The two of us decended down the stairs, it was barely lit...but it was better than the pitch black above.

"You sure you don't recall anything down here?"

"I'm sure, there shouldn't have even been the stairs." We had to go down slowly, as the stairs weren't lit up at all. Once I realized I was going forward instead of down I stopped and went against the wall, which resulted in something poking my back. "The hell!?" I got off the wall and tried focusing on it, before the woman with me came down and flicked it up.

"It's a light switch dum-" I felt like an idiot, yet her pause confused me. I turned around to see a massive workshop, none of this looked familiar...yet, there was a ting in my head that made it feel as though it was. A machine...robot...android thing began rolling over.

"Y-y-you must be O-o-o-oliver" Its speech was terrible, but then again...it didn't look like this thing was repaired for years. "W-w-w-elcome to your workshop." it's speech was somewhat improving...maybe it hadn't spoken in years too.

"I never had a workshop" I spoke to the robot while the woman with me sat on the stairs.

"N-no, but this was created for you by the syndicate"

"The Syndicate, there's more than one you know, and why would a syndicate make me a workshop, last I checked I wasn't on good terms with a majority of them...except maybe the thumb now...they seem friendly since I rank pretty high." The robot seemed to be processing my sentence

"I do not know of the other syndicates...i am......s-sorry" The robot actually looked depressed...great...now I feel bad. "I will do what I can to learn of the syndicate that made this, for now, do you which for a weapon to be refined?" I looked down at my rifle, since it's EGO, i don't think it needed any refining...however perhaps it can be improved to be my own, it didn't have a scope, the grip was uncomfortable, and the friendly fire was hard to avoid at times. "I understand" The robot took the rifle from me

"Hey!"

"I am designed to understand your needs, I shall return shortly, please make yourself at home...it is your home after all" The robot went away on its wheels, I couldn't tell what it was doing, all the machines worked on their own, and more robots littered the place refining things...Thinking on it, money wasn't that big a problem when my office was more unknown...how long was this workshop under the place...and how did people figure it out before me?

"Nothing under here huh?" The woman looked at me as she smoked.

"I didn't know!" She rolled her eyes before looking back at her prescript

"Wonder when this is considered done"

"Knowing the index, you better hope that lasts a while" She smirked in response.

"They'll probably give me some impossible task after this is over, I might be dead by the end of the week" I felt something bump into me. The robot from before held out the EGO rifle back at me, it had everything I wanted...I wasn't even sure you can change EGO...maybe...every workshop had something that made them special...was this workshop's special feat, being able to change EGO gear and weapons?

"Thanks..."I took the rifle and slung it on my back.

"It is an honor to be the first robot here t-to work on your g-gear...please return if it does n-not fit your needs" The robot before returning a second later "this is yours...I-i think" The robot grabbed something that was hanging off their small little platform on the middle of their bodies. The robot unfolded it, it was some outfit, one I didn't remember...then again I don't recall anything down here. I took off the rifle so I could put it on.

"Thanks..." I repeated myself, i couldn't really say anything else but that. I tried on the outfit, it fit that was something I noticed first, and I felt a lot more safe in it too...was this some sort of EGO gear as well...did I manifest EGO but it ended up here instead? I grabbed my rifle from off the floor but before I could sling it on, it seemed like some force was holding it against the back of the suit, yet, when I pulled on it, it came off with minor resistance...this outfit was made for a gun user like me...or maybe it was made just for me. The robot left for good this time, getting back to whatever work needed to be done.

"So, we gonna get going now? You got what you need" She stood at the stairs, from the looks of it, this workshop could run forever if given the chance, so I left. I would make a mental note of this place...somewhere that can make or change EGO...It was like a mini Lobotomy Corp, except it seems like the abnormality doesn't need to be present to make it, no, I'm just assuming at this point.

The stairs were fully lit now, so going back up was way faster than going down. When we made it back to the office my first idea was to head back to Lobotomy Corp, not the one I run, but the old one, I didn't get a good search after it fell, and there may be many things I can use to beat the library...after all, I only had my old EGO gear thanks to LC...maybe there were more, and I wanted to find them.

"Going on another trip already?" She sounded sure of it "Hell, I'm good for another hunt" We clearly weren't on good terms, but we weren't hostile either...for now at least, i wouldn't have to worry about watching my back...or...

"I'm heading to the old Lobotomy Corp"

"Alright then, should be interesting" She was already going out the door. I took another look at my office, it was a small group of fixers...but we were something...

I made my way out the door and followed her since I couldn't go any faster than she was.

"Do we have to go so fast?"

"We might get seen otherwise, it's late after all" Of course, we're in the backstreets at night...the worst choice a low level fixer could make...we weren't that though, I felt confidant we could take out a sweeper or few if the situation became like that.

"Alright, we'll keep the pace then" We both continued our run to the L district...I heard syndicates and other districts were fighting to grab a hold of this place, it didn't matter to me who won it, almost all the syndicates, and all the districts are untrustworthy, all that it meant was changing who we had to suck up to if we wanted to enter the old LC. "You know...maybe we should get W corp's stuff next time, killing a few cleaners wouldn't be too hard, then we can steal their rift tearing stuff"

"Not a bad idea, we'd have to figure our a way to not be noticed though...after all, most W corp cleaners are always on the trains"

"And we don't know if anyone on the outside can see into the trains"

"We have to go in with a disguise and out with W Corp's stuff, without being noticed."

"They'll notice a few missing passengers, but won't know it's us"

"Exactly" We hopped over a fence, I compressed my legs so the landing was less painful, after that we kept going until the woman stopped, so I followed her move. She looked around the corner and looked back at me shortly after "Index"

"What rank?" She looked back.

"I dunno...they seem inexperienced with the way they hold their weapons...but they don't seem like pushovers either."

"Alright...How many?"

"Two, they seem like messangers...but from what I hear, messangers are something else when it comes to combat" I grabbed my rifle, once again it came off with very minor resistance.

"Think we can take them?"

"Relax, we can talk our way out if we get seen, but otherwise we can leave unseen, remember" She took out her prescript...right, she's already under their protection. We began walking past the Messangers, they seemed busy harrasing another woman with a perscript, whatever it is she got she seemed distraught about it...The index really is terrible. We got by unseen though, and that's all that mattered. "What do you think her prescript was?" She asked me.

"Something impossible...or maybe killing or brutalizing someone she's close with"

"To normal people that'd still be considered impossible"

"Heh, are any of us really normal anymore? Anyone who worked at Lob Corp surely isn't"

"Fair point" We continued the walk to Lobotomy Corp, the ruins started to become more noticeable. "So, how did L Corp go down exactly?"

"They initiated some emergency collapse, most employees didn't get out due to the lack of a warning, some are still alive down there, probably hoping to be saved:

"I assume they're too far down for that to happen though"

"I guess" I couldn't give a concrete answer, i was more focused on the scenary that I could recall once upon a time. "People may be here, so watch out"

"Right Enkephalin...is that useful at all?" I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, so I didn't answer.

"One of the sephirah gave Enkephalin to her employees, the moment she did was when everything went downhill. Yet we all made it work"

"If I may ask, what do you expect to find here?"

"More E.G.O gear, I want to see if that workshop really can modify them, not to mention there are some that could rival the head itself." I was hoping to find WhiteNight's ego in the Extraction Department, if I put it on I wouldn't be able to heal using conventional means, but the damage it does and the area it effects...I couldn't rely on the defence due to WhiteNight not being in containment but...it's something.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

After our conversation Lobotomy Corp was in front of us, there was no obvious entrance but I could find a way in. I sighed at the sight and began looking for any place I could get in, it didn't take long after either, along one of the walls a hole I could fit through was there, and from the little I could see, it did lead inside the corp.

"You first" She suggested, I assumed it was because I knew where to look. I turned to my side, took my rifle off my back, and set it near my leg, I began shimmying along the wall while making sure I didn't get stuck anywhere, I saw in my previeral vision that she followed with me, it was weird thinking I got a bodyguard by pure chance thanks to the index. I ducked under a broken piece of metal which concluded our shimmying, we were inside after that. The place looked barren and yet, it was clear as ever we weren't alone, i had the same feeling I always did when Abnormalities were around, the Extraction Department...it was far down the facility.

"We should make it down to the Central Command Department then leave, we don't have the firepower to go all the way down in one go."

"Whatever you say, I'm just here to watch your back." She was right, I didn't have to explain anything to her, she had to follow me anyways...But it did make things easier if I explained my thought process. We began our trek through the Control Department, the walls were ruined, all the symbols and pictures weren't there anymore, papers were scattered along the floor, yet there were no corpses...of course, Control Team would notice it first...but considering I didn't see anyone when I escaped...I doubt they made it far, there were trickles of blood where we were standing, that led to the opposite of where we came from. "From a glance it seems there wasn't an exit that way" I saw her looking at the trail which led to a dead end.

"Considering the dire situation I doubt they had the right thoughts in their head, maybe they thought they'd get rescued later on, so they decided to hold out instead of being killed by Abnorms."

"Did you fight any on your way out?"

"Heh, I would've made it out a lot faster if I didn't" The floor creaked under us as we continued walking, the lights became more dimmed as we progressed, it got to the point the lights flickered periodically instead of staying on for good. We had begun to relax ourselves until a part of the floor we weren't on creaked.

"I don't think we stepped on that" She looked behind us, if we had stepped on it, we could consider it a late creak, but considering the situation, and where we were, even that excuse wasn't likely

"The real question should be whether it's a person or abnormality" Me and the woman got back to back. "Don't think I recall you having a weapon"

"My weapon isn't as obvious as yours"

"Yeah well, they better do the same damage" After my voice stopped echoing through the hall I could hear a minor noise above us. Trying to be as fast as possible I aimed over, but once I turned I saw something coming at me. I raised my rifle as it took the majority of the blow. The thing attacking me didn't even look half my height, yet it hit a car. On its head was a weard mask, something you'd see in a tribe or something along the sort. I managed to kick it off pretty easily. The woman kicked the thing away while I used my rifle and legs to stand quickly. The abno was launched pretty far for being kicked by a normal person...Her weapon must be some enhancement.

"You good?" She quickly looked over and looked me up and down before focusing back on what she kicked

"Alright"

"Good, now what is this thing?"

"I don't know...L Corp has many branches, some Abnormalites I've yet to see may have made it in here" It wasn't likely, the collapse should have prevented that. I saw the woman recoil forward as another one latched onto her leg, it came from nowhere. It was time to see whether or not the friendly fire was gone from this thing. I aimed my rifle at the thing and fired, it struck through its helmet mask thing and ended up sliding against the floor, it struggled slightly, yet, lost all movement shortly after...Not only that, the normal blue line that appears after a shot became yellow instead.

"That burned!" She sounded pissed off at me, so it still hurt them, just not as bad, that'll have to do for now

"You're not dead, so refocus" The woman looked up as another one appeared from the ceiling, she punched it back up, almost destroying the panels that were above us... definitely enhanced. I fired at the first one that came at me, two shots cut their sprint back to us dead. An increasing in volume pitter patter began to approach behind us. I swung around and slammed my rifle into the ground hoping to hit it, I was sadly a few seconds short, it began to climb my rifle but I managed to the pull the trigger, a portal summoned in front of my barrel and right in front of the abnorm. It fired and launched them off. Everything went quiet afterwards.

"That's that." She lowered her stance, but not her guard.

"We can continue to move then" And so we did, we continued down the Corp looking for any EGO along the way, but either they're all in the Extraction Department, or they're all gone. I didn't bother to place the rifle back on my back, I would be taking it off sooner or later anyways.

"So, what made you wanna work for L corp anyways?" We began to walk side by side as she made conversation.

"Same as everyone else"

"Which is?"

"A safe place in the nest, some decent money, after a few months you'd get paid leave too, but L Corp fell in 50 days, or so everyone tells themselves"

"Pardon?"

"I've felt like I've died many times each in a different way, all my deaths would be on a new abnormality, and yet, even though I haven't worked with them, I'd get the feeling I know what to do to deal with them."

"You implying the manager can go back in time?"

"I don't know...maybe it only effects L Corp and everywhere else continues living normally, some syndicate would notice the loops sooner or later."

"And if the manager can rewind?"

"Then he purposefully let agents die" We made it to the elevator, there was no reason to check the information department, so heading all the way down would do.

"I heard you guys used elevators to mess with Abnormalities and gain the upper hand"

"As it turns out, even if a massive beam is going through the facility, if you get in an elevator and ride it up or down you can avoid it."

"So the elevator is impenetrable...is it an abnorm itself?" I knew it was a joke but it brought for something to think about, it R Corp's other uses, like the Rhinos, would cause too much damage, then why not make all the material of the walls and floors the same as the elevator...I've yet to seen anyone die riding it...Unless someone inside kills you.

"Not to my knowledge no."

"Weird" The elevator's music was gone, yet you could continue to hear it try even if it never works. The woman began tapping her foot, waiting for the ride to end. "So,what was the worse abnormality you dealt with?"

"WhiteNight by far, he had these twelve bodyguards that kept him alive"

"You all to kill all twelve?"

"No, you didn't have to, if anything it was better for one to four agents to get all the aggro then the rest start attacking WhiteNight themselves"

"So what makes them so bad?"

"He breaks out every five minutes if you don't pay mind to them, they instantly kill twelve employees to make them into their bodyguards, and beating them was mandatory, many reasons contribute to hate that damned thing."

"Seems like it" The speaker for the elevator dinged as it opened, whatever prevented the music must've been a separate issue. We came to the main transport to the Central Command Department, it was an elevator but looked nothing like one.

"We'll search this then leave" The woman nodded in agreement. We made our way down, the only thing that was even close to a hinderance was the lighting getting even worse than it was before, rapid flicking and most lights not even working, one of the lights even blew up in front of us.

"How old is this facility?"

"I dunno, I wasn't here from the very beginning, I was one of the first hired into L Corp, but I wasn't here when it was first built"

"I see" When we made it to the final layer of the department, I noticed another abnormality it looked like a giant ant. "Lemme guess, you don't know these either"

"Not in the slightest" I knelt on one knee and aimed, there for four, but I would be able to hit two with a single shot. A loud thud sounded to my left and I before I could turn I already saw the woman running at them...this was something I guess. I shot after getting a different angle, I was still able to hit both of them with relative ease. The woman slammed one of their heads into the floor, I could've sworn I saw a piece of the floor fly up. I aimed at the last one before a burning pain pierced my leg, I swung my rifle around and felt the hit, another one managed to get behind us. I fell to the floor but before the thing could approach me I shot at it, the first grazzed but still hit, and the second hit exactly where I wanted. I turned my ankle slightly so I could see my leg while remaining on the floor, it was a pierce through alright. I used my rifle to help me stand, I looked back at the Woman who already had the other one dead, when she turned around and saw me she looked fairly annoyed.

"Hey! I get killed by the index if you die you know" She walked over "Nevermind, let's get our of here, I feel like something terrible resides below" I could feel the same feeling she did, when you work at L Corp long enough, you start to tell when an Abnormalitiy breaches without the alarm going off...However I...or we, didn't feel anything upstairs, so this must have been a real one, a true difficult abnormality.

"Agreed, we made decent progress anyways" We had made it where I originally planed to stop, so I couldn't complain we were going back.

On the way to the entrance I could feel something starring at us, or maybe just me, there were small noises above as well, it felt like any second we could get ambushed.

"Just keep your guard up" She spoke to me while facing straight ahead, we both could see the light that came from the exit, this was a quick expedition, but a needed one, if random, new Abnormalities are here, then resources would need to be used to take them down, and the more of us, the safer it is. "You first" She moved aside so I could get through first.

"Why thank you" I spoke jokingly while going into the hole, I began shimmying my way through just like before, this trip wasn't that bad, I would only need to focus on the new threats that were in the building. My foot got caught against a piece of metal while I was making my way through. "Course" I shifted my leg weirdly and got out of it.

"So what now?" She asked as we made it out.

"I'm heading back to the New L Corp, I've been out here long enough."

"Good choice, being here at dark this long is a death sentence." We didn't break into a sprint, but we both increased our speed. "How's it feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do people ask that? I mean it's obvious what I meant no?" She was silent a second or two before she continued. "I meant, how's it feel to return there? Anything special?"

"I can't say much changed, but it certainly felt like something did" She took that as an acceptable answer and stayed silent for the duration of the trip back. The streets were dead empty on the way here, but once you get into the district our new L Corp resided in, people were walking around, and although I don't recall every agent's name, I could recognize some faces. A few of them looked my way once we got into their sight, but decided against saying anything after seeing the woman with me. One person however did come up to me.

"Welcome back Oliver" Thinking on it, it's been a while since I heard my name spoken, being fair though, it was just me and her. The agent who talked to me reminded me of something I saw in my dream, they had the same weirdly colored hair, yet they weren't as hesitant.

"Anything happen in my absence?"

"Nothing much, we used those same suppressants from L Corp to ease the abnormalities, other than that however, no"

"Good to hear" The agent nodded as we walked past. These agents were just the ones up here and it felt like the cities morning. It felt unreal as well, knowing all these people want to fight and take down the library as much as I do, we would need some energy and E.G.O, but we would be able to do it. I entered the corp and was greeted by even more agents and clerks.

"Welcome back Manager O" One of the agents stated.

"Manager O?" The woman with me was confused.

"We found the use of Manager O much more respectful than just using his name or calling him Manager Oliver" One of the agents quickly explained almost talking in a speed that's incomprehensible.

"Alright then, do you" Her response was rather blandly spoken, I saw the contrast to her and the agents. "I'll be around, don't worry about coming to me if you go for L Corp again, I'll be there" It had me question how she knew I'd be leaving, maybe the prescripts had some upgrade.

I made it to my office and took a seat Tsuki wasn't anywhere to be seen, so instead I grabbed a piece of paper and pen and began to write down the things that have transpired so far.

New abnormalities in the ruins of L Corp was the main one I wrote about, alongside the woman's weapon choice with it being nearly unnoticeable, writing it down made me even more curious about what it was, it could be some enhancement done to the body, or a mechanical thing attached to her, either way it was certainly some way of fighting. I looked back at the cameras on the wall, most agents and clerks were just cleaning, doing menial tasks as the day ended, they didn't need a manager, they all must have been survivors of the falling L Corp, some of them at least, meaning, they only need one to help fight the Library and that was certainly something I could help with