With little better to do the afternoon of his arrival at the I.S. Academy, Church found himself standing near the infirmary sooner rather than later. While he was fairly certain that Tatenashi was right in saying that there was no way the girl he had saved would be conscious yet, he didn't have much alternative in regards to practical things to do.

After all, he could hardly go after Shinonono right away: she was in class right now and he had already established that it would be too suspicious to approach her out of the blue. For now, he still figured that his best way in was via a friend he could reasonably ingratiate himself with. If another, more viable option presented itself, he'd use it.

Besides, even ignoring the practical and underhanded reasons he had had for doing this, Church was well and truly interested in the girl's safety. Maybe it was weird, but he felt somewhat obligated to check on her after their life or death encounter, even if it was only such a thing for her.

Thankfully, the infirmary hadn't been too hard to find. Like Tatenashi had said, there were plenty of signs on this floor directing him to the room. He was also quite fortunate that classes had still been going while he was navigating, so he had avoided any more gawking or potential harassment from girls. Now though, he was reconsidering his presence here, standing outside the door with the big white square and red cross on it.

Was this still too much? Would people be suspicious of him for checking in on her? Was it creepy?

I am no expert, Operator A2, but I believe you should be more concerned about what other things may be assumed by your presence.

Almost jumping a bit, Church nevertheless managed to control himself. He had spent some hours with Cerberus in his head, but he was still not entirely comfortable with the sudden entrances it made. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to it.

You're no expert on what, exactly?

Human behavior, of course. You are my first extended contact with a member of your kind. The first 'practical' experience. My programming is all theoretical. That said, knowledge I have gained from the internet shows that many erroneous conclusions will probably be drawn from your presence here, provided that it is discovered.

Church glanced down the hallway, which was still empty for now. No one really knew he was here, and only Tatenashi could assume that he had paid a visit. Honestly, it was odd not seeing any security cameras in such halls. Maybe he had just spent too much time within Umbra Stratum's facilities.

So technically, he could leave now and forget about this. But honestly, what was the point? The assumptions of others didn't matter that much. And as far as suspicions regarding his mission were concerned, it wasn't like he had any option that would be entirely free of scrutiny.

If he did have any further qualms about his purpose here, they were wiped away when Church's thoughts were interrupted by the bells of the school ringing, for what he assumed was the end of class. Needless to say, he wasn't too pleased with the idea of getting caught out here with however many girls would be in the halls.

So he quickly slid the infirmary door open and took a spot on the other side of it, letting it close behind him. He was probably much safer in here. Quickly taking stock of the room, he was kind of surprised to see that it was a pretty typical rendition of a school infirmary. Or at least, what Church assumed a school infirmary looked like. He hadn't ended up in one too often when he was actually still in school.

Well, it was a bit nicer than most infirmaries probably were. The mahogany wooden paneling was an indicator of such a thing. But other than that, there were white beds, white curtains to separate those beds, and about all the other things one would expect from an infirmary: surprised nurse included. The older woman had brunette hair in a bun and the white coat one would expect, and she seemed surprised to see a boy that wasn't Ichika here.

Of course, being a member of the staff, she had been informed of Church's existence, but she probably hadn't expected to see him here the day of his arrival. Still, she had a job and an obligation to be professional.

"Hello, sir. Are you in need of medical attention?"

Caught a little off guard even though he definitely should have anticipated the presence of a professional in here, Church managed to save face relatively quickly.

"N-no, I'm fine. I was actually here to check on a girl...? She's uh, brunette? About a foot shorter than me, almost died today?"

"Ah yes, Ms. Lingyin Huang. She's the only one here right now. It's my understanding that you gave her first aid after the accident today: very good work. Your quick action saved her from more serious wounds and ensured she'll have a much swifter recovery."

Admittedly, Church was somewhat flustered by the praise, perhaps because it was coming from a professional in a field he wasn't all that familiar with. He usually played it modest when this kind of thing happened.

"Well, I was only able to do that because I was equipped with the right tools."

Glancing down at a clipboard on her desk, the nurse quickly responded to his assessment.

"Yes, Class-1 BSF was it? Crucial to first aid in emergency situations these days. You know, Infinite Stratos units should really be equipped with such Bio-Stabilization Foam themselves."

"That would probably be helpful."

Maybe it was his body language, or perhaps it was the tone of his voice, but at this point the nurse seemed to recognize that Church wasn't too interested in carrying on a conversation with her. That was fair, since he had come here for an explicit purpose. Since she was as polite as he was, the nurse decided she would get out of his hair.

"Well, Ms. Huang is in the bed near the window, at the back. She's unconscious, but you can check on her yourself if that will reassure you. Please, don't touch her. As for me, I was just about to go and collect some medicine to restock the supply here. I'll be back soon."

With that, the older woman exited the room, utterly shocking Church simply because he couldn't believe the degree of trust being offered to him as a complete stranger. Sure, saving someone's life was a pretty good way to instill trust in others right away, but they were still leaving him completely alone with an injured, defenseless, unconscious girl in an unsupervised room that he could probably lock from the inside.

He had no bad intentions, but if he did, the people in charge here would have theoretically handed him the right situation to do whatever he wanted on a silver platter. He wasn't sure if this was a product of him being a very recent hero or if this school just didn't really have any bad experiences to make them more wary. Or maybe Church was just too paranoid: he was so used to the tight and unforgiving security of Umbra Stratum that he might have forgotten how far removed the regular world was from that kind of thing.

Ignoring those misgivings, Church stepped towards the back of the room, pulling back the curtain that covered the farthest bed. Lying in it was the brunette girl he had saved earlier, though she was now covered in bandages and had a cast on her arm. Church was surprised that this was the extent of her necessary care: then again, he was even more surprised that she hadn't required a visit to a real hospital.

Cerberus once again proved that it was always reading his thoughts, as it proceeded to answer the rhetorical questions Church had asked himself.

According to the information I can gather on the current state of medical science, Tabane Shinonono accidentally created a substance capable of significantly accelerating the body's healing while she was developing Infinite Stratos.

How does one accidentally make a substance that heals humans while working on a flying death machine?

The details are classified. Suffice to say, Tabane Shinonono was generous enough to actually provide the formula to a select few medical corporations, most of which are notably located in Japan. It makes sense that this Academy would have a large supply of it.

Church nodded his head in acknowledgment of all this as he analyzed Huang's injuries further. She was in remarkably good shape, all things considered. She even managed to still be pretty attractive, which was hard to say about anyone who almost died, or fell through a tree and all of its branches at the least.

If this stuff is so great, how come I'm not equipped with it?

The substance accelerates healing, in some cases quite drastically, but it is still not suitable for immediate care. Unlike your medical supplies, which immediately treat and stabilize wounds, the substance in question still needs time to do its work. If you were shot, you would bleed out and it would do nothing to help you. It aids in recovery, not immediate stabilization. It would serve no purpose for you.

Noting that said substance had not been named at any point in time during this conversation, Church had half a mind to ask about that, but he didn't get a chance to, thanks to a voice with a distinctly British accent accosting him from behind.

"You! What do you think you're doing here?!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Church found exactly who he had expected: one Cecilia Alcott. He hadn't heard her enter the room. For the life of him though, he couldn't understand her irate tone.

"Uh... checking on the wounded?"

The regal blonde stomped up to him in no time at all. "Is that so? Or are you perhaps trying to sexually harass a defenseless girl yet again?!"

With that accusation made, Church had no choice but to turn completely on his heel to face her, his blue eyes meeting her own, slightly lighter shade.

"Hold on now, what's with that wild accusation?"

Cecilia's hands were on her hips in a distinctly haughty manner. Church got the feeling she often exuded that kind of aura.

"I'd hardly call it a wild accusation. The student council president may not have witnessed your vile act, but I had you in my sights and I witnessed what you were doing, you, you... ruffian!"

"Are we talking about the undressing thing? That wasn't sexual harassment!"

"Hogwash! What else would you call it?!"

Church folded his arms as he continued to defend himself. He hadn't been expecting to have this conversation, honestly. Perhaps because of that, he could ignore how absurd it was to be having it so suddenly.

"I'd call it 'medical treatment.' You think I can magically take care of her cuts and broken bones through her clothes? EMTs cut people's clothes off all the time in emergency situations!"

Cecilia's stern expression clearly faltered at this. "Ah, well..."

"Also, do you honestly think I saved her from certain death, smashed through a wall in a horrific wreck, then got up and said, 'hey, let's go strip that girl! That's definitely reasonable to do in this situation!"

With that presented to her, Cecilia's irritation seemed to drop completely. Maybe she realized how foolish it sounded when Church said it like that. Clearly embarrassed by the silliness of her accusation, the blonde tried to save face as she cleared her throat.

"Y-yes, well... you do have to admit, your actions looked quite suspect at first glance! And who could blame me, making such a judgment upon seeing such a... brutish man!"

Church cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at his body. He could hardly see any justice in being labeled as such. He was decently muscular, considering that he operated a mobile suit of armor, but hardly to any extent he would call brutish.

"Brutish? Really?"

He spread his arms in obvious reference to himself as he said this, prompting justification from his newest acquaintance.

"Yes, brutish! It's an aura, not a look. A handsome face doesn't hide it."

Church smirked as he found a foothold to further turn the tables in his favor, as far as this exchange was concerned.

"Handsome, huh?"

Cecilia was clearly caught off guard by his implication, taken aback and blushing a bit as she realized what she had admitted to. However, she was surprisingly swift in regaining her footing.

"D-don't let that go to your head. Good looks without a respectable personality means nothing at all."

"You don't even know me, how are you making that judgment already?"

Her arms folded and eyes narrowed, Cecilia had no qualms expressing her views on that either.

"I'm not the type to assume a man is respectable at first glance. I've met many men in my life and nearly all of them were pathetic trash. Only one has actually proven himself to be worthy of respect."

She brushed past Church as she finished that sentence, focusing her attention on the bedridden Huang. Not that Church could see it from his position, but the severity of her gaze diminished immediately.

"Still... thank you for saving her."

Getting a better grip on the personality of the girl he was talking too, Church figured it was best to simply accept her gratitude. Her file had mentioned this: a lot of bluster and whatnot, but it was a front for other feelings. Textbook tsundere and all that.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad your friend is alright."

Maybe feeling flustered by the situation, Cecilia whirled around in a moment, raising that defensive wall once again.

"Y-yes, well, don't go thinking this means anything! What you did was within the realm of the expected for any honorable man. It'll take more than that to impress me."

Church refrained from saying that impressing her wasn't high on his list of priorities. No need to stir up trouble.

"I'll try harder, then. Is saving you a requirement?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not the type to fall out a window, unlike a certain someone."

With that, the blonde brushed past Church again, this time heading for the door. Apparently, she had only come here to check on her friend, and Church's presence had just sidetracked her.

"It's my understanding that your job here will include some exhibition matches, or something of that nature. That being the case, I'm sure we'll meet again. I hope you won't be a disappointment on the field of battle after making a good first impression."

With that, Cecilia exited the infirmary, leaving Church with a cocked eyebrow. The girl hadn't even asked him his name.

Fifty bucks says that girl has serious daddy issues.

Cerberus responded posthaste, since the comment was obviously directed towards it.

I wouldn't know, Operator A2. I lack the knowledge or desire to make that assessment.

Now left alone again, Church considered his next move. In hindsight, checking on this Huang girl hadn't taken much time, considering that she was still unconscious. He still had a lot of time on his hands and very little to do in any practical sense...

"...is that loudmouth gone yet?"

Church jumped for a brief moment, thinking for a moment that Cerberus was speaking to him again. However, the voice speaking to him was that of a female, and definitely not in his head. This was still shocking, honestly. Turning around once again, he found the brunette he had saved earlier with one emerald eye cracked open, blearily taking stock of the room around her.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Frankly, Church hadn't expected this to happen. It had literally only been a few hours since the girl's accident. He'd have expected her to remain unconscious for some time.

"Y-yeah, she's gone. I uh, didn't expect you to be awake. Are you in pain? The nurse left to restock the medicine, but I can go find her if you need help."

The girl squirmed a bit in her bed, with a contorted expression on her face that made it clear she was assessing the state of her body. After a few moments, she offered her answer.

"Nah... I can't feel much of anything. Not that I can move much either... ugh, I feel sluggish..."

"Well, that's pretty remarkable considering what happened to you."

Huang tried to shift her weight a bit, but didn't manage to move much at all. In the end, she directed her gaze to Church again.

"Right, about that... uh, could you tell me what happened? Gotta say, the bits of the conversation I heard between you and Cecilia were... concerning."

Church mentally tallied up everything that would need to be said, since this girl had been unconscious for some time now. Probably even before falling.

"Well, I got on the scene only at the very end of the situation, but I'm fairly certain you fell out a window from pretty high up in the tower."

That part of the explanation garnered a sigh from the girl. "Great, I'm sure I won't hear the end of that for the rest of the year at least... so, did you save me?"

"I caught you pretty close to the ground. But being that low, I didn't have many options. Threw you into a tree after breaking your fall with an inertial canceller, then I crashed into the gymnasium because I didn't have enough space left to slow down."

His conversational partner tried to smile, but clearly didn't really have the energy to manage it. Still, tired though her voice sounded, there was an obvious undertone of gratitude.

"At least I wasn't the only thing to focus on during this catastrophe. Sorry you had to crash for me."

Church was about to say that such a thing needn't be mentioned, but he didn't get a chance to, since the girl continued.

"But uh, what was that bit I heard about undressing...?"

Church's face reddened a bit. While talking to Cecilia, the notion wasn't that embarrassing, and it was easy to view it as pure practicality. But talking to the actual girl in question was a different matter entirely.

"W-well, uh... I may have caught you before you died, but you still got hurt pretty badly. I, er... had to check your body for injuries when I was rendering first aid. B-but, you weren't completely naked, or anything! So it doesn't count, right?"

The infirm girl he told this to developed a blush of her own as she averted her gaze towards the ceiling. Her embarrassment was obvious, but her response was a clear attempt to ignore the awkwardness via humor.

"Oh, that's perfectly alright then. No foul whatsoever. I hope you keep that logic to medical emergencies only."

The redness on the boy's cheeks didn't fade, but somehow, his response was more confident than it was before. Maybe seeing Rin take things in good humor calmed his nerves a bit.

"I would be partial to applying that logic to first dates, depending on who's asking."

Rin snickered at this stranger's rather fun sense of humor: she didn't actually get too many good laughs with the people she typically hung out with. Some of them were too straight-laced, and the others just weren't that funny half the time.

Unfortunately she didn't get to laugh much anyway, as the pain in her torso stopped her after a mere second or two. She may not have felt much while just lying there, but the contortion associated with laughter was a bit too much.

"O-ow...as a girl I feel like I should be offended, but that was actually funny. Ouch..."

A look of concern spread across her visitor's countenance as he beheld the grimace on Rin's face. "Hey, are you sure you're okay? You are on painkillers, right?"

The wounded girl frowned. Ironically, she didn't actually know how well off she was or wasn't. She'd only just woken up, and not to a medical professional that could tell her what state she was in.

"I'm pretty sure I am... it's not a lot of pain, just when I laughed, I guess. I'll be fine. I think."

"If you say so..."

Rin sought to change the subject, since there was little point in continuing this particular thread. Besides, she didn't want the conversation to peter out and get awkward. She had to at least try and be personable with the guy who had saved her.

"So I can only assume you're that American student or whatever we were told about earlier today?"

Said American shook his head, brown bangs swaying. "No, I'm not a student of any sort. I definitely can't do anything I.S. related. Aside from being a guy, it'd probably all be too confusing for me anyway."

Rin furrowed her brow as she inwardly questioned how she had forgotten that her visitor wasn't a student, or why she would even think that made sense. Someone had said something about that earlier, right? She was kind of groggy, though. Maybe it had just slipped her mind.

"Are you admitting to being dumb? That's not very smooth."

Church smirked, well aware that he wasn't actually being insulted by the girl he was talking with. "Come on now, you might fly an I.S., but do you understand everything about it? If you did, you could make cores of your own and build an entire frame and armament from scratch, right?"

The girl being questioned frowned as the tables were turned on her. OK, so he was pretty smooth. She wasn't really used to that, considering her typical company.

"Hey, you don't know if I built my own I.S. or not."

"Eh, I don't think your IQ is high enough for that. Your official record says it's pretty low, relatively speaking."

Needless to say, Rin was appalled to hear this. "No way! That can't be in my profile! Wait, when did you read that anyway? You a stalker or something?!"

Church chuckled to himself at her expense. Truthfully, an IQ of 126 wasn't low at all: but as far as top-tier I.S. pilots went, they usually struck above 130. He had said 'relatively,' so it wasn't like he had lied, but he hardly thought she was stupid. He probably needed to say that.

"I had to read the dossiers of important pilots like yourself before coming. And hey, you're still very smart as far as the world is concerned. Being smart and cute seems like a pretty good combination, right?"

The compliment was uttered in such a matter of fact and nonchalant fashion that Rin almost didn't catch it. After a moment though, it did register, and she couldn't help but blush. She didn't get such direct compliments very often.

"O-oh, really? Y-you think so?"

"Yeah, 126 is actually pretty high IQ compared to the global average."

Rin refrained from mentioning that she had been referring to his comment about her looks, not her IQ. Besides, the fact that he didn't consider that as something that had to be reaffirmed meant he felt it was too obvious to bother mentioning, right?

Ultimately, she didn't get to say anything else at all. The door to the infirmary opened once again, this time revealing a woman with her hair in a bun and a white jacket: obviously the nurse. Said nurse took stock of the room immediately upon entering.

"Ah, Ms. Huang: I'm surprised you're awake so soon."

"Kinda wish I wasn't..."

Assuming that the nurse would have some private things to talk about now that she had returned and her charge was awake, Church figured it was probably a decent time to make his exit. Surely he'd done enough to at least set up a second encounter with Huang at this point: he couldn't imagine she'd refuse to talk to him again, all things considered. He'd landed on the shores, now he just had to secure the beachhead and press inland.

"Well then, I guess I'll get going. Ms. Orimura recommended that I stay out of the public eye on my first day. Practically sounded like an order, coming from her."

The thought of it made Rin smile. That definitely sounded like Ichika's older sister. "Pretty much everything that she ever says sounds like an order."

The boy smiled too, though his was more disconcerted than pleased. "That's reassuring... well, I hope I'll see you around sometime, preferably outside of my official capacity here. Try to take it easy until you're better, alright?"

As he turned to leave, Rin called out to him, ignoring the nurse that was starting to say something about a recent concussion. She found it strange that the most obligatory part of a conversation between strangers had not taken place.

"Hey, wait a second!"

Church turned to face her, a questioning expression entirely evident. "What is it?"

"You didn't tell me your name. Don't you have any manners?"

Her rescuer made a displeased face upon hearing this, but it didn't seem to be directed at the question itself. More like the answer to the question. "Right... it's uh, Church. Yes, like a congregation or a building, but it's a family name, so roll with it."

Rin cocked an eyebrow at him, not understanding his distaste. "Well if you don't like it, just use your first name. Duh."

Church's look of displeasure intensified. "I'd really rather not..."

Rin closed her eyes and leaned her head back as the nurse inserted a syringe into the only exposed part of her left arm. Guess she did need some more meds. "Whatever you say. If we do run into each other again, my name's Rinin. I'd let you shorten it, but that's only for guys I actually like."

Somewhat sure that was a joke, Church seemed amused by the sentiment. "What, are you still mad about what happened under the tree? I thought it was pretty romantic, if I do say so myself."

Nowhere near as amused as he by this, Rin frowned. "That's almost frightening. Look, I'm getting kinda sleepy here, so..."

She could hear her new acquaintance recede a few steps from her bedside as he headed for the door. "Right. Well then, maybe later."

"Yeah, maybe..."

It was the last thing Rin said before drifting off into a drug-induced sleep, for which she was extremely grateful. As for the last thought she had, it was that she wouldn't really mind meeting that guy again. It wasn't everyday someone made her smile, laugh, and blush in one encounter.

As for Church, he wasted little time in exiting the medical area since he had nothing else to do there. He hated to think of the encounter just now as some sort of stepping stone in a larger scheme, but partly, it was. He just so happened to be legitimately concerned for Rinin as well. Still, he couldn't rush things: he'd done what he could to set himself down the path his mission required. As he'd already determined with Cerberus, a deep cover infiltration offered the best odds of success in achieving the objective without incident, and that kind of thing took time.

Church wasn't particularly eager to expedite the mission anyway: it had been a long time since he'd had a chance to exist in a relatively normal social environment like this. He had no desire to cut the experience short prematurely, especially when that experience involved some of the world's most exceptional women.

Turning down the hall as he contemplated what to do with the time on his hands now, Church returned his attention to his surroundings when he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone walking the opposite direction. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't really been paying attention to the dangers of pedestrian life.

Not one to be impolite for no reason, Church turned to apologize to the person he had run into. To his not so great surprise, the person in question was one Ichika Orimura, who was likewise turning to apologize to him. The Japanese boy beat him to the punch, however.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you like that."

Well aware that he was the one who hadn't been paying attention, Church had no choice but to reciprocate the notion.

"Not at all, I'm the one who wasn't looking where he was going. Ichika Orimura, right?"

Since it was impossible to not know him around this school being the only male on the student roster, Ichika didn't seem surprised to be identified so readily.

"That's right. Nice to meet you...?"

The way he petered off made it obvious that Ichika was asking for his name, but so did the outstretched arm looking for a handshake. Apparently he knew that Westerners weren't big on bowing.

Admittedly, Church was less invested in fraternizing with the only dude around when there were tons of girls he could talk to instead, but that didn't mean he was completely against being a friendly acquaintance with Ichika. In fact, Ichika was just one more entry point into Houki Shinonono's social circle. With that in mind, he clasped the proffered hand within a moment and introduced himself.

"Church. Nice to meet you."

Once the handshake was over and done with, Ichika actually did bow, much to Church's surprise.

"Chifuyu said you were the one that saved Rin from her fall. Thank you for saving my friend. Actually, let me thank you on behalf of all of her friends. I'm sure some of the others will forget to do it..."

"Don't mention it. I'd hope anyone with the power to do so would have helped her in that moment."

Rising from his bow, Ichika smiled, apparently pleased with Church's reasoning. Maybe it resonated with his noble spirit or something.

"I'm glad to hear you speak of it in such a way. It's a man's duty to help others in need, even if they're complete strangers."

Church could visualize a clenched fist to go along with this, even though Ichika made no such motion. He knew from the dossier that Ichika was a pretty traditional individual in regards to masculine values, which was surprising considering the woman's world of today. But the statement still seemed a little out of left field.

"Uh-huh..."

"By the way, you are actually a man, right? The last time a guy showed up here, he ended up being a girl..."

Recalling that part of an incident report involving a certain French blonde, Church felt just mildly offended. Unlike Charlotte Dunois posing as a boy some time ago, Church had a physique and height that was distinctly more masculine: it would have been very hard for him to be a girl considering all that. But Ichika had already been bamboozled once, so he supposed he couldn't blame the guy for the paranoia.

"Yeah, I am actually a guy. I'm not a student though, so don't expect that to take too much pressure off of you regarding all of these girls."

Contrary to what Church had expected, Ichika actually sighed at this. For a moment, his visage looked like that of the most exhausted man in the world.

"Well, even if you only take a bit of it, that'd be good enough for me. I wouldn't want you to take even half of it for your own sake: I wouldn't wish that on even my worst enemy..."

Church cocked an eyebrow, surprised to see the young man across from him speak of his situation with such exhaustion. Ichika was living the dream: or at least, what many boys thought was the dream. Maybe, as Church had postulated earlier, being the sole target of affection from a horde of capable and strong-willed girls wasn't all it was cracked up to be. He could certainly see how such a situation could be exhausting: you only had so much room in your heart to care about people. And if literally everyone wanted a piece, there were bound to be a lot of frustrated girls. And frustrated girls could be very scary.

To be fair, that was mostly conjecture on Church's part. Maybe Ichika was talking about something else entirely.

"By the way, if you were heading this way to visit your friend, the staff knocked her out with medicine a few minutes ago. I don't think she'll be up for a conversation."

"Oh, that's too bad. I just wanted to check and see if she was alright, but if you did already, that's good enough for me. Thanks for checking in on her."

Frankly, Church found that sentiment a little weird: sure, he had already seen that Rinin was alive and tended to, but the girl was Ichika's friend, not his. He would have expected Ichika to have checked in on her regardless of Church's own involvement. Maybe he just didn't understand the relationships between these people he had just met.

"Yeah, no problem... listen, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I need to go conduct some maintenance on my machine after that crash earlier. I'll see you around."

While Church was blatantly lying, he knew already this wasn't the type of encounter to have a long, drawn out conversation. They were speaking in passing, in the middle of the hall. But parting on friendly terms would be a good sign. Besides, Ichika didn't seem to have any qualms with going about his business either.

"Sure, I understand. Thanks again for what you did."

With a wave, Church turned his back on the boy and continued walking the way he had been before. It was at this time that Cerberus spoke up.

Really, Operator A2, don't you feel bad for lying so easily? The Exeter suit is already in optimal condition. And we both know you're not cutting the encounter short to focus on the mission.

Church rolled his eyes since no one was currently around to see him do it.

Look, nothing against the guy: he's a little weird, but Ichika seems stand-up enough. As far as the mission is concerned, Ichika will probably interact with me enough simply because I'm the only other guy around, so I don't need too much initiative on that front. That said, if I'm going to spend time fraternizing with people regardless, I'd much rather it be one of the many, many cute girls around here and not the one dude on the whole campus. I have a lot of lost time to make up for, you know.

I do not understand what you mean.

I'm just saying, I didn't get a whole lot of time to spend with girls before joining Umbra Stratum. And definitely no time after. The past few years have been dedicated to making money, and little else.

There was a moment of silence as Cerberus likely read through some sort of record.

Ah, yes. The travails of the United States healthcare system, is it? I must say, your background initially surprised me when I first learned of it. To think, doting son was the all-important selection criteria required for the Exeter suit's pilot.

I think 'really good pilot' was actually the all-important selection criteria. Umbra Stratum doesn't care about why I joined. That's why they are willing to shell out so much cash to keep me around.

Perhaps sensing the irritation in Church's response, Cerberus wisely avoided discussing it further. Church was actually impressed by the tact it had seemingly lacked thus far.

Well then, perhaps we should dedicate some time to further developing our plan for accomplishing the mission, Operator A2. Your much valued paycheck relies on your performance, after all.

With his mood somewhat soured by this most recent discussion, Church decided that getting some fresh air would do some good in that regard. It was easier to think on the move anyway.

Fair enough.

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Thirty minutes later, Church was flying circles around the spiral shaped Academy tower, for two reasons. First and foremost, he found it easier to think when he was physically preoccupied by something simple. Flying around in circles was easy, and no one seemed to care that he was doing it. Second, even though Cerberus had assured him the Exeter suit was in prime condition again, Church wanted to make that judgment himself, for ease of mind if nothing else.

The exercise was mostly being used to facilitate some relaxing brainstorming, since Cerberus was right in saying that they needed to continue planning for the accomplishment of their mission. Right this moment though, the process had drifted into a conversation of a different sort.

So, I know we've known each other for less than a day, but how long will it take you to settle on one personality archetype? No offense, but I don't quite like every version of you.

If the AI was offended in any way by this statement, it did not show in its answer.

I am very close to settling on the perfect archetype to assist you in your endeavors. Though personally I find it disheartening that you do not enjoy my violent side.

Church sighed as he rocketed around another twist in the Academy tower's strange architecture.

Well I may or may not be worried that you could have some sort of negative impact on my psyche.

Cerberus switched to a more calming side of itself, which Church actually found ironic all things considered.

Fear not, Operator A2, I have no such effect on your mind.

Wondering if this AI was actually advanced enough to be the asshole humans knew how to be, Church decided it was best not to find out until it was absolutely necessary.

I don't suppose I can get you to stop calling me that?

Would you prefer that I address you as Operator-Church?

The pilot in question cut the energy supply to his thrusters and landed on the side of the tower, using the magnetic mesh on his gauntlets and boots to effortlessly stick to the surface.

I'll accept that if you call me just one or the other.

Cerberus answered in its neutral tone once more.

Apologies, Operator A2, but I cannot remove the Operator designation from your title. It is a protocol that is unalterable. Marcus the All Powerful has hardwired that into my core.

Church couldn't help but shake his head at that information.

Why am I not surprised that Marcus coded something like that into you? His title, I mean...

I imagine it is because you probably expected him to.

Church shrugged, nodding to himself. Marcus was a good guy, but just a little conceited about his technological creations and advancements. The ridiculous moniker was right up his alley.

"Yeah, probably..."

Cerberus may have had something to say after that, but its constant scan of its surroundings actually revealed something useful at this point.

Operator, direct your attention 49.8 degrees southward, and increase magnification to 3.5x. I believe you will see something of interest.

Church did as he was told, and he did indeed find something of interest. A zoomed view of a certain silver-haired Representative Candidate, looking none-too pleased as she spoke sternly into a phone.

Hmm... I won't say I'm not interested, but is there any value in interacting with her at this juncture?

Operator, while you have already planted the seeds to integrate into Shinonono's social circle in due time, it certainly doesn't hurt to have more options. I feel I must remind you that Bodewig is also a member of that social circle. One extra way in.

I suppose you have a point there. Besides, she is super cute...

Operator, please make your decisions using a more valuable criteria.

Church briefly acknowledged that Cerberus had removed the A2 from his designation, but he didn't get to enjoy it that much since he was busy being ribbed by the thing.

Fine, we'll investigate because it could further our practical mission, and for no other reason. Happy?

I would be, if only I actually believed you.

Shaking his head, Church peeled off the tower he was resting on and began his descent to the surface. Sometimes he wondered if mental arguments in his head were bad for his sanity.