Just after returning to base

[majestic_keiki]

[After returning to base following that clusterfuck in Russia, Kei hung around the hangar for a bit. She'd found a quiet corner amidst all the technicians running around to attend to the returning mecha and their need for maintenance. Leaning against the wall with her helmet next to her, she was drinking something from one of those foil packs astronauts take their meals in.]

That was so messed up...

[She didn't really speak to anybody, but in a busy hangar you might very well have heard her anyway.]

Comments

[majestic_keiki]

No...Volya's severely injured and I'm not sure we could have won if one the Knights had turned on her leader after seeing those methods used.

[herodrawing]

Why are these guys doing this? The whole of humanity is threatened, and they keep on fighting and killing innocents!

Where did they find a demon anyway?

[majestic_keiki]

I don't know where they found one...And they seem to think that Volya is a threat to humanity.

[herodrawing]

Who'd believe that? You just have to talk to Volya to see that it's not true.

[majestic_keiki]

I don't think they believe he means to do it, just that it's some kind of magic or prophecy or similar. Or maybe that's just the story they tell and they want something else.

[herodrawing]

Who'd believe in ma...

Okay.

Who'd believe in prophecy and fate in this day and age?

[majestic_keiki]

There's a giant plant monster on base, one of our comrades teleports at random when she's scared and there's Seta...Why not prophecy too?

[herodrawing]

Because... it's kinda hard to believe, actually.

Magic is one thing, but I don't think fate is controlling my every move. Or is it?

But if it does, then it means whatever we do happened because of fate too. So those knights shouldn't blame us for doing that, but then we shouldn't blame them either because...

Uu...

[Izuru is starting to develop a headache.]

[majestic_keiki]

Maybe the prophecies don't deal with everything that will happen, only some things and people are free to do as they want the rest of the time.

Or maybe the leaders of the Knights just lie to their subordinates and there is no fate. Maybe they're just crazy and think there are prophecies when there isn't.

[herodrawing]

Either way, they act like they're doing a noble thing, but they're not!

[majestic_keiki]

They aren't...And I'm not sure how they can convince themselves of it after this. The demon leading this attack openly enjoyed torturing Volya rather than just killing him.

[herodrawing]

Do they even know? Maybe it's a demon who puts up a really good face...

[majestic_keiki]

She was doing it in front of them, talking on an open channel. At least the ones she had with her have to have known.

[herodrawing]

W... well, maybe she was hiding it good until now, but now the cover's blown!

[majestic_keiki]

Maybe. One of them did switch sides in response after all.

[herodrawing]

So it really happened?

[Izuru looks so happy to be right for once.]

[majestic_keiki]

Yes. Hopefully she won't do it again.