A slightly younger Mikael runs. He is afraid and scared for his life. He'd never encountered a danger quite like this before. He knows one thing for sure right now - if he stops moving, he might as well be dead.

He trips and falls into a patch of snow. Exhausted, he tries to catch his breath. Fully realizing that he has stopped moving, he turns around. There are eerie shadows behind him emanating purely evil auras.

"Leaving so soon?" One of the shadowy-like beings says.

"That's no fun, young man." Another says. "We want to have some more fun. After all, you seem rather strong for a child."

Another reaches in to grab him by the face and he yells out in horror.

Mikael wakes up in a cold sweat, shirtless and patched up, sitting on someone's bed.

A couple of hours have passed since the confrontation with his older brother.

He gets up off the bed, doing some light stretching before walking out into the bathroom. A mark on the left side of his neck is visible, appearing like a burn mark or branding. He quickly takes a shower and walks out into the kitchen, where he sees Chica, sitting down and eating her breakfast while reading something. She is wearing a black turtleneck vest, a pair of dark red suit pants, with a red coat, hanging over the chair she is sitting on.

This...is her apartment.

He walks over to her and pecks her on the cheek. "Good morning". He says to her, walking over to a cooler to grab a snack.

"Good morning. Leave the snacks, there's breakfast in the living room." She says to him, only lifting her eyes from her book for a second to warn him, before sinking her eyes back into her book.

"Thank you." He says and walks a few paces into the living room, where he takes a seat on the sofa facing the television. his breakfast is on the center table in front of him. its an omelet. He promptly digs in.

"What happened with Gabriel last night?" Mikael asks.

"Nothing at all." She says. "I walked him down the stairs, then he quickly took off on his own. He did tell me how you and your sister gang up on him all the time."

"That's rich, from someone who used to beat us both when we were younger. Besides, it's not like me or Ramiel can take him on in a fight. I mean, Ramiel...maybe..."

"Mikael...I know," she says, interrupting him. "I don't know the problems you have with your family members...your Mom, your Brother, hell, your father won't even talk to or about you." She gets up from her seat, putting down her book.

"But...?" Mikael extends her sentence.

"But, I'm meant to meet with Gabriel today. Maybe I'll get some information from him, maybe I'll be stuck listening to him complain all day again, but I'll keep you posted." She says, picking up her red coat and walking over to him.

She takes a seat next to him. "No working today. Are we clear?" she wags her finger in his face.

Mikael rolls his eyes. "Yes, ma'am. I won't be doing that, today."

"That's good. Now..." she reaches into her pocket and picks out a hypo, before placing it on his lap.

"Ramiel gave me an extra pack. Just in case." She says.

"How thoughtful of her...I can't imagine she had any ulterior motives in doing that." Mikael says sarcastically.

"Well, I choose to believe she didn't. And you won't be doing any work today anyway. You have my Card, call me if you need anything." She says, getting up and kissing his cheek, before walking out of the apartment.

Mikael watches her leave, before taking out a Card from his shorts' pocket. He places the card on the table and commands "Call Marvin."

The call commences and elsewhere, Marvin is brushing his teeth when he gets the call.

"Hello?" He says.

"You're still alive. bummer." Mikael says. "Thought my brother managed to ice you overnight."

"How'd you get my Card, Chen?"

"How do you think?" Mikael replies and Marvin takes a second to realize.

"I should stop telling your sister things." He says. Mikael agrees.

"So, what do you want?" Marvin asks and washes his face.

"I'm bored. fix that." Mikael says.

"I believe you should take that up with someone who cares. Besides, aren't you in trouble for yesterday?"

"I don't believe so. Plus, Gabriel is my brother. He won't try to kill me."

"Didn't look like that yesterday...If it wasn't for Ramiel, we probably would've been finished."

Mikael shrugs. "Chica was there, though. He probably was just kidding or something."

"Again...didn't seem like it." Marvin puts on a T-shirt and a pair of joggers. "Speaking of, This girlfriend of yours, Chica..."

"She's my girlfriend, that's all you need to know." Mikael cuts him off. "I'm bored. *fix* that."

Marvin sighs. "I'm heading to a coffee shop over in Rhine Valley. Meet me there and we can review some case files."

"Give me a few minutes," Mikael says.

The Society of Winnowers, Bayside HQ.

A Few Minutes Later.

Chica arrives at Gabriel's office. He is sitting quietly at his table, staring at the ceiling.

"Good Morning, Gabriel..." She says, glancing at him before taking off her coat. "Sorry for the delay, I stopped to get groceries."

He doesn't reply.

"...Okay? What's the agenda for today?" She says.

"It isn't wrong if I kill my brother, right?" He starts by saying. "Or I could report him to the High Council..."

She shakes her head. "What are you talking about? Are you still mad about yesterday?"

"Who wouldn't be?" He replies.

"Any functioning adult...What do you hope to achieve by doing that anyway?"

"Oh, you're just defending him because he's your boyfriend," Gabriel says and falls back into his chair. "Besides...Mikael is a stain on the Chen legacy. A pretty bad one."

"Can't you say the same for Ramiel?" She asks.

"My sister is indeed a problem, but she is *competent* as well. Mikael, however, isn't." He sits up again, gesturing with his hands.

"Right...and you just hate incompetence, don't ya?"

"Exactly." He answers.

"Then why exactly did you advocate for me being your partner after he was suspended? After all, I was the partner of someone incompetent, so that would make me one as well." She says. "You're strong enough to be seen as one of the heralds of the next generation...why would you need a partner?"

Gabriel doesn't answer, realizing that he's made a mistake. He sinks back into his chair before he remembers something.

"What about that human with him? Do you know who that is?"

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Chica looks indifferent. "Nope. Never seen him before."

"From what I saw last night, It seemed he could enter the Veil, and judging from the lack of wounds on him, he probably was capable of defending himself against Fallen," Gabriel says.

"And if it turns out he was just a regular human taken hostage by the fallen there?" Chica says.

"Hostage, maybe. though he would have at least some bruises and injuries. If he was a regular person caught in the crossfire, the Fallen would've killed him, because we all know how Mikael handles collateral damage."

She sighs. "Whoever it is... as long as he isn't caught helping our enemies or aiding the fallen, then it shouldn't matter to us."

"Even the location was weird, too." He continues. "I didn't expect any Fallen activity around that area, and if there was reported supernatural activity, we would've known about it first."

"Maybe, it probably was a coincidence," she says.

"Not in this city. Something about this stinks...maybe I should pass this information to my father..."

Chica's calm eyes become frenzied. "What?"

"I want to talk about this incident with my parents." He says.

"Think clearly. if you talk about this with them, they won't even listen to your concerns. They'll just take matters into their own hands against Mikael."

"I know...killing two birds with one stone." he smiles. "literally."

"No, you're killing one bird with one stone. Your parents don't give a fuck about regular humans, and your father is actively seeking a reason to erase Mikael from your family history." She clarifies.

"I know, but I'll still do it anyway. They can do whatever they want with my brother, but I want to investigate the events of last night a bit closer. And I need their clearance to be able to do that."

He gets up from his seat and walks out of the room.

Chica looks worried and disturbed.

Rhine Valley, Southeast Bayside.

Mikael is standing outside a small coffee shop called "Rhine City Brews". He is there in an unusual outfit, not wearing his red hoodie, but a black sweater over a white shirt, and grey sweatpants. Marvin arrives at the shop and is surprised to see him outside.

"There is no way," Marvin says. "You live in Anominé! You live halfway across the state!" he protests. "How did you get here before me?! I live a few blocks away!"

"Are you surprised at this point?" Mikael points out.

"Yes. I refuse to believe that you got here before me while commuting from Anominé! The public train isn't even thirty minutes open yet!"

"What? You think I woke up earlier and came here only to spite you?!" Mikael says. "Come on now, I won't get out of bed for my mother, what makes you so special?"

Mikael takes the time to look at his outfit. Marvin is wearing a V-neck black sweater over a white shirt, and grey trousers, as well as white shoes, the same kind as Mikael.

"Seems like we also chose to dress up alike, too." He says, to which Marvin replies "Let's just go inside."

Mikael and Marvin take a seat at the far end of the shop far from the west curtain wall. He takes out a binder and hands Mikael three papers. The papers are organized notes and conclusions on various Fallen appearances in the city and the surrounding area outside the city.

Mikael looks closer at the second paper. Attached to it is an infrared scan of what appears to be a footprint the size of a small crater. He checks the location and the time this happened.

"This second one...Grayville, February 12." He says. "This was a month ago?"

"Yeah." Marvin starts. "I was out of town then, but on my way back to Bayside, I stopped at a motel in Grayville for the night. Then there was this big boom in the middle of the night, and it continued and all of a sudden, it stopped."

"No one else there could see the craters, I assume, and you couldn't capture it with an actual camera, which is why you resorted to infrared sensors."

"Astute." Marvin congratulates him.

"This is interesting though...If a fallen could make a crater of this size, then it most likely either is a Devourer or a World-Eater." Mikael says. "I'm glad none of you in that motel were hurt, because these types aren't only some of the most powerful Fallen out there, but they are also intelligent."

"What does intelligence have to do with anything?" Marvin asks.

"Well, that's because they can shapeshift too. Which is probably why the sound vanished after some time too." Mikael says.

"You're kidding, right?" Marvin says.

"The Fallen you are looking for, dear Marvin, was in that Motel with you."

"That can't be, right? It's too early to say for sure."

"Well..." Mikael gets up. "Only one way to know for sure. We're going on a road trip, Partner."

Evening, The Chen Family Residence.

Gabriel waltzes in confidently through the front door. He seems to have a somewhat-favorable disposition and Ramiel, on stepping outside her room, notices immediately.

"Someone's in a happy mood today." She says, smiling. "Who's the unlucky rulebreaker that's paying a visit to the afterlife?"

"I'm not happy, Ramiel. Just hopeful." He replies and walks past her down the hall, where a maid runs into him, falling on the floor.

She quickly gets up on her knees. "I'm so sorry, Master Gabriel. I had no idea you'd be back this early. I didn't see you-" She is shushed by Gabriel and he walks past calmly.

Ramiel stares at him with curious eyes, and the maid is surprised as well.

Gabriel continues his quiet march up two flights of stairs and comes to a halt in front of his parents' room. He knocks and says "Father, Mother, I wish to speak with you."

"Come in." His mother says and an attendant opens the door for him.

He walks in calmly, his eyes up to meet his parents, who are seated, wearing robes.

"What is it, Gabriel?" His mother, Marie, speaks.

"It has come to my attention that my brother Mikael is still conducting-" Gabriel starts but is cut off by Marie.

"We don't care about that outcast anymore. Leave if you have nothing better to discuss." She states.

"What?" Gabriel is rocked.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" She asks, and her aura booms through him, making him afraid.

"But...We are the Chen Family...isn't that our job? To punish those who break the rules of the Society of Winnowers?" He asks while bowing his head in fear.

"We have no time for that at the moment..." His father, Solander, says. "Mikael can do whatever he pleases in the meantime. He can even get himself excommunicated and it wouldn't matter right now."

"Then, if I may ask, what exactly is more important right now?" Gabriel asks, raising his head ever so slightly.

"I'm afraid to tell you, my son, but that is none of your business. Stick to the roles you've been given, and you can have all the respect in the world. But we do not owe you anything, Gabriel." Marie chimes in. "If that is all, you may leave."

The despondence, anger, and shock hit Gabriel like a truck.