Shattering Humanity-Chapter 134: Welcome To Erebus

The blades of a black hawk helicopter can be heard cutting the wind and slowly approaching the middle most of the Sister Mountains, Mount Morta.

From inside the chopper, Tristan peeks at Bethany while she is looking out the window, with a melancholic expression. She lets out a deep sigh.

Tristan starts thinking to himself about the continuous lustful actions of this woman he was assigned to Squad 1 with.

Tristan: *Come to think of it, Bethany has never brought up her family life in these three days since we were placed in Squad 1 together. It’s known around the Academy that she got kicked out of the dorms for trying to seduce the Head Resident Director. So now she couch surfs in Mount Decima, paying with her body, just for a bed to sleep in for the night. She did say she doesn’t know her father, and it’s not unlikely her family was lost during the invasion. Does she really not have anyone to turn to? Have these seductive attempts on me and Stephanie actually been cries for help?!*

Once he stops thinking to himself, he sees that Bethany has already noticed his fixed gaze. She pulls down the collar to her shirt and bra, juuuust enough to keep her areola covered.

Bethany: "Having second thoughts, Tritty? Once we land, I kinda have to use the bathroom, if you catch my drift."

Tristan doesn’t turn away flustered or embarrassed, but EyeEngages with her.

Tristan: "Bethany, where are you going to be sleeping tonight?"

Bethany is now the blushing and flustered one.

Bethany: "W-W-Whyyy do you ask? Do you actually want to cheat on-"

Tristan: "Shut up, you know that’s not why I’m asking!"

Bethany’s eyes widen in surprise from the energy of a commanding man, but then she puts her head down. Darkness covers her eyes.Nephilim looks back, hiding his smile behind his shoulder.

Tristan: "Instead of having your life left in the hands of a stranger, that you hope won’t want another round in the middle of your sleep, and with a dead body. You can sleep on the couch at me and Stephanie’s place for now. As long as you help Stephanie cook, clean and babysit the girls. Plus, you better watch your ’language and essence’ around my four ’HIGHLY INFLUENCED’ little sisters. None of this sexual talk under my roo-"

A slap can be heard from the cockpit and Nephilim swings his head back to see Tristan leaning to his right, with Bethany’s head down still down. Her outstretched palm being the reason for the sudden stop in his proposal.

Bethany has tears in her eyes and a snowflake falls to the metal floor next to an already landed tear. Tristan doesn’t overreact in retaliation, but slowly adjusts himself back upright and as she looks up, he EyeEngages once again with the emotional woman. He waits for her to explain in silence.

Bethany: "Don’t act like I need your help! I’m independent!I can take care of myself! I don’t need anybody! I-...(sob)...I-...(sob)..."

Tristan doesn’t let her turn away as she struggles, not wanting to let him see her ugly crying face.

Bethany: "(sobs) I have nobody, Tristan...(sobs) I don’t sleep until I get to school. (sobs)That Head Dormitory Director lied about me to save his relationship with his girlfriend! (sobs)He took my virginity, but then said I sexually harassed him, when he was the one who originally approached me!(sobs)Since I gave away my sexual innocence, all for nothing, I determined that I might as well give away my ’damaged goods’ for a night of safety.

It was safer than roaming the roads and streets of different districts, with the higher possibility of being gang raped, and a lower possibility of getting away.4 times, I’ve almost been killed in the trap of sexual monsters. (sobs)"

Nephilim turns back around and looks down at the metal floor and his boots.

Nephilim: "Bethany, darling, why didn’t you tell Gray? You could’ve asked me, my office has a comforting and warm couch. I probably could’ve found you a free apartment as well. The General has a lot of pull in those types of things.I’m afraid to ask... but, has any man actually...?"

Tristan breaks the EyeEngagement and lets the young girl have her physical freedom.

The young woman with spiky black and green streaks closes her sky blue and IceEye. As she thinks about whether to answer, she thinks about it for so long, that the other three in the helicopter believe she won’t answer, but finally. Tristan, with a bright red left cheek, closes his eyes as well and takes a deep breath. Once he opens them, Bethany starts her answer and without EyeEngaging she looks directly at him.

Bethany: "I’ve been caught, once.During my second week of this ’free girl life’, a man handcuffed me to his bed while I wasn’t paying attention, and he did everything he desired. Even when I begged him to stop."

All three of the other passengers get alarmed by the woman’s confession. She calms down slightly.

Bethany: "The sick bastard let me live. He didn’t say it, but I know why he did.He was hoping I was ’one of those girls’ who was into that specific sexual fantasy, and he probably hoped I would come crawling back to him wanting more. So I ’tried’ to avoid him. I began choosing weaker cherry boys and virgins. There’s less of a chance they’ll attempt to rape me, plus I can usually take them in a fight if they did try."

Tristan: "Wait, Bethany, don’t just gloss over the fact someone raped you!"

Bethany: "Hey, relax Tritty. It’s no big deal. Really."

Tristan: "No big deal?!"

Bethany gives a slight chuckle.

Bethany: "Whatever small thing he was penetrating me with, didn’t hurt. And it’s not like I put up much of a fight once the gun was put to my head. It was more of the thought of him killing me when he was finished being the real torture. But I’m not traumatized or mentally damaged because of it. If he hadn’t handcuffed me I would’ve fought him, I’m not afraid of him and if he had ever tries anything again, I will kill him. But I guess, I am slightly grateful for him not killing me, even though he had the complete freedom to. I left right after and had to buy a morning after pill from Mount Morta’s Medical District."

Silpheed peeks over to their right and sees a thick grey aura coming from Nephilim’s turned head. The reflection of his 2nd Stage IceEye emitting it in the window.

Nephilim: "Bethany, my dear, can I have you show me this man’s place of residency?"

Bethany gets worried and also an embarrassed look as she looks back out the window.

Bethany: "I actually can’t, General Nephilim, sir. You see, this is why I refrained from telling you all in the first place, because if I told you who it was, it could compromise the integrity of Squad 1."

Nephilim: "That’s all I needed to know, my dear Bethany."

Tristan suddenly realizes who it is and also gets incredibly angry, knowing, Bethany’s rapist, also had Stephanie within his reach so many times already.

Tristan: "I need to get back home! Stephanie could be his prey next if he wanted her! If he’s capable of taking advantage of Bethany with just the use of handcuffs, he wouldn’t even need to restrain my delicate Stephanie!There’s nobody at home to protect her!"

Nephilim relaxes his IceEye and the grey aura fades.

Nephilim: "Don’t worry, you two. When we get back to the mountains, Uncle Neph will take care of that bastard for you. As both the General of HFF and the new Mentor of Squad 1."

Bethany and Tristan both look at each other in confusion.

Bethany and Tristan: "...’Uncle Neph’?"

Nephilim hits the sole button on the remote above his head that is used to send a signal to the operating room so they can open up the dome top of the artificial mountain. The aircraft hovers above the mountain, waiting for the opportunity to lower itself inside.

However, the mountain stays closed and Nephilim again presses the single button of the remote, similar to one that would activate an overhead garage door. After a minute of waiting, there is still no movement from the retractable mountain top. Nephilim looks at the one button remote.

Nephilim: "The hell, is this thing dead?"

Silpheed tightly grips the Cyclic Pitch Control of the aircraft in nervousness.

Silpheed: "Ah- swaar- ah- grhhbd- ah- uhly- tuhhrged- un, Nevv-eh-um Zir!"

Nephilim holds down the button and the small led above it blinks green.

Nephilim: "You never fail me Silph, don’t worry, it’s fully charged. There’s something else going on here."

From the cabin of the copter, Tristan stands up and leans into the cockpit.

Tristan: "What do you mean, General Nephilim!? Do you think the two remaining Sisters caught wind of our ’coup’ and demanded they don’t let us back in?"

Nephilim slightly pinches his smooth chin with the second knuckles of his thumb and pointer finger, in thought.

Nephilim: "No, because I have someone I trust on duty to let us in. The door was supposed to be locked from both sides, so those Sisters couldn’t get to her. Unless...Silph, land on Mt.Decima, we can use my manual passcode and get on the elevator back in. Then find out why Eden didn’t open the dome for us."

As they swerve the helicopter around to the western mountain, in the distance, from the concrete collum and canopy that covers the elevator from Daisuki’s first excursion story.However, as they get closer... they see something, two ’things’, hanging from the top of the concrete canopy.

Nephilim: "What... the... f-?"

As Bethany and Tristan fight to look through the small window to look at the front of the aircraft, Silpheed’s left red eye grows wide once they get close enough to see.

The bodies of two completely burnt individuals, hanging by their necks, with a wooden sign between also hanging over where ’HFF’ was engraved.

Written in blood the sign ominously reads, ’Welcome to Erebus’.