Code Vein Fanfic

A silver-haired woman sat in a dark room filled with piping and wires coming in and out of the metallic walls connecting to a series of devices. Her brilliant golden eyes stared at countless screens displaying the status and video display of many grotesque creatures.

Royal Lost, Greater Lost, Mutant Lost, Superior Lost, Prime Lost, Colossal Lost, Dominant Lost, and many more titles were given to these powerful foes that only the very best would dare to fight single-handedly with their best preparations while others have no other choice but to band together to survive an encounter with them.

All of them with special characteristics, making them hard to exterminate without specific gifts.

All of them dominate their environments, few daring to enter their territory.

All of them were feared…

And all of them were failures.

But the woman wouldn't doubt her master's labeling of such 'monsters.' How could she ever doubt her successor?

"All failures' status remains the same except for five." Informed the attendant once the gate behind her opened and a giant figure entered the room, making the already enormous gate seem normal in comparison.

"One expired on the outside by revenants in the north park ruins. Two were exterminated in the depths by Cerberus. As for the remaining two, one has been wandering the city while the last one hasn't migrated from the hollowing pit." She informed her successor of the events that transpired during his absence.

"Well done." A set of words that could one make feel acknowledged now would make one faint if coming from Juzo Mido… or what the remnants of the human that existed once.

Not much could be seen between the mask and the white robe, but it was evident such a voice didn't belong to something resembling a human being nor have traces of belonging to something that was one before except for his mannerism. It was almost mechanical, but the grating and domineering aura couldn't be suppressed by any mechanical or monstrous peculiarity.

Other than that, only the humanoid shape of the scientist that easily towered over the regular man gave away his human origins.

"It went back to that place…" Juzo Mido pondered momentarily, staring at the Lost whose feminine figure was apparent despite its body structure being mostly a slime-like substance.

"It did have a strong will indeed." He didn't pay attention to the Lost that might have some remaining will or attachment to the place he took her from.

A pair of crimson eyes swept through the screens showing many displays.

His gaze on Adam and the expedition team fighting the Butterlfy of Delirium didn't maintain his attention for more than three seconds but all of the complicated data had instantly been processed by him before he focused on the next screen. The appearance of Yakumo, one of his remaining 'soldiers' and experiments, is seemingly trivial to the madman.

The expeditions of Cerberus in the depths in attempts at finding Blood Springs unstained by the miasma and hunting for resources as queen alloys weren't of much concern to Mido.

All materials he could need for his experiments had been prepared before he shut himself in one of his secret bunkers. No one knew of his actions, not even Silva. Everyone believed he was in his crypt like the other successors.

Well, except for Jack, the successor of the eye, who should have some suspicions by now. But Mido already had plans for him and his partner.

Even with a skeptical successor and one of his researchers gone rogue, he did not worry much. Sophie might've seen some of his experiments, but that was precisely why she knew that if she warned the government about him, the battle would be catastrophic and he would even win. After all, he wasn't hiding from anyone, he simply saw it as too much of a bother to rule the city while doing his research.

He has been a leader for years in his career and was confident in leading the city. The oppressing the sacks of sh!t 'leading' the city were nothing in his eyes. Scum would try to appeal to him the moment they recognized his power. He had no trouble dealing with such people.

He knew how to use kindness which would be greatly magnified under the foundation of his might. Mido knew what he was capable of, but for this very reason, he focused entirely on his experiments.

He was no coward, just a meticulous man.

The gaol of the mist is held by Silva himself, a man with an incredible will who is the only one that Mido sees as an opponent and is the only thing separating him from the next target of his experiments. The reason why the communication between the city and the outside has been cut off wasn't just from the damage of the Great Collapse and Bloody Mist but also Mido himself.

He has seen the state of the world back then during the Queen Slayer operation and could easily deduce the direction in which things were going. And after seeing the current state of the world government, he didn't hesitate in cutting off communications.

After all, why tell the outside world that is barely hanging on by a thread that the city which they lost contact with years ago has another crisis brewing in it, that another threat apart from the horrors outside exists?

It was obvious that they wouldn't have a good stance in such a scenario, they would most definitely throw some nukes as the city has been long dead in their radars. They can't afford to take more.

Why risk it?

Mido has seen that the people outside have attained some stability, but even then, why risk it for the people who were in the city?

Sacrificing some unimportant politicians who desperately hold onto their position even in this ruined city and part of the land by contaminating it with radiation to avoid dealing with semi-immortal beings like revenants and lost seemed like the best course of action.

He would much prefer to keep amassing his strength so he can stomp his enemies the moment he comes out!

If given three hours to cut a tree, sharpen your axe for two hours and take it down in one.

…

…

…

The BOR Parasite is one mysterious product of bioengineering. With miraculous restorative abilities and an overhaul of physical prowess to the host as a whole, the parasite went from a medical project to a military one.

But this artificial organism doesn't come without its faults. The host needs to have a certain compatibility with the parasite to awaken and utilize it to its fullest potential. Not only that but also the dormant state that the host enters during the bonding process to give birth to a super-solider is still out of the scientist's control so the project has been deemed with varying degrees of success.

This long and arduous process can take too long to the point that revenants have been divided between generations despite the fact that they don't age.

The first and second generations were created and awakened during the Queen Slayer operation while the third generation only woke up after the fact.

Some went through the operation of becoming revenant to fight back… but times were dire. It wasn't enough, it never was.

Many were mere corpses that got kicked out of their graves with the hopes of them waking up soon enough to fight…

Hence, Matthew. A young high schooler who lived a normal life with a father, mother, and older brother. The lad had developed a shy personality due to his overprotective older sibling.

Playing with his friends in school, visiting his grandparents during summer vacation, traveling with his father and brother, helping mom set the table, the news of soon becoming an older sibling himself… he couldn't wait to become a leading figure to his sister who was on the way…

Regrettably, all of those memories seem foggy for him now. One day, terrifying spikes pierced the ground from below and swallowed everything he knew.

Monsters he couldn't even dream of appeared from nowhere. A beast easily big as a house with the appearance of a tiger armored with horns and casted forelimbs stood before him.

The boy ran. He couldn't do anything against the monster.

But how could he be faster than such a demon?

It hadn't been a couple of steps before darkness overtook him.

Not even a second of pain as his death was instant.

There was nothing for him to feel anymore.

Or at least it should've been like that.

"Huh?..." The blonde boy tensed up as he heard a couple of steps getting closer and closer.

His green eyes narrowed as he remember the instructions of his savior.

"Put…Pput your hands where I can see them." Matthew tried to order once he stepped out of his hiding corner, pointing his bayonet towards the woman in a revealing outfit with a woman and man behind her.

He hoped that his nervousness wasn't noticeable as he intended to shout.

Coco just plainly stared at the kid.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the deserted street… which Matthew hoped was kept since he tried his best to suppress his anxious gulp at the woman's inaction.

The situation was awkwar- Tense! The situation was tense, yes! He was pointing his bayonet at them, he had the this under control, right?!

After all-why is she getting closer?

"First time, huh? You don't even know about the safety lock, do you?" The woman advised more than stated. There was no doubt in her tone that she was looking at a beginner.

'But Mr.Shang didn't sa-' Matthew, for a moment, looked at the side of his bayonet. It's not that he was stupid, it's just that Coco was a bit too good.

"ah-" and all he could do was give a small yelp as his gun was snatched by Coco with little to no effort from her side.

"... I only have one of those." Said the pale Matthew.

"I'm aware." Coco agreed.

*Bonk!*

"Awawawawwww!!" The kid held his head as a stinging pain coursed through his body. Out of all the parts from the bayonet that could make a hole in him like a bullet or the blade, he was hit on top of the head with the stock!

"Next time, don't be afraid to fire, revenants are surprisingly resilient. It will take more than a few bullets to take one down if you destroy the heart first. Understood?" She educated the kid, handing him back his bayonet.

"...Yes."

"Goddamnit Boy!! I take my eyes off you just one second and you are pointing your weapon at Lady Coco!!" Shang, a man of light brown complexion and dark hair with yellow extensions, ran towards the group.

The moment he reached the group, he greeted Coco respectfully before giving a smack to Matthew who by now was rolling in pain on the ground.

"You are recruiting or babysitting?" Coco questioned while looking at the embarrassed Matthew.

"None, nobody would ever know how to take care of my products but myself. I just happened to find him when he was screaming for help, stuck in an old facility." Shang explained while guiding the group to his post.

But he quickly shifts the topic once noticing the new company, "So this time you brought customers yourself, lady Coco? I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, I didn't even hear you, is it urgent?"

"We just happened to be near, and they have something you will find interesting." Coco looked at Io.

Meanwhile, the girl behind Adam was daydreaming about something. 'YY-you can keep it! It'ss not mine… bbut… thank you…' That was what Luna said to Io who was trying to return the plushie.

But her daze was broken once she was addressed by Coco. "Oh, here." She took out the teddy bear from her bag.

"Hm… it's been a while since I've seen the classic teddy." The merchant's blue eyes shinned with intrigue and nodded once he inspected the toy.

"Look at the tag," Adam suggested.

"Well, it is in a good enough condition so it is- TOYS R US!!!!" The man almost lost his voice when he read the deteriorated tag on the plushie.

"This-Ho-Whe-OH MY GOD!" While Shang was absolutely enamored with what he had in his hand to the point that it looked like worship.

Despite the tinted glass hiding his eyes, Coco could feel the glance Adam was giving her.

"He is your only choice." She mouthed with a grin.

"Let's go!" Shang trotted with a spring on his step towards his post where a cart was attached to a bicycle. A rather comical sight but once one remembers that a revenant can pull much more than a horse, it is an efficient response to the diminishing resources of the apocalypse.

"But I still have to make sure that it is the actual product!" Shang rummaged through his cart and took out a microscope before beginning to examine the tag and its stitches.

"Hooooohohohohohohoho." The man's enthusiasm increased tenfold. Plenty of tweaking to the microscope ensued along with some flashing lights.

But before Adam could ask if he was done, Shang took off his mask and just-

*SNIIIIFFFFFFF!*

He…he smelled the toy…

"Cotton…hmmm… yes, not much as they were made in their first stages of production, though it has been worn down slightly due to moisture and moss but-" Shang began to ramble to himself at stupidly high speeds but he came to a stop shortly after.

"Done! It has a few patches barely noticeable but the tag, eyes, and nose are surprisingly the originals, though the last three were just sewed back to the same place after some tear nonetheless, it's in a surprisingly good condition!" He actually finished his statement in one breath.

Adam sighed as his offer would be accepted into the man's trade as he didn't want to touch the plushie after the inspection Shang gave it, much less let Io touch it too.

…

After the Biden treatment, Shang finally opened his little post to us.

It was unexpectedly well organized. Card games, Board games, Plushies, Old comics/manga, Magazines, Old Figurines, and the list went on and on. I did notice the items he sells in the game too. Like the fragrant tea, cornflakes, and tourists' gifts.

"Now, considering the origin of the teddy bear and its surprisingly good state, I'm willing to exchange it for two items from this side or three from this one." Shang returned to what I believe to be his normal demeanor before proposing his offer.

I looked at the magazines and manga but my glance stopped at the old PSP. Unfortunately, I doubted we had a charger for it. And taking a charger from him would be considered purchasing a second item.

"...I thought that the currency for the exchange of goods was Haze," Io expressed, but the look she gave me told me that she was looking for an answer.

She wished to understand. Good.

"That is because Haze is used for the maintenance and modification of weapons. A weapon is a need, but this," I pointed at the old game with a slightly torn and discolored cover showing a soldier standing on corpses and fighting monsters off, "is a want, not a need."

"Pretty much." Shang nodded. "If you want to survive, you need a weapon. And if you want your weapon to hold up, you need Haze. But these products are not necessary for survival, but for retaining humanity, I say."

The merchant explained why he collected such 'useless' items in the apocalypse when everyone else is trying to find resources 24/7. "This little and adorable thing has a story. Could've been the best friend of a child who played with it all of his childhood, maybe one of the collection items from a collector who had a love for plushies, or it could've been both of those, it might've belonged to a child who became a collector! The company that used to make these toys is long gone but it has been engraved in the childhood of the people nonetheless."

Shang pointed at the eyes and nose of the teddy bear, "There is a difference between keeping a toy in the corner of your room and taking it with you everywhere to the point that its beady eyes and nose begin to tear, it's much more different from buying a replacement rather than sewing back the attachments and patching any damage.

This is a care that can't be found anywhere, especially in the world around us, that is why I cherish it."

"And I assume you also want the others to experience it?" I questioned despite knowing the answer.

Museums are a thing of the past, so it's actually quite concerning that the few things which could be considered artifacts left with a touch of humanity in them, unlike the cold unfeeling instruments of war and a bleak, destroyed city, are what Shang is carrying in his cart.

And he wasn't just a collector but a merchant too. If he wished to hoard these items for himself, he wouldn't be on the surface doing business with wandering revenants. And acquiring an item meant that you could interchange it for another one as long as it still served its purpose.

Shang had essentially made a market for such artifacts by himself that won't stagnate as long as he is here.

"I just would like for others to understand that being human is not a thing of the past," Shang stated.

"Human past…" Io muttered to herself. Perhaps she hasn't thought about it as she views herself as an attendant and nothing more, just as I am her successor.

Seeing that this trip got Io to think about her persona, it was time to actually see what I could get from this for us.

But what kind of game is simple enough for everyone to understand while being fun and interesting enough to play more than once?

We already have chess and checkers all due to Louis being a big dork.

Perhaps UNO? A card game with enough variables but fun because of its chaotic nature. I wish I could take Mario Kart but that is an item bundle, better go with UNO. Can't be wrong with this game.

"Hehehehe." I picked the card game and Shang gave me a distinctive look, but I brushed it off.

I could also feel Coco's stare due to Yami's blood code, which still feels odd, but I just ignored it.

After getting one game to play with everyone, I took two books, one for me and the other for Io.

"Glad to see a customer with good taste, hope I see you often." Shang was more than happy to see returning clients if it meant seeing more artifacts.

"A pleasure too… but um… no offense, do you have to smell them?" I asked the one thing that bugged me more than anything. I will be returning here and maybe can ask later when we get familiar with each other, but I just couldn't hold it.

I could see him give a discreet glance at Coco who answered with a slight descent of her head.

"First of all, offense taken," said Shang with a hand over his chest, "second, it's my gift. I'm the best scout when it comes to finding anything by smell. I can even smell you two, though a bit weird, even for a couple. But I don't judge, unlike someone else!"

"Sorry not sorry, but I take it if we need help with finding something with your gift, we could contact you?" Any scouting gift was welcomed in my arsenal.

"Not for free." He snorted.

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Word Count: 3,323

Juzo Mido is the big bad. Hope I got that across.

Also, I won't be posting a chap next week since all my free time has gone to MH Rise :D