Chapter 24: Corporeal Conduit

Hearing we should arrive in just thirty minutes my eyes widen in amazement "That quick?"

Wearing a smile Felix nods "This is a scouting craft, it flies much faster than the larger landing craft which brought you to us."

Closing my eyes I think for a while "I honestly can't remember the ship… There's such a gap in my memories between that huge man locking me up and the first glimpse of the facility."

Zhloe nods "Seeing it's a little less than two thousand kilometers, it would have taken about four hours for a fully loaded landing craft."

"Ah.. I see"

Curious Felix looks my way "Remember anything about that huge guy?"

Danny sighs softly "Felix don't…"

Slowly shaking my head I look back up "Not much, just his prying red eyes, and for some reason it makes me think of the color brown"

He nods "I see, sorry if it's a sore subject, just wondered"

Before I get a chance to reply Zhloe clears her throat "Minimal communication from now on."

Everyone nods whereas I simply gaze at my lap mulling over the shreds of memories I have left.

***

After a while I feel the ship slowing down and descending to land. Zhloe immediately stands up "Alright, get in the car."

Danny and Felix immediately follow her command and walk towards the SUV, while Danny gets behind the wheel, Zhloe gets in the passenger seat while I join Felix in the back.

Suddenly a female voice sounds through the speakers "You're good to go, vicinity is clear"

Danny nods "Understood, moving out."

After the hatch opens, he reverses the car outside before looking at Zhloe "Directions?"

With a nod she looks at her tablet "Follow this street to the east for two kilometers, then it's a right and the second left. Luckily the school is quite close."

He nods "Remind me when the turn comes up"

Smiling she nods "Always"

Looking outside I frown when everything seems to be clouded in a yellowish hue, yet when I see something odd at the horizon I frown deeper "What's that?"

Felix immediately looks over my shoulder "Where?"

Still intrigued by the sight I point at a lamp post in the distance "Something is stuck to that lamp post, it looks like… shoes maybe?"

His smile disappears "Hmm I'm unable to see that far, are you sure they're shoes?"

With a faint nod I gaze at the distance trying to distinguish the shape "Pretty sure they're high top sneakers."

Groaning Zhloe rubs her brow "Two or three shoes?"

Once again gazing at the lamppost I reply "Three"

Now Danny lets out a tense groan "Then we might encounter some obstacles along the way depending on how far their territory stretches."

Felix immediately loads his weapon while I see the glow in his eyes change.

[Is that his Animus maybe?]

"ETA ten minutes"

Zhloe nods while Danny races through town. The trip towards the school is quite uneventful but once we get out on the school yard Felix groans while looking at another lamppost. "Still their territory."

Zhloe immediately motions for me to come towards her. "Danny scout the entrance, Felix scout for the entrance to the corridor." That moment she puts a small apparatus on her right ear which projects a screen in front of her eye. "No thermal signatures belonging to humans or larger creatures."

With a nod she looks at her tablet. "Indeed the AI can't discern any heat sources either. We should be good."

Slowly I nod only to immediately turn around when I hear a faint sound in the distant bushes.

"Relax dear, that's just the wind."

Frowning deeply I shake my head and keep my gaze fixed on the bush "Didn't sound like the wind"

With a mild sigh she holds up the tablet while looking towards the bushes "Scanning… Hmm nothing found. It may be your nerves deary, try to calm your breath."

At that moment I hear a loud clash coming from the direction Felix went "What was that?!"

Zhloe immediately touches her earpiece "Felix! Report!"

"What?! How?!"

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She immediately draws her pistol and motions for me to come closer "Leone stay on your toes. They're wearing thermal camouflage!"

Quickly I get behind her and close my eyes to calm my nerves. Only for it to enable me to hear all sounds around me as if I'm able to see them. I quickly pick up the sound of breathing on the other side of the car while there's another person in front of us behind a tree.

As if guided by instinct, I slowly push Zhloe's arm towards the tree while leaping over the roof of the car landing next to a crouching shade.

Still guided by my instinct I grab the person by what I think is their collar. "I can barely see or hear them, what kind of camouflage is this?!"

Unsettled Zhloe turns towards me "Leone?! What the hell?! How did you get there?!"

Realizing Zhloe was no longer looking their way, the person behind the tree dashes towards Zhloe who's still flustered.

"Oh no you don't!"

Throwing the man in my hands their direction they crash against one another with a loud smack followed by yelps of pain.

Showing her intensive training Zhloe immediately steps back and aims towards them. "Don't move! Or I will fire!"

Walking towards her I look her way with an oddly calm expression "If you still wonder how I got there, I pushed your arms to have that woman over there under your aim, then leaped over the car and grabbed him."

Groaning she doesn't avert her eyes "I'm not going to ask why you're suddenly so calm, but I thought I told you to stay with me?!"

Unsure what to say I just remain silent as I truthfully don't know the answer either only to suddenly feel something slice my arm, immediately my hands turn into paws and I have to focus to not extend my claws while I react in reflex punching the assailant in his stomach.

With a loud grunt he lands on his back about two meters away without moving a muscle.

Baffled Zhloe looks my way before immediately looking back at the two before her. "You okay?"

Looking at my arm I see the cut is rathershallow "Yeah, nothing serious. What do I do now?"

After motioning towards the two in front of her she pulls a couple of zip ties from her pocket. "Bind their hands behind their backs"

With a nod I walk towards the knocked out assailant first before rolling him on his chest and tying his arms together. Before repeating this with the other two.

"Any idea what kind of camo- AARGGHH WHAT IS THIS?!"

An incredible pain originates from my abdomen making me cringe together, fall on my knees and land on my face.

"Leone?!"

Groaning I clench my teeth and slowly manage to get back on my knees "I feel… feelings… thoughts… they're not my own. What… is going on?!"

[What is this?! The negativity... the pain...]

Hearing heavy running, I suddenly hear Danny speak "Leone… I think it may be related to the Goddess in her. Wasn't the previous Leone also a conduit to guide mortal souls to the afterlife?"

Irked I look up "I don't c-" Cringing back together I cover my stomach with my arms and lean with my head on the ground. "It hurts… so much…"

As if something stabbed me in my stomach and is stirring all my organs the pain is so intense I can barely register Zhloe grabbing my arm.

"-eone!"

Once the pain eases slightly I sit back up panting from pain "Leone, snap out of it! We aren't safe here!" Feeling a slap in my face I look up only to cringe together a moment later from yet another surge of pain.

"F-Felix… T-Tell him t- to stop… I can't" Screaming from pain so intense it makes my vision fade I vaguely feel my body falling over while all my muscles tense up while a surge of bloodlust so intense I can barely keep myself from rushing to Felix courses through my body. "Stop… can't contrrol…"

That moment Danny pulls Zhloe back "Zhloe, let her go"

She wildly shakes her head and sounds more distressed than I've ever heard anyone speak "No! She has no training! I refuse, if she dies I can't… I can't forgive myself!"

Roaring and screaming from both the pain and intense bloodlust I lie on my stomach yet subconsciously I slowly move my hands and feet so that they're placed like I could leap away in but a moment. "C-Can't…"

Zhloe grabs my shoulder "Listen to me Leone, stay calm, I know you can control this."

Shivering from her touch the thirst for battle keeps growing more and more as does the pain. "It hurts! Need to…"

Suddenly I hear a shot echoing and an even more intense pain flares up on the right side of my head. Crying from pain and desperation of trying to suppress the bloodthirst while feeling the worst pain I've ever had I scream out "Stop this… Felix… stop!"

My mind is locked on the pain and death happening around me, my instincts tell me I need to fight yet my heart tells me to flee. This intense struggle within myself only adds to the turmoil and it's getting harder and harder to stay in control to obey Zhloe.

Stern Zhloe steps before me gazing into my eyes "Leone!"

Another shot.

Another surge.

Unable to stay in control the bloodlust drowns out the pain and rationality. With a hissing roar I push Zhloe to the side before leaping over her and chasing after the sounds of battle.

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