Sector 1: Thrice Inc. [22:01]

Chihiyo sighed, “You really are pathetic, you know that?” she rubbed her bloody hands together forming a black cloud around them. When the cloud dissipated, the blood was gone, “You really thought you could fight your way out of this room to save that girl?” She stepped forward to Aku who was contorted on the floor in a pool of her own blood, “Instead of wasting your time wondering when you will kill me….” she leaned down and whispered into Aku’s ear, “You should worry about when you’ll have to kill them.” she stood straight once again and turned her attention to the doctor, “Monitor her regeneration time. No pain killers,” she glanced back at Aku, “Let her feel her bones slide back into place.”

Sector 25: The Warehouse [22:30]

“Reikokuna Disposer?”

Kenji opened his eyes to a small light hovering over them.

“He’s regained consciousness!! Reikokuna Disposer can you hear me?”

As his vision stabilized he recognized the STAM badge on the voice's jacket. He sat up slowly ignoring the concern of the medic. Slowly, his memories returned to him.

“The great Reikokuna Kenji-” Kyou spoke from behind him. He too was being treated by a medic for his completely misshapen nose, “Taken out by a normal human-” he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Kenji turned to see the human being questioned, “What happened?” He noticed the shapeshifter and the other girl were gone.

Kyou turned to him and pointed to his nose, “The shapeshifter beat me up,” he turned back to the medic who put his hands on Kyou’s face gently.

Kenji raised an eyebrow, “I thought you said her combative abilities were minimal. You rated her a blue agent! She shouldn’t have stood a chance! Wasn’t she paralyzed?”

The medic took a deep breath and yanked Kyou’s nose back into place. Kyou cried out and tilted his head back, “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“But-”

“Your radiation levels are dangerously high. The two of you need to go back to STAM for quarantine immediately,” another medic interrupted Kenji.

Kyou stood quickly, not wanting to indulge in Kenji’s questions any longer, “Let’s go!”

Kenji hesitated before standing. Something didn’t make sense. The situation he woke up to just didn’t match with what was set up. Kyoushirou….what really happened?

Sector 27: Training Room 3 [23:30]

Keiko had long since returned from her mission and was in her own training room. While her body was going through the movements of her fighting style forms, her mind strained to stay focused. Her thoughts were jumping around so wildly she couldn’t properly focus on any of them. She stopped and slapped herself on the cheeks. This time when she continued her forms, she wrapped her arms in thin strands of water. Like each of her elements, water was in tune with a particular aspect of herself. For water, it was clear of mind and heart. The clearer her focus, the stronger her control was. Just as she felt her mind let go and fall into the familiarity of her forms, the omnibook ringed at her with a window popping up in her retina display.

She groaned, the water evaporating to steam, “Hong?” she answered the call with a blink, “SHE WHAT???” She ended the call and ran out the training room, headed straight for Hong’s office.

By the time she got there Arisa was walking out from the room with a large smile on her face, “Arisa!!!” Keiko called out to Arisa from down the hall. She was nearly running, a stern look on her face.

Arisa froze, fearing the lecture she was about to hear, “Ah 013! It was- it was just- I’m fine- I didn’t-” she didn’t know how to start or what to say to soften the blow she expected from her.

As Keiko closed the distance between the two of them she saw something. Arisa was tired- no exhausted. Whatever she had been through- perhaps not just tonight but over the past week- had done something to her. The stern look fell from Keiko’s face in place of concern. Who is going to protect those you care about? She felt tears threaten to well in her eyes but bit them back. She couldn’t ignore this truth. Arisa had succeeded. No matter how much Keiko feared for her safety- she couldn’t overlook this. Keiko grabbed Arisa firmly by the shoulders, “You’re OK,” she let out a lung full of relief and held Arisa in a tight hug, You’re really working hard aren’t you?

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Arisa stood there shocked. She wasn’t expecting this at all. She had readied herself for Keiko’s anger and a lecture. How was she supposed to respond to this? Suddenly she felt tears well in her own eyes and she nodded, “I’m OK.”

Keiko pulled away from the hug and Arisa wiped her tears away quickly. Keiko smiled fondly, “So tell me. What happened?”

Just like her report to Hong, Arisa didn’t tell the whole truth, “Ms.Mary was the one. I got her.”

“Just like that?”

“Well they kidnapped me….and then STAM showed up….”

It took all of Kei’s willpower to not let her concern turn to anger, “STAM did?!? Did you fight them?!”

Arisa laughed nervously, “Well you know- I managed to not get paralyzed….and I snuck out with Ms.Mary when they weren’t looking….”

A look of relief washed over Keiko and she smiled.

Arisa beamed at her.

Keiko patted her shoulder, “We should celebrate. Your first successful solo mission. Where’s 014?”

Arisa shrugged and raised her arm to look at the omni-book but it wasn’t there.

“Where’d it go?” Keiko raised her own arm to look for Aku.

“Ms.Mary took it off me so I couldn’t call for backup. The white coats are making sure it wasn’t tampered with before returning it to me.”

Keiko nodded, “014’s not hooked in at all...did she ever come back from the mission?”

Arisa rubbed the back of her head nervously, “I don’t know….”

Inside Hong’s office, behind the screen there was a small, separate office. It was lit with warm yellow light that bounced off the all wood interior. It felt like a quiet cozy study. A man sat at his desk staring at the displays before him. He sighed and with a shaky hand swiped past Arisa’s report to the photos taken of Ms.Mary. With her hair finally pushed out of her face, one could see the large hole where her eye had once been. He sighed again and signed the document approving her charge to be held in the MRPA prison. “How long will I have to keep cleaning up after you?”

A notification popped up on his display and he opened it. A voice file started to play, “Hong sir. We received this list of candidates for the STAM internship position.”

Three faces popped up and Hong’s hand formed a shaky fist, “Damn him.”

Sector 1: STAM Quarantine [23:45]

Since they had spent longer than the time limit in Sector 25, Kyou and Kenji were placed in separate quarantine capsules. The capsule resembled an upright coffin, but poured green light over him. He couldn’t stop thinking about his actions. About how he had betrayed STAM. He knew he shouldn’t be protecting a mazoku- even if it was Arisa. And yet….he couldn’t tell himself not to. Kuma Arisa….how am I going to keep you safe?

On the top floor of the building, Lanse sat at his own desk. Much like Hong’s office he had a large wooden bookshelf but his desk was one large glass display.

“Lanse,” Shizune’s voice spoke over the phone, “I have the final list of candidates.”

“Send them through. I’ll make the final decisions.”

Almost immediately his display lit up with a file. Opening it, he read through the first few pages before skipping to the selection process. STAM Agent Intern Position: there were three profiles below the large title. He remained perfectly still for a moment before a shaky hand tenderly touched the display, “It can’t be….” he covered his face with his hand, “Nami.” Lanse knew it was against his own interest to select the pink haired girl he recognized not by her face, but by his intel. He knew better than to trust, and yet he watched as his finger selected her picture, “Damn him.”

Sector 1: Thrice Inc. [22:50]

Chihiyo walked back into the hospital room where Aku was lying. Her body was now back to the normal shape, “Ah good it looks like you’re healed up. ”

Aku tried to glare at her but she was so exhausted after being in that much pain.

“Ms.Mary ended up getting captured by the girl,” Chihiyo stated matter-of-factly, “Take care of it. Tonight.” Without another word Chihiyo left with the doctor closely behind her.

Aku covered her face with her hand. She was finally alone. Ya lost bad tonight lamb-y. She busted ya’ up good.

Aku let out a laugh, but a single tear slipped down her face.

Sector 27: MRPA Holding Cells [10 September 2121 1:02]

A man walked down the row of cells with a tray of food. It was late in the night, but the new prisoner hadn’t been captured before dinner time. It wasn’t much, just a small bit of rice and some water.

The man knocked on the cell door, “Ms.Mary-” he called but there was no answer. He grunted and opened the window to the cell. He dropped the tray of food, “Ms.Mary!!” he swung the door to the cell open and stumbled backward.

Ms.Mary was in her cell, dangling peacefully from the ceiling.