Shattering Humanity-Chapter 289: Getting The Wind Knocked Out
"God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.
God commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don’t eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you’re dead."
God said, "It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion." So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn’t find a suitable companion.
God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. -Genesis 2:15-22
_____________________________
[Tomodachi Town Fire Station]
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..."
Outside the brick building, SeiõrSnow continues to fall as the overhead door to the fire station garage begins to slowly rise.
Impatient Katsu rolls like a moron underneath.
Shelly and Itsuka crouch under the rising vinal opening, following him.
With the garage now open enough, Saku, Friend, Xaaydagaay, Laban, Jormy, Drakania, Sol, and TayTay walk upright, to the bright world.
Katsu is bobbing up and down, playfully shaking an annoyed Saku.
Everyone watches as Abby rolls out of the building carefully.
Her trunk is the first to pop out from the building and the rest of her body follows into the free, open world.
The tanker comes to a halt and the sun flares from above, lines up perfectly with the tip of her cannon.
From the loader’s top hatch, Daisuki, Scylia, Charybdis, and finally Dom exit the fully armored urban military tanker.
Daisuki: "We’ll all get more time to practice both piloting and aiming her ’protective fire’ once we find an appropriate firing range."
After Daisuki and Char jump down, the chivalrous leader turns around and takes the hand of his wife to be.
Daisuki: "Luckily Abby’s model is perfect for Tomodachi Town and the center of Sanpaku, the old highways and roadways between the two Division’s respective areas."
Scylia gives her helper a kiss on the cheek, making him blush.
Dom, trying to show off, is tightrope walking the canon to the tank.
The goober of the group predicably slips off of Abby’s freshly painted trunk.
He hits his side, knocking the wind out of him.
Fortunately, the chastised veteran alertly catches his air gasping soldier.
Daisuki lifts up the windless Gunner’s shirt to check his ribs and there is no immediate bruising to indicate broken ribs.
The Head Hancho leans windless Dom up against Abby’s treads
Daisuki: "Hehe, careful bud.
She’s still a little wet."
Katsu is quickly moving and examines every corner of the freshly painted tank.
Katsu: "Woahhh!"
The over enthusiastic Izanagi Captain startles the paint covered Aiden with his approach.
Katsu: "Aiden!
This is so cool!
That’s the second thing your art expertise has come in handy for!"
Blushing Aiden smiles and looks at Shelly. The Ace of Takamagahara gives the genius a tatted thumbs up with a smile.
Friend & Xaaydagaay: "Rrrrrufff rurffff!
Rrrrrr!"
The two animals, not knowing anybetter think the painted tank is an actual other animal and try to scare away the smiling beast.
Saku comes up behind them and pats them both on the head to calm down.
Saku: "It’s okay you two!
It’s just a machine, see?"
Both Friend and Xaaydagaay are bouncing left to right while Saku walks up and touch the tank.
With his hand on the paint, he turns and looks at the two of them.
Saku: "See, she’s friendly."
He takes his hand off to see his palm has a bit of pink paint from touching Abby’s newly painted ear.
Both Xaaydagaay and Friend sniff his hand but before they can lick the toxic substance, Saku moves his hand away.
Dom finally recovers and the Izanami Gunner is shaky while getting up.
Saku: "You good bro?"
Dom gives a thumbs up while still catching the last bit his breath.
Saku looks over at Laban, smoking a blunt, examining the tank herself. He walks over to her and she hands him the smoking apparatus and he takes a hit before handing it back over.
Saku: *exhales* Want to tell me what’s on your mind?"
Laban takes a moment to look Abby in the cartoonish drawn eye.
Laban DaeMon: "I used to have a Homie who used to work on this thing all the time.
My girl, Buzz.
She used to make sure this tank was always ready to roll."
Saku: "...’Buzz’?
You never brought her up before."
Laban takes a hit from her blunt and blows out the smoke.
Laban DaeMon: "There were rumors her city in the northern boarding county had it’s own sanctuary.
She had asked me respectfully if she could leave and bring her family back to Roronora City. As the mind game playing Don, I thought it would be a good sign of a leader to let her go out..."
Once he is fully recovered, Dom interrupts with his first breath back in his lungs.
Dom: "What happened to her?"
In an act of pure rage, Laban gives the intruding young man an punch right to the ribs that knocks the unfortunate man’s air back out of him.
Laban stands over him with anger and fire in her eyes.
Laban DaeMon: "Don’t you EVER talk out of turn between Saki and I again.
You got that?!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
While comedically sucking wind, Dom nods his head in full agreement.
Saku’s hand appears on Laban’s shoulder and she sweetly turns around, hearts floating around her.
Saku: "So what happened to her?"
Laban snaps out of her love and a look of sadness comes over her, recalling the memory.
Laban DaeMon: "She never returned.
I don’t know if she lied and betrayed me, or if she got eaten by a group of those aliens, but after a couple months, she never came back to Roronora."
There is a moment of reflection for the ex-Don of the post apocalyptic sanctuary that has now been turned into a pond of rain and blood.
Laban DaeMon: "To be real with you Saki, she was also the one who came up with the schematics to the original SunSwords and HeatHolsters."
Saku now looks completely interested in the story.
Saku: "Wait, I never thought about that.
So this friend of yours, ’Buzz’, she was the original creator of Anti-Iceman Gear?!"
Smiling Laban nods at him then looks back at Abby the tank/elephant as she takes a drag.
After exhaling, she watches the smoke travel in the opposite direction as the falling SeiõrSnow.
Laban DaeMon: "Yea,she was pretty cool."
[Erebus City Center]
Nephilim: "They very much still could be, in their own right, the strongest creatures on this planet.
But when it comes to avoiding the strongest creatures, the most clever prey is usually the best at hiding to survive."
Tristan’s heterospecies eyes widen and he puts his pointer knuckle to his bottom lip. Thinking.
Nephilim smiles, appreciating the spark he has ignited in the young soldier’s mind.
Nephilim: "Did my words get the gears turning, young Tristan?"
Tristan: "Well, I was just thinking, maybe one of her sisters is lying.
If that’s the case, which one, and why?"
His wife to be interjects after taking a bite of ice cream.
Stephanie: "But wouldn’t the others be able to piece together who it was though?
I have a feeling, with how powerful Madame MamMon is, her sisters can’t be that far off from her level."
MamMon DæMon: "No, I am the strongest of all my sisters."
Stephanie: "Eeeep!"
On queue, the fire alarms from the inside of the clothing store the group is next to, go off.
The few customers and workers inside are evacuating the building.
Finally, Bethany with the bathing suit top still exposed, is trying to get her wet pants back on whilst annoyed Icythis and a stone faced Isfet follow her out last.
Icythis looks at her wet and ruined halt finished cig, clenches her teeth, and flicks it away.
Icythis: "What a freaking waste."
