Inmates Ballad: Priority of life
It was almost over. Today would likely be the last mission before my sentence was up.
That's what I thought at the time anyway…
For the past two years, all I had to do was do what I was told, don't look the guards in the eye, and kill Aragami. Maximum Security was what you'd expect, missions aside there was only a limited time outside. They still fed us actual food, marginally. Contrary to the practically air-tight helmets that served as shock collars in Super-Max, we were outfitted with special attachments to our armlets that would turn it into a taser if we tried anything.
We were also allowed to talk during missions, granted that depended on who was giving the orders.
Seeing how young I was the guards would sometime try to use me as a reference for weakness. Guards and inmates alike would come to regret that.
The guards tried to scare me on the way to a mission and I'd return with Sameem covered in blood and oracle fluid. My fellow inmates made sure to keep a neutral attitude once they saw me in action.
I never misbehaved, but I could still kill Vajras alone after all.
Hungary, Budapest Branch
Hungarian Border to Romania
We were assigned to protect a border zone leading to the Romanian Branch of FENRIR.
Aragami were getting a little too close to HQ territory.
Honestly, I think they needed to be scared, one good Aragami invasion and HQ would become just like everywhere else.
On the Romanian side, there was a checkpoint and a small hobbled community living just outside of FENRIR's housing zone.
They live close enough to not be outright ignored by FENRIR but live just far enough to not be obligated to submit their DNA.
Nothing I haven't seen before.
On the Hungarian side, however, there was a city thriving almost like aragami never touched it. With a shield wall.
That shield wall was significantly damaged a week ago, raising alarm on both Hungarian and Romanian sides.
The exact mission was for us to gather aragami parts to further strengthen the wall.
On the HQ side…
The outpost had its own wall, but it was svelte compared to the inner wall.
Moving on, 3 inmates were assigned to a local god-eater. I ended up with a 'Prim and Proper' HQ god-eater.
Blonde, comb-over, and not one wrinkle in his uniform.
Just my luck…
I didn't think much of Albert Gazsi. He was just another god-eater to tolerate before my sentence was through.
Not seeing what he was.
What he REALLY was as a soldier;
That mistake haunts me to this day…
It was simple, kill aragami, we did that.
He barked orders and while I didn't enjoy it I worked with the team to get the job done.
It was business as usual.
...
...…..
I'm sorry that's a lie I tell myself.
Nothing was usual about this day.
As soon we were done hacking Aragami, there was a distress beacon Albert picked up. It was a local building nearby on the Romanian side of the border just outside the wall.
There was a convoy of FENRIR delegates trying to make it back into Hungary but were stopped by Aragami. In the chaos, they hid in a shelter built for the locals.
A lot of Aragami made it inside by the time we got there were screams inside.
I thought I heard kids…
I was lucky Albert's orders were already things I was determined to do myself.
Each time we cleared Aragami, civilians would come out of hiding and thank us as they escaped.
There were only ogretails and zygotes, so this building wasn't in danger from major threats yet.
Yet…
"Hello this is Captain Gazsi, the building is clear you can come out now." Albert radioed in.
A door slowly opened on our right and out came 8 High Ranking FENRIR uniforms.
Accompanying them was a woman carrying a baby and an elderly couple. A child clung to one of the officers and the resemblance was uncanny.
It spelled an ill omen.
These were supposed to be high-ranking FENRIR officers, but if one of them had their family living out here, it meant they weren't that high up.
That is to say, high enough to keep his children out of the DNA God-Eater registry. They looked well taken care of otherwise.
His son didn't look any older than 7-years-old…
There was some bickering in between, but we lead them outside to our APV.
If it wasn't obvious the family wasn't coming with us. The mother clung to her baby, holding her husband's hand, on the brink of tears.
The son blissfully unaware of his circumstances, admired our god-arcs and armlets.
Which only served to build tension in the father.
"Sir my orders are to escort you and the officers to Budapest Branch, I am not authorized to bring any civilians, let alone civilians who aren't already under FENRIR jurisdiction. Our vehicle can't fit us all." Albert said almost robotically.
The family's reactions confirmed they already knew this.
They were ready to say goodbye…
The father handed his son to the elderly couple, but not without a hug.
"I'm sorry Warrant Officer Darius but until you bring them in the border permanently, this is how it has to be for them." one of the other officers said rudely.
Reluctantly Officer Darius followed after his fellow delegates.
My own father did whatever he could to give us security and keep my sister and I out of the God-Eaters.
Darius' young son was about the same age as me before my life changed forever. The daughter couldn't even walk yet!
In the midst of dwelling on these thoughts, I heard a boom.
It wasn't close, but it was loud and heavy…
At first, I thought it was a Vajra, but I knew from experience the tremor wasn't big enough for that.
There were more booms and rumbling.
Almost like a stampede.
The trampling didn't sound heavy enough to be Vajras, but they weren't small either…
BOOM!
We all turned to see a structure nearby kick up dust along with a bellow.
They were close…
"Mama, Tata, Adalina! Get over here!" Darius screamed, making his daughter cry in his wife's arms. The grandparents held on to their grandson tight and made for the vehicle.
"Stop right there!" the rude officer from before shouted.
"What for!? We have to go!" Darius screamed.
"I believe Captain Gazsi just said we can't all fit inside! They only came for us!" he said. This guy wasn't fooling anyone, under that authoritative voice was a desperate man hellbent on survival.
"We'll squeeze them in! My children don't take up that much, move aside!" Warrant Officer Darius argued through his daughter's whimpering. The mother tried her best to console the child, but the infant could pick up on the woman's distress.
The 5-year-old son was trying to understand the tension growing between the men with the danger looking around the corner and the grip on his grandparents tightened.
I wasn't liking where this was going, and neither did my fellow inmates.
As it stood our vehicle could fit the 8 officers and the 4 of us if 2 sat in the back.
Maybe we could fit the family of 6 more with a tight pinch and if one rode on top.
However, there was another issue…
Weight distribution.
The AEC wouldn't struggle from holding the weight itself, but driving would be another matter.
Could we properly evade the predators and keep our balance?
The arguing between the officers escalated and things were only about to get worse…
I looked at the other 7 officers, and their discontent was written all over their faces.
They knew very well what they would have to do if they wanted to save Darius' family VS save their own skins.
Finally, I looked at Albert and saw he came to the same conclusion as I did…
"Article 4 of FENRIR Regulations;
Priority of life shall first and henceforth go to all FENRIR personnel and civilians under direct FENRIR jurisdiction. This applies to all emergency situations unless directed otherwise." Albert said, ever so damn diligently.
I knew what was gonna happen next.
So at that moment, I acted with no recourse.
A single look and the inmates assigned with me knew what I was going to do.
The choices we all had to make…
クリエイターの想い 
Hase0
Hase0 First let me give a shout-out to one my newest fans Raesz for all the stones.
It saddens me to say that due to college, I’ll have to put the story on hiatus until December like I did last year.
I apologize to any new readers that recently found the fanfic, I’m creatively being stretched thin and I won’t have time to work on this with the energy I had at summertime.
Thanks to anyone who has supported the story this far and I hope to see you again when I pick back up.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット