Enjō's eyes watered as they fluttered open, and his hearing returned to him. Aw shit, he thought as he rubbed his eyes.

"So, what actually happened on the subway? You were all unconscious when we found you." Uyama's voice asked.

"Uh, no idea really. I just used my glitch to bring us somewhere else. After that? Ion know." Kitt responded.

"I remember." Machida mumbled.

"Me too." Iseri said.

"Were you brought to another place?" Machida asked.

"Yes..." Iseri looked down at her hands.

"Was it one that you recognized?" His voice softened.

Silence filled the room.

Machida mumbled for a second," Sorry—"

Enjō exploded up from his back and landed on his feet in front of the group, "I! Am! Back!"

They all looked up at him from their seated positions worriedly. Enjō bent his hips forward and a loud snap rang through the silence. A sharp pain ran through his spine—he whimpered as his body collapsed again.

Uyama's eyes grew as he looked around at his team.

Omega leaned towards him and chastised, "You said he didn't need the hospital."

Uyama's mouth gaped open, "Woah, woah! He's overheated dozens of times! He's been perfectly fine without a hospital! This is just an unprecede-"

"He crashed into a wall though."

Uyama snapped his own mouth shut and pressed his lips together.

Kitt giggled as he whispered in Iseri's ear.

"Regardless of whether or not it's happened before, his hands could've produced sparks on their own. Are you sure there can't be something wrong with him?" Machida asked.

Enjō gasped as he gained consciousness again, remaining on the floor. "Wait, where we at? Did I get that thing?" His eyes darted around the dark sky.

"It's just a regular alleyway—there's no cameras here. And you did get that thing. You definitely did." Omega muttered and stared at the littered ground.

He definitely looked different that time, Omega thought as he peered at Enjō's face—straining from his back pain. I've never seen anything like it, though. How could a funny guy like Enjō look so... I guess the word is menacing?

"Are you—are you okay, Enjō?" Omega's brows furrowed.

Enjō lifted his head off the concrete and looked up at him.

"Huh—huh, what?"

"I asked if you're alright." Omega stared at him in the eyes.

Enjō's slight grin faded away as he set his head back down on a cloth, turning his face away from Omega. "Y-yeah. For sure. When are we—when are we going home?" He asked, staring at the ground.

Machida sighed as he lifted himself off of the ground.

"Well, I guess the issue's been dealt with. In case that this 'Yonai' thing returns, we should be amply prepared. It could've done a lot more damage if it weren't for Omega's quick thinking."

Omega felt a part of him warm up as he said those words.

"We'll talk about the Steele investigation at a later date." Machida dusted off his pants and looked down at Kitt, who was still whispering to Iseri. His smile faded away as he leaned away from Iseri.

"Alright..." Uyama held out his hand and laughed, "Well I'm gonna need a check for going through all this."

Machida shook his hand as everyone prepared to leave.

Iseri bent her knees down in front of Enjō and whispered in his ear, "If there's something you want to say, you should probably say it."

Enjō's eyes strayed from the ground and looked up at Iseri. She bit her lip and patted him on the shoulder, "Not like...not like me, m'kay?" She rose back up and followed General Machida.

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He lifted his head up and followed her figure until she was out of sight, Huh? What's up with her?

"Enjō! Do you need us to carry you?" Uyama's voice sounded distant.

She never looked like that before, Enjō thought as his face softened.

"Ooga booga." Omega shouted blankly, appearing in front of him with his hands wiggling in his face.

An awkward silence spread throughout the alley. Enjō's raised his eyebrows, "Ain't no damn way."

He snapped his head back to Uyama.

"You put him up to this?" Enjō pointed at Omega, who's fingers were still wiggling in his face.

Uyama put his palm to his chest and scoffed, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Enjō laughed for a moment, pulling Omega away from his face. He slowly lifted himself off the ground, his voice settling out, "I'm...'ight." His eyelids lowered as he turned away and started walking out of the alley. Uyama walked up behind Omega and whispered in his ear, "He is—in fact—not 'ight." He walked past Omega and nudged him forward.

"Alright..." Uyama sighed and wrapped his arms around the both of them,"What's up now?"

Omega looked up at Uyama confusingly.

"Yeah, you too. Both of you have been thinking a lot, huh."

"I think whatever Enjō has to say is more important." Omega looked at him in concern.

Enjō looked back at him, a slight smile formed.

"Okay..." Enjō put his hands in his pocket as he walked, "Well, I went back to my dad's house, I guess. It—uh," he chuckled, "It was so damn dirty, nothing like I thought before. You know how as kids you thought that your house was just the greatest place ever? Yeah, it's not the same no more..."

I wonder if I had a place like that, Omega thought, But, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe that place is Uyama's apartment.

"Anyway, whenever I wanted to go in my dad's room, my auntie always stopped me—said he was working on a top secret spy mission." He paused for a moment, "It looks like he was. Turns out, he changed his legal name to Glees Turner. He was investigating the WW3 thing—the bomb thing. I don't..." He sniffled quietly, "I don't really know where he's at now."

Uyama looked up at the setting sun and scratched his beard for a while, "I think we can do something about that."

"For real?" Enjō perked up, "Man, thanks 'Yama."

"Are you scared to meet him?" Omega asked.

"Scared? Not really scared, more like hesitant. I got no idea what's he's been through since I last seen him."

Omega replied with a single grunt.

"That's a weird question though, you good bro?"

"I think so, but it feels like there's nothing I can do right now. Like I just have to wait for something." Omega looked down at the ground.

"Better to wait with friends than by yourself, no?" Uyama patted Omega's hair down, blurring his vision.

Omega chuckled, "Ye-yeah."

"Oh, damn. You need a haircut."

———

"What of your education policies?" Someone in the audience laughed.

"Out of all issues plaguing this country, education is among the highest," Izaak answered with a stern look, "I plan on redirecting a margin of tax money away from Defense in order to assist poorer schools as well as poorer locations. Also, I plan on implementing several policies to improve community development as well as social services."

Several laughs bellowed in the audience.

"What if we're attacked and we have no Defense?" Another member shouted.

"I'm not getting rid of the Department of Defense, I'm accentuating the fact that 80% of our tax money goes towards the Defense."

"Lies!" Someone argues.

"Fraud!" The whole crowd started to pitch in, slandering Izaak.

He gripped the microphone with force, "I guess that's all the questions," and put it back on the stand. Lights flickered in his face and spit traveled on stage as he stormed off.

"Izaak." Sheba called out to him softly.

"It's pointless," Izaak threw a cloth onto his face and wiped the sweat, "They don't even listen, they just laugh, laugh, lau-"

"Izaak. You still have time. You don't have to prove anything to them."

"Sheba! This is a democracy—Sorry, "democracy"! If I can't prove it then it's pointless."

Izaak gathered his stuff and started walking out the back door.

Sheba put her hand to her chest, "You don't have to prove anything to them." Her brows furrowed as she looked to him for a response.

Izaak groaned, "Sheba, what you're thinking is—it's dangerous. I would rather fail than make you into some...assassin."

Sheba's face softened, "Okay. But if I have to protect you myself someday, you won't have a choice."

Izaak turned back to face her, "Love you," he said quietly.

Her arms crossed in front of her, "...Love you too, Izi."

The door shut behind Izaak and a crowd surged outside towards a limousine parked on the street.

Jaffe, he thought, peering into the tinted window. The doors opened and Jaffe plus 4 people stepped out of the limousine. People jumped around him, celebrating his arrival.

The audacity to step out his limousine so carefree. If Sheba was out here, she might have off'd him here.

Suddenly, Jaffe's wrinkly eyes met Izaak's. His muscles tensed up in contrast to his frozen mind, moving his legs backwards until he began to run from the crowd. As he turned the corner, he bumped headfirst into someone. He winced and rubbed his head, looking up to see who it was.

Harūn?! Izaak turned away from the large man blocking his path just to be stopped by three other councilmen.

Allowing himself to breathe, Izaak looked back at Jaffe, who's attention was drawn away.

"What would...the councilmen want from me?"

"All we ask is that you comply," Harūn put his hand on Izaak's shoulder, "And that we have a talk."

Izaak stood still, thinking of what was best to say.

With a pudgy face, he uttered, "Okay."

Some lucky soul I am.