Chapter 108 A Stronger Weapon.
When Sam came out of Alice's room he noticed that Zero Three was already awake.
"How ate you feeling?" He asked.
"Better, I guess…" the young Valkyrie answered, her cheeks reddening a little as embarrassment forced her to look away.
Alice who was watching from behind him felt that something was off and looked at Sam with half lid eyes.
"It seems you two have grown awfully close." She commented.
"Really?" Sam, understanding the situation immediately, kept his calm and answered. "Well, I guess so. She doesn't call me old man anymore."
"And if I remember right you aren't supposed to touch any of the Valkyries." Alice went on, her suspension still strong. "Since when did you start hugging her like that?"
Sam remained silent for a while before letting out a long sigh. Three watched silently with an anxious expression having realized that he might be in some big trouble.
Turning around to face her, Sam stared at the white haired beauty for a few seconds. Without a warning, he reached out and grabbed her arm then pulled her toward him, stealing her lips in the next moment before she could even compr what was going on.
Three's eyes went wide her face going red in an instant. Though she tried to push him away at first, Alice soon relaxed and accepted the kiss which went on for far longer than expected.
"Sorry for hitting you." Sam said as he let go of her lips.
"Um… uh… it's okay…" Alice replied, unable to look him in the eyes for some reason.
Kissing her again, this time on the forehead, Sam backed away and turned toward the door.
"Then, I will leave the rest to you."
"Y-yes… I will get to it right away…"
As he was about to open the door Sam noticed that the young Valkyrie was still frozen in her place.
"Three, it's time to go."
"Eh? Ah! Y-yes!"
Shaken out of her daze Zero Three quickly got up and followed after him. She turned to look at Alice one more time before the door closed and saw that her face was beaming red, but for an unknown reason it felt like she was really happy at that moment.
~◇~
"Hey, w-what was that just now!?" Three asked, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and excitement.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Sam asked.
The two of them had just arrived at the storage area of the lab. Sam wanted to check the materials Wolf had left him with so he could plan his moves better.
"What you did to the commander!" Three said. "That's not something you do to just anyone, right?"
"You mean the kiss?" Sam asked.
"Is that what you call it?"
Coming to a stop, Sam turned to look at the young Valkyrie. She looked strangely hyped up, but when their eyes met she suddenly blushed and averted her gaze.
"Want to give it a try?" He asked after a moment of thought. Though they didn't have any time to waste Sam felt that it's appropriate.
"Eh? Why would I?" Three looked at him in surprise, but when she saw his seriousness she began to get nervous.
Sam took a step toward her and the young Valkyrie backed one away.
"A kiss is one of the ways a man shows his affection for a female he likes." Sam said. "The opposite is true as well."
"I… wha…"
Three couldn't find the words to form a reply, and before she knew it there was nowhere for her to escape. A large container was behind her and soon enough her back was pressed against it. She looked left and right desperately trying to find a way out, but before she could think of anything Sam slammed his hand on the container cutting her escape route.
"What's wrong, Three?" He said. "You don't want to do it with me?"
"I… that's…"
Seeing his face so close to hers, Three felt a strange sensation in her chest. Unable to keep eye contact she cast her eyes down.
"Didn't… didn't you say it's… for someone you like?" She muttered in a shy voice.
"... Three…" Sam spoke in a low voice. "Do you hate me?"
"Wha-!? No!"
Three quickly raised her head and met his gaze only for her embarrassment to shoot up.
"I see…" Sam said with a smile. "I would've been really sad if you said you hated me."
Remaining silent for a while, Zero Three clenched her firsts and slowly gathered the the courage to speak.
"I… I would never hate you…" she said, fighting the urge to push him and run away. "I know how much you care for us and… I wouldn't be here without you…"
"... I see…" raising his right hand, Sam slowly caressed the young Valkyrie's brown hair.
Guessing his intentions, Zero Three closed her eyes. She prepared her lips expecting his to arrive at any moment, but to her surprise that wasn't what the Doctor had in mind.
Instead of a kiss on the lips Sam instead kissed Three's forehead. When he was done the young Valkyrie felt a bit conflicted but relieved at the same time. She looked up at him, the strange feeling in her chest growing stronger, and when she saw his smile as he patted her head her whole world seemed to change.
"I'll take your lips when you decide to become my personal Valkyrie." Sam said, backing away. "Untill then, take your time and think about it well. It's not a decision that should be rushed."
Unlike Five and Nine, for some reason Sam didn't want to be hasty when it came to Zero Three. Her young appearance might be the cause, or it could be the fact that she was the first to gain sentience. Either way he felt a strong urge to treat her with special care, all so she could be happy when it all ends.
~◇~
Later that day Alice gathered the soldiers on the base and explained the situation to them.
She had received a call from the headquarters informing her of the authenticity of the message sent by the Nephilim, although they had nothing to say about what was stolen, denying everything till the very end.
As expected panic ensued and unrest seemed likely. That's when Sam stepped forward and proposed a plan.
The higher ups at the headquarters were looking into ways to save their own lives and the likelihood of those on the frontline getting abandoned is very high. Their only choice is to split off from the Resistance and look for a way to survive on their own.
Obviously it didn't seem like he'd receive much support, that's why he decided to take a gamble and reveal an important sacred.
"I have the plans to create Valkyries."
The moment he said that the crowd went dead silent. Alice was looking at him in shock, unable to believe what he was saying. Many in the crowd shared her reaction while the rest had yet to comprehend what he was trying to say.
Sam waited for a while, taking a deep breath as he went through everything in his head once more.
It's true that the declaration had taken him off guard, however he had been considering his next move ever since he started to suspect that Wolf was hiding something. Well, that in addition to his desire to keep the three Valkyries for himself made cutting ties with the Resistance inevitable.
"At the moment I'm confident of my ability to create new Valkyries." Sam said, his eyes scanning the crowd. "But as I'm sure you already know, creating Valkyries alone won't be enough to fight off our enemies."
He noticed Shizuru standing at the front row. Something about the way she gazed up at him felt strange, but that's just because she was the only one who didn't seem to be worried. Her eyes were full of confidence, not a shred of doubt in them. He felt that she was cheering him on and that gave him the courage to continue.
"The bastards at the headquarters lied to us all. Not only did they cause this war and dragged all of is into it, they're also planning to flee for their lives and leave us to fend for ourselves."
The crowd remained silent, their feelings mixed as they listened to the strange man wearing a lab suit.
"We need a stronger weapon." Sam declared, his voice echoing through the auditorium. "We need something that will ensure our victory, our survival. It might be impossible for me to create that right away, but as long as I have some time then I'm sure I'll be able to do it. And that's why I need your help."
Sam paused for a moment and the crowd began to whisper among themselves. Sam had just declared that not only can he create new Valkyries but also surpass Odin and make something even more powerful.
To many it sounded unbelievable, however after learning that their end is near no one was in the mood to protest.