Quake's Goal

-Quake's Headquarters-

--Cole's Perspective--

"So, this is your first official mission as a member of Quake? Do you have any prior experience?" Kire asked me.

We walked along the boardwalk of a weird building that acted as our housing. With training in this new organization I belonged to, I realized that we had very weird arrangements.

We all sleep standing upright, to practice doing it whenever. We are also hit with intense surges of pain while awake through a machine on our wrists to increase our pain tolerance, and we're also given other mental training throughout the day to make sure we're as strong as possible.

I haven't really gotten to know everybody yet, but it seems that Kire is the one who has taken care of me the most. It might sound weird in my head, but he seems to be the only true Arkian in this entire group, while the rest of them are just monsters. Still, I was on their league as well and was no better.

"I don't really have experience, no. However, I'm sure with you teaching me, I'll be alright. What about you, Kire? Do you have any-"

"No." Kire cut me off before I could ask my question, and I just silently nodded, changing the subject.

"Do you have any connection with Sky Asterio-"

"No." Again, he cut me off.

"Is that a sensitive topic?" He finally let me finish.

"Sort of. That name... it's connected through my experience as well, but he didn't kill me as he killed you." He clarified for me.

I noticed his body language was seeming uncomfortable, so in order to restore our friendship, I completely dropped all topics.

"Fico seems to like me because of my Incarnation, but I haven't used it in combat. Does it seem useful to you too? I mean, useful enough to scout out that guy?" I asked Kire.

"Could be, depends on how you use it. Just like the rest of our Incarnations. What's good about an Incarnation that lets you heal infinitely and boundlessly?" He returned my question with another, causing me to inadvertently strategize.

True, with my Incarnation now in my hands, I could actually fight Sky... the problem was...

That ability of his...

I wanted to seize it more than anything! As it was an Incarnation that allowed us to all grow exponentially... no... more like grow infinitely.

"What are your relationships with everybody else in Quake? It's kind of hard as a newcomer to push myself into all friendships, so I've just been staying in the back for now and sticking close to you. I'd like to get to know Austin, though. What's with him?" I asked Kire. It was kind of a vague question, but he seemed to understand me.

"It's Split Personality Disorder. Different than Dissociative. You see, before Austin was even born, he had a twin sister who was supposed to be named Amy. Amy and Austin suffered damage in the womb from an attack on the mother and Amy died within it, but her brain seemed to fuse with Austin's brain. He's twice as intelligent, but he can be two different people at the same time. He has an IQ of around two hundred and ninety-nine as a result, but isn't a very useful fighter when he is Amy." Kire explained.

What a complicated man...

"I see, I feel bad for that, but I suppose it could be a blessing in disguise," I commented, watching Kire lean against the railing viewing the Earth.

It looked so messed up... ugly, even.

"No matter. We will learn about teamwork at another date. In the next day or two, you'll be down on Earth gathering information, and taking Fico's wings back up to this ship after you gathered it." He explained.

"What information do I gather? How much Sky would beat my ass? I mean, why are we even doing this, and not focusing on strategies to beat him?" I asked Kire.

That part always confused me. With our opponent right in front of us, taking him head-on would be the easiest battle of our lives... theoretically.

"Call it a hunch, but something tells me that man isn't at the same level of strength that he was at before. I used to have a friend... we'll call her Red-Head. Red-Head admitted to me, near the end of our friendship, that a person hadn't yet awakened... and that person could ruin the world if he did. My hunch is that it's Sky Asterio. Just like us, who regained our powers long after awakening fully... I assume he's no longer near his previous strength." Kire argued.

Oh...? That changes things entirely.

I could fight him then.

No... in fact, I'll prove to Quake that I can fight him, and I'll come back with his head, and become one of the top-ranking members.

"You seem to dislike Sky just as much as we all do, yet you have no direct connection to him. Is your hate unfounded?" I asked him again, wanting more information.

"I don't hate Sky, I hate The Asterios. They took everything from me... My wife... My son... my innocence... I plan to steal it all back after we're done with Sky... and after I'm done with Genesis." He clasped his hand tightly. I could tell he was adamant about that.

"Doesn't Genesis have the power to revive the dead? Why would you want to kill him if he took your wife and son?" I asked, leaning against the railing with Kire.

"Do you think, in all of your brain cells, that Genesis would ever use his power for somebody else's convenience? For the entire time, I've known him, I can't list a good thing that bastard has done. I don't care about Fico's connection to him, I don't care about your connection to him... I will kill him with my bare hands." Kire said.

His eyes lit up in that weird color again as he gazed upon the Earth. What a scary man...

"Don't worry about my connection to him, it's strictly business," Fico said.

She was fresh out of the bath, walking out with a tied towel around her body, and a tablet in her hand with Genesis's face on it.

I shouldn't be looking at her body right now... focus on the tablet, Cole.

"An order. A kill order. For Genesis Asterio." Fico said, adjusting her towel.

"Hey, stop staring. You're supposed to be used to this. I could be naked and if your eyes faltered, I would have to kill you. Anyway, here's the plan. Cole, I'll be going with you and staying down there, that means no escape until my mission is done as well. Well, get some rest, we'll be heading out tomorrow." Fico said, leaving soon after.