CHAPTER 7 : Who is Echo?

AT ANTI HAZARD HEADQUATERS

At AHQ, Halley walked through the halls in her hospital clothes, wiping away the remnants of her tears. She kept her head low, hoping no one would notice her distress. But as fate would have it, the general spotted her.

"Ms. Halley," he called, his tone neutral. "I heard you and your comrade, Echo, got into a little fight. But since no one was seriously hurt, don't worry—neither of you will be sanctioned."

Halley barely acknowledged him. That wasn't what had been weighing on her mind. The meeting. The rejection. Takuya.

The general continued, oblivious to her mood. "As for your plan, I can't request government approval to use satellites for tracking the Sanctum, even if I wanted to. The best I can do is apply a bounty." His tone was dismissive, as if her concerns were just another insignificant task on his list. With that, he walked away, leaving her standing there, fists clenched at her sides.

At the end of the hall, Echo spotted her. He was about to wave when he noticed her expression—eyes slightly swollen, lips pressed together in a firm line. But before he could say anything, she turned and walked into the male restroom.

Echo hesitated for only a moment before chasing after her, sniper still slung over his back. Pushing the door open, he found Halley sitting on the floor, her back against the cold tile wall, arms wrapped around her knees.

He sat down beside her without a word.

"Go away," she muttered.

Echo ignored the request. "What happened, Halley? You can tell me."

"It's nothing." Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her.

Echo sighed, standing up briefly before sitting back down again. "I'm sorry..." He hesitated. "Is this about Takuya?"

She turned her head away, pressing her forehead against her knees. "...I thought he liked me."

Echo let out a short, amused breath. "Like? Halley, Takuya loves you." He leaned back, resting his head against the wall. "He reminds me of my old self."

Halley finally looked at him, curiosity breaking through the sadness. "Your old self?"

Echo smirked, tapping his sniper rifle lightly. "Ever wonder why I named this gun Kasumi?"

She shook her head.

"I named it after the first girl I ever loved," he said with a nostalgic smile.

Echo sat beside Halley in the quiet, sterile restroom, the tile floor cold against his back. Her presence beside him felt heavy — not in a bad way, but in a way that reminded him of something long buried. His eyes slowly dulled, the weight of the moment tugging at his mind like a tide pulling him under.

Then it came.

The memory.

He was on a bus, dozing peacefully, lulled by the quiet hum of the road. A soft tap on his shoulder stirred him.

"Wake up, sleepy head," Kasumi said, grinning.

Her hair, that messy, short pink bob she never bothered to fix. Those bright green eyes, full of joy and chaos. That laugh — it sounded like freedom. Echo smiled, stunned for a second just by looking at her. She looked... perfect. He always thought so.

They had arrived at the amusement park.

Kasumi leapt out, dragging him by the hand, her voice echoing with excitement. "Let's go! I wanna win some prizes!" She shoved a map in his hands and pulled him toward the game booths like a kid in a candy store.

He tried. He missed. He sucked.

"Aim better!" she said, laughing hard enough to snort. But then — a lucky shot. He won her a giant panda.

She hugged it tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're my lucky charm!" she said, beaming.

Echo's heart nearly exploded.

"I'm gonna get the whole zoo for you!" he declared, and she laughed again — that laugh that could make any war seem distant.

The day melted into a blur of lights, carousel music, and the feeling that time was standing still.

Then, the moment.

They stood beneath the setting sun. She looked up at him. Her hair fluttered in the wind, the panda still in her arms. Her eyes were so soft. So real.

"Kasumi-san..." he said, trying to steady his heartbeat. "You look just like a dream. The prettiest girl I've ever seen."

She giggled, face red, squeezing the panda closer.

"Kasumi-san, I... I love"

And then... warmth. Something wet.

A heavy splash across his face.

He blinked.

And she was gone.

Not vanished. Not taken.

Destroyed.

Her body lay in pieces. Bone. Blood. The stuffing of the panda floating through the air like feathers in a storm. The laughter had stopped. The world fell silent. Echo's body locked — frozen in place as if time itself had snapped.

His mind screamed, but his mouth couldn't move.

A boy — maybe just older than Echo — stood trembling near the scene. He was pale, shaking, whispering something.

"I... I didn't mean to. I couldn't control it. I— I was just running..."

Echo didn't understand. Nothing made sense. Then—

BANG.

A gunshot.

The boy dropped.

A man — rugged, grey-haired, mid-60s — lowered a smoking pistol. He walked over, voice rough, tired.

"Sorry, kid. I... I tried to get here sooner. I'm sorry your friend died."

Friend?

She wasn't a friend.

She was his everything.

Echo collapsed, knees to the ground, hands soaked in her blood. He stared at what was left of her. The panda's button eyes stared back like a cruel joke.

The old man knelt and gently pulled Echo into a hug. No words. Just silence. Echo cried — a broken, raw sound — into the man's coat, hoping if he cried long enough, he could wake up and find her standing again, telling him to aim better.

But she never would.

Back in the present...

Halley had dozed off quietly beside him, head leaning gently against the wall. Her breathing was soft now, peaceful.

Echo blinked out of the memory, a soft, painful smile tugging at his lips. He let out a quiet chuckle — not out of joy, but something else. Something warmer than grief. He stood up slowly, brushing the wrinkles from his uniform, and looked at her once more.

"Sleep well," he whispered.

Then he walked off, silently, like a ghost leaving behind a moment too fragile to disturb.

In the surveillance room...

Takuya sat in his office, the monitor playing the silent footage. He watched Echo beside Halley — the way she leaned on him, how she smiled in her sleep, even cuddled a little closer for warmth. It looked... romantic.

It felt romantic.

His fists clenched slightly. That smile — the one he thought was just for him.

"She doesn't like me..." he muttered to himself, a sharp sting in his chest. "Maybe she never did. Maybe she just..."

Before he could spiral further, a hand tapped his shoulder.

It was the Commander.

"You know soldiers can't date other soldiers, right?" the older man said casually, eyes still locked on the screen. "So if your comrades are catching feelings... tell them to bury it. Before it becomes a weakness."

Takuya didn't say a word.

He just stared at the screen... as Halley smiled in her sleep.

Back at the Sanctum

The clang of steel echoed across the training yard.

Kai's blade collided against Rin's in a harsh arc, sparks flying as she barely managed to deflect his blow. She stumbled back, panting, eyes wide — her movements were quick but uncertain, and Kai could feel it.

"You're holding back!" he growled, rushing in again.

"I'm trying!" Rin shouted, ducking just in time as his blade sliced the air above her head.

Kai clicked his tongue in frustration. With a grunt, he suddenly tossed his weapon aside, the sword clattering loudly against the stone.

"This is useless!" he snapped. "Why the actual fuck do we need weapons for? We've got powers! Real ones!"

From the sidelines, Father Ben watched calmly, arms folded. He chuckled softly like he'd heard the same argument a thousand times before.

Before he could respond, Anya walked in, dressed casually in her training vest and loose pants, her new arm gleaming with fresh ink where her tattoos had reformed.

"Ben," she called, catching her breath. "Takakura had another vision."

Father Ben's expression sharpened. "The boy with foresight?"

"Yeah. He says there's going to be hazard activity downtown. Might be worth checking out."

At the sound of action, Kai perked up instantly, his annoyance evaporating. "Finally. Something real to do."

But just as the air grew tense, Rin turned and walked away — quietly, quickly. No one noticed but Father Ben.

Later, inside the Sanctum...

Father Ben found her in a dim hallway, crouched under a desk, her knees pulled to her chest. She didn't look up when he entered — just kept wiping at her eyes.

He knelt beside her without saying anything at first.

"I'm scared," she whispered, voice shaking.

He nodded. "Of course you are. We're Hazards. We've been hunted our whole lives... We should be scared."

She looked at him then, eyes shimmering. "Kai, Glitch, Anya... they're strong. Brave. They're not like me."

"No," Ben said, smiling gently. "They're not. You're something much more than any of them, Rin. That's why AHA wants you so badly. You're rare... needed."

Her lip trembled. "But I don't want to be needed."

"I know," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But I promise... nothing will ever happen to you. Not while I'm around."

Meanwhile, near the training grounds

Sultan approached Anya, fidgeting nervously with the edge of his coat. He looked like he'd rehearsed this ten times in his head and still wasn't ready.

"Hey... Anya," he said, barely loud enough to be heard. "So... I was wondering. Maybe, uh... just the two of us... we could go grab something to eat? If you want to, I mean."

Anya blinked, then gave a small, sad smile.

"I'm sorry, Sultan. You're a great guy but... I don't do guys," she said softly, kindly.

A pause. Then—

"Lesbian: 1. Sultan: 0!"

Glitch howled with laughter, rolling on the floor like a gremlin.

Sultan turned beet red and groaned. "You are so annoying."

"And yet, you still like hanging out with me. Tragic," Glitch replied between laughs.

At the edge of the courtyard

Kai sat alone, staring at his phone.

131 unread messages.

All from Dad and Mom.

"Where are you???"

"Come home."

"We're worried."

"Please."

His thumb hovered over the screen.

Then he sighed... and slid the phone away.

Sometimes, silence was easier than explaining the war he'd chosen.

DID YOU KNOW

Father ben has a sister.

N/B : I WOULD LIKE TO APPOLOGIZE FOR LATE CHP RELEASE I WAS BUSY WITH EXAMS BUT TO COVER UP CHP 8 WOULD BE RELEASED WITH ALL THE CHARACTERS ART EARLY NEXT WEEK.

 XOXO MRTOLU