 'im escape the guy. But…I don' think he's seen a lotta fight-bat. Com-fight. Ugh. Anyway. Once he was out he just…froze. He didn' know what to do next.
"San…uh…Lieutenant n' I were on the ground. But uh, I was still the best shot we had. Literally. Ya know, since I don' miss. Shots.
"He saw me aim, I think, outta the corner of his eye. Vault boy, I mean. Other guy was too focused on vault boy. It's good. Perfect even. Got 'im right between the eyes. Booooosh…
*...*
"...I think. I think vault boy's seen someone die before. Ya know a lotta people, people when…when they don't got experience, they jus', they look right at the scene when it happens. They get all messy, scream a lot, maybe get sick, yadda yadda. We've all been there.
"But uh…he looked away. Threw up a hand for a guard. Not even in a, like, scared way. He didn't look scared. It was…something else.
"...Sad…? Disappointed…?
"...Ashamed…?
"It was over so quick n' instead of walkin' away he just. He grabs dirt. Like. It's fuckin'. It's winter. Ground’s frozen. But he grabs dirt. Scrapes some up. And he like. Crumbles it. Over the guy. He's-he's all, 'I know you only wanted what was best for your daughter' or some shit like that.
"And then he just…turned and kept going?? He's so…he's so weird. What did any of that mean? What the hell is his problem?
*...*
"I…I'm not, ya know…a killer. I mean…I mean I am. I killed, ya know, before. But…ya know, I don't do it…for fun or anything. It…it was our only choice…it was always our only choice…
"...B-but I already know that. Anyway.
"Vault boy wasn't doing so well by the time we got here. I mean, I kinda expected it. There were things wrong with him before we found him, n' we never thought that barely two weeks with the little we had would be enough for him to recover all the way even if we stayed put.
"Still, it's rough. He's laid up with a fever. Passed out basically as soon as he could. Barely moved since.
"It, it kinda reminded me of when I was a kid. There was this game, on the computer. Heh, rember personal computers? Dunno anybody now who owns a working one. It was about…bein' out on the trail, tryna get west. But uh every so often, your crew would get smaller, cuz they'd die of stuff. Most of mine would die of dysentery.
"So in my head I'm just…Vault Boy has died of dysentery.
"...Hm. Yeah. That's…that's actually not funny.
*...*
"The Lieutenant n' I are gonna watch ‘im in shifts. Make sure…ya know…he sticks around. For his bravery n’ basically savin’ all our asses, the Lieutenant gets the second shift. He volunteered not to, the sap, but it was an order.
“Not like I can sleep anyway.”
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“...Log eighty-eight, February thirteenth.
“The last two days have reaffirmed my decision not to keep logs written down. Tape recordings are much easier to destroy. I’d never want to risk the chance that All for One— or worse, the Lieutenant— would hear my idiotic tired ramblings.
“We’re settling in with…moderate success. This new headquarters is smaller that what we had before, and we’re trying not to hunker down too much. Even All for One, who thinks people are expendable, had to have noticed eventually that one of his hasn’t come back. Here’s hoping he had more men who might have run into someone semi-competent.
“We were able to take an inventory. Every person and most supplies made it. There were minor injuries and maladies, but they’ve largely been treated or cleared up.
“Complaints abound, obviously. Thankfully the Lieutenant is a talented pacifier. And for those who aren’t pacified…I’m a good commander.
“It certainly doesn’t help that we have to keep attending to our sick passenger. As far as I’m aware he hasn’t stirred much since he got here. Seems as though this is becoming a pattern for him.
“This situation in particular is becoming a bit difficult. We have to carefully ration the medical supplies that we have. He can’t exactly have all of it. It’s just not practical. None of the plants or rocks or things around here are really known for their medicinal value, and of course anyone still around who can sell medicine isn’t exactly selling it for cheap.
“I guess charity is dead when the world’s ending.
“Pretty unbelievable that we’re still trying to pretend that currency is anywhere near the most important thing to keep track of, by the way. Not sure why we’re really trying to bother with all of that at this point. But that’s another diatribe that’s hardly fit for a log.
“I’ll save it for the Lieutenant.”
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“...Log ninety, February fifteenth.
“Our guest woke up.
“...Apparently, anyway. From what I hear.
“According to the report, he came to on the Lieutenant’s watch and immediately started panicking and becoming aggressive. He seemed to be under the impression that we meant him harm. He accused us, specifically myself and the Lieutenant, alternately of holding him captive, preparing to cast him out, and arranging to turn him back over to his brother. The Lieutenant was able to calm him down, but he didn’t really engage with him beyond voicing those concerns. As he got calmer, he mentioned needing to give something away, but didn’t seem to know or understand what.
“He’s more restless now, but hasn’t shown much other activity since that incident. We agreed that this condition sounds like textbook delirium, which is…less than ideal.
“All for One seems to have found where we’ve moved most of our satellites. He has goons, but it’s been confirmed that he’s still venturing out himself. There…um…there aren’t as many survivors as we’d like…
*...inhale…exhale…*
“So, uh…the ones who remain are making their way here. There’s space, we made sure of it. We’re planning a small-scale supply run to accommodate. Kujou will take point while we remain here. We’re prepared to fight if there’s any interception.
“Hopefully the scale of the operation minimizes the risk. The way things went, we won’t need much extra.
“This…let’s call it a ‘sick bay,’ is going to have more than one occupant soon. Hopefully its first patient doesn’t have another episode when the others arrive.
*...*
“...I can’t stop thinking about what happened on the way here. That face he made…it’s really starting to bug me.
“...I had to do it. I had no choice. That man would have killed us all, and that matters more than whatever the reason he joined All for One.
“When he woke up, he immediately thought we were going to hurt him. Is that what he thinks of us? After everything?
“We’re not…you know…we’re not monsters.
“...The Lieutenant could talk him down, but the last time I tried to engage him in serious conversation he called it all off and stopped communicating. I think he might be afraid of me, and that’s…I…
“...I-I don’t care. What’s it matter if he’s afraid of me, anyway? It doesn’t affect much. And, hey, none of this is relevant to the log, either. I don’t need to use up time reflecting on irrelevant fluff.
“I just…need to be better.”
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“...Log ninety-two, February seventeenth.
“I’m going to have to stop recording these in here soon. We anticipate that it won’t be long before the injured arrive. And while this one has been sleeping or dazed most of the time, I'm sure the others will be more alert.
“Supply run was successful. There was very little interference. This ideally means that All for One hasn't yet caught on to our new location, and also that the locals here are amenable. We'll do our best to keep them from harm.
“No promises, obviously.
“Speaking of, the, ahem, ‘sick bay’ is stocked as best we could do it, what with the general scarcity of medical supplies. We’ll just have to pray there isn’t a real emergency here for a little while.
“The first of the survivors have arrived. Minor injuries and maladies. We're plotting the remaining routes for the others. It has to be a balance between being accessible to those who are less well-off while also being convoluted enough to lower the risk of being tailed. It's a challenge, but we've managed harder things.
“Kujou’s started training the arrivals in headquarters operations. Seems as though we’re a little more strict than some others have been since they set off, but we’ll get ‘em whipped back into shape. I have faith.
“Thankfully the weather’s been slowly improving. It should be much easier to disrupt All for One’s operations in this area when we can scout without risking freezing our asses off.
“In fact, we’re looking at trying to AH-!
“...Hey, can I…help you?”
“I know now.”
“...That’s uh…that’s nice… can you let go of my arm…?”
“I have…a meta ability. I have one.”
“Yeah…we know that. We saw it. The green sparks. What is that by the w-”
“No. No that’s not it. That’s the one my brother forced into me against my will.”
“...Wait, what? The one that what?”
“I have one that’s all my own. My soul told me in a dream.”
“Mhm, yeah, okay, can we actually go back a second?”
“This is what I have to give away, because I’m the only one that can.”
“...You’re burning up and talking nonsense. Lay back. And let go of my arm.”
“This is what I can do. I can give it away and-and it’ll grow stronger. That’s how we can finally stop him…”
“You’re not making any sense. You need to rest. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I wanna give it…to you.”
“...Thanks. I’m, uh, flattered.”
“Because you…you’re my hero.”
“...I-I-”
“Because you knew who I was…and you still saved me.”
“...Well…of course we did-”
“And even though it was just for information…you still kept me safe.”
“...It wasn’t…just for information. You know that, right? We did actually…want you to be safe.”
“Mmmm…okay…I’m tired.”
“...That’s probably for the best.”
“Mmmm…okay…goo’night, Mr. Hero…”
“...It’s the middle of the d-...good night. And…I’m sorry. That we made you think we were using you. We…I…shouldn’t have been talking about you the way I did.”
“Mmmm…okay…”
*...*
“...He went down without a fight this time. I wonder if he caught any of what I said.
*...*
*...sigh* “He won’t let go of my hand.”
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“...Log ninety-eight, February twenty-third.
“The last of our survivors are going to be here today. We expect, anyway. You never know.
“Everyone else has settled in. Complaints abound, obviously, but thankfully I haven’t had to kick anybody’s ass. …Yet.
“With all of us in one place, we’re really on our back foot. The Lieutenant and I have been hard at work trying to figure out backup plans if we end up being discovered. They’re getting more limited as time goes on. The obstacles we have to face keep mounting and combining.
“Our greatest protection right now is forming a positive relationship with the people around us, considering most of All for One’s power is in his ability to sway people to his way of thinking. Of course, doing that also risks us getting found out if he or his lackeys should happen by.
“Assuming they’re not already here…
“...But overwhelming pessimism does nobody any good. Our only choice is to move forward. It’s going to sound disgustingly sentimental, but the way I’ve chosen to see it…everybody’s home.
“...A-anyway, since our new recruit’s fever broke he’s been recovering slowly but steadily. Just as well, since it turns out we really needed the space in the, you know, ‘sick bay.’
“He’s shaky on his feet, but he’s certainly trying not to be. The Lieutenant keeps telling him to take it easy, but I for one admire his determination. He’s even expressed an interest in training with the others. I can’t help but wonder if maybe it’s because of what happened on the way here…but of course, aimless speculation isn’t fit for the log. It’s just as well that he sees that it’s all but necessary for getting the most out of being here. I just hope he knows that nobody’s going to be going easy on him, even if he does sort of look like he could be taken down with a missed punch. Personally…I…have faith in him.
“The primary issue arising with him, though, is his desire to bunk with the others. If anybody catches wind of who he is…that could present a serious problem, and that’s even before they make the subsequent connection that he’s probably the reason that All for One has been on the warpath. We’ve been trying to convince him not to do it, but space is so tight that even the Lieutenant and I have become roommates, so the only realistic single room we could put him in is the supply room. Of course, the supply room is cramped and has no windows.
“Go figure, right?
“The risk doesn’t really seem to bother him. Neither does the fact that we can’t exactly hold everybody off if he’s ganged up on. Actually…not much seems to bother him in general.
“He has a very serene personality. I’d say maybe it runs in the family but it feels sort of…wrong, to associate him too much with his brother. I mean, aside from that calm, I don’t see much of All for One in him at all. I feel like not long ago I would’ve wondered if it was all an act, but…I don’t really feel that way now.
“In fact, watching him when he’s not, you know, fresh out of being imprisoned or sick out of his mind is…kind of interesting. I’m not sure why. Maybe the Lieutenant can explain it to me or something.
*...*
“...You know, I think in spite of everything, it…really is worth keeping him around.”
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“...Log ninety-nine, February twenty-fourth.
“We've been having a rare bit of luck lately. No particularly severe weather, everyone we were expecting made it here with no unwelcome guests, and the new guy is integrating more or less fluidly into the group. It wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought.
“People have…questions. Ones we really can't answer. But nobody's been causing too much trouble over it. Hopefully that's a good sign rather than a bad omen. The last thing we need is a schism, but I think most of us are aware of that to a certain extent.
“It probably also helps that he's so damn earnest. He doesn't seem all that excitable on the outside, sure, but he volunteers to help all the time, and he lets any crap he gets slide off his back, and our principles align pretty well, which is good because he seems very devoted to them.
“I seriously mean that, too; practically everything he says has an undertone of truth and mercy and justice and freedom. It…makes it kind of obvious that he hasn't spoken to many people, and that the people he did speak to…didn't value those things as much as he did.
“His idealism could prove to be an issue when push comes to shove. Surely knows that. But for now it’s sort of ad…
“...Admirable. It’s admirable.
“The design phase for our current scouting mission is coming along all right. At the moment, our rough plan is to
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“...have to run it by a few other people to see if it's feasible.
“As an aside, I asked the Lieutenant if he found the developments with the new guy as interesting as I did. He said probably, but before he said that he looked suspiciously smug. Current question: What's he know that I don't?”
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“...Log *CHHHH*dred and one, Feb*BSHHH* twenty-sixth.
“Everybody's settled in.
“Those in the *sigh* ‘sick bay’ are recovering at variable rates. It doesn't seem like any of them are going to go septic or anything, which is the biggest concern. Because obviously it would be.
“Weather's turned a bit. It's cold in here.
“Training is underway with all able-bodied recruits. We have space, but not much, so we're developing a station-based system where the large room upstairs is for more physical training while other aspects like strategy and taking on roles for group tasks are covered in…
*...*
*SIGH*
“He told everyone. That f*SHHHH*ing idiot confessed about his brother. To everyone. He gives this preamble while we’re all on break about how he’s been there for a while and how he has faith in us and wants us to have faith in him, or some weird arabesque shit like that, then he just…he just…stood right up there and said it. ‘All for One is my older brother.’
“Of COURSE everyone made the connection between that and where we are now. The things they said to him…now THAT’S material not fit for a log. Even the ones who asked questions rather than jumping straight to threatening him weren’t exactly kind about it. If I had to guess, the only reason nobody tried to seriously hurt him is because the Lieutenant and I were there.
“And, well, they weren’t kind to us, either.
“He tried to defend us— not that anyone would really listen to him, obviously, that *BSSHH*— but everything else he just…took. I wouldn’t say he took it like it was nothing, but he was definitely more patient than most people would have been.
“He was probably expecting it, strange as it sounds for someone who did something as stupid as this to have put any thought into it. Before he did said it, he turned back and looked at the Lieutenant, at me, and then he smiles, and something about the way he did it…it leaves me wondering what the hell he meant.
“What’s this non-verbal communication routine he keeps using, anyway? What are these little gestures supposed to mean, and why does he use them more than words? Why do the words he does say barely make sense? And damn it, why does he keep LOOKING at me!?
“Do you know what he said when I asked him what the hell he was thinking? Things like ‘I wAnTeD tO tElL tHeM bEcAuSe I wAnT tHeM tO tRuSt Me LiKe I tRuSt ThEm’ and ‘I hAd To TeLl ThEm ThE tRuTh BeCaUsE iT wAs OnLy RiGhT tHaT I Do It iNsTeAd Of BeInG a CoWaRd AnD lEaViNg It On YoU.’ Utter horse*zzzZHHHHHH!*
“GOD! How in the hell is he so…SO…
*sigh…*
“...ad*shhhh*able.
*...*
“...Reminder: Once we sort this out, kick his ass.”
[END PLAYBACK]
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“...Log one hundred and three, February twenty-eighth.
“The snow from yesterday is melting, but there’s still a major chill. The situation continues to make outdoor activity more difficult than it already has been.
“The indoor activity, meanwhile, continues to be strained. Bad enough to confine ourselves inside, but even worse to be with little in the way of proper heat. Besides the physical discomfort, there’s the issue of being forced to be social. This, of course, wouldn’t be a problem if a certain someone didn’t paint a target on their back as a sign of goodwill.
“But he did, so here we are. That situation has only…marginally improved, and that’s putting it generously. He’s still trying to get on, but not many are willing to get on much with him anymore. But hey, at least they’re not openly discussing ‘theoretical’ assassination attempts.
“Even that wouldn’t be so bad if the heating situation weren’t such that keeping together is the most effective way to stay warm.
“...I mean what with ambient breath and body heat. It’s not like they’re huddling together. Imagine what a disaster that would be. Nobody does that unless they’re a stranded couple in some survival-romance novel, or they’re in the head of someone who reads too many of those.
*sigh* “...I hope he’s holding up. He looks like he’s holding up, but people lie about that all the time. I’ll have the Lieutenant check up on him, he’s much better at that sort of thing.
“...And then, of course, I’ll kick his ass.”
[END PLAYBACK]
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“Log one hundred and five, March second.
“The cold snap has been starting to break, but not quickly enough.
“We aren’t yet at a point in which we can resume normal activity, so obviously some of us are starting to get agitated with the constant indoor activity.
“Aside from that, a pretty unfortunate thing about buildings with low insulation is that things often gets to a point in which it’s colder inside than it is outside. With everything that our recent arrivals have been through, the, *sigh*, ‘sick bay’ has a population that’s shifting from the injured to the sick. There’s nothing severe so far, but that’s less of a concern than potential contagion.
“We got the ventilation working as best we could, but there are still windows open to supplement, which of course isn’t a particularly popular choice. To be honest, I don’t really get the problem; they were drafty anyway.
“Complaints abound, obviously, but a lot of them aren’t talking about the conditions, but about…well come on, what else?
“Considering the comments I’ve been fielding, I can’t imagine what’s been said to and around him. The Lieutenant spoke to him, but neither of them have said anything about how that panned out. I’m trying not to worry myself with it too much, because after all, it’s the consequences of his own actions, and we’ve already reached out and are doing our best for him…
“...But it’s not working. What, do they have some sort of confidentiality agreement or something? I get that maybe there’s an element of respect to it, but the Lieutenant and I are usually very good about sharing things amongst ourselves, and he’s hardly shared anything at all.
“It’s the most frustrating with the golden boy himself. He seems so unbothered, keeps spewing these esoteric reassurances whenever it comes up. I'm half-wondering if he's still delirious.
“The other half is wondering if he knows something that we don't.
“And he keeps…looking at me. With those…weird eyes of his. Something about them just…”
“...I take it this is a bad time?”
“AH, THE F-? …When did you get here?”
“Not long ago. I…wanted to speak to you, and I heard you talking to yourself, so I assumed that you were alone and had a moment.”
“...I suppose you weren’t wrong. Here, let me-”
“No, you don’t have to. If anything comes up that is of use to you, I’d like you to have a record of it.”
“Um…thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
“...I hope that isn’t because of things you’ve heard me say in the past.”
“Not at all. I may have thought in the same past that you regarded me as little more than an asset, but as things have gone on I’ve felt…much less like that. I accept your apology, by the way.”
“Oh…you remember that.”
“The things I remember vary, but yes, that is one of them.”
“I see. I’m glad, then. That you do. Accept it.”
*chu-shhhh-le*
“Something funny?”
“Sort of. You’re normally fairly well-spoken, so it’s interesting when you encounter a hiccup like that one.”
“You making fun of me?”
“N-not at all! Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have…haha…is this the part where you kick my ass?”
“Depends on what you say next.”
“R-right. Anyway, speaking of sorry, I really am sorry if I offended you by keeping things so insular with your lieutenant.”
“You weren’t supposed to hear-”
“I know. I’m sorry about that, too. I hope addressing it is something you’ll find reassuring. I promise it’s very simple— the subject matter wasn’t pleasant. I said and expressed some…emotionally tolling things, and I…”
“...Don’t trust me.”
“Of course I do. I just…wasn’t at my best, and I want to be my best around you.”
“...O-oh. That’s not really something you need to worry about.”
“Well, it seems like you do— pretty consistently, even— so I thought it only right to return the favor, especially since I depended so heavily on everyone before.”
“Don’t…worry about any of that. It’s not your problem.”
“...I don’t think I agree.”
“...What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Yes, right. Given everything that’s happened over the past few days, there’s been…a question on my mind.”
“And what’s that?”
“...Commander…do you want me to stay here?”
“...E-excuse me?”
“As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of…talk, about my role in the dire situation in which we find ourselves.”
“Don’t listen to them, alright? They don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re only saying all of that because-”
“Because they’re scared. And that’s very understandable. My brother is a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if that means…”
“...Hey, you don’t need to be afraid of him, you know. Not while we’re here. And for that matter, you don’t need to be afraid of them, either. Leave it to me, I’ll-”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Look, there’s really no shame-”
“I promise I’m not simply trying to impress you. I, too, am willing to do whatever needs to be done, within…certain limits, and if what needs to be done is me leaving this place, then…so be it. But I didn’t think it would be right to make a decision like that without consulting you first. If you say that I should stay, then-”
“Are you insane?”
“...Uh…?”
“Of course I want you to stay. The self-sacrificial act never helped anybody. It won’t help you, and it certainly won’t help us.”
“...Very good. …Does that mean that you trust me?”
*...*
“...Yes. Yes it does.”
“That’s…that’s very good to hear.”
“I’m sure it must be relieving.”
“I have to talk to you about something.”
“You…said as much.”
“Something else. I have something that I think might be able to help us stop my brother.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s difficult to explain, but I have two meta abilities. One of them was…given…to me by my brother. A power-stacking ability, from what I can gather, but I also have one of my very own-”
“Is this about that fever dream you had?”
“...That…what?”
“...Nothing. Continue.”
“...Right. At any rate, I think that I’m able to pass this meta ability onto someone else. And if it’s intertwined with the ability that I was…given…then with enough time…”
“...You think it could create a power strong enough to overcome your brother.”
“Yes, exactly. Eventually, anyway. For that to happen, though, it would need to be passed on to somebody, and while I’m not sure how to do it quite yet, if I figure it out…”
“...You want to pass it on to me.”
“...! H-how did you know…?”
“Call it intuition.”
“O-okay. You’re, um…free to think on it for as long as you need, although I get the distinct sense that we don’t have much time. I understand if you say no.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that, but…you realize that right now, if you were to give that away, you would be sacrificing your ability to defend yourself?”
“...It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
“You sound confident.”
“I am. This…everything…it’s larger than me. My brother has twisted and manipulated so many, and even though I have…a lot of strong feelings about him and his actions, I can’t let them distract me from the fact that he’s hurting people, and it would be unacceptable for me to stand by and let him do it. Especially now that I have my freedom.”
“U-um…do you think that’s…why he…”
“...I-”
“No. Don’t worry about it. I actually…don’t need to know.”
“...Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Are you all right?”
“Y-yes, you can keep going.”
“If you say so. …Everything is so hopeless right now, I know. And…I must sound like a foolish optimist when I speak like this. But it’s…one of the only things I have, and if it helps even a bit, if it gets us any closer to a bright, shining future, where terror is replaced with joy and opportunity, then it really doesn’t matter to me how foolish I sound.”
“That look in your eye…”
“You’re one of the few people who will listen to me now, so please believe me when I tell you: This conflict will be won, that future is possible— no matter how long it takes, no matter how close the darkness gets. This is a promise that I’m making, and with every last ounce of the meager power I possess, it will be kept.”
*...*
“...Hey, are you sure that you’re o- MMPH!”
*......*
“...O-oh my God. Please…please forgive me, I have no idea what came over me just now. You don’t have to stay here, you can defer to the Lieutenant from now on and-”
“C-Commander…I’m going to turn this off now.”
“...O-okay.”
*click!
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“...Log one hundred and eight, March fifth.
“The last of the snow has melted. The temperature’s risen back to a tolerable level. We’re finally free to continue normal operations.
“Things have calmed. Most of the injuries have healed completely. The sickness is starting to fade as well, though I suspect soon they’ll be replaced with allergies. Such as it goes.
“I don’t think that the social atmosphere has completely loosened. Perhaps I shouldn’t expect it. But I…have hope that things will continue to improve.
“At this point, hope is our strongest weapon.
“Training continues as normal, though ironically it seems that we might be struggling to re-adjust to our pre-freeze routine. Just as well, the newest student of combat training just started. He’s, uh, definitely doing his best, that’s for sure.
“We’re not starting him off at the same level as everyone else. He really has to learn the basics before he can be a real asset in that area, so throwing him in the deep end would probably do more harm than good.
“And I mean, even aside from that, come on now. We’re not monsters.
“He did accidentally kick the Lieutenant in the face yesterday, though. Funniest shit I’ve ever seen.
*...*
“We haven’t really…spoken much about our encounter. I can’t say that I’m sure where we’re left now. *chu-shhhh-le* All I know is that he is an absolutely terrible kisser.
*...*
“I’m…not really somebody who’s in tune with their emotions. They’ve only really ever been a hindrance, as far as I’m concerned. But he seems to know where things stand. And for now…I think that’s all right.
“...Yoichi…
*...inhale…exhale…*
“...This isn’t going to last.
“This peace…it’s the calm before the storm. All for One is going to find us eventually, and this time he will have found all of us, including exactly the person he wants. We won’t let him be taken, of course. I’d sooner die that let him. But the ferocity will be all the greater. Are we…prepared for that?
*...sigh*
“...The weather really is beautiful. The ground’s softer, grass starting to turn green.
“And when I look up, there are buds forming on the trees.”
[END RECORDING]
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