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Eito was running his hands through his hair, tugging harshly at his scalp as those long fingers worked methodically through knots and tangled mats of bright red. They were cold and smooth brushing up against the bare skin of his nape. It had taken at least 3 years for the other man to stop wearing gloves routinely while touching him, and even longer for him to stop recoiling when Takumi had tried to touch back. Even now it took one wrong move and he would pull away and murmur something about his smell and nauseating attachment like a bird with ruffled feathers. Takumi stared at the floor length mirror in front of them as his second-in-command continued to preen the nest atop of his head until he looked at least somewhat presentable. One could almost call it domestic if that person happened to not know either of them or was an absolute idiot.
Next those fingers moved on the tie around his neck nimbly moving to redo the haphazard way Takumi tugged it on earlier. Unconsciously leaning in to the touch he obediently waited as spider-like appendages adjusted the fabric around his throat, secretly wishing they'd pull tighter wrapping round his windpipe until he couldn’t breathe. Of course that was wishful thinking and they retreated as if they never were there. His own appearance was impeccable, stark white uniform and badges gleaming sharply in the afternoon light. Nothing like the awkward lankiness of their youth, the air around him exuded perfection and nothing else. Clean, stale air with dust particles waiting to settle. He almost leaned closer to breathe in the smell. “Thank you,” he said instead, straightening to meet the taller man’s gaze, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Eito smiled like he knew.
The two of them made their way out of the room, stepping in sync out of the narrow archways leading to the room that opened up to the large causeway that ran through the building. The one they were in now was one of the strongholds that had stood and acted as a base for the rebel resistance, repurposed from one of the old palaces or governing buildings. It had to be converted fast when Kamyuhn was first clearing house and ridding the military of dissenters or sympathizers for the old cause. Such is the way of war, he mused as they passed people milling about and ignored those that refused to meet his eyes. The war was practically over and he was still treated like he was about to send them to die at the hands of the invaders.
Which he supposed was fair, all things considered. They rounded a sharp corner and he almost crashed into the figure in front of him if not for Aotsuki’s hand on the back of his tight collar pulling back nearly by the scruff of his neck. Regaining his balance and glancing up, he could see the smirk tugging on his lieutenant's lips and the playful glint behind his glasses. Prick.
He looked down to see his primary advisor staring at him with profound distaste. Kamyuhn had grown over the years from the slight child they had met when they first declared war on humanity but she was still a head shorter than him even if the bright red hair caught the eye before her stature did.
“Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence, General Sumino,” she huffed. “Or are you planning on standing there catching flies in your mouth for much longer.”
He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Sorry Kamyuhn, we got held up. I’m ready whenever you are.”
“You had better. All of Futurum is counting on you.”
They made their way further to the open terraces overlooking the large square below. Already preparations were being made and you could practically feel the buzzing anticipation permeating the air. Today is the day we’ll end the war.
Would she be proud of all they had accomplished here?
He glanced sidelong at the girl next to him. She was waving down on the families below them, smiling in that reserved way she had always used in the time they spent together. Was this also what she wanted, after all the strife and people dying around her, just so she would live? Maybe she wanted to be like the people below, powerless yet hopeful because they had each to rely on. Did she wish for a family as well, and was only held back by responsibility and the dying wish still inside her. He thought of the girl with the warm face and kind eyes and cringed inside. What an idiot, getting sentimental over the thing he lost out of his own free will.
After what felt like an eternity in that moment of listening to birdsong and breathing in the fresh air it was broken, and reality set in. Soon it would be time for the signage ceremony where he would accept the official ceasefire on behalf of Futuran armed forces. Then countless peace talks would begin anew, now to discuss the nature of coexistence and how each side can make up for the losses they dealt the other. The surviving officials had only arrived from the satellite late the previous night, the airships touching down silently and forming unsightly deformities in the landscape. It would be where he would have to perform in front of cameras and the footage would be transmitted across the entire planet live. The whole system had been put in place by Tsubasa and Gaku who figured out how to communicate across the globe with zero lag or interference. Now the entire population of Futurum will be watching the singular defining moment of their lives.
A few more officers greeted him as he passed and he nodded out of courtesy but the whole time his mind was elsewhere. Something prickled under his skin like a splinter that got wedged and buried in layers of keratin. His apprehension had only one solution, the way to put his heart and mind to rest. One last time he had to see him.
He walked into Eito’s personal office unannounced, ignoring the people gathered there. He thought we saw some of the old commanders, including the child of Valla-Garzo and Szanshin who they killed. He had not seen them since before they were on their side and still calling for their heads as murderers daring to involve themselves in their people’s matters. They held their mask in hand and seemed to be conversing with his right hand man before he barged in.
“Takumi?” He looked startled, brow pinching and furrowing. No honorifics or formalities this time.
Takumi moved in big strides keeping his eyes fixed solely on the pale-haired man behind the desk by the window. He felt that if you let him out of his sight he might disappear in a puff of smoke.
His hands reached first and dragged the other down by the front of his uniform until they were face to face, making direct eye contact and noses almost touching as their breaths mixed. As expected he was pushed away almost immediately as Eito regained his composure. He looked at his companions and nodded once, signaling some secret Takumi was not privy to and they moved away, lining up towards the door.
He turned back to look at the hands still fisting at his shirt. He smiled, “That desperate for me, Sumino? And here I thought you were ready to take on that disgusting species without me guiding you.”
Takumi shook his head once. Eito laughed.
Now it was his turn to grab ahold of his head, bare fingers tangling in the strands they ran through earlier and thumb brushing softly over his ear. He could not find the strength to breathe when he leaned in, lips brushing ever so slightly as they moved. Good luck, my dear friend.
Takumi Sumino was led away, knowing today was the day he would surely die.
…
Nothing could get past the dense clouds for several weeks now. Ever since their forces have been intercepting humanity’s remote missiles, debris from countless explosions has been trapped in the upper layers of the atmosphere. He had been stationed to get rid of the problem before crop growth was severely affected and their ranks were left to starve again. It had happened several years back when many deserted and immediately re-enlisted realizing that it was their only chance at getting any semblance of rations. He would rather not have another planet-wide famine on his hands if he could help it.
A knock sounded on his door and his hand stilled over the piles of plans and resource allocation requests he had been sorting. Before he could call out the door opened and a faceless soldier in the stark white uniform stepped in all while bowing deeply, "Lieutenant Aotsuki, a missive for you.” Accepting the metal cartridge Aotsuki watched the messenger briskly walk out as if pursued by an invisible threat. The roughly forearm length cylinder was cool and smooth to the touch and as he examined it a hidden hatch opened and the room was filled in the glow of a hologram. A light blue outline of a human being appeared beside his head.
This message is addressing Eito Aotsuki of the rebel forces on KXK-787 on behalf of the entire human species. We wish to open talks with your command on how to cease aggressions and put a stop to this inane conflict. This is the sincere desire of our entire population, from the smallest child to those that have lived the longest. We no longer wish to fight you. The demands we have include the chance to send the families with offspring born in the past year to live on the surface, under the condition that they will be left to their own devices and allowed to send progress reports to our leaders once every 6 months starting after the establishment of the colony. In exchange all of humanity’s weapons will be turned over to the opposing side and no more ships will be allowed to land on the planet’s surface without prior authorization or in the case of emergency. A hostage exchange will also take place where you may choose any of our commanders to keep as a precaution. All we ask in return is that you give us General Takumi Sumino.
The Japanese speech cut out suddenly with the telltale sound of electronic interference. It didn’t matter, he already heard everything that mattered. So they were so desperate that they would offer such generous terms just for the opportunity to cut the head of the snake. Such an ugly species will even abandon one of their own on a hostile planet just to ensure the long-term survival of their worthless genetic material. His gut roiled and he could taste bile at the back of his throat at the thought. Allowing those animals to breed and reproduce on the planet he had spent over a decade preserving the existence of was unacceptable. Not to mention Takumi would jump on the first chance to hand himself over to the enemy just for the chance to end the war. Under no circumstance was he allowed to find out about the offer lest they gain sensitive tactical information either from his own mouth or extracted straight from his grey matter.
The room was shrouded in darkness again, the light of the sun no longer able to break through the overcast sky. Eito had specifically asked to be sent here, alone, where no one else wanted to go so as to not tolerate their unsightly nature any more than he had to. It was how he had survived for so long, dealing with figures and numbers in some desolate corner of the world where few could reach him. However, the visitor and the accursed peace offer had interrupted his vigil as he tried to keep the shape and stench of it out of his mind. Instead his mind conjured images of legions of monsters that he was helping shepherd and how this was a chance to put an end to it all.
He thought about the 15 long years of negotiating and bribery and violence and doing everything in his power to prolong the suffering of his creators. Even if he had to grow accustomed to the stares and the touches that made him want to tear his skin off, these disgusting creatures that called themselves people, crawling all over him and smothering him in the smell of their breath and limbs. The pounding in his head got louder and he could see clearly now, a way to get rid of them all, rid himself of their presence. Takumi would understand wanting to be free of the burden, right? It had been so long since they have seen each other face to face but he could feel the fire that bound them thrumming underneath his skin. He could grant both their wishes and perform a miracle using this chance that had been given to him, he realized.
Then he was back at their headquarters, preparing for the end of the world.
Bright red hair blended in with the rosy fleshiness of his moulded skin and he ignored it in favor of the bulging eyeballs staring at him with unnerving blue and crimson. Takumi seemed the most relaxed since he saw him months ago as his footsteps sounded lighter, less like the slashing of cymbals but a steady beat in the back of his skull. The sound that was produced by the vibration of his vocal cords was gentler, like he was overjoyed that Eito had graced him with his presence. When he first heard news of a ceasefire he had immediately set out to find him, like a dog that had caught a whiff of its owner behind the door. His optimism was infectious, particularly because he knew the desperation that bubbled underneath that was characteristic of everything he did. If not for Takumi’s sweet naïvety they would’ve surely bent and crumbled under the pressure by now.
He left him with the child they had welcomed, shining hope of her people that replaced the previous one. Eito had to admit that it was thanks to her they were not murdered on the spot and allowed to live on the condition that they would help destroy the pitiful abominations suspended above. As if that were ever a question.
Before long the rise and fall of military-style platformed boots started following him once again. He led them to a room still pockmarked with traces of firebombing and partial collapse. Thankfully the figures kept their ceremonial masks on as was befitting their station as high ranking officials. They had agreed to support him without question when he came with the plan and proposal, eager to save their own skins and go back to an ordinary life they did not even know. Of course nothing else was expected of the mutts who were remnants of the supposed legendary heroes.
“Aotsuki, we got your message, everything is in order and ready to proceed at your instruction,” one of them spoke with a sharp head gesture. “All units are in position and we have the perimeter secured. If anyone tries to run we have all assets pointing at their location and more on standby in case of retaliation.”
“Good. Make sure everything else proceeds as planned so as to not cast suspicion,” Eito looked over them once, “and ensure none of my compatriots tries to get in the way or harm themselves. Everything must unravel perfectly.”
Suddenly, a smaller-sized individual dropped to one knee in front of him, tearing off the mask like it offended them. He avoided looking straight at it but that was not necessary when they spoke, “Please, allow me to be the one to discharge General Sumino. I will gladly deal with the invaders if it means disposing of all of them at once. I was born to be a warrior after all, and I carry the blood of God in me.”
They stumbled to their feet again, swaying to the point that the others behind had to hold them up. Eito was about to answer when the door swung open and he was greeted by the sight of his Takumi.
The world narrowed again and all he could do was stare at the visage before him. Surely it was not what he thought it was. The stares on his back were daggers digging in between his shoulder blades but he ignored them. It was only the blinding light that emanated off him, sun shining through the window and illuminating like a halo. He felt himself speak but it felt foreign on his lips, like the tongue in his mouth no longer belonged to him. It occurred that these were his final moments, once the last whisper of air escaped his lungs he would collapse like a puppet with its strings cut.
The angel in front of him moved closer and he was struck with the urge to melt into the radiance. Take me with you, let us shed the mortal coil together. In your mercy, grant me salvation one last time and allow me to die gazing at your beautiful soul.
The bombs inside their bodies were never removed properly. They talked about it, but since they did not pose any real threat anymore it was decided against. Eito knew the truth, they remained there to remind them of their true nature, nestled between the heart and ribcage. He knew that Takumi knew this too. This is why he was letting Eito do this, why he did not pull away as he brought his face close to his lips and pressed them in with the same fragility of a coroner to a corpse.
They were never truly meant to survive the 100 days —
— And now it was time to let go.