Chapter Text
'It burns.
Everything about my body is burning. The heat of the suit, the damned scent of his cannons... His mask.
I could smell it so vividly; his scent was burning up my nostrils. I could feel my throat tightening up, I hadn't drunk water since I saw his death, and now the stench of his blood was worsening that.
I wanted to cry, but instead, I decided to scream.
PONG
PONG
Through the fogged-up lenses of his mask, I could see two explosive pellets whistling down to the ongoing battlefield, my hands numb as I felt my arts being drained into the dual cannons. It wasn't just long ago that I could feel his hands wrapped around my arms, guiding me in using his own weapons.
"The commander lives! As long as we can push them back! Victory will be ours"
The words came from behind me. I didn't even need to see what was happening behind me. To think all these soldiers saw him with this much fanaticism...
Yes...
Right now... We have no choice but to fight.
I aim his cannons at an approaching group of armoured enemies, firing without hesitation.
Yet it was quickly blocked by a large woman wielding a triangular shield.
"Just don't overdo it, I'll cover all of you!"
I shouted over the radio, thankfully, the static and the mess of the battlefield was enough to shroud my differentiating voice. Now's not the time for them to know.
I have to escape... with all of his comrades...
I have to!
PONG
PONG
I let out another scream as my hands were burning up, more of my arts used up.
I could feel it as well, my leg being torn apart, that damned originium having accelerated thanks to my actions.
It's fine.
It's all fine.
I just need to escape... with all of his comrades...
"Gaaa- They're overruning us over h-"
I winced as another scream echoed throughout the radio, quickly pointing my cannons at where the source came from.
What exactly would he have done here?
I'm scared...
PONG
I fired his cannon again, watching as that section of the battlefield erupted in flames.
I have heard from the others how he made his own cannisters, these pellets handcrafted by him with the tutelage of that Sarkaz woman...
I should thank her... I guess?
I wonder how long it took him to craft one of these pellets?
Oh! I should ask him!
Oh right... He's dead.
...
I'm going insane.
PONG
I could feel the pressure in my head deflate (or inflate) as I fired another round. Was he just this good at handling his weapons? Or did he just get used to this numbing sensation?
I understood that my art was required to trigger both the launch mechanism and arm the explosive pellets, but from the way I saw him, he was an expert.
Maybe I was putting too much arts into arming the pellets? That could be the reason...
"Skullshatterer! On your right!"
I winced as I aimed my cannons again.
Yet there she was.
Amiya.
She killed him.
I remembered it so vividly- well of course it was so vivid...
It hadn't even been an entire day.
Could she still feel that same tingling sensation after using her arts on my brother?
She was a hypocrite.
"What I've done... is inexcusable."
"But please, listen to me just one more time!"
Listen... to her?
How could I after everything that happened?
They- She was colluding with the LGD, who were slaughtering the infected!
She killed my brother.
Her people slaughter my brother's friends.
What more was there to listen to!
I raised his cannons towards the girl. There was no more listening.
Well, just as I expected, she raised her hands.
I could see it so clearly, the black bolts of lightning of her arts, the same ones that killed him.
If this was how this will all ends, I should just avenge his death at the very least-
W-wait.
Her arts?
She's standing down?!
What is she doing!
She's looking down at me? Or is she feeling pity for what she had done to me?
It changes nothing!
I could feel my arts siphoned onto my cannon, arming the pellet.
All I needed to do was fire, and it would all be over-
Ah.
My vision blurs. Something was covering my lenses.
Wait.
Why am I vomiting?
Blood?
Oh- I see.
It was that inspector girl.
I see it clearly now. There was something warm in my stomach.
The next thing I realise, I'm on the ground.
I can't feel my legs...
It feels so cold now.
What was that?
I can hear someone shouting?
Why is it getting dark...
Alex.
Papa.
Mama.
I feel tired.
See you soon.
Well then...
Goodnight...
Terra...'
~~~
'I suddenly awoke, taking a deep breath.
It felt like I was drowning, or suffocating?
Nevertheless, I quickly sat up, reaching my hand towards his cannons- only for my fingers to jam right onto a concrete wall.
Ow.
No. There wasn't any time to feel the pain as I turned around in panic.
With his weapons gone, I was in enemy territory-
Wait...
I was in some kind of bedroom, and my clothes were different. And I was freezing!
Shuddering from the cold, I began rubbing my arms together, taking a closer look at my surroundings.
It was cold, maybe I was back at Ursus? But that was impossible.
I remember it so clearly, I got stabbed by that officer; I should have been captured by the LGD.
Or maybe someone from Reunion came to rescue me?
But Chernobog wouldn't be this cold.
We were too south of anything remotely cold from Ursus...
A sudden knock on the door drew my attention away from my speculated location, where a boy suddenly entered.
He was slightly muscular, sporting brown spiky hair, and a pair of small black horns on the side which meekly poked out of said spiky hair. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and pyjamas and seemed to be holding a steaming bowl and a towel.
"Y-you're awake!"
"What?"
The boy seemed ecstatic that I was awake.
Have I met him before?
Whatever the case, I needed answers.
"Where am I?"
I asked with a stern expression as I looked at the guy. He seemed to be just as old as me, probably a year older- and tall.
Surprisingly tall in fact.
I couldn't help but gawk as I realised how craned my neck was, compared to my brother, he was like a head taller. Now I know I've never met him before.
"Whoa, whoa, chill. I found you and your brother on the streets basically freezing to death, your weapons are on the table outside and-"
Wait.
"Wait."
"My brother?"
Just before I could even finish digesting the guy's words, both of us could hear running from outside, only for a familiar figure to crash through the door in a hurry.
"Misha!"
It was my brother.
Alex.'
Act 1: Prelude to a Second Chance