Chapter Text
The Golden Apple cracked open as Gregor pierced it through with his insect arm. It stumbled and fell. Light shimmered from inside of it. Yuri felt her heart start beating faster as the light fell on her. She felt a sudden calling. She knew she shouldn’t move from her place behind the group. While she knew some of the Abnormalities that should have been here, such as the Ebony Queen’s Apple that killed Aya and the Doomsday Calendar that had finished off everyone she had abandoned in the ruins of her old workplace, this one was new. Perhaps the Golden Bough the Sinner’s were hunting made it? She couldn’t say for sure. But, the thing seemed dead now. Or at least that’s what the thoughts rushing through her head told her. Maybe she could make herself useful. She took a few steps forwards. “ I’ll check out.” She said. However, before she could make it more than a few steps, someone stopped her. “ Huh?”
“ Hang on.” Gregor told her. “ You said those things turn into eggs when killed, yeah?”
“ Uh.” Had she said that? No. Clearing her head somewhat, she knew that’s how that worked. She’d worked for L Corp, with these things, for far longer than any person reasonably should have. Of course they turned to eggs when defeated. Looking back, she saw the apple rocking gently as the light inside it glimmered. She turned around and closed her eyes.
“ I’m so stupid.” She muttered.
“ Huh?”
“ I’m sorry. That abnormality. The light it emits. It’s a draw in.” She told him. “ When someone gets close, it’s going to strike. When I saw it, I felt I needed to get closer. I… I should have known.”
“ Well none of us have a ranged weapon.” Heathcliff grumbled. “ What are we gonna do? Chuck rocks?” Beside her, Dante began ticking. Yuri looked at them blankly. She couldn’t understand what they were saying though the others listened intently. They had a connection Yuri envied somewhat. Despite their circumstances and differences, their journey through her old hell had proved that, when the chips were down, they made a good team. Of course, being able to come back from the dead was always helpful. When the ticking stopped, Ryoshu nodded. She stepped towards the apple. As soon as she got close however, the thing reared up as a rotting mass before trying to crush her. However, the swordswoman just hopped back, effortlessly dodging the strike.
“ Ew.” Rodya cringed. “ Is it rotting?”
“ I… recognise that swarm.” Yuri admitted. “ Infestation Mimic. Abnormality O-06-20-Z. It used to devour people and use their body parts to lure others in.”
“ The abnormality must have collected the Golden Bough and used it’s powers to reform itself into a stronger Abnormality.” Faust theorised. “ In such a manner, Faust will categorise it is an HE abnormality as is demanded by the Limbus Company handbook and refer to it as the Maggoty Apple.”
“ Couldn’t be a bit more imaginative, could you?” Ishmael asked, exasperatedly.
“ Imagination is irrelevant. And Faust is never wrong.”
“ If… you say so.”
“ C-Can we get back to fighting?” Sinclair spoke up. “ It… looks like it’s coming.” The Maggoty Apple lurched forwards. It caught Don Quixote with a powerful maggot-formed fist, sending her flying back into the metal wall of the facility. Dante began ticking rapidly. The other Sinner’s got in proper formation and the battle was off once again. Despite clutching her blade firmly, Yuri didn’t join them in their advance. She’d almost made a complete mess of the operation and gotten in the way. She didn’t want to do that again. So, instead, she made sure the Sinner’s could concentrate and focused her efforts in defending Dante from getting hurt.
Perhaps it was the Qlipoth Deterrent that weakened the Infestation Mimic over time like the Ebony Queen’s Apple. Maybe it was the strength of those with EGO. Maybe it was the power of the Sinners. Maybe it was a bit of all three. However, it wasn’t long until the Maggoty Apple crumpled and began to fade. Yuri smiled. “ Nice work gu-” Her words were caught in her throat. For a moment, she couldn’t understand why. Why she felt so breathless. Why she was beginning to feel colder. Shakily, she looked down. There was a blade sticking out of her chest. Her basic knowledge of anatomy told her her lung was there. There was a sudden force as the blade was pulled back and she felt herself falling. “ W-What?” She muttered.
“ YURI!” Gregor shouted. Slowly, she turned over only to see three figures walking passed her.
“ Hmm.” She heard Hong Lu say. “ That was a little uncalled for, wouldn’t you say, Jia Huan?”
“ Just clearing some of the rabble. You know Mom would be so upset at you for travelling with gutter trash.”
“ But she was nice.” His voice was becoming echoey. She brought a shaking hand over her injury and felt something damp and sticky. Oh god. That was her blood. She took a sharp, shaking breath. No. She didn’t want to die. Not like this. She had so much more she wanted to do. The others promised she could go with them. Explore the city. She wanted to help Charon learn to read a map, even if she was incredibly stubborn. She wanted to hear more of Gregor’s stories or Don Quixote’s excitable ramblings. She wanted to do so much for. Her eyes fell on the ceiling. It wasn’t fair. But, in the end, it was fitting. After all, it never was fair for her to escape this place. Maybe it was for the best her body was left in the depths of Lobotomy Corporation with the rest of her former friends. Maybe it was wrong to let herself dream.
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She didn’t expect to awake but, when she did, it involved a lot of shaking and a girl with golden hair with her face incredibly close to hers. Yuri’s eye opened at a squint but it was enough for Don Quixote to gasp, shoot up and begin shouting. “HARK! THE MAIDEN DOTH AWAKEN!” Yuri just groaned in response.
“ She is?” She heard someone, Gregor her addled mind told her, asked. His voice was part ways between excited and ecstatic. “ I can’t believe it actually worked.”
“ Of course it worked.” Faust told him. “ The manager's abilities are not just limited to the resurrection of 12 individuals. He is far beyond such meagre integers.”
“ In English?” Ishmael asked her.
“ I think Fau is just saying how she knew it would work despite all her complaints earlier.” Rodya said snarkily.
“ I never said it wouldn’t work. I was only saying that, via Limbus Company guidelines-”
“ Red Tape. Tis the greatest of foes to ones who seek truth and justice.” Don huffed.
“ Stop shouting. Give her some space.” That was a voice she didn’t recognise. As she opened her eyes, she saw all of the Sinners gathered around her, each of them somewhere between curious if she actually was still alive and relieved to see her alright. Slowly, Yuri sat up. It looked like she was at the back of Charon’s bus. That explained the rumbling. Standing over her was the familiar clock face of Dante. “ Are you alright?” She looked around. The voice was strange. It was like it was speaking in her head. Dante tipped their head.
“ Dan…te?”
“ That’s right.” They nodded. “ Sorry about all of this. It was really the only way. But you did want to come anyway, thinking about it.”
“ What are you talking about?” She lifted a hand to scratch at the bandage on her face when she noticed the large coat that was on her. “ H-Huh?”
“ Until we get to our destination and you get a proper uniform, wear that.” From the front of the bus, Vergilius called. “ I expect you to put in more work than you were hired for in District 4, Tour Guide.”
“ Um. What’s… happening?”
“ In order to save your life, the manager performed a procedure against conventional protocol that tied your life to their own.” Faust told her. “ As such, you are now forcibly conscripted to this vector of the Limbus Company as Subject number 14.”
“ Faust means you're a Sinner like us now.” Ishmael translated.
“ I’m… what?” Yuri blinked. “ Like… you all?”
“ Sorry. I couldn’t exactly ask. But you helped us a great deal. I don’t know why but I couldn’t stand just letting you die.” Dante told her. “ So, unfortunately, you’re stuck with us.” It took a few moments for it to sink in. She’d died. But now she was alive again. No, it’s more like she was part way between life and death. She should be dead just like the rest of the Sinners but Dante had saved her. Refused the power of death itself just to save the life of a lowly grade 8 Fixer. It all hit her at once. When it did, it overwhelmed her. Tears began to fall from the one good eye she had left. The others looked somewhat surprised as she hung her head. But then she looked back up, a bright smile on her face.
“ Thank you. I hope I prove myself worthy of your kindness someday.”