Chapter 77: Unforeseen Alliances (4)
Hope studied each of their faces.
Six eyes gazed mutely at him. Their faces lit like pallid ghosts from the monitors.
"Let me explain–" He began.
"Have you no shame?!"
"I knew most government rats are undignified but this is too much…"
Prince facepalmed.
Hope sighed as the three were circled around him. The room was stifling and hot compared to the outside that Hope felt it suffocating. Hope then undid his collar. "I'm just going to remove my shirt—"
"Can you just wait a moment?!"
Corrin pushed up his glasses again with a regrettable expression. "Minho…who did you say this Stiff was…?"
"Argh…a lost duckling of the ambushed convoy who was looking for you. Also was about to jump to his death. What am I supposed to do with that?"
'Not overreact.'
Hope paused. Then looked down at himself and tugged on his uniform, noticing something strange about it.
Prince also tilted his head and observed the action.
"…if you bring another strange specimen to my home…N-not only is he shameless but he doesn't even read any novels…"
"Oi! Speaking of which, how can you even read internationally? Doesn't that mean you've finally worked out a way of relaying a message for us?"
'It's worse than I thought.'
Hope thought as he flipped open a pocketknife.
Corrin scratched his scruffy chin. "Ahhhhhh…about that—"
"Hey!"
"…?"
Hope blinked as he was about to cut through his shirt. Prince's expression also changed in real time. His shoulders sagged as he froze mid-reach for the knife when Hope stopped. It seemed like he couldn't handle Hope's behavior either.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Fabric's melted."
"...fabric's melted…On you? From what!"
"…"
Hope's mind began reeling from the question alone as a spew of memories rippled like the early noon's storm. How the rain sobbed and the sky mirrored beneath his feet as he endured the Fallen's assaults. And of course, how he tipped off a number of bombs.
"About that."
***
"THAT was you?" Corrin was pacing around the room. His feet swimmingly moved over the snaked wires as he processed Hope's brief summary. "You…you bombed my building?"
"I did."
"How did you- Why did-"
"Thought it was the fastest route."
"Do you...seriously wish to die?"
"That's not-"
"Did you even kill my Fallen?!"
His Fallen? "No I-"
"Hold on," Minho's eyebrows raised. "Is that why there's a Fallen in the subway tunnels? Because of you?"
Ah. So that was what came of the Fallen Creature when it fell off the edge. Hope didn't think much else but of escaping. But for them to interact with the Fallen within the day was something he didn't predict. What an unfortunate discovery to come face with the serpent, carrying a demonic face with eyes for evil suns.
What else could he say?
Hope looked back and answered.
"Yeah. My doing."
"…oh...my work…"
Corrin muttered, glancing down at his project already preparing for the bombs' replacement.
At that moment, Hope sat next to a worktable topless amidst the piles of scrap tech, blueprints, and cables. His left arm and torso were splotched with melted fabric like layers of new skin. And to add on the injuries, red slashes stretched across his chest and shoulders like grim smiles. How worse they could've been if he hadn't used [Pearls of the Moon] earlier.
'I'd have to use it later too. At least, enough to move comfortably again.'
Plick.
Plick.
Prince inaudibly sighed as he sat beside him, his movements efficient and light as he used a couple of Corrin's instruments to peel away the fragments. A lamp lit beside them like an operation light that made the Awakened's hair glint gold.
Plick.
Hope's arm twitched from a sting.
But this guy was strange too. Hope really couldn't figure him out...
He may have explained that the suicide note was a part of his reasoning for coming after him. But that didn't clear much of anything. Right now, he was treating him like a patient as if he had a moral duty to do so. Or some naivety for Hope's pitiful state. In contrast to when he had mightily swung his sword like one would against a Nightmare Creature.
That would mean his Aspect told him something...but what...? Was he something of a scout then?
'What's your Aspect huh?'
Prince's dark eyes then paused on Hope's arm, pulling Hope's eyes also in that direction.
A fresh thick red bump ridged down his skin like a skinny spine. Not from a Fallen. But from a sword.
'From our fight.'
It was from the moment when Hope found an opening on Prince and advanced despite knowing he'd get hurt in the process.
It wasn't like Hope had forgotten the wound. But he detached himself from it as well as many other hidden wounds that weren't as pronounced as the Fallen's. Rather than being smoldered by pain, one had to consciously measure the amount of attention to a wound. A simple change in viewing the cut belonging to someone else instead.
Hope looked away.
"I just need the location of Sector 5 and I'll be on my way."
Peril or promise. Whatever they saw in him, it seemed like Hope was getting more on their unfavorable side.
Asking any further favors didn't seem like a wise choice.
But a reaction then came unexpectedly.
"Sector 5…?"
Corrin's body went rigid
It was as if he was spooked.
No. Maybe spooked wasn't the right word. But a stunned realization sparked a similar excitement in his eyes.
Hope didn't like the sight.
"Whoa whoa whoa. Time the fuck out." Minho crossed his arms into an 'X'. "That's why you're here? You want to slide into that goddamn settlement, and slide back out all happy dandy with your friends? Yeah. No. I don't think so."
"Actually…this might be helpful…"
Corrin had a mischievous smile as his smudged glasses glinted.
"..."
'What?'
Helpful...to the Awakened's favor. Not him. Meaning, Hope would have to do something on his terms. Not good not good.
"I–" Corrin raised his arms, his voice carrying a new beat. "–have found a way to contact your Command, soldiers!"
Hope felt something shift inside him.
They couldn't contact Command? His teammates had the exact same problem after the monster's raid. They presumed it was because of the gate's interference, but if this cohort was struggling with the samething, then maybe it was something else?
'Or maybe the gate is still open in this city. But it shouldn't be that strong could it?'
"This whole week you haven't–!?"
Corrin ignored Minho.
"No need to point fingers now…Look. No need to explode yet either! Haha. I thought this whole week saturating my core was the solution to broadening my powers. But I realized recently…there's a difference between having power and not having any link to use for it!" He waved at the chaotic mess around them. "I can…create all sorts of devices and study the mechanics of cameras or whatever old technology. But spelltech…is a different matter…that's magic against magic! And something that I'm not innately talented in. What I need…is all the support I can get from external forces."
Hope didn't like where this was going.
Spelltech.
The cross of man's work and Spell's gifted powers. The intangible whispers of magic sculpted into engineering. It was this element of many other found revelations that helped fortified cities thrive out of the ashes. Whether it was merged in infrastructures or weaponry, this innovation also sparked a hungry desire for power. What should've been uplifting and defensive against monsters, was becoming a battle within the human ranks. And Hope didn't understand what obstacle Corrin was describing that sounded as if it concerned Hope.
There was the hint of help that Hope would receive on his end. But there was a whole other trap also built for him.
Maybe his avoidance of their problems was becoming too big to ignore.
He felt like he was at its mouth waiting to be swallowed.
A flux of ideas swirled in Corrin's eyes and he began muttering as if saying a chant:
"And yes…of course…locked out of the system….but accessing Sector 5's hub….oh but we have to talk of strategy so there's a chance we can reach the main comms…."
Hope couldn't catch most of what Corrin said, but Minho stood close by and narrowed his eyes at each uttered word.
"Don't tell me what I think you're saying." He scowled.
Did this concern Hope's teammates' safety to know this sort of information?
If it did, then he may have to find out what this unprecedented inconvenience was…
Hope's fingers twitched before speaking:
"What…exactly are you guys referring to?"
Everyone paused and looked at him. Even Prince stopped plucking the fabric and studied Hope.
Was the answer obvious?
Minho frowned as he stared back at Hope.
"Well, I've got good news and bad news since our lives depend on it. Good news, the government has planned to send aid and offer asylum. Bad news? If we don't make contact, then they'll sterilize everything."
"..."
No, it wasn't that obvious.
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