Sunlight washed over Angelo as he stepped through the hospital's main doors, the crisp autumn air refreshing after the sterile atmosphere inside. He paused, fishing his phone from his pocket as an important detail surfaced through his eagerness.

"Can't exactly reach Arch rank if I don't know where I'm starting from," he muttered, thumbing through the ACE test scheduling app. His shoulders tensed slightly at the thought of the results, but determination won out over apprehension. "There's a slot tomorrow morning..."

Red's voice echoed through their shared consciousness with characteristic mischief. "Put me down for 'Novice' in the betting pool."

"Keep pushing it and you won't get to recharge for a week," Angelo threatened mentally, his finger hovering over the scheduling button.

"Ha!" Red's smugness radiated through their link. "That would mean no training for you either, dumbass!"

Angelo's mental groan carried his grudging defeat. "...point taken."

Their bickering ceased as a figure approached through the morning crowd. She moved like someone carrying an invisible weight, her stunning red hair catching the sunlight in stark contrast to the cloud of melancholy that seemed to surround her. Brilliant green eyes refused to meet Angelo's gaze directly, though they held a depth of pain that made him unconsciously straighten.

"E-Excuse me," her voice barely carried over the bustle of the morning crowd moving past the hospital grounds. "You're Angelo, aren't you?"

Angelo shifted his weight, suddenly acutely aware of his healing wounds. "Yes... can I help you with something?"

"Could we talk privately?" She gestured toward a small grove of trees where benches sat empty, sheltered from the morning bustle. "If... if that's okay," she added hastily, her confidence seeming to waver.

"Last private chat request didn't end so well," Angelo's voice carried an edge of dark memory. Internally, he reached out. "What's your read on this one, Red?"

"She's legit," Red replied with uncharacteristic directness.

"What happened to your hyper-vigilant paranoia? You were throwing red flags left and right with Jill."

"This one's different - not like that psycho bitch with her perfect makeup and fake-ass smile. She looks miserable as hell but at least she's not trying to hide it."

Angelo studied the girl for a moment longer, making her fidget uncomfortably under his gaze. She dropped her eyes to the ground, hands clasped tightly in front of her, before his nod finally broke the tension. "Alright, I'll hear you out."

Relief flickered across her features as they moved to the benches. The trees cast dappled shadows across them, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere in the middle of the busy hospital grounds. Angelo sat, gesturing for her to continue.

"My name is Neiva," she began, gathering her courage like a shield. "And I want to join your team."

Angelo stared at her, momentarily struck speechless. "Team? What team? I'm not recruiting."

"Please, just... hear me out," Neiva shifted her weight, autumn leaves crunching beneath her feet. "If you knew my reasons, you might think differently."

Angelo leaned back against the bench, curiosity winning out over dismissal. The morning air carried the antiseptic smell of the hospital mixed with the earthier scents of fallen leaves.

"Four years ago, when I was thirteen," Neiva's voice grew distant, lost in painful memory, "an Auron broke into our home. My father - he was an Auron too, but before he could even activate his aura..." Her voice cracked, hands clenching at her sides. "My mother hid me, tried to lead the intruder away. She confronted him..." The words died in her throat, the memory too raw to voice.

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Shadows from the overhanging branches played across her face as she continued. "I lost everything that day. And he escaped - they couldn't catch him." Bitterness crept into her tone, making her sound far older than her seventeen years.

"After that, everything just... stopped mattering. Chess club, Auron training, even tennis..." A ghost of pride flickered across her features. "I could have gone pro, you know? But I couldn't find the will to continue. I dropped out of school, shut down completely." The aura of gloom around her seemed to intensify, making even the morning sunlight feel dim. "The psychologists, the social workers - they all tried. Eventually, even they gave up on me."

"Then four months ago," her eyes sparked with the first real life Angelo had seen in them, "I saw the news. The Angel of Death had claimed another criminal." Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out her phone, pulling up a screenshot. "Kim Kenver," she turned the screen toward Angelo. "The man who murdered my parents."

The image showed a balding man with round glasses, his face unremarkable except for the knowledge of his crimes.

"Oh yeah, the fat bastard," Red's bloodthirsty glee echoed in their shared mind. "That one was especially satisfying."

Angelo's eyes narrowed at the image. "I remember him. Offered him a chance at redemption. He didn't even pause to consider it."

"You see?" Neiva's voice carried desperate hope. "You're the only light I've found in all this darkness. Please, let me join you!"

"Most guys would kill for this kind of attention," Red snickered internally.

Blue's measured tones cut through. "I don't believe romance is her motivation, Red."

"Sorry," Angelo's voice was firm but not unkind. "I got my last partner killed. I won't risk that happening again."

"I don't mind," Neiva's response carried a chill that seemed to drop the temperature around them.

"Besides," Angelo pressed, "you're not even an Auron. How could you contribute?"

The words struck like physical blows, but Neiva refused to go down. "You could train me! Help me finish my Auron training. Then I could help bring justice to others like me!"

"I'm not a teacher."

"Please! I'll do anything! I'll prove my worth!"

"Anything?" Angelo snapped, frustration breaking through. "Then maybe you can find a lead on my parents' case!"

"Your parents' case?"

Angelo cursed internally, looking away - he hadn't meant to reveal that.

"No, really," determination blazed in Neiva's eyes. "What happened? Let me help!"

"Let her try," Blue's calm voice cut through Angelo's resistance. "If she fails, she'll leave us alone. If she succeeds, we finally have a lead. There's no downside."

"Sending her on an impossible mission, huh?" Angelo thought back, then addressed Neiva. "Fine. One chance. But if you fail, I don't want to hear about joining me again. Clear?"

"And if I succeed, you'll let me join?" Her eyes sparked with desperate hope.

"If you succeed," Angelo emphasized. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Tell me everything you know," she pressed, satisfaction creeping into her voice. "I can't investigate without details."

Angelo's expression darkened. "Almost eighteen years ago, in Ashford, my parents died in a lab accident - in their basement lab. According to recently discovered police files, it wasn't an accident at all. No evidence pointed to any specific group. That's all I know."

"We should exchange contact information," she said, her earlier meekness giving way to barely concealed satisfaction. "How else will I report my findings?" The false innocence in her voice made it clear she'd been maneuvering toward this outcome, though her underlying desperation remained evident.

They exchanged contact information, Neiva's earlier gloom replaced by fierce determination. "I'll find something, no matter what it takes!" She practically bounced in place. "Don't forget our promise!" She called over her shoulder as she ran off, leaving Angelo to wave half-heartedly after her.

"Well, you've at least brightened her day," Blue observed. "That counts for something."

"Whatever," Angelo dismissed, settling onto the bench. "Doubt we'll hear from her again. Might as well use this spot for meditation." His aura flickered to life, his oranging eyes closed as he reached for his evolved state. Pain prickled through his healing wounds, but he pushed through it. The orange glow intensified around him, casting strange shadows on the hospital grounds.

"Yes... excellent! Soon these chains shall shatter and I will rain chaos upon this unsuspecting world! MUAHAHAHA!" Red's theatrical villainy echoed through their shared mind.

"I'm trying to concentrate here," Angelo's mental voice carried exasperation. "Blue, he's your problem once he recharges. Consider yourself promoted to babysitter."

"I must protest this arbitrary assignment," Blue replied with dignified offense. "Why should I be responsible for his... recreational activities?"

"Because I need to focus, and you're the only one with nothing better to do." Angelo's tone brooked no argument as he settled deeper into meditation, leaving his two counterparts to sort out their new dynamic.

As hospital life continued around him, Angelo focused on mastering his evolved state, while somewhere in the city, a determined girl began her search for answers about a tragedy nearly two decades old.