Shattering Humanity-Chapter 131: It’s About Who Loves You

{5 P.M. Outer Sanpaku}

Above the Demon District, in the helicopter containing Nephilim, Silpheed, Tristan, and Bethany.

In the cabin of the copter, Bethany is doing unnecessary stretches in front of an uninterested Tristan. She is obviously trying to make the engaged man lose to temptation.

Bethany: "Ugh, we’ve been cramped in this helicopter for so long. Are we landing soon, General Nephilim sir?"

The General’s right IceEye is looking out the side of the copter at the quiet city.

Nephilim: "Don’t worry guys, we aren’t going to land or have a chat with Dice, I just wanted to get a look at the layout."

Bethany does a split and bounces slightly up and down.

Bethany: "Trittyyyy, can you help stretch me out?I feel sooo tight in my groin and my glutes area. I need a big strong man to help."

Tristan ignores her and is looking out the window. He can see the ocean and he holds up his polaroid camera over his IceEye. The flash goes off and the undeveloped physical photo is spit out from the bottom of the old school camera.

Tristan: "Nephilim Sir, can I open the side of the copter? If I’m going to smell the ocean, I’d rather it be the real thing."

Bethany stands up with her legs spread and bends forward, looking at Tristan upside down between her legs with her mouth and cheeks puffed.

Bethany: "Hey! I’m just being playful, you don’t have to be mean."

Nephilim looks back and nods with a chuckle. Tristan does so and opens the side of the helicopter. The sound of the blades chopping the wind is heard and the clear view of the descending sun over the ocean is seen.

He takes another polaroid picture with it over his right IceEye and looks at the first picture he took. The flash from the reflection of the window ruined the shot of the 1st picture but Tristan doesn’t crumple it up he puts it in his pocket with the other pictures he’s taken of the day. He closes the side of the cabin back up and sits down without looking at Bethany now standing with her legs straight, and bending over touching her toes.

Tristan: "And I’ve told YOU, for the one millionth time now, I don’t want to be ’playful’ with you. I don’t need Stephanie hearing anything that will get misconstrued because you want to be flirtatious."

Bethany: "Nothing would get misconstrued if you two just let me join in."

Tristan pockets his good photo of the ocean and pulls out a picture of him with his family of girls, all smiling together. It makes Tristan ignore Bethany’s last comment and smile back at the photo.

Nephilim lets out a decompressing sigh and shakes his head.

Nephilim: "This whole time I was wondering how Dice was managing to hide his sanctuary. It all makes so much sense now, why nobody came close to finding it. I was beginning to think it was outside of this ’Sozo County’ all together. Turn back around Silph, let’s head back home."

Silpheed nods towards the General. The helicopter turns around and heads south towards the three mountains in the distance.

Bethany grabs a bottle of water from the cooler under the seats and sits back down, crossing her legs. She drinks half the bottle and lets out a loud burp.

Bethany: "Teehee, scoozie."

Tristan gives a disgusted look at her and then shakes his head.

Tristan: "So General Nephilim, how do you plan on overthrowing the last two sisters? Bethany and I don’t really have overpowering eye abilities like yourself. What if they put up a fight?"

Nephilim scratches his head and looks out the window to his right.

Nephilim: "We don’t have to plan a coup d’etat through force, really. Those bastards were embezzling tax money and cutting corners on construction that the taxes were supposed to go to. The real question is, are we going to move the people out of the mountains or keep the current system? And if we do move people out, where do we go?"

Bethany finishes the bottle of water and lets out a refreshing breath.

Bethany: "Well why does everyone have to agree to just one?"

Nephilim’s ears perk up hearing the idea from the promiscuous woman.

Tristan: "Yea! What we can do is, have the people who want to help rebuild Hanabi City, leave the mountains. While those who feel comfortable enough to stay can stay within the safety of the mountains."

As the helicopter flies away from Saku’s controlled ’Demon District’, the two passengers in the cabin can’t see Nephilim’s large uncontrollable smile.

Nephilim: "Yea, that sounds like the perfect plan."

{5PM in Itsuka’s Hospital room}

Itsuka, quietly sitting in her bed is looking at the folded "KATSU 40" sweatshirt on her lap. She has a single platinum braid on the left side of her head with an azule blue ribbon on the end.There is a knock at the dented metal door.

Itsuka: "Come in!"

Scylia with a bowl and a bottle of water comes in with Friend and the dog puts his front paws on the bed while wagging his tail.

Friend: "Rrrurufff"

The injured girl smiles and starts rubbing the dog’s face all over.

Scylia: "How are you feeling, Sweet Pea?"

Itsuka is petting the German Shepherd’s chin.

Itsuka: "Better. I can physically feel the IceEye healing my injuries. They took more x-rays after my temper tantrum and said I didn’t cause any more damage."

The woman walks over to the bed and puts the bowl down, she pours the water into it, and tosses the plastic bottle into the garbage. Friend pops back down and starts drinking from the bowl. Scylia picks up a chair and brings it to the side of the bed.

Scylia: "The pup went out and I fed him. He’s such a good and well behaved boy "

Itsuka watches the dog drink and smiles.

Itsuka: "Thank you, Big Sis Scylia. Unfortunately, whenever Saku leaves..."

The tall woman with short blood red hair sits down with a worried beauty marked half smile.

Scylia: "Don’t mention it, honey. Anytime."

As Friend, wearing his Squad 40 bandana, the ’pup’ finishes lapping up his water, he lays down on the floor beside Itsuka.There is only the buzzing of the florescent light heard for a moment. Scylia moves her eyes starting at the foot of Itsuka’s bed she sees the boot on her left foot, then the brace on her right knee. She then notices the sweatshirt and then looks at Itsuka, fixated on it. The woman then looks at Itsuka’s bandaged knuckles and forehead.

Scylia: "Love is crazy, huh?"Itsuka looks quickly at the older woman and blushes from embarrassment.

Scylia: "Master Daisuki told me what happened and I got one better for you."

Itsuka: "What do you mean?"

Scylia while sitting, bends forwards and puts her elbows on her knees, thinking about her next words.

Scylia: "When I was younger, almost your age, I almost killed myself over a man who broke my heart."

Itsuka is shocked from the reveal and her open mouth quivers from being told such a personal secret.

Scylia: "He didn’t cheat on me, he didn’t hit me, or threaten me. We just became...’distant’. But not the type of ’distant’ in the way you and Saku seem to have to handle it. He seemed to just stop caring more and more. Until one day, after I returned from a competition, he was gone, he left without a word and I was left heartbroken."

Itsuka swallows her spit and looks back down at the sweatshirt Katsu gave her, as a sign he would return with Saku.

Scylia: "So I swallowed a bottle of pills and sooner then later, I eventually blacked out. Luckily, Charybdis was there and called the ambulance just in time. They said he was hysterically crying and preforming CPR on me when the paramedics arrived. When I was told that after waking up, that’s when I realized, it’s not about who you love, it’s about who loves you and what you’re willing to do for that person. What I’m trying to say is, it may seem like Saku is just being ignorant and abandoning you. Leaving you with his dog. But I’m positive he’s actually doing all this, so he can get an ability that can protect the two of you, forever.You get what I’m saying, Love?"

Itsuka silently shakes her head, still looking at Katsu’s sweatshirt.

Scylia calmly gets up and hugs Itsuka. She gives her a kiss on the younger woman’s bandaged forehead and heads for the door.

Scylia: "I’ll be back with some food, okay Hun?"

Itsuka nods in silence again and the door closes. There is silence for a moment until tears form in the purple and IceEye of the injured girl in love.

Itsuka(whisper): "Saku..."