Shattering Humanity-Chapter 288: "A Symbolic Animal Of Strength, Wisdom, & Good Fortune."
"A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings... - 1 Samuel 25:2-3
__________________
{2 ½ Years After Leviathan’s Invasion}
[Inner Sanpaku]
The shots of a cordless staple gun secure the last few panels at the top of the Sanpaku wall.
Scylia: "Well that should do it."
The red haired woman, a year younger, already paired with her symbiote replacing her right eye steps down from a tall metal ladder.
At the bottom, holding the ladder steady, is a year younger Daisuki.
He is equipped with dual wielded SunSwords supplied by the Sister Mountains.
The still employed HFF soldier, and soon to be Squad 40 Mentor, is making sure the secret sanctuary he has secured away from the Sister Mountains stays hidden and maintains it’s security.
They look over and see a large bald man with a mask covering his face, and an industrial blow torch, cutting a door sized shape piece from one of the metal panels at the base to the layer of separation between the apocalypse and safety.
His much younger partner carefully stays out of the way and avoids looking directly at the white hot torch in the old man’s hand.
Once the cutting has been completed, the young man kicks the piece out and it bends making a funny *WhippleWhopple* noise before falling to the dusty cement.
Old Man Welder: "Damn it boy, be more careful! The wall just got finished goddamit!"
Before the apprentice can apologize there is suddenly the echoes of a panicking man yelling, coming from the shadows of the tunnel.
Echoing Voice: "Someone please help me!
Why are they still chasing me!!"
Scylia goes to look at Daisuki but the noble soldier has already taken off to save the day.
She blushes, admiring Daisuki’s courage as he sprints passed the old man, through the freshly cut opening.
The founder of Sanpaku and ex-military soldier grabs the frozen stiff apprentice by the back of the shirt and yanks him back to safety.
He turns back around and EyeEngages with Scylia.
Daisuki: "Hurry up and get that door installed into the wall!
I’ll try to hold them off as long as I can!"
Scylia: "But Mr. Daisuki-!"
Daisuki: "NOW!"
The few others around the building site now know something is wrong and there is a slight panic in the air.
More and more individuals start to retreat further into Sanpaku.
Scylia looks around and spots the exterior door. She turns around and notices the old man and his apprentice are already getting the doors support jams secured to the structure.
The strong woman runs over to the door and she manages to pick it up but struggles until...
Charybdis: "I got this end Sis!"
Lifting up one end is a younger Charybdis but he has yet to trade his right human eye for a symbiote.
Both his yellow eyes are full of determination as Scylia nods and they quickly make their way over to the opening.
Meanwhile, Daisuki runs a little further into the darkness.
The sounds of snarling Icemen and the panting man in distress are getting louder and louder.
The HFF soldier unsheathes both his SunSwords, illuminating the tunnel’s darkness just enough to see a few feet ahead of him.
Echoing Voice: "I can’t...
Please stop chasing...
Ahhhhhhhh!!!!"
Daisuki: "No!"
He sprints a few more paces before accidentally running up on the pack of 3 ice aliens consuming their successfully caught prey.
The half dead man who tried his hardest to survive, can’t believe his unfortunate fate as his consciousness fades away to the sounds of slicing and angry grunting coming from the too late savior.
{Five Minutes Later}
A match is lit and dropped.
With his head down, a shadow covering his sour expression, Daisuki walks away from the burning corpse of the victim he failed to save.
Sheathing his holsters, the mechanism within the HeatHolsters activates and begins hitting the blade with heat.
He sulks to himself quietly while returning to the group he left to quick build the door.
Daisuki(to himself): "Yet another person I failed to save..."
He takes a deep depressed sigh of exhaustion as the illumination from the flame he left behind slowly fades behind him.
Daisuki: "What am I even doing?
I’m not cut out for this ’leader for the people’ role, so why am I trying to pretend like I am?
I should’ve just counted my blessings after that meteor blasted a hole in the prison.
Hehe...
Wow, I think I just realized what Nephilim meant when we first saw each other again.
And he’s right, for my existence to have a second chance at happiness, the world literally had to end.
Man, why does my life have to fuckin suck?
Why does Nephilim get the satisfaction of being right all the time?..."
He returns to the wall, and within the short time he had left and returned, his team has already installed the exterior door to Sanpaku’s Entrance.
Once a few yards away, the sound of the door knob unlocking his heard, and Scylia opens up the door with a red marker skillfully shifting between her pink painted nails.
Scylia: "Welco-..."
She notices the man’s melancholic attitude and she already knows he was unsuccessful at saving the innocent person who was only a short distance away from safety.
She pulls open the door all the way, hiding the heart with the initials "M+S" written in red permanent marker.
{Current Day}
[Former Sanpaku Entrance]
Scylia stares at the fragment of their past and tears build up in her eyes as she looks back at the romanticizing man.
Scylia: "M-Master Daisuki?"
The man with the broken heart tattooed on his pointer finger puts his hand on her’s tattooed on the middle.
Daisuki: "I’m sorry if my attitude that day made you not want to show me, but eventually I did notice it, and I knew your handwriting by then.
It made me realize, I should be thankful for the blessings I’ve received. Even if I was only able to obtain them as a result to the end of the world."
Everyone in the group around them is smiling, watching true love unfurl...except Saku and Laban who are rolling their eyes in disgust.
Saku & Laban DaeMon(thinking): *Sooooo freakin’ corny!*
Katsu looks over at his pal Aiden covered in paint and chuckles at the young genius not clean and tidy like his usual self.
Katsu: "Umm, haha, Aiden?"
The young man’s glasses reflect the available light as he turns his head to look at his Division Captain.
Katsu: "Whyyy are you covered in paint?"
{Two Minutes Later}
Daisuki: "Okay, so with all that out of the way, I have some good news!"
Everyone gathers around and listens closely for the Head Hancho’s rare "good news".
Daisuki: "So, we managed to not only find a spot appropriate for Abby the Abrams, but alsoooo...."
He points to Aiden who nervously figgets where he’s standing. Unable to make eye contact with anyone with their own ocular sensors on him.
Aiden: "I- uhh ...ummm..."
Katsu’s eyes get wide and he is quick to put two and two together.
Katsu: "Wait, Aiden!
Are you covered in painted because-!?!?"
Over zealous Katsu bumps into Saku, "accidentally" on his way to Daisuki.
Saku: "Aye, take it easy.
He’s a freakin’ spaz, I swear."
Katsu gets right up in his Big Bro’s person space with star eyes and max volume.
Katsu: "Can we go see her right now!?
Please Big Bro?!
Can we?!
Can we!?"
Itsuka leans into Shelly and whispers to the smiling blonde.
Itsuka: "I bet that’s the only time he can get away with saying that in front of you, huh?"
Shelly: "Shh- No!"
The girl in love blushes while the listening Drakania giggles behind her own matching teal nail painted hand.
Daisuki chuckles and manages to make a small amount of separation from his Yang Vessel disciple.
Daisuki: "Calm down there Katsu.
I’m already on it.
If Saku would like to help, we could-"
Saku: "I’m resting today."
The face of slightly fatigued Daisuki gets a slight shade of blue.
He takes a deep breath and opens his activated IceEye.
Daisuki: "Okay, but Sol, Honey?"
Sol: "Hm?"
Daisuki: "Can you have Taylor please crawl through so I don’t have to maintain a large portal again this time?"
Sol smiles and nods.
[West Tomodachi Town]
SeiõrSnow continues to fall during the mid day in the Izanagi controlled
A winded Daisuki hops through his own closing portal last, and puts his hands on his knees.
Daisuki: "Phewwww!
I think... that was a new... record time!"
Scylia softly rubs his back and they all take a minute for their leader to catch his breath, as his body is feeling the equivalent of dead sprinting for 180 seconds without stopping.
Itsuka: "Wait, I haven’t been to this part of your side...are we?"
She turns around and notices the brick building Daisuki’s portal was using to open his transfer portal.
Shelly: "Isn’t this the-"
Katsu has already zoomed away, leaving everyone else in a dust trail.
Katsu: "The Fire Station!
It’s the perfect spot!"
The speeding spaz pulls open one of the two available doors into the Sanpaku Fire Station.
The only post apocalyptic damage done to the important societal safety building is the struck flag pole still buried in the grass, hiding the flag that once flew proud.
Eventually, the rest of the accompanying group follows him inside.
From the doorway, Katsu can be seen inside the "garage" to the station.
Looking at something to his left, the stunned young man has his mouth wide open.
Charybdis is the first to join him and chuckles at the stone of his captain.
Charybdis: "Careful Katsu, or a bug...might...fly..."
It’s not until he looks over, the young firearms enthusiast understands why Katsu is awestruck.
Everyone files into the garage and looks over at the immaculate combination of both spiritual and military artistry.
The once sand colored army tanker that was inside the padded training room within Sanpaku is now painted to look like a smiling elephant.
The cannon to the beast of machinery is perfectly shaded to resemble the trunk of an actual beast of nature.
Smiling Daisuki puts a hand on blushing Aiden’s shoulder while admiring the philosophical artwork he’s already had time to take in.
Daisuki: "I figured, the best way to make others know we’re not the bad guys, is to have our scary tank look like a happy animal.
But not just any animal.
A symbolic animal of strength, wisdom, and good fortune.
And the zoo I used to go to as a kid had an elephant named Abby. So I guess it subconsciously snuck it’s way out..."
