Chapter 136 - Conflicted
"Why exactly are you measuring my arm?" Shino said with twitching eyebrow as he watches Kazuya measure his amputated arm with a tape.
She brought the tap to his good hand measuring it also.
"You can't expect you walking around with one hand, when you have me" Kazuya said in amusement.
Shino stared at her puzzled.
"That was the point of getting my hand amputated, I'm a handicap now" Shino said.
Kazuya pounce a punch on his head.
"Why hit me?" Shino hissed moving back.
"You idiot, you can't limit yourself like that, you say you're an handicap then you're an handicap, don't let the laws of this earth decide your fate of your future, reshape your own" she snaps poking on his chest with her index finger.
"Okay... I get it, it will still take a lot of getting use to" Shino said looking away with sad eyes.
Kazuya sighs as she pulled away, placing one hand on her waist.
"I don't have enough equipment to make a synthetic arm for you but... I will see what I can do" she states turning to leave.
"Engr. Kazuya!".
She halts her steps.
"Are we still..." he gulps as his fist tighten.
"Are we still going ahead with the mission?" He asked.
He heard her sighs.
"At this point Commander Shino" she turns to him briefly.
"It's left for the odds we have to decide... and the Prime Minister of course" she adds with a shrug before walking away.
Shino sighs sitting on a boulder.
He heard approaching footsteps, he turned seeing Sumi, he hasn't seen her since he was back so it took him by surprise.
"Sumi" he said stunned.
She folded her arms, leaning on the wall, crossing her leg on the other.
"Was it worth it?" She began in a serious tone.
"What are you-"
"I heard from Homura!" She snaps.
He froze at her words.
"Tell me Higa Shino... was it worth it?" She asked with clenched teeth.
Shino teared his eyes away from her, his gaze found the ground.
"It was worth it because I was saving my friend" he states.
Sumi teeth clenched in response.
"You lost an arm... and you say you did it for a friend?" Sumi said staring at him with furious eyes.
"That's bullshit!" She hissed.
Shino turns to her puzzled.
Her looks darken.
"It's a cruel world, we don't just give up things for a friend" she said emphasising the word friend like it was foreign to her.
"This world we live in now", she bit her bottom lip.
"It's a matter of survival, don't go sacrificing your life like it means nothing" she adds finally staring at him with her dark pink eyes.
Shino frowned at her words... there was more to it, he could feel it.
"You're angry? I lost my arm?" He asked trying to make sense of why she was here and saying all this to him, the Sumi he knew always mocked everyone for their predicament, it was strange.
Her teeth clenched as her fist tighten also.
"Sumi" he began as he rise to his feet, hoping to get a better understanding, but she turns suddenly walking away, leaving a more confused Shino.
"Sumi" he said with shaky eyes, his eyes sadden.
***
Hiro raised his sleeves, as a needle pierced his skin, Yuki beside him as she watched.
"Is this really necessary?" He asked puzzled.
"It's is Hiro" Touka said as she drew his blood into the tube.
"We need to know if you're finally on the Sp3 stage permanently" she states as her eyes land on him, she could still remember the stunning event, the color to his hair, the aura around him, it was like it was all a dream, because everything was back to normal, his hair color the usual red.
"My body still aches but not how it normally does" Hiro said.
"It's like... my wounds are healing, I can't tell if too slow or fast" he states.
"I see" Touka said retreating the needle, placing a cotton on the small tiny hole on his arm.
"With results I will be back and then we will know where to go from there" she said rising to her feet.
"You're also testing the Kaiju's samples right?" Yuki asked.
Touka nods.
"Everything will be clear in a few hours time and then we know what we're really dealing with" she said final as she turns to leave.
Mosu behind a wall heard everything, his eyes shaky. 'Hiro is still on the Sp2 stage?' He thought in total bewilderment, with tighten fist he walks out into another path. 'What does this mean?' He thought deeply. He mistakenly bumps into Ten.
"Hey! Watch where you're going you fat ass!" He hissed.
"Who are you calling fat ass!" Ten hissed back with white eyes.
"Tsk" Mosu made a sound annoyed.
"We should focus on gathering ourselves, not throwing words at each other, gimme a break" Ten said murmuring as he walks pass Mosu, adjusting his glasses.
"How much do you know about your roommate..." Mosu began making Ten stop.
"...Ten?" he asks turning slightly.
Ten sighs out smoke.
"What are you getting at dude" he said in a bored tone facing him.
Mosu grinned devilishly, with a dark expression. 'This will be fun' he thought in beaming amusement.
"Have you ever wondered why Hiro is so different from us? I mean the thing with his eyes, you know" he said with a shrug.
Ten frowned. 'What's he getting at?!' Ten thought sternly, he knew Mosu never liked Hiro ever since he beat the crap out of him, Mosu always had a way of annoying someone, it was probably what he was doing right now.
Ten sighs.
"Look Mosu I don't ha-"
"Hiro is only different because he's not in the Sp3 stage like the rest of us" Mosu said smirking.
Ten froze as his eyes slowly went wide. 'What?' He thought stunned.
Mosu devilish smirk broadens more... 'Jackpot.... he doesn't know'.