"You, girl! What are you doing there?" one of the soldiers approaching the Baruch called out to Leila.
"Girl...? What's he talking about?" Nicole turned and walked up to the footmen, Graise following behind, equally puzzled. The footmen, stopping halfway from where Leila stood, bewildered, was shoved aside by the passing Nicole, whose face changed when she saw Leila. "Huh? Where did YOU come from?" she asked as Graise looked on from behind her.
"She's... The brown mechanoid's... pilot...?" Graise guessed most penetratingly.
"WHAT?!" Nicole blurted out in surprise at the ridiculous notion. But in the end, all pieces of the short situation begin to fit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"...I really hope your scrapheap of a psychic sensor was right, Jarrod. I really do." thought Regina, easily sensing Blue's comply through his words. She thought back to Jarrod and what he found about Blue, and what he said about further 'testing' him.
"It's all too funny... If Sage was still alive, he'd be this kids' age..." she thought painfully, but brushed any wandering thoughts off of herself when the communicator at her waist belted out static, signalling a short-distance call. "What is it?" she spoke into the mouthpiece after having picked it up from its slot. "Shoot, looks like the Bellzelute's system is still muddled full of problems. We'll need to drag it with us, with the lesser anti-gravity pulley system we've got on the plane." she informed Dumace.
Nodding quickly to the news, captain Dumace returned to addressing Garm. "We're not very clear on it yet, but the city suffered only a minor degree of damage, thanks to an unexpected help. But the forces have been turned on high alert. Because of the attack, we can assume that the activity in the surrounding areas have risen. We can't be wasting time." she turned to Zaime and Elena, the only two to have yet to response to her call. "Well, will you help?" she asked, growing slightly impatient.
Even though she had replied straight away before, this second request hit Elena like a flying brick, to say. She found herself staring at the grayed tar in front of her tennis shoes.
"...It's... Just all so weird. I can't even recall how I got into that BM... And now she wants me to get back inside? Killing... Did I really do it? Didn't I just hit those other mechanoids and shut them off? Why did it feel so easy? It's... I have to know. I need to know." she thought, and took in a deep breath. Before Dumace could repeat her request, Elena spoke up. "Understood. I'll... try me best." she replied, and her decision, at the end, was not fully for her own sake. She wanted to help.
Zaime looked at her, amazed, and turned back to grin at the woman in uniform.
"Why not, then. Don't want to be the odd one out." he replied simply.
Dumace nodded. "Some of our personnel will stay behind with the rest of the students and teachers, and offer any help they can besides-"
"WAIT!" a voice shouted. It was Miss Faye, with Mr. Dimond behind. She'd overheard the conversation, and was aghast. But deciding with Dimond that it was for the best, she agreed, mostly with herself, to let them leave the way they are requested to. On one condition, that is. "Let us come with you. They're our students, and we're responsible at being at their side whenever we can. You're not taking these kids anywhere without me watching over them. Plus, I can help with the injured." said Miss Faye.
"And I can... help you lift whatever you need, whenever you need it!" Mr. Dimond tried helping her out, showing off his muscle, but most of his attempt falls flat. Though, Regina, Jarrod, and Elena was pleasantly surprised, and Zaime thought there was a mighty fine chance they'd die, but kept his mouth shut anyway. After giving it some thought, Dumace nodded hesitantly.
"If you wish to, then you may adhere to your duties. But I have to remind you, the situation may very well get life-risking." Dumace warned, but said no more on that matter. "Regina, prepare the plane crew for launch. We head west, for Palisade City immediately." she ordered.
She'd hoped their journey would be short, but as with all great stories, it can never be that easy. And isn't the story of humanity the greatest one of all?
The pale man agrees.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The sliding doors to the hangar opens, and Daitetsu and Tetsuya stand, overlooking the small crowd. The girl at the center took their attention. She was the only one they didn't recognize at all. XO Tetsuya guessed it all too easily.
"WHAT?!" yet another exclamation rang through the Hagane's halls, as the Ark of Iron cuts through the air, leaving Palisade City, and towards the unknown that awaits them.
Chapter 1: Boosted Mechanoids: End