Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder

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A/N: Y'all must be tired of dealing with these types of protagonists but so am I and so is Jun!

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Because of what transpired on planet Z379, those released by the scientists were given a week of vacation. As for ones discovered to be carrying the new type of Zerg, the Parasites, they were all sent to quarantine for further research and analysis.

Rain Linden resided in the military academy's dorms, so he didn't have another "home" to return to. Although the Linden residence wouldn't allow him entry, there was still his mother, Eva Blanca, who was in much need of a visit from Jun, the "beta." If anyone knew anything, it would be her. The only problem was he never inherited the original's memories so he was lost to where his mother's residence was located.

Thank goodness for terminals, and the fact that the original Rain Linden kept his mother's address saved! Using that, Jun boarded the sky rail to make his way to his mother's. As a result of all the excitement from the past few days, he hadn't had time to think about Azazel or Elior. He wondered who they were, when they would show, or how he would find them in this world.

Earth's population had been just below ten billion, but Capital Star's population was at least 15 billion, and that was just the capital, let alone all the other planets within the Empire. The world of the interstellar age was too vast, but he had a feeling they would be nearby.

An hour later, Jun arrived at the neighborhood of his mother's residence, set in Sector 23, which was on the outskirts of Capital Star's Central City. Just as he was about to knock on the door, it flung open and he was snatched inside by a pair of slender, pale arms.

"Quick, baby, get inside!"

When anyone other than Elior used the endearment "baby" it was often uncomfortable and intolerable, but for some reason, he didn't feel that way about his mother.

"Mother, what's the matter?"

"Mother!" The woman, a slender beauty with long silky, wavy black hair and a pair of bright green eyes, exclaimed. "Don't call me that. You never call me that. Call me 'mama' like you always do, baby."

After a brief moment of awkward silence and with some reluctance, Jun responded: "... Mama."

"That's my boy! Now hurry!" With one last glance around to guarantee no one else was in the area, Eva Blanca slammed the door shut. "Oh, it's terrible, it's terrible." She bemoaned while pulling at her hair and pacing around.

"Calm down... Mama."

"Calm down!? How can I calm down? That evil man will probably come for you. And after all the effort I've spent trying to make him look the other way for years!"

"Are you talking about my father?"

"Yes, that villain!" What mistress? She was a rape victim and had been indiscriminately marked by that asshole. The only good thing that resulted from her relationship with that man was her precious baby, Rain, who thankfully resembled her and bore no similarities to that bastard whatsoever. "Baby, baby, my poor baby, you have to be extra careful from now on."

"Mama." The more he said it, the more natural it felt. "Please explain to me what's going on."

"Oh dear, oh dear. Fuck..."

After several more minutes of cursing and muttering, Eva Blanca finally settled down enough to explain everything to Jun. The truth was Rain Linden wasn't a beta at all.

'I knew it... It's never a beta!'

|That's not necessarily true, Host.|

|Am I not a prime example?|