Leave The Monster Alone

"Change of plans. We need to find Rika first" Alan looked worried all of a sudden, his wide eyes betraying his shock. Mark felt the shock himself but it did not really register inside his mind.

His body shook though and he had no idea why that happened at all. What was wrong with him to be feeling this way all of a sudden?  Was he actually sick?

"By finding Rika you mean finding her lab and retrieving her right? She's not actually missing, right? MARK, YOU NEED TO ANSWER" Alan was almost in Mark's face and he was clearly worried for the female.

Mark was worried for the female as well since she was prone to accidents. She had proved herself to be an excelled unit but she was not the best physically. Mark thought she knew that as well but this was beyond stupid.

For someone in her position to disappear from the secured position for any task was far beyond foolish and negligence on her part. She should have waited or at least informed someone she was going away for now. There was also the chance that she might have been kidnapped but Mark really did not consider that possibility.

Had that been the case someone must have seen her struggle. Unless she was one of the last people left in the base and everyone else was busy trying to guarantee their safety first. Knowing Rika's character and her fondness for humans in general it was not a farfetched idea to think.

"The only thing Liam mentioned was that Rika was 'missing'. He gave us no other information so we have to make assumptions. Splitting off from here should be safe if most of the people have really left us alone. For now, we hall focus on finding Rika" Alan agreed without any hesitation but not everyone was on board.

In fact, one of them let his thoughts out loud and clear.

"Well, I don't think so. No way, na uh. Especially not with Nathan roaming around this base since I value my sanity" Fidi's fears were irrational and they made no sense. Mark was about to tell this to him in broad words.

However, luckily for the other Vodi intervened in-between before Mark could tear the other a new one.

"What he means to say is that we have orders where Nathan or someone from their range is concerned. We are ordered to step back and to return when such a thing happens. I'm afraid we need to head back now" the female's words were much more clear and Mark understood her perfectly.

But there were also new problems that arose because of this new information. Whose orders did they follow and where did they get implemented? Mainly, did Kuro and Alan need to step back as well? Were they part of this ' ordered community?'

"Right. The voice is killing my head now, even more so after I met Nathan recently. Tell me it's happening to you all as well?" Mark did not hear any voice but Kuro and Alan looked a little more alert for now.

There was certainly something that was going on with them which they had not told them yet.

In reality, Alan had been about to mention the oddity of this situation he had just been faced with. The voice he had heard the first time was back and at first, he had taken it for his core granter's but there was a different tone to this one.

But it was too faint for him to make anything out. It had been a silent urge to its voice but Alan was stubborn and ignored it all the while. He was not sure if the voice those two were talking about was the same one he was hearing but he did now and it was concerning to him.

"Alan?" Mark's question was asked in a concerned voice but he had no answer for him. Even when he knew this was no coincidence and it was likely something related to being a 'divine beast', he could not help but worry about it a little.

"I do hear it but it's too faint to make anything out. Even when I concentrate I hear nothing at all. Do you think it's the same voice?" This time the question was aimed at the eldest duo and Fidi passed it off with a shrug.

"Can't say kid but it might be. Mine is screaming in my head with the message of 'return' now that I've played my part. We'll see you around then, hopefully. And also -" Fidi levelled a glare at Mark, one of the most genuine ones he had ever give to anyone and his eyes looked solemn and dead now "- That's my sister's core. You handle it with care" 

Mark felt the shivers go down his back when the other said those last lines. There was an invisible pressure all around him as well which made breathing difficult but it was bearable for now.

Fidi only waited for Alan's nod of confirmation before he left with Vodi and Mark realised with a jolt that they had escaped the incoming talk about En's death. His mind could not help but wonder if the whole voice thing had been a ploy to get away from the talk but the pain felt almost too real to be a joke of any kind.

"So Rika?" Alan asked and Mark nodded. 

"We need to find Rika and retrieve a body as well. Captain En has fallen and deserves a proper burial" Mark's mind said that it was a selfish request on his part to provide his friend with a proper burial but he shushed that part of him. 

To bury someone who sacrificed himself for their cause with dignity was only noble and just. It deserved to happen and it did not matter that the person was his friend or not.

Even though a voice deep in his mind called him a liar, Mark knew he was anything but a liar and he had reasons to prove it to himself. He had already convinced himself anyway so it did not matter what the other said at this point.

Mark would do what he had to do to make those pesky feelings go away and if this would go away with him burying the other at his own hands then this is what he will do.

Alan looked doubtful when he saw Mark but he could not help but feel as if he the other needed this as well. In the end, he allowed the other to do as he wanted with a tired sigh. If this is what brought him happiness then Alan did not see a reason to stop the other. But still - 

"Rika first and then Captain En's body. I'm not sure if you can even find it in all that rubble"  As soon as Alan said those words, he wanted to take them back. Mark looked not right.

He was not angry but he was not sad either. There was a state of blankness to his eyes that scared Alan flat out and the earlier feeling of chillness returned to the scene.

"I'm sure his body will still be there when we reach the place" Alan tried to clear the situation out and it worked.

Mark was not happy with those words but he could understand why the other said this. He also wanted to find Rika but there were more crucial things at work here than mere death. He also wanted to observe the body or something like that. 

In fact, this was what his mind had been telling him for now though.

"Let's start with those labs. There may be clues there if she left of her own accord. If not then we should start a perimeter check immediately as soon as we can" that was the logical conclusion to make and Alan nodded at the reply.

Mark had assumed that Liam was doing a perimeter check already but it did not harm them to do a thorough check themselves and see to Rika's needs. Mark felt unsettled at the feeling he was having inside his heart.

He was not feeling like this was his lucky day and he should really quit while he was still ahead. But the thing was, he knew things like feelings were not superstitions in these times. Surprisingly, his rational side also believed in this fact and allowed him to know that there was some truth to it all.

"You think Rika disappeared voluntarily? And what if she did? Are we going to drag her back to the new base?" the thing was, Mark had no opinion about that so he did not worry about those details. 

In the end, Rika did not have a choice in this matter as her seat of honour was secured even before she had originated in this game. For the future of this game, her presence at the same central base was necessary.

She was the key to a lot of things after all and Mark would kill everyone before he endangered their reality like that