Black Decay 「ブラック崩壊」R18+

[707]

Clear eyes blinked, long lashes fanning against high cheekbones, as S continued to listen to their theories and assumptions although his piercing gaze stayed firmly on Kazusa after he mentioned the word he was looking for, albeit stated in another fashion. And when they were all done, he gave them a few more seconds leeway to let what they all have said sink in, before turning around and pressing one button on the massive screen just glowing behind him.

 

A video appeared. And it showed reproduction, conceiving and birthing, of the most gruesome of natures.

 

One massive entity lay at the very center of what must have been an underground complex. It probably towered above fifty meters tall, with a massive body that started from the floor and went smaller the way up to it's miniature bald head. It had small arms and about five gradually enlarging breast-rows while behind it, lay fat and sticky with four tentacles on each side, was a fleshy ovipositor of sorts. Just below each tentacle sat a transparent tube, hooked and pierced within the skin and oozing embryonic fluids.

 

A disfigured 'thing' sped through the tube from the creature to an even bigger machinery.

 

"They reproduce, yes, but not in the way Kazusa stated it." S murmured, like a dirty secret that was best kept hidden. And, in a way, it was. "These creatures we call Broodmothers. They give birth to everything that's out to get us up there. There are seven of them, each housed in an ARC bio-lab, a veritable fortress, protected by tens of thousands of diverse creatures, ranging from small to large, weak and invincible alike." Pressing another button; showing another video:

 

It was human, about six feet in height. Everything about 'it' could have been passed as normal except for the fact that it was faceless and genderless, just skin covering bone.

 

"These we call Walkers. They're basically just cannon-fodders. Slow but hits like a hydraulic piston, but you should be fine with your armors." He continued, crossing armored arms over his chest. "They move in packs of no less than a thousand. You see one? Then there's a thousand more nearby. Eliminate by severing both arms before the head since they can be like cockroaches." Another button pushed, showing another video;

 

This one was small, about the size of a pure breed Labrador. It was oval in shape with three pairs of arms on either side carrying it around. A small slit parted brownish flesh atop it's body.

 

"This one you kill by burning it. Don't worry. All weapons have an incendiary function. We call them Carriers since these little things carry a lobster-like parasite that will attach itself to you, armor or no, then inject your system with a neurotoxin that will slowly liquefy everything beneath your skin. After that the lobster parasite will suck that liquefied matter then it will undergo a metamorphosis, turning into another Carrier." S gave them all a morbid smile. "Nothing like an 'organic' smoothie, yes? Top priority execution." Then, another button for another video;

 

An armored entity stood in it, blood and severed limbs lay scattered around it, a glinting and bloodied katana in it's right hand.

 

"This one I like to call Vessel." Diamond eyes gave the video a hard look, edges of pale lips curling downwards in a hateful scowl. "I don't know how many there are, but they fight like bad-ass enemy boss in animes. Never engage these creatures." He gave them all a pointed look that brooked no argument, his scowl turning into indifference that waited their absolute obedience. "They can be killed but Vessels have 'one mind': Fight one and the rest will know how to beat you. Your armors also have an inbuilt cloaking function, so when you see a Vessel, run and hide BEFORE you activate it." He gave them a hard glare, making sure that his meaning to the words was not lost. "Activate it in front of them then they'll figure out how to see through the cloaking system."

 

S gave them a few minutes to digest the new information, letting them get used to the knowledge that even with their advanced weapons and armors, outside these walls, there was a high chance that they could be killed. Maybe even not 'if they get killed' but 'when they get killed'. He hoped not.

 

"These are the ones you need to worry about for now." Were his words as the massive screen lifted back up to the darkness that was the ceiling, just as the elevator door, on the far side of the room, opened, casting a line of white light before them, beckoning as if it were the doorway to heaven itself.

 

"So, shall we go out for some air?" A last smirk was given before S was turning and putting on his helmet, steady feet taking him towards the lift that would take them to the surface.

[Sosuke0549]

Toma listened to all his comrades theories, and took each one into consideration. All of them thought about things differently,so it was no surprise they all relatively had different answers. When they all finished, S turned around and a massive screen came down, glowing behind him, and shadowing his silhouette. A video appeared showing them the reproduction, conceiving and birthing, of...something. Toma's eyes widen slightly. Seeing such a horrific creature. It was tall with a massive body that started from the floor and went smaller the way up to it's miniature bald head. Small arms, five enlarging breast, the monster was fat and sticky with four tentacles on each side. Just below each tentacle sat a transparent tube, hooked and pierced within the skin and oozing embryonic fluids. Toma felt so sick to his stomach He wanted to throw up. Toma stared at the screen wide eyed. You could see fear and disbelief on his face.

"They reproduce, yes, but not in the way Kazusa stated it.These creatures we call Broodmothers. They give birth to everything that's out to get us up there. There are seven of them, each housed in an ARC bio-lab, a veritable fortress, protected by tens of thousands of diverse creatures, ranging from small to large, weak and invincible alike."[/Quote]

This was insane...everyone had to be insane when they only assigned six people to take down thousands of monsters like that!

 

S continued showing multiple videos that made Toma's skin crawl. Where those things...once human? There were Broodmothers, Walkers, Carries, and the most horrifying one..a Vessel.

Toma clenched his hands into fists, so they wouldn't tremble.

"I don't know how many there are, but they fight like bad-ass enemy boss in animes. Never engage these creatures."[/Quote]

Never?

Toma bit his lip as S gave them all a pointed look that brooked no argument, his scowl turning into indifference that waited their absolute obedience. He didn't want to face that thing...But if push came to shove...he'd be dumb enough to hit it. But as of now- if he came face to face with a vessel he'd high-tail it and run like hell!

"They can be killed but Vessels have 'one mind': Fight one and the rest will know how to beat you. Your armors also have an inbuilt cloaking function, so when you see a Vessel, run and hide BEFORE you activate it." [/Quote]

He gave them all a hard glare.

"Activate it in front of them then they'll figure out how to see through the cloaking system."[/Quote]

Toma could no longer look at the screen. His hands were now at his side, slightly trembling. This wasn't the time to be afraid. To be intimated. He had to be brave. He couldn't let these monsters faze him.

"These are the ones you need to worry about for now." [/Quote]

The massive screen lifted back up to the darkness that was the ceiling, just as a elevator door, on the far side of the room, opened. Toma stared at the casting of a line of white light before him and the others. He was tempted to cover his eyes.

"So, shall we go out for some air?"[/Quote]

Toma flinched at S's words. A smirk on his face as he turned around putting on his helmet, heading towards the lift that would take them to the surface. Toma hung his head. His blond hair hiding his face. For once...he wasn't the first to move...to jump at the chance.. he was hesitant.

"Damn it...I.. I knew it would be bad but...not like this...not like...this...

He thought to himself. Toma touched the two dog tags that were hidden underneath his suit. The thought of one of those monsters getting a hold of his little sister made his skin crawl. His eyes watered but he mad sure no tears fell.

I won't...I won't let you down..I'll kill them....ILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!

The fear in his eyes transformed into determination and hatred for the undead. He gritted his teeth as he took a step...and went to his armor. Putting it on step by step. The expression on his face was now a serious one.. He had a personal reason to fight...a personal reason why he couldn't fail... He was determined to see his little sister again, awake and walking.. he wanted to see her smile again...to hear her voice. He missed the ways she laughed and frowned. He told himself he'd stay alive until he saw her awaken..he'd keep his promise to her....that when she woke up...he'd be the first thing she saw.

 

With his Amor on Toma put on his helmet. And took a deep breath before slowly following S.

His weapon in his hand. In gun form. He felt safest when he was clutching it in his hands. This was it...kill...or be killed.

[InkompleteWish]

Motoshi snorted at Shirone's and their leader’s conversation. He himself would appreciate a joke now and then. Even if it seemed like he had a stick up his ass all day. Motoshi was still a human so he found those vulgar jokes rather funny now and then. All in all, normal jokes weren't really funny to him. It had to be either vulgar jokes or jokes to feed his dark humour. As long as he would be able to finish his mission, even some jokes during their outing would be okay to him. The world was already dark enough, I mean, if humanity send someone out like him, then they were probably really screwed. The fact that he might be weird but still able to finish his missions spoke for itself. Nobody would probably be able to stay under the same roof for more than a few days with him though. At least no 'normal' human. That's why he makes it clear that he isn't seeking companionship since the beginning. Didn't want to give anyone hopes after all. But hey, in this fucked up world, maybe even he was 'normal'.

 

The reasoning the other's stated was correct in his opinion. Nobody could fathom what happened during their stasis sleep. Maybe things were even more fucked up. Up till now, Kira only thought about those zombies that he knew from games. But maybe they were not really zombies but a whole new species. So he wondered what S would say to all of this. Weird to say but he wasn't really stunned by the video shown to them. A bit disgusted yes, but like mentioned before, they didn't know what happened during their sleep so Motoshi wasn't surprised that something so....abnormal and gruesome would have happened.

 

His brown eyes fixated on the Vessels. They were the most 'human' out of the bunch and highly intelligent it seemed. The scout would make sure to take S's warning to heart. One should never underestimate his opponents and he knew that they would be really hard to kill without alerting the others of his kin. The video ended and an elevator opened in front of them. "With pleasure." he said shortly and followed S after putting on his own armour. Kira wanted to see the world they should save. It was probably not even worth it at the moment but he wanted to see for himself just what had become of this planet. After stepping into the elevator, Toma joined them. This time, it seemed that Kira was the first to go ahead. He didn't have anything worthwhile to lose so he wasn't hesitating like Toma. Since the beginning he knew that his end might come sooner instead of later. But Kira made it his own personal mission to just show those fuckers that he wasn't just some puny human. If it meant saving this planet, then he would even sacrifice himself. That was the resolve he had.

[Teesie]

Masanori wasn't one with a weak stomach, but the Broodmother surely was an exception. The being was disgusting. Kiyoshi wondered how such a creature was placed upon their lands. The earth. Had the gods abandoned them? The dark haired male could see it no other way. This was its darkest hours. Never had he imagined the world to be so harsh.

 

Engrossed into the one to carry out reproduction, he zoned out to thought. It was the importance to the monsters. If the mother was killed, would the rest die, or each would have to be taken out individually? An easier task, but can include death. At least there wouldn't be more born, unless the one upon screen wasn't the only one of its kind.

 

Absorbed in the teaching, Masanori believed that he was ready to go to the surface. The Vessel was a danger. If he was to stay away from that particular monster he'd be fine. He was able to put up a fight with the rest. Though, caution was a must. Taking upon a thousand Walkers wouldn't be possible. The inky haired male would kill just enough to get to a destination or to safety. Then it was those parasites. How exciting it would be to watch them twitch and screech from being burned.

 

Clenching and unclenching his fist, the assassin was eager to see the earth once again. Beyond the clips shown by the leader. "Get yourself together Masanori. You could be killed." Whispering to himself, before taking a hold of his equipment; preparing.

[yumemochi]

_{"That is one uglyyy motherfucker alright," Shirone comments with a low whistle, rather than sounding or looking disgusted though, it seemed like he was ...impressed..? Or if the interest in his gaze was any hint at all. Dusky purple orbs fixated at the screen alone, observing that..thing....the Broodmother as S had called it. Then as S explained that what he had said had been close but not quite, he simply gave a small shrug. "Ehh, close enough..." At first he had expected the virus to spread through the air or perhaps even the resources, not just coming into contact with their blood or saliva on you when they bit you...now it was something else entirely...it was truly baffling the process...how they still retained a part of humanity by giving birth...only more disgusting....}

 

_{Either way this Broodmother was only the tip of the iceberg as their leader showed them the other enemies they'd encounter. It was seeming more and more like a fictional fantasy game of some sort to him and if he heard someone tell this to him back then he may as well have just laughed outright at their face or give them a punch or two for trying to trick him. Walkers, Carriers, the brunette made sure to keep all those important facts in his head up until the screen flicked over to this so-called 'Vessel'. And just seeing that expression on S' face clearly meant that this guy was bad news if they didn't heed his warnings seriously...}

 

_{'Why does it feel like this would be a lot of work for me...' He thinks a little sullenly, knowing as the medic, he was bound to do a lot of healing the injured....}

 

_{"These are the ones you need to worry about for now."}

 

_{"For now?" He parroted with a small raise of the brow. He didn't know whether to be amused or concerned that there'd be more kinds of enemies out there... "Huh, I sure could use some fresh air though," He admitted nonchalantly before walking over to his designated armor and pulling it on. Thankfully it was easier to put on then how it looked and soon enough he was following after the others who had finished changing by then to towards the lift. He lagged behind a little though, wanting to give everyone another once-over, and well he simply disliked it when others walk behind him, it always made him feel wary so he'd rather let them walk ahead.}

 

_{Maybe it was a muscle memory..? Something ingrained in him too deeply that even by forgetting his body still moved the way it was used to? 'Ah..now's really not the time for this...' Pushing those thoughts away for now, he stepped onto the lift and stated, "All aboard~ the expressway will be leaving shortly, please make sure to keep both hands, feet intact for the rest of the ride~" He says light-heartedly, after seeing that feed everyone's mood just dampened a little... he could tell with how Toma was being hesitant earlier, and how the other's seemed deep in thought too, and who wouldn't? It was normal to act that way...anyone who acted like it was nothing was the abnormal one right?}

 

_{'Heh, guess I'm classified as abnormal then?' He chuckles inwardly at his own joke, if he couldn't cheer the other's up with lame jokes, at least he could to himself, right? Tension was just something he didn't handle very well...to think they were just making dick jokes and whatnot moments ago too...}

[Stardust_Bunny]

Kou was, lightly said, completely mesmerized by the massive screen, glowing before him. He didn't care that much about the grotesque interperation of a 'mother' to all of the creatures outside. It looked truly horrifying, yet Kou couldn't bring himself to give a shit. I mean, did you see that gigantic, possibly OLED, wide resolution screen?!

 

Ah, jokes aside, the man did do his best to listen to the leader. It was quite interesting to know how those monsters acted. Out of all, the engineer seemed to fancy the Carriers. They seemed so harmless, so small and non-intimidating, but underestimate it, and you'll suffer the fatal concequences. He wanted to actually encounter that creature, so he could somehow capture the lobster-like parasite it has, and study it. After all, the neurotoxin it had could be used to make an antitoxin, which could, if not counter the poisonous effects, at least ease and slow them down. Perhaps the medic could do something about this.

 

Giving a little nod, Kou didn't realize when his eyes had widened. He was slightly taken back from the smirk by S, which in this case, seemed surprisingly sadistic and alluring at the same time. Oh yes, he was definitely willing to go out for some 'air'.

 

Putting on his helmet like the others, Kou huffed from the short-lived discomfort while doing so. It was so hard to squeeze oneself's head through a helmet sometimes, and your hair gets all ruffled inside. It was like going to bed right after taking a shower, then waking up with your hair all messed up and freaky. Ah, well. He had to sacrifice at least that, for the good of all mankind.

 

Walking forward, Kou couldn't help but notice how Shirone had done his best to be the last in line. Well, he would do the same if he was in Shirone's place. Who wouldn't want to see Kou's sweet backside ?!

 

With two brave steps, Kou got on the lift and sighed, closing his eyes. He could feel some tension in his teammates, but not in everyone. Some were excited, others were curious. Toma, on the other hand, seemed ... vengeful. And Kou? Kou didn't give a damn.

 

"Up we go. Estimated chances of survival - 66%." The black haired man softly said to himself, although it wasn't quiet enough to go unheard from the others. Whether his little calculation seemed unnerving, or funny, depended on the person entirely. In other words, being an optimist will make you happy about those sixty-six percent. A pessimist will think this is horrible results. And a realist won't believe the calculation, because it was just a hunch.

 

[707]

Pearly whites glinted against the soft internal glow of S' helmet as he grinned, full and wide, at Kou's estimation of their chance of survival in this small excursion. The white-head thought differently. Perhaps the percentage would be a lot more adequately put in the very lift that they were in.

 

"As Kazusa said: 'keep both hands and feet intact for the rest of the ride'." With voice light, S stated just as the lift clicked shut; locked, slowly descending accompanied by the hiss of pressurized air.

 

Then it hitched, a tremble in its' sudden stop, and S' grin grew wider just as he silently activated the magnetic anchors of his boots. Then without any warning, the lift rocketed towards the surface at more than twenty-thousand miles per second.

 

It was only just for a few beats, but the gravity had become so strong that even within the protection of the armor, S couldn't help but shut his eyes, knees shaking a bit, at such terminal velocity. And within the darkness of his lids, along with the encompassing weight that seemed to burden his entire being, he belatedly wondered if he should have warned the others... even though they had at least seventy percent of surviving the 'ride' towards the surface. He hoped the others did. It would really be a bummer if he lost one, or a few, of them before they even began in earnest.

 

Ten seconds. Then everything became weightless, darkness turning into soft red as the bright glow of sunlight hit his covered face. Clear diamond revealed themselves as he opened his eyes, beholding white, blues, and oranges beneath him, that was a sea of clouds. Darkness loomed along the periphery of his vision, sharp streaks of white and purple heralded lightnings, and the boom of thunder followed.

 

Then he was falling, into and past puffy clouds where small droplets of water gathered throughout the black that was his armor, deepening the shade and giving it a liquid brilliance.

 

And from the sky, the lush green and brown, with hints of gray from buildings of another lifetime, of a forest awaited them bellow. The mouth of the dormant volcano, where they had been shot out from, gaped wide open to his left, easily passed from towards a clearing a few miles in front of it. S headed towards it head first, like a laser-guided missile, knowing full well that the others were being given the same instructions that very moment.

 

S flipped himself, just before touchdown, one knee bent and the other propped half-way, as if a knight in obeisance to his King. And the ground did not tremble. It bounced, it rolled, and it waved, absorbing the impact force and spreading it as if the earth was liquid. S still marveled how technology was able to make such thing work. But his curiosity lied most on the technology of their armors. How it could accept and survive, as if they were nothing, punishments like falling from fifty thousand feet.

 

He stood, slowly, reveling in the feeling like he was a visitor from another planet, there to cleanse the land of all life. At moments like these, S, truly felt invincible. But he knew better.

 

So he slowly let that feeling seep away as he, again, waited for the rest of his team. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if any of the others survived the 'short ride'.

 

He chuckled. The first of many as their mission truly and finally began.

[Sosuke0549]

"For now?" [/Quote]

Shirone parroted with a small raise of the brow. He was practically talking threw out the entire video/slide show of the monsters. Toma wasn't sure what to think of him. His humor and energy was kind of delightful since it seemed like he and Shirone were the type to crack jokes and humor people. Having Shirone on the team made him loosen up a little, bringing back His playful side that usually everyone loved about him... but he was still very serious about this.

"Huh, I sure could use some fresh air though,"[/Quote]

 

Shirone admitted nonchalantly before putting on his armor lagging behind a little. Toma's eyes wondered over the others

"All aboard~ the expressway will be leaving shortly, please make sure to keep both hands, feet intact for the rest of the ride~"[/Quote]

Shirone says. Maybe trying to lighten the mood.

The male chuckles to himself. Kou seemed to be nonchalant as well, As if he really didn't give a damn if he was put out there to die.

"Up we go. Estimated chances of survival - 66%."[/Quote]

Toma glanced at the other.. 66%?

"Better than Zero~" He grinned behind his helmet however you couldn't see his face. His attention turns to there leader.

"As Kazusa said: 'keep both hands and feet intact for the rest of the ride'." [/Quote]

Toma watched as the doors shut; locked ; and slowly begin to descend, a haunting hiss in the air. Then it suddenly hitched, and with out any warning the lift rocketed towards the surface. It all happened so quickly! He didn't even have time to respond. The gravity had become so strong that Toma'a knees were shaking and he had to fall on to one knee. The terminal velocity was something He hadn't expected. Ten seconds...Then everything became weightless, the dark lift turning into soft red as the bright glow of sunlight hit Toma's face... sunlight? Was that really sunlight? He never thought he'd miss the Sun's rays so much... Toma slowly stood, gazing at the sight before his eyes, watching the sea of clouds like a child. Darkness loomed along the periphery, sharp streaks of white and purple heralded lightnings, and the boom of thunder followed. The world...was so different now. The sky had a lush green and brown, with hints of gray from buildings of another lifetime. Bellow them was a forest, and Toma realized that they had been shot out of a dormant volcano, it gaped wide open to S's left. S headed towards it head first, and Toma gripped his weapon tightly as he followed behind him quickly...there would be plenty of chances to sight see..right now wasn't the time. S was a complete bad ass, and Toma knew it was best to stay on the man's good side.

 

They had finally made it... Here was earth..broken and shattered... but humanity remained And was still ready to fight.

[InkompleteWish]

Kira waited for the others of their group. Since he still had time before all arrived in the elevator, he let his eyes drift over everyone again. They were an interesting group; hopefully they would be able to work together. Though Kira wasn’t that much of a team player either, he did know when to be serious and when he can joke around. Mind you, these times are rather rare but do happen from time to time. S was the only one that really knew what happened outside of their safe zone so the scout would make sure to stay around their leader if possible. Splitting up was always a bad idea when you didn’t know the situation. Though he would really love to explore the new world above their heads, it would have to wait until he was a bit more experienced with the rules on the surface.

 

Motoshi only huffed at Shirone’s and Kou’s statements. The scout only made sure to stay in the corner of the elevator, it was the ‘safest’ place. And he practically ignored Kou’s statement. 66% were already above average. But Motoshi didn’t really believe in numbers, it was either die or live. The scout made sure to always stay alert but since he was just a human like any other he made mistakes. Until now they never showed in fights or missions the scientists gave him 2000 years ago, but they could happen. And Motoshi knew this.

 

After everyone finally stepped into the elevator, it closed with a hiss and ascended in the same movement. Firstly slow but then it made a jump and Kira could feel the air pressure. He was just like Shirone forced to one knee but his facial expression was still the same. Almost that is. His brows were slightly furrowed and one of his hands was on the wall to his right, to steady himself. His eyes drifted towards the earth under them when the pressure lifted. It didn’t shock him much, he was expecting it to look like this and the videos from earlier also showed him parts of this world. It still hurt him a bit when he remembered the world before all of this. But for sentiments wasn’t the right time.

 

S went ahead, obviously and Kira followed shortly after. It felt like he was flying but he had to concentrate. They are dropping down on earth without a paraglider or a parachute; he had to land on his feet to lessen the impact of the drop. It wasn’t as spectacular as S’s arrival but Kira landed behind their leader. After landing he was forced to one knee again. Though his boots feathered the landing, it was still quite a force and Kira slept in a frozen state for almost 2000 years. Of course he was a bit rusty around the edges.

[Teesie]

Masanori sluggishly positioned the equipment against his lean body. The weapons were a bit more heavy than expected, albeit he was able to handle the weight. With snail pace and ten steps later, he stood upon the lift, maneuvering slightly to stand -back placed- against the surface. With a glance up, he stared forward with a blank stare. The dark haired man was lost in thought, not paying much attention to the other's surrounding him.

 

There were a few murmurs here and there, all, of course, not being heard from the assassin. The man's brain was occupied with the question of how did the earth look. Withing the clips shown by S, it had already appeared harsh. Though he was unaware of when the recordings were even produced. By now it could be even worse.

 

After a moment he regained consciousness with the last member entering the lift. There was an audible click as the entrance was shut, Kiyoshi gripping onto the railing. Within a few moments of ascending toward the earth, the assassin noticed the wall slightly scrap his fingers, though not enough to damage.

 

A passing ten second, the velocity changed gradually. Masanori could feel the pressure push at his body. It was unbelievable. If there was a slight difference, it wouldn't affect him so suddenly. That wasn't even the worse part. The lift shot up like a rocket, having Kiyoshi draw in a quick breath as he yanked his hand from the railing since a sudden burn. Within a moment, the dark haired assassin was forced into a crouched position, instinctively reaching for something to hold on to. Masanori head hurt. Brian feelings as if it would reduce to a puddle any minute.

 

Just when he thought it was over, seeing the glaring rays of the sun, a loud boom was heard as the lift reached it's destination, propelling all the bodies from the surface and through the air. The worse he expected was for the elevator to lose velocity suddenly, having his body crash to the floor. Damn did he have to land correctly not to damage himself. That was pretty easy. He wasn't an assassin for no reason.

[yumemochi]

_{Shirone wasn't sure on what he had been expecting from this, a pleasant ride perhaps? One with elevator music too if he could say, descending or ascending slowly. Whichever... so the suddenness of all this practically made him recoil and lose his balance for a second before stumbling a little into someone, "Ah shit..my bad..." He muttered, not that it made much a difference if he yelled, the wind would have drowned out his voice either way as they were launched upwards at an incredible speed. The pressure was rough on his body as he was just de-popsicalized, and now he wondered if this was what a pancake must feel like...}

 

_{Simply put, it was the longest ten seconds of his life...}

 

_{After that, he opened his eyes -not even realizing when he had closed them- and was greeted by the sun's harsh glare, wonderful, the brunette then blinked to prevent blinding himself before things even got started, the second time he opened them, he was met with a sight that would be ingrained into his memory for the rest of this whole 'trip'...}

 

_{Everything looked broken or beaten up..there wasn't much else to describe it really, when he tried to put it into words, nothing but 'ruins' came to mind... it was then he became aware of the smile that had stretched itself on his lips... 'Ah well, it's not that much different from home I suppose...' It still looked like the earth and as long as they were able to keep on fighting for it, this home, it was enough for him. 'This must be the 44% then,' 44% of what was left of earth anyhow. Oddly enough, he didn't find his own joke very funny.}

 

_{Shifting his gaze to the others as a sense of weightlessness overcame his body before being plummeted downwards by gravity, he took note of how S went on ahead and landed on some clearing with a grace of cat. Though now wasn't really the time to ponder over such things when he had to worry on how he was gonna land himself... the others had made their landing too, which only made the problem worse when they ended up taking the space he meant to land, unable to steer clear of them --how could he while in the air anyhow?-- Shirone ended up landing on some poor guy instead --Motoshi if he wasn't mistaken--, either way he thinks he did a sorta decent landing just now.}

 

_{"I hope we don't have to that often...or I may need a manual on how to do that..." He grumbles a little before rolling off the other. "You made a decent cushion though, so thanks!"}

[Stardust_Bunny]

Kou looked around, curious about the structure of the lift. He had no idea about the upcoming assault by gravity. He didn't know about the existence of the magnetic anchors in his suit, either. That is, until he saw S silently turning them on. He was about to question what was the purpose of the activation of this mysterious mechanism, but the moment the lift accelerated, practically jumping forward with insane speed, Kou found that he had more important things to worry about.

 

The weight of gravity nearly crushed him, and the first thing that came to mind was, whether he was going to be able to withstand the force. Unfortunately, after the first half second, Kou could feel his knees giving in almost instantly. He was going to fall on his face and get smashed by the heaviness if he didn't do something soon. His hands were being pushed down by gravity, so he couldn't turn on the magnetic anchors just like S. In other words, if Kou doesn't think of something soon, he was going to be fucked.

 

Biting on his lips, the engineer clenched his teeth and grabbed the first person he saw, which, in this case, was Toma. He squeezed the man's hands and wrists like his life depended on it, and did his best to hold onto him, otherwise Kou was going to fall right on the ground, face first, and probably turn into a bloody, fleshy pancake. Unfortunately for him, Toma fell on his knees, and Kou had to let go of the other male's hands, and grab on his back and waist instead. He embraced Toma in a tight hug, his fingernails pressed against the armor as if trying to go through it. "Ah, fuck!" Kou whimpered, his thin, fragile body feeling the weight more than needed. Ten seconds was the very limit of what he could take of such brutal force, and for his own delight, it was just enough for the weightlessness to come.

 

Suddenly, they were out in the open, as if flying in the sky. It didn't take long for Kou to realize that they were actually falling, and the man was forced to cling onto Toma again, hoping that the latter would land successfully. Closing his eyes tightly, the engineer didn't realize when they actually landed, since he was piggy-riding Toma. Everyone else landed either on their own, or, in Shirone's case, on top of someone, so Kou wasn't the last, nor was he the first person experience difficulties during this flight. But damn, did it feel embarrassing.

 

Once he was certain that Toma landed, Kou slowly got off him, his knees still shaking from the adrenaline released in his body during this stressful event. Even the sight of nature couldn't distract the engineer from what happened! He cleared his throat, marble-colored cheeks filled with an obvious pinkness. "T...Thanks for the ride." He quietly said, adding a mumbled apology before he followed the others. Kou couldn't believe he just did that - cling, then piggy back ride a (nearly) complete stranger. What a day.

 

With a deep breath, only to be hitched when the loud thunder sound filled the air, Kou readied his guns for action and tried to calm down as he walked after S and the others. He was still flustered from what happened, and couldn't understand how Shirone didn't mind falling on top of Motoshi. Or perhaps it was just Kou who wasn't used to others, and physical contact with them. Yes, that definitely had to be worked on. An update, or a patch, as they call it, he thought. Yes, if Akiyama was a machine, and not a human being, such errors would've been easily resolved by an update, upgrade or a swift patch.

 

Alas, he was but a mortal, trapped in his own weak, thin body of flesh and bones.