"Run!" Claire screamed, practically diving through the gates as they slid open, dragging Sherry with her. Judging by the splash, the drop was about a meter.
"After them!" I reacted instantly, before that monster could limp its way over to us.
The girls jumped first. Since I was the sturdiest, I drew the short straw and brought up the rear—which meant I took a crushing parting blow. That's fine. We'll settle accounts when I get my fill of blood, Trevor! I thought as the force of the impact hurled me into the wall.
My right wing had been shredded into tatters after meeting the monster's horrific claws. Still, he had barely torn the skin; the wounds were shallow and already closing before my eyes. The left wing, which took the collision with the wall and then the weight of the rest of my—unexpectedly heavy—body, was simply broken… in about six places. How wonderful it is not to feel pain.
"Here—at least cover yourself."
With those words, Four Eyes, rummaging through her bag, tossed a lab coat over my shoulders—clearly taken back in the laboratory beneath the city.
"And you couldn't give it to me earlier? With my wings folded, they're barely visible under it—you couldn't have missed that! Ah, whatever. Thanks anyway."
I slid my arms into the sleeves and left it hanging open as I spoke.
Moving along the ceiling into the next room—one that differed slightly from what I remembered from canon, or maybe my memory was just faulty, which was more likely, given the sizable gaps—I hadn't sat with this masterpiece in a long time. It's a miracle I remember anything at all.
We caught sight of Sherry being swept toward a side channel by rushing water. She was just the right size and weight for it; Claire, by contrast, hadn't even been shaken by the torrent. The girl let out a small squeak, and I slipped down after her, accelerating sharply and signaling the girls to follow Claire. This was the perfect moment to make the child's acquaintance.
I caught the frail little body in my arms and gave Sherry a friendly nod. Her heart must have dropped into her heels. The important thing was not to smile—otherwise it would be obvious I was a monster. Actually, I needed to get ahead of this somehow; from behind, if you looked closely enough, the wings were still noticeable.
"Sherry! Where are you? Are you okay?" Claire's voice rang out from above almost instantly.
"Yes, I'm here, I mee—" But she didn't get to finish; the ever initiative Claire cut her off
"Sherry, wait there! I'll be right there! Hide and don't go anywhere!"
Then quick footsteps faded deeper into the tunnel.
"…t another person," the girl finished belatedly, her voice dropping half a tone.
"That's not true—I'm not a person…"
"AAAAH! Help!"
"I'm an angel!"
The scream cut off. I was stared at like I was sick in the head. What? Improvisation was never my strong suit—and Vector had been nothing but a mindless executor! I simply couldn't come up with anything better in those few seconds.
"You're lying! Let me go!" she declared right in my face with childlike bluntness, still in my arms.
She could've at least agreed until I let her down—she wasn't breaking free anyway. I didn't even notice her struggling.
"Done. And I'm not lying—look!"
I set her down, quickly reached behind my back, and plucked out a feather, showing it to the astonished Sherry. She was a child, so she might believe it.
"Black…" she murmured. Someone, it seems, is either into the Bible or into some rather peculiar cartoons—though I don't recall there being cartoons of that sort in America.
"Well, I'm not in heaven, am I? But don't be afraid—I'll help you and take you to meet that girl. Okay?" I said simply.
"You have fangs!" She planted her hands on her hips. Adorable.
"If I were a monster, I wouldn't be talking—I'd have attacked you already, back when I was holding you," I lied.
"Okay, I believe you," the little girl said in a tone like a priest absolving a terrible sinner.
Wading forward—knee-deep for me, waist-deep for her—we reached a ledge. Huh. The height of this lip to our left was up to my thigh. How had she climbed it without me? Or had she really been waiting for Claire?
Scooping up the girl—who squeaked first in fear, then in delight—I leapt up onto the ledge in a single bound and crossed a corridor three or four meters long, landing us by a steel door on the right. I set her down carefully and opened the door in one smooth motion.
A storage room. Or something like it—there were plenty of shelves stacked with paints, duct tape, and assorted junk. Stepping inside and placing myself in front of the girl, I listened to the shuffling footsteps.
I already feel like a babysitter…
On the other hand, it's better to establish rapport with her now. When she grows up, she'll become a fairly powerful psionic—if I remember correctly. That also means I'll have to allow her mutated father to infect her. But the investment in the future will be worthwhile, and I can improve my relationship not just with Sherry, but with Claire and Leon as well. The latter won't gain anything special, but he'll be extremely promising as a friend—and I had particularly big plans for the former.
I just need to make sure Claire ends up imprisoned on Rockfort Island, and only then step in to rescue and offer help. And to ensure my help is accepted, it's better to win their trust already now.
(End of Chapter)
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