The brightly coloured images of men and women wearing military grade combat gear fizzed through the monitor. Their faces, hidden behind the shadows of thin cloth but their intentions were obvious: no one enters a warehouse armed to the teeth.
"That's all we have of them sir. Shall we proceed?" The woman overlooking the monitor turned to her Commander who observed the footage.
Tall, long dark locks, the figure hidden beneath a shroud from his long coat. He was illuminated by the bright hologram of the globe behind him. This was the GeoScape, their global monitoring system. Today it was serviced by red skinned demoness, Kneesocks. Commander Reala overlooked the current operation at hand. He nodded. "Voodoo 1, you may proceed with caution. Kazuo, stay frosty."

Thin black fur, emerald green eyes, a softened snout and short hair with a long fringe, Kazuo Takeo-Foxhound kept his eyes on the prize. Naturally black hair natural pink tips and reddish brown, he sported combat goggles, a tactical vest, fingerless gloves and combat trousers (not to mention, trainers). Swaying his hair away from his sight, Kazuo sat up from prone. Checking his rifle, Kazuo released the bolt catch and turned the safety off. He turned to his comrades and gave them a thumbs up. Slowly they approached the large building, trying to stay away from the street lamps, away from view of the citizens of New Meridian. Unlike his comrades, he wore only a combat vest in contrast to the full combat uniform that even included a gas mask for the Black Egrets.
Leading them to the warehouse, the black furred fox-cat pointed at the open shutter door and then to himself to the closed door on his right. Three men proceeded towards the shutter door whilst one man followed suit with the leader. Step by step, slow, cautious, yet graceful and light. Waiting by the door, his follower patted him on the right shoulder; he reached for the door knob and turned it slowly. Pushing the door in, he crept through with his gun at the ready. Before him stood tall crates, though the contents were unknown, it couldn't take long to guess what the Medici's have been shipping through the seas.
The three men slowly scouted the area. The crates created a maze, and only a view from the second floor catwalk would give a good view of the place… Two of the Egrets took cover as one spotted a lone soldier. He proceeded with submachine gun in hand, stopping just behind the target. "Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head. Slowly." The soldier slowly lifted his hands away from his weapon before his knees bent and arms reaching behind his back.
Just as the Egret was about to reach for his handcuffs, loud crashes echoed throughout the warehouse, and he fell to the ground like a rock. It wasn't long before the other two Egrets would respond in kind as they saw the shooter on the catwalk above them. The two men fired right above them, but the shooter fled as the other enemy soldiers took cover parallel the Egrets and fired their guns, mowing down one of the Egrets.
Kazuo and his man quickly entered the scene, flanking two of the attacking soldiers. Just as he was to fire, one of them produced a spike through their wrist and shot it at Kazuo and the Egret behind him. Luckily he was behind a crate, and returned fire. "Parasite!"
Shooting through one of the wooden crates, Kazuo was able to kill one of the soldiers who hid behind cover, as he heard the distinct 'ooff' and a body visibly on the ground. The soldier with a parasite retreated but was open for the other Egret to take down, as he opened fire immediately at the opportunity. The soldier was downed, but Kazuo and his supporting comrade proceeded to riddle the target with more rounds to ensure the death of both the potential parasite and the soldier. The two reunited with the surviving Egret as they took cover behind a forklift.
"Three more just ahead of us!" The Egret shouted.
The Captain took a grenade from his vest and by fingers, counted down from three. Lobbing the ball like explosive, they crouched down and hid behind the vehicle as the three attacking soldiers were decimated by the explosion. Knowing it wasn't finished, Kazuo pointed out the main room, and suspected another hostile there. Pointing to himself to the left, and pointing to the two and to the right, they parted to flank the room on both sides. The two Egrets approached from one of the windows which had been smashed through.
Kazuo entered from the door to the left, and as he did, he noticed one of the soldiers hiding behind a file cabinet. The soldier noticed and she immediately fired at him with her pistol before dropping it and throwing a volley of spiked tentacles at the Egrets, ripping them apart. Throwing them aside she jumped through the window and made a run for the open shutters.
Takeo-Foxhound ran in to pursue as the hostile tried to flee. Pulling the trigger to a click, he swung his rifle to his side and drew his trusty Mateba magnum. Without time to think, he raised his hands and fired two shots. The hostile fell lifeless to the ground.
Putting away his pistol, he placed his right finger to his earpiece: "Commander, the operation was successful… Though we lost some good men out here."
"Roger… A relief squad is on the way to secure the illegal shipment and clean up. Head on home. We'll keep fighting the Medici's another day."
Kazuo sighed as he waited for the relief crew, looking back at the warehouse as he pondered whether the operation would've went differently. Putting away his handgun and slinging his rifle to his back, he walked back to the warehouse to tend to the fallen. As he entered through the open shutters, he looked for the bodies of the Egrets. The two who were impaled by spikes and the two who were shot down… He took their name tags and took the liberty of dragging the bodies close to each other. Lined up, he put each of their hands over their own chests.
He looked over at each of the name tags and took the names in to mind. The thought turned to the crates, and curious, he opened one of them. Typical shipment of firearms, but there were also an abundance of shock rifles and explosives as well. Taking one charge of C4, he looked over and found no marks or tags to denote the company behind it. "Checks out as illegal…" What boggled his mind was why did they need such powerful weapons? "This is what these men died for…?"

Despite the success of the mission, Reala couldn't help but feel guilty at the loss of the men. He hadn't anticipated the Medici's would hire Theon hosts for their private army. The Commander sighed as he looked to the side… His mind trailed to the past.
Since the re-emergence of the Medici mafia after the encounter with the previous skull girl several years ago, Lorenzo saught out to fund a Private Military Company, known as 'Voltage'. Of course, this had sparked even more tension between the Medici mafia and none other than Queen Parasoul herself. Having contacted the Reaping Roses, they have since set up a temporary base of operations in New Kord and began collaborations with the Black Egrets. New Kord was a small town that emerged around one of the densely populated areas of No-Man's Land, and has since been liberated and further made habitable thanks to joint efforts of the Chess Kingdom, the Canopy Kingdom and Gigan Nation.
However, despite the strong force that held it, known as the 'Kord Combat Force', the increasing sieges that they faced became an issue. Of course, that's where the Reaping Roses took an opportunity. The Reaping Roses offered to fund a training program so that the KCF could continue combating the dangerous bandits of No-Man's Land, and all three nations agreed. Since then, the KCF had been renamed into the United Forces. Their efforts to support all nations had been widely noticed. Reala never explicitly explained what his reasons to help are, but the work of the organisation continues with nothing else in goal. Voltage however had set up a firm in New Kord, and reports of small firms emerging in the other nations had concerned political parties.
Commander Reala is more than aware of the damage that the mafia can do with a fully-fledged military army under their hand, even more surprising as to how they were able to fund it in the first place. Something felt off… He felt it, but could he trust the feeling or ignore it? It's been nagging at him for the while.
With Theon hosts as part of the Voltage as well, he now has to re-consider strategies to combat the Medici's. Had he anticipated this, the Egrets might've survived. Just as he was to head out of the room, he was halted by Kneesocks.
"Commander, Theonite readings are off the charts in New Meridian. Must be a glitch in the system…" Kneesocks ignored it at first, but the readings persisted…
"Off the charts!?" Rushing back to her side, he stared at the monitor… His eyes were slight squinted, a fist ball curled from his hand and shook, and he let off a soft grunt. "It's that time again… Send off a code red: Skull Heart."

"Filia." The voice was distant, but it was heard. "Filia." The voice called again… It was then that Filia realised that she was being called by her friend Carol. Having snapped out of a personal trance, she turned to her friend who had been trying to gain her attention. "Have you had enough sleep last night? You look dead tired."
"Oh…" Filia yawned, stretching out her arms. "Sorry, I was having these weird thoughts… Ever since the lecture last week…" The only thing she could remember was an old image of a dead girl. It bothered her because it was a part of family history as much as it was for the Canopy Kingdom. She stared at her scarred friend…
Carol shrugged. "You don't have to worry about it." She swayed her hair to the side and continued: "The Medici's are still pretty infamous…"
"It's what everyone tells me… I don't remember what it was like to be involved in all that." Her missing memories were somewhat of a blessing and a curse at the same time. Piecing together the puzzle was difficult, and the more she solved it, the more she wanted to leave the past behind. "Let's get to class… Our last ever class in this place." She tugged on her hair, trying to get a reaction from her head parasite Samson. "And stay quiet this time!"
"Ouch! Hey! Stop pulling! That hurts! I'll shut my trap! I promise!"
Carol chuckled. "As much as you're a brute, it's kinda reassuring to have you around Samson." Because Carol met Samson after Filia lost her memories, it was odd to see that Filia had a parasite, and one that could disguise itself as hair. But at the very least, the black locks were much more attractive than the short blonde hair she had in the past.
Carol went ahead. "I guess we didn't need the Skull Heart after all. Life is doing well for Carol." Samson said as he took the can of soda from the table to chug.
"I guess…" Filia said before following, slowly…

Having made it to History class, Carol and Filia took their seats. The teacher, Ms. Victoria, began taking the register. "Filia Medici."
As usual, the young Medici raised her hand to call her presence, she dropped it as Ms. Victoria continued on to the other students. After, class began, with the same image displayed on the whiteboard as last week.
"Today will be a 'chill' day since it'll be our last ever day together. So… We will continue on the topic of the 'Contiello Massacare'. As a refresher, this image was one of the few pictures we have of the disaster happening. I hope you all have done your research." She pointed at the whiteboard again, specifically at the picture of a young girl whom was wheeled away into an ambulance. "Pop quiz: Who is this young girl?"
Carol was eager to answer as she raised her hand first among the class. When she was picked by the teacher, she dropped her hand and responded: "That girl was Sienna Contiello. The cause of death was gunshot to the head. It was a small hall gathering of the Contiello's who were supposed to meet the Medici's, before the Medici mafia stormed in with guns…"
The teacher smiled at Carol. "Very good Miss Painwheel! You have been doing your homework as usual!"
The young Medici, cautiously raised her own hand to add on to her friend's facts. "Can I just elaborate that…?" She paused a moment, but gulped down a small sense of courage. "The Contiello's were killed without any form of provocation. They were a family of middle-class Opera singers who were supposedly good friends of the Medici." Sighing, she continued. "It was unknown as to why the Medici mafia had attacked the family. Most of the information is withheld by Police."
"Impressive. Most impressive…" Ms. Victoria paused a moment before sending a reassuring smile to Filia. Though the response was a plain stare, Victoria turned her attention to the lesson at hand… "Alright class, turn to page nine-twenty of your anthologies and continue reading."
The lesson continued on, but Filia for the remainder, paid no attention. Instead, she kept to writing on her notepad, shying away from reality. The only thing she could write was 'Sienna Contiello' repeatedly, before finally the bell rang and lesson was over… Realising what she had done, she closed the notepad and put it away in her rucksack before sighing.
"Kid, you can't beat yourself up for something you didn't do."
"But why do I feel like I was part of it?" She slowly set her head down on her desk, sighing once again. Her mind on the image of the young girl, dead and stone cold. It's unfair, she was so young and yet she was treated like collateral damage. The bleeding gunshot wound, among the dead of many, hidden in a mountain of eternal sleepers… The bleeding and seeping wound which stained the ground, mixing with the crimson of others. The mark was left behind.
Pushing herself upwards from the desk, panting as her heart raced. The sleepless nights had caught up to her, and her mind was turning itself against her.
She knew she didn't do anything… She didn't hold a tommy and stormed in with other goons to mow down the masses. It was years before she was born, there was no way she could have been involved in such a tragedy! A whole family wiped out for the Skull Heart… "Samson… Did I do the right thing…?"
The jaws hummed… "I worked up years trying to get the Skull Heart… But I guess it was never meant to be." They had the opportunity to wish for anything! But it wasn't worth it… No matter how pure the wish would be, all wishes are corruptible… "The past is the past… But we can only keep pushing kiddo. We helped Painwheel…" He said as he lifted the hood of Filia's wool hoodie over him, concealing him from the world.
Filia nodded. "I guess… But there's so much to deal with… I don't remember much, but I know enough that I… I just want to run away."
The parasite hummed again. He didn't respond however as he gave some thought to what he should say. It occurred to him that because it was the last day for Filia and her classmates, they cannot stay in the dorms anymore. They can run away, but the problem is to where if she wanted to escape from the clutches of the Medici's, and perhaps the Skull Heart whilst it lies dormant in New Meridian. "I'm with ya on this one kid."
Filia smiled as she took hold of her rucksack and standing up. "That sounds like a good idea…" Before she took a step towards the door, she smoothed her 'hair' back. "Samson… I'm glad you're there…"
Samson sighed but curved his monstrous jaws. "Don't mention it kid…"
"School's gonna finish up soon… You're with me the rest of the way right?"
"I ain't got a choice, but if I did, it wouldn't be any other way… We're inseparable… You know? Your burdens are mine."
The Medici walked towards the whiteboard, taking a pen. "Samson, it's a lot of weight to carry… It's straining as it is… I feel as though they're pointing at me… Staring at me… Fearing me for what my name is…" She started to write, in large letters… 'Goodbye…' Lowering her hand, she still held the white stick with a black felt-tip, just looking at the word as if it were a message to herself from the future. If her past self were to read it, she wouldn't know what that of meant.
The parasite formed a hand with the locks of hair to reach out to his host's shoulder, but it wasn't just a grab… It wasn't pity… "Kid… This kind of thing eats away at you… But…" Letting go, Samson took the pen from Filia. She turned her head to the side, and allowed Samson to write on the whiteboard. He added 'Best wishes', and a small 'Filia' under the message. "But you're not alone." Dropping the pen aside he hid himself behind the shadow cast by her hood.
"That girl… She died alone… And people forgot about her…"
"We didn't."
Vision drowned out as a river overflowed and trailed down her cheeks. Wiping away the sadness with the end of her sleeve, she took her rucksack and allowed herself a moment of reprieve. Sighing as she let out all sense of negativity in her system, she headed out the door. "Let's get our stuff. At least what we have, right?"
Samson hummed in agreement.
It didn't take long to reach her room since the dorm she was situated in was closest to the main building. Entering, Filia greeted Carol, who was packing her things away in a large luggage bag. The only thing that wasn't packed away inside was the cello case, which stored her Buer Drive's blades. Most of everything else were clothes and the little knickknacks of devices and other things of personal value to her.
Filia quietly proceeded to rummage through her wardrobe. Noticing its emptiness after taking only a few folds, she tilted her head to the side. "That's odd, I thought I would have more than the few clothes here."
"I only ever saw you wear the uniform, and a hoodie." Carol admitted as she zipped up her luggage. "You got some place to stay?" Carol asked as she padlocked the zipper closed.
Putting on the mentioned hoodie and removing her skirt, Filia sighed. "No…" Silence filled the room, and the only sound were the audible 'whooshes' of the combat pants that she pulled from her ankles up to her waist. Securing the button, doing up the zip and further ensuring its lock with a belt, she turned to her friend. "How do I look?"
Carol turned her head to the right, and examined the Medici's style. Having stayed with her for a couple of years and seeing her only wear the uniform, it was a nice change. She smiled: "It looks great." Stopping herself from speaking, she realised that these clothes were meant to help compete with the cold nights. They were thick, slightly large and baggy, but overall they would be comfortable to work with for a while. Concerned that the Medici had nowhere to go, she looked at her whilst taking a breath and open mouthed…
"You don't have to offer me a place. I'll be fine."
She wanted to say something, but Carol couldn't think of anything… Instead, she approached and without hesitation, wrapped her arms around Filia (and Samson), tightly holding her. Filia at first was surprised but returned the favour. "I know I've said this a lot, but I owe you…" Breaking her own hug, she tugged on Filia's hair, which gained the parasite's attention: "And you too. You may be a lil' rough but you're soft and rich."
Samson chuckled nervously, having never received such a compliment in a long while from anyone other than Filia took him aback. "Awww shucks… I'm just followin' my host." He said with his gruff voice. The truth is that he couldn't take much credit from Filia who suggested helping Carol before. Since then, Samson had just played along with life and didn't mind the break. The skull heart was, and most likely is dormant now, and without a reason to fight, he dedicated himself to Filia's intentions rather than his own. For the sake of the young Medici, he vowed after the last encounter with the skull girl that he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes he made when Delilah was his host... Endangering Filia was a gamble that he withdrew from.
With no place to stay, Filia will need Samson's powers again to survive. Still, it was Samson that did carry Carol all the way to the old Laboratory, and the offer is tempting. The parasite however agreed with his host as she wanted to leave behind the Canopy Kingdom, problem is how they are to leave without trekking through the dangerous 'No-man's land'.
Perishing the thought for the while, he formed a hand with the strands of hair and patted Carol on the shoulder. "It's been a pleasure. You stay safe kid." Carol took her luggage and Filia took her rucksack; the two (three if counting Samson) made their way out of the room and took one look at their dorm room before closing it. They had to take the key to a stall outside the entrance.
It was quiet as they journeyed from their room to the school entrance. Their reluctance to say goodbye made things awkward. Samson grunted. "I think we should stop at Madman's Café. Get a coke float or somethin'!"
"That does sound nice…" Carol said, smiling as she turned to her friend. "What put the thought to mind?"
The Theon chuckled. "Ole times sake!" The only thing that Samson didn't want to run into was another random person trying to lay a finger on his host.
Before they made it to the stall, Carol stopped in place for a short moment. Her hand still held on to the luggage handle, but her eyes stared aimlessly… When Filia noticed, she tried to get her attention with a simple hand wave, to no avail. She continued her effort before she sensed something odd, and Samson grunted. It felt similar to before, several years ago… "It hasn't been seven years…" The same cold feeling shivering up her spine, numbing the feeling of her whole body…
After a moment had passed, she shook out of her trance, as well as Carol. Believing it was nothing more than an odd moment, Filia tended to her friend. "Carol, you okay?"
The scarred girl nodded, though she sighed as she looked towards the sky. "Filia… I think it's best we part ways after give this in…"
The young Medici took a moment to register the suggestion, but nodded thereafter. Swaying her locks to her side, she hugged Painwheel. Giving the dorm room key, she smiled once more. "Goodbye Carol…" Throwing her hood over her head, the Medici began to walk her path, leaving the scarred anti-skullgirl alone. There was no looking back…

Several hours had passed, Filia and Samson were on the freeway which was surprisingly empty during the night. Filia had aimlessly wandered, hoping that she could hitch a ride, but it seemed as though she picked the wrong road for it.
The wind was relentless as Filia could only hear 'whoosh' for the past hour. More worse than hearing the merciless wind: shivering to its cold. The brain parasite took note of the shivering body, and did its best to wrap himself around her, but he grunted since it could only last for so long. He wanted to suggest taking a break, but there wasn't much to take shelter in. Keeping an eye out however, he noticed a glint of light in the distance. His host paused as she noticed it too, before continuing on at a slightly faster pace.
Closing in on the glint, she could make out that it was a vehicle of some sort. Waving her arm out, she hoped to get its attention. It zoomed past her, but slowed to a stop. "Samson, hide."
"Got it." Removing his hold on Filia, he hid back behind the hoodie whilst the young Medici approached what seemed to be a truck of some kind.
As she closed in, the driver opened the door and dropped off of his seat, turning back to face the hitch hiker. His face was hidden behind a gas mask, and he wore a black uniform. The black umbrella in the logo set upon the breast pocket gave away that this man was a Black Egret soldier. "Kinda late to be walking around these parts, eh kiddo?"
Though the look was intimidating, the casual voice behind the mask which slightly muffled his voice was nothing to fear. She noticed another soldier exit the truck from the passenger seat and approach his side, though this soldier was a woman and hadn't a mask to hide her face. Filia smiled and shrugged at the soldier. "I was just wondering around I guess."
The female soldier folded her arms. "It's quite cold out… Where you headed?" Filia exhaled, a steamy fog blew out from her mouth. She didn't reply which was enough to answer the soldiers. "I see…"
The young Medici turned to the truck. Wondering where it was headed, she asked: "Where are you guys driving to?"
The male Black Egret looked at the truck then back to Filia. "Oh, we're just heading outta town. We're just bringing some stuff to New Kord. Mostly military stuff." The Egret looked at Filia then to his comrade who looked did the same. There wasn't an exchange of words, but rather just hand gestures that the young girl didn't understand. Turning back to Filia, the soldiers agreed to one thing: the girl had nowhere to go. "We're technically not allowed to do this… But we can hitch you a ride. It's gonna take a while to get there though."
The female soldier nodded and added: "We can give you something to eat, but only just the one. Once we reach New Kord, we're gonna have to drop you off."
Filia looked at the soldiers, and then to the truck again. Seeing that she has somewhere to sleep for the while, and something to eat, she nodded. At that action, the female soldier opened the back and helped the young girl in. There were a lot of crates stored here, all tightly held together and covered in bubble wrap as well. "The truck doesn't really look like something the military would drive." The truck was of the cube variety, usually seen delivering goods to large markets and shops around New Meridian.
"Well, it keeps the attention off of us whilst we drive." The unmasked soldier took a small flashlight from her gear belt and handed it to Filia. "It's a little dark in there. Just in case, right?" Stepping out from the back, she closed up the door. Luckily there was a panel that the soldiers opened so that they could keep track of her, and some light rays were able to shine through.
"Well take a pit stop in a couple hours. Probably be a good idea to sleep on it."
With the wind cut off from her, she crawled to the corner nearest to the panel, and curled into a ball from there. Using her rucksack as a makeshift pillow, she sighed into relaxation, and Samson formed himself around Filia to warm her. Closing her eyes, she allowed her tire to overtake her.

Inspecting the new rifles, Kazuo along with his squad mates Kneesocks and Klo double checked that all of them were of adequate quality. They were packing them in the garage for pickup. Picking up one, he pulled the charging handle back. "Never thought I'd hear news about another Skull girl so quickly."
Kneesocks popped off the dust cover of the rifle she picked up, checking that the moving parts are in order and there was no rust. "Yeah… Even Reala was worked up by the news." Adjusting her glasses, she popped the dust cover back onto the rifle as she set it back to the crate. Pointing and mentally counting the rifles, she closed it up. Turning to her squad mates, she folded her arms and pondered about the threat this new entity poses.
Klo set down the rifle he had and sat on the closed crate behind him. "It's crazy. We all heard the stories about it. You think we'll have to face 'her'? Whoever it is." He turned to Kazuo. "Whatcha think, Cap?" Klo asked as he took off his baseball cap, running his hands through his messy hair.
Kazuo shrugged as he repeatedly charged the last rifle in hand. "Maybe. Maybe not. The Skull Heart is just a dangerous weapon in itself." He set the rifle into the last crate before closing it. The thought of going up against such an entity was something that he wouldn't dare imagine. "Klo, what was it your mother was? And your father?"
"A catwoman and a cabbit. Why?"
Sitting on the ground and leaning against the wooden box behind him, he smiled. "Well… We're not really 'normal' people. It's kind of in our blood that we deal with this kinda shit."
Kneesocks chuckled. "My red skin is no more normal than the gene that forces you to consume blood." Slowly setting herself onto a seat, she placed her hands on her lap and smiled at her comrades. "It is our job however."
"Fucking-A. If we see that Skull Girl, we'll play the evil Queen from Snow White and take her heart!" Klo declared. Kazuo shook his head at his friend, but understood the reference somewhat. Aiming the empty rifle, Klo pulled the trigger and repeatedly shouted 'kah-kah' and shaking the rifle back and forth as if he was actually firing. Chuckling, he put the last rifle of his batch away and took a seat on the crate thereafter. "I'm sure a little seven-point-six-two high velocity would solve the problem."
Takeo-Foxhound rolled his eyes but smiled regardless. Just as he stood, he noticed the tall figure of a man with a long trench coat, and red jester hat and pale skin. His face hidden behind a golden eye mask, and navy lips. Saluting to his Commander, the other two turned, stood up straight and followed suit. "Commander Reala."
"At ease." He said with a light hearted tone. "Everything's packed and ready to send off I see. Good!" Taking a seat atop one of the crates, he took off his jester hat and allowed his long dark locks of hair to flow freely. "So you are aware of the situation at hand, correct?
All three subordinates nodded.
"From today, we are on high alert. The Skull Girl was located in the Canopy Kingdom, and so we will be keeping contact with Queen Parasoul and the Egrets. We are also bringing in several key VIP's in. Once we have everything organised, I want everyone here to prepare. Because we're dealing with two threats at the same time." The Commander got up from his seat and folded his hat over his arm. "I'm heading back to the pool house." He stretched out his arms as his mouth opened wide, letting out a soft yawn before putting his arms back to his sides and shaking his head.
"Sleep well sir."
Reala nodded at the three. "Just remember to be awake when the convoy truck gets here. It's still a few more hours 'til then."
Klo raised his arm: "I'll be up sir, I plan to be up to watch the horror movie marathon for the night." Whilst guilty for admitting it, when the Commander smiled, he felt less intimidated by him. The Commander turned without another word, waving once as he walked out the garage.
"Well. I guess that's it for the night. I'm turning in." Kazuo said. "You should too Knee, accompany 'Doc' in the bedroom." Kazuo suggested, referring to Kneesock's boyfriend Marcus as Doc due to his role as the medic of the team. He walked towards the door that lead into the Mansion.
The red skinned demoness agreed with a simple nod. "I guess Marcus needs my company. So I'm heading to bed too." She followed suit. "G'night Klo."
Closing the main garage doors, he waved at his friend as she left. It was time to tend to those movies.

The soldiers made a pit stop after a few hours of driving. They stopped off at a place known as 'Pit Stop 109', popular for truck drivers travelling between New Kord and New Meridian. It was also very close to No-Man's Land. Sandbags and barbed wire fences laced most of the compound, and soldiers with rifles patrolled, large rucksacks and uniform with helmets and vests guarded the area. They had a different badge logo to the Black Egrets, but there were Egrets here as well. Despite the fact it was heavily guarded, it was somewhat welcoming as Filia noticed soldiers greeting those who stop by. Some soldiers conversed with such or other soldiers within their post.
The soldiers who drove her here left her with an MRE (Meal-Ready-to-Eat), and it was a beef roast with vegetables and gravy as the main course. The meal also included fortified bread and a chocolate spread, a large crumbly chocolate chip cookie and peach cobbler. To drink, she had powdered coffee with milk and sugar, and powdered orange juice as well. The soldiers thankfully prepared and warmed the main course and coffee with what they called a 'flameless ration heater' and set everything onto a tray. Whilst the food wasn't the tastiest, it was more than palatable.
The two Egrets had left her at the truck, and she sat on the edge of the back with open doors as she tucked in to her meal. Her thick plastic spork was more than capable of digging in to the real beef slice, holding it down and turning it clockwise, she ripped small blobs of gravy drenched beef. "You sure you don't wanna try this Samson?" The Medici offered.
The parasite scoffed. "I ain't eating that. Smells like ass." The theon declared.
"You're not gonna get chow for a while." She reminded. "At least try the dessert or something." Holding up the cookie, she waved it over her head to entice him. When she felt her hand had been wrapped in slimy flesh, it didn't take long for it to retreat, as well with the biscuit. Returning to her meal, she took that small cut of meat and brought it to tongue.
A few minutes passed, the empty tray was left to the side along with its spork and cardboard cups that were filled with coffee and orange juice. Sitting back in the corner of the truck, she was able to rest to the ambience of engines roaring close and echoing afar, or men and women having conversations. Waking once more, she sighed… She had left New Meridian, and severed all ties with being a Medici, but she still frowned and couldn't find herself a moment of relax, even when she was allowed to.
It's what to do right? Blow town and start anew? It was the smart thing to do, but not the right thing. Atoning for wronging Carol didn't mean that she was clean from being a Medici. It's in the blood, and the thought of it was there… With a crowbar, it chipped away at a wall trying to keep it away, but the wall was only of sandstone.
"Can't sleep?" Samson asked, taking the opportunity to speak whilst the Egrets were still on their break. He felt the head shake and he hummed at the response.
Lying back on the bag pack, she sighed again. The thought of the Skull Heart came into mind again… They could go after it the next time it comes, but what's there to wish for? Wishing would only doom her fate as the next Skull Girl, even more so is the fact that what can she wish for? Wishing for the Medici's to stop being criminals could impose more damage than good… But she wasn't sure. "We don't need a wish, do we Samson?"
"What comes to head, kid?"
The young woman shrugged. "What happens when the next Heart appears?" Asked Filia. As she waited for an answer, she tapped repeatedly on her knee. When he hummed and said nothing, she took it as an answer. "Right… Nothing."
Pulling the hood over himself, the talking mop of hair hummed again but stopped himself. Taking a breath, he cleared his throat and his gruff voice said: "We'll do fine… We've made it this far." His smile was hidden by the cotton covering him, but the lack of immediate response had him revoke his smug curve.
"Maybe that's what's getting to me…"

How long had it been? Without a watch or clock to rely on, the Medici didn't know the time, nor where she was besides inside the back of the truck… Though it felt stationary. Groggily, she sat herself up, and suddenly the door opened. It was still dark, but not as pitch black as it were several hours ago. The male Egret waved at Filia before urging over by hand. Crawling slowly out of the truck and setting her feet on firm ground, she stretched her arms out to release the tension from her bones. "Ahhh… So this is it huh?"
The soldier nodded as he closed the doors, turning to her and patting her shoulder after. "You'll be alright?" When she smiled, he nodded in acknowledgement. Taking off his gas mask, he revealed his true self: a purebred feral. "I never got your name though."
Filia had met very few ferals, but most that she met were part human. He was most likely a feline breed, with chocolate brown fur along with several small black stripes in a gapped pattern. "Filia…" She replied. Not wanting to say her surname, she quickly asks: "And you?"
The soldier smiled. "Victor."
Smiling and nodding, she waved once more before she allowed him to leave. Victor returned to his place as a passenger. As the truck slowly drove ahead, his arm poked out and waved a goodbye. Just as she was to turn her back and walk off, she noticed a large building… A Mansion, perhaps? Further observation, she noticed the truck making its way to the Mansion, but looking back, she could see a welcome sign to New Kord and the start of a populated town… Decisions, decisions…
Without a thought, she started to pace towards the large Mansion. Samson had since awoke and pulled off the hood covering him. When he noticed where Filia was headed, he hummed uncertainty. The Theon refrained from saying anything.
"Samson, I need you on this one. There must be something we can make use of… Maybe something to eat?"
The parasite was interested in the plan. Though there was a small glimmer of doubt, he was also willing to gamble alongside his host. Taking some time to reach the front gate, Filia took advantage of the darkened sky to keep hidden. The same truck that she had slept in had parked just in front of the large house. With a good view of the building up close, it was gigantic, bigger than the private school she used to attend!
The gates were electronically locked, and it seemed that there were CCTV cameras on the lookout. Filia played the waiting game as she took time to observe the movement pattern… With both cameras directly above the gate covering their respective sides, they gave little gap for her to rush in. Having stared at the camera's behind a shroud of bushes, she figured how long she had before they had any view of her, and where their eyes kept watch of. Tapping her scalp, she rushed towards the gate. In the nick of time, Samson propelled her into the air by punching the ground and extending hardened tangles of hair before retracting.
Successfully jumping over the gate, she rushed towards another bush to look out for other forms of security. Looking around, it seemed as though there weren't any other camera's to avoid, but staying in the shadows was a priority. Tip toeing towards the mansion, she kept tabs on the garage where it was brightly lit by lamps, with the two Egrets greeting another person: a young looking feral with long bunny like ears, black fur and wearing nothing but a pair of denim jeans. A resident?
Her approach was slow and cautious, as she hoped not to make much sound with each step. The ground was formed up of pebbles and rocks, and the quiet night made it difficult to sneak around. Each step made a cringe worthy crunch, albeit barely audible. Looking back towards the large house, she gulped as the size felt even larger than before…
Finally right outside the building, Filia hugged her back to the wall. Her heart was racing, sweat glistened and trailed down her cheeks and forehead, and her fingers twitched. 'This is crazy' she thought, but at the same time there was an opportunity to score. Wiping off the sweat, shaking the twitch out of her hands and taking slow, deep breaths, she felt ready.
Samson tapped on her shoulder to which she took notice of where he pointed: an open window. The young Medici turned to face her body at the window above her, and nodded as a signal. Samson extended himself towards the window and formed a hook, along with a thick rope of hair for Filia to climb. It was a scene from Rapunzel, but in reverse. Mounting her feet to the wall and holding tightly, she clambered towards her goal. As she closed in towards the open window, she was met with a fresh smell of… Pork sausage… Wait, was there popcorn too?

"You'll be alright with this stuff?" Klo asked Victor as he closed the back of the truck up. Everything was loaded and ready for transit back to the Canopy Kingdom.
Victor nodded, but yawned a few seconds after. "We could probably find time to rest at the Pit stop." Acknowledging, Klo saw Victor to the passenger seat, where he also greeted the other Egret. She waved back. Taking his seat, Victor turned to the mix-breed feral: "I know I shouldn't say this, but I can't hold to myself." He looked at his partner who nodded.
"What do you mean?"
The male Black Egret took the time to explain how the two, despite not supposed to stop anywhere but the Pit stop, had picked up a hitchhiker and took said hiker to New Kord. "She had black hair, red eyes and pale skin. It doesn't look like she has anywhere to go, so maybe you could get Reala to help her out or something?"
"I dunno, the Commander might not have a job available for her." It was time to go, and the three said their good byes before Klo closed Victor's door and tapped on the side of the truck. It was roared into life as its key turned and locked, and it zoomed towards the gate. Using a security device from the Garage, he had the gates open for the parting Black Egrets, before having the same metallic barrier close behind them.
Closing the garage doors a second time tonight, he made his way back into the house by the connector which lead to the kitchen. It was a bit of a long walk, but of course, trying to get around the mansion was a bit of a trek itself. Entering the kitchen, he closed the door leading to the connector path to the garage.
Remembering that there were some sausages in the oven, he knelt down and opened the hot appliance to check on his movie snack. Also in the make was a bag of microwavable popcorn, sweet to be exact. It finished not long after, and he also determined that the pork sausages were done, and so he left some hot dog buns in the oven to heat up whilst he poured the ready popcorn into a large bowl. Taking a moment to pour a few glasses of soda, he was greeted by Izzi who was also watching the horror movie marathon, but in truth it was a marathon of the series 'Annie of the stars'.
Full of excitement, she quickly nabbed the bowl of popcorn and the drinks to bring to the main living room. Klo tended to the hot dogs which were ready. Having made eight buns to go with eight sausages, he put five on a plate whilst the other three were left in a separate plate. The smell of freshly cooked pork and slightly toasted bread buns were intoxicating, he couldn't wait to eat some of these.
He hurried to the main living room, to which he set down the hot dogs on the table… In the middle of several other snacks as well. "Did it start Izzi!?" He said as he jumped into his seat on the couch. Reaching for the nearest snack, he held on to a pack of ready salted potato chips, to which he greedily ate.
"It's starting! It's starting!" Izzi excitedly shouted as the next episode began… Just as Izzi was about to reach at the table, she felt as though something was missing as she attempted to grab air. "Hey! Where's the ketchup!? And the mustard!?"
Klo shrugged. "I'll get 'em during the break. It'll be on in a bit."

Having finally tip toed to the Kitchen, she saw that further down was an extremely long dining table, and a faint light past that of flickering images distracted two of the residents. Seeing that there were some fresh hot dogs in a bun, she quickly took one to mouth and stuffed herself. Her head parasite couldn't help himself and stole the other two for himself, though for once he chewed sensibly as to not alert anyone of their position.
Taking her rucksack off her back, she looked around cupboards for non-perishables and food that she could eat cold. Whilst she found a fair few canned foods and bags of snacks and cans of drink to fill the bag, she got carried away as Samson noticed she left a small void from the rummaged supplies. "You sure you can carry that, kid?" The lump of hair said.
Closing the cupboards that she searched through, she took note of the fridge further down the kitchen… She could use a cold drink… "I'm just taking what we need right? And right now, I'm thirsty." Looking down the hall, she could see that the two that were awake were still busy watching television, so she tiptoed to the fridge. The Medici took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, before reaching for the handle and slowly pulling the door open… Lo and behold: cold bottles of beers, cold cans of soda, bread, cake…
The sight made the parasite tearful: "The mother lode…"
The former student wasn't fond of the drink, but right now she could use one or more. Picking a glass bottle for herself, she handed another bottle to Samson who used his thick threads to pierce the bottle caps and pull them off. Lifting the bottle above her head she offered a friendly toast to her dear friend stuck on her scalp. "Cin Cin."
"Cheers kid."
Lifting her head slightly back, she took the first sip before dropping her head down to allow Samson to do so… The carbonated drink was bitter, but it left a satisfied feeling despite her typical distaste for alcohol. Realising that she was wasting time and that she could be caught any minute from now, she put her bottle on the counter above one of the cupboards and reached for her rucksack. Just as she was to make her way out of the kitchen, she bumped into something… No… It was… Someone… Shaking herself out of disorientation, she found herself staring directly at a black furred feral. A second or two passed before the pause was immediately broken when Filia and Samson tried to attack the resident.
"Intruder!" The feral shouted as he threw himself into a backflip.
With their cover blown, the intruding Medici tried to make a run for the door she came from, but as she made it to the door, one of the dining room chairs were thrown at her, breaking just beside her at the impact though she was unharmed. Turning towards the dining room table, she saw that the young woman who was watching TV earlier had brought out a gun and fired at the two, still missing but cornering her to taking cover underneath the table.
"We'll get help!" One of the other said. The footsteps were audible and she could tell that it was left to her and the other feral.
"We gotta scram, kid!"
Agreeing with a nod, she had Samson burst a hole through the large table, and she quickly leaped up out of it and with Samson's help, propelled herself forwards and over the three pursuers. Just as Filia was about to reach the main living room, she was halted by the same person she bumped into just moments earlier. Standing his ground, he formed an offensive stance and curled his fists tight, ready to fight her.
With no other choice but to fight her way through, she rushed at her opponent. Her first attack was her ringlet spike, dropping to the ground and forming a spiral of hair to burst under her target. He dodged it with ease and rushed at her. Standing up quickly she and Samson tried to fend him off with blades formed of hair. Her opponent continued to evade attacks even when Samson formed as many threaded blades as possible!
What she didn't realise was that he was leading her to stab the ground with as many of her thick hair threads, which she didn't have time to pull them out and defend herself. Her opponent in a flash threw a powerful kick at her, throwing her back to the table with such force. With her hair back to her, Samson tried his best to fend off the attacker, but his incredible speed was enough to dizzy both host and parasite. Throwing herself forwards, she and Samson curled into a large ball of spiky hair in hopes to disorient the attacker. Curling out of the ball, she took advantage of the feral stumbling backwards and with her parasite forming a long spike, she thrust it right into the feral's chest.
Just as she did so, the feral took hold of the spike and though he seemed pained, he was still breathing. "Oh shit…" Murmured Samson. Her opponent forcefully freed himself from the blade and threw the Medici off balance, before swooping in with a powerful kick. Landing on the table once again, she watched as he came at her to punch her with extreme prejudice. He was stopped in time before he could land a blow as he was halted by a tall and fairly muscular man wearing red arm guards, a white t-shirt, black denim combats. He had long black hair, and hadn't a visible nose, his eyes were black and skin was pale as snow.
"That's enough Kazuo." He said sternly before looking at Filia. The other two also arrived with weapons in hand. Samson and Filia were helpless to do anything.
'Kazuo', withdrew and stood by his leader. "What do we do with her Commander? She has a parasite too."
The tall man looked at his subordinates and turned back to Filia. "Tidy this place up. I want a word with her." Folding his arms together, he looked at the others.
The younger residents looked at each other before shooting a concerned look at the intruder. Not wanting to argue against their Commander, the three nodded in acknowledgement to the order. The 'Commander' helped the former student up to her feet. His eyes trailed off to her rucksack which had been damaged during the fight, and he saw that it was filled with food. "I guess you were hungry." He hummed to himself and took notice of the now partially torn clothes of the visitor. "Izzi, please be a good host and take this girl to your room. Let her borrow some clothes of yours. And bring her back when she's done."
Without a thought, the feral smiled and quickly grabbed a hold of the visitor by her shoulders. Seconds after she rushed up the stairs and past long hallways in very little time before making it to her room, kicking it open and dropping her on to the ground. "Just pick ANYTHING you want!" The feral then rushed out the door, closing it behind her to leave the former intruder to her business.
Filia was left stunned… The only thing she could do was blink…
"Well… Maybe we should take that offer…" Samson said as he curved a thick rope of hair to show the obvious tear the hoodie endured.

The dining room, kitchen and living room were restored to relative order, and in little time as well. Reala was left alone in the kitchen whilst the other two returned to their rooms to rest. Izzi returned with the visitor, and dropped her into a seat at the dining table, a seat close to the kitchen.
The Commander busied himself with cooking, though Filia nor Samson could see what he was cooking. The scent was empowering for the both of them, and it only served to provoke the hunger that they weren't able to sate with those hot dogs. Keeping an eye on this hulking man, she contemplated escape again, but the thought was perished when he put aside the pan and returned with two full dishes of food…
"Sorry, I forgot to ask how you would like your eggs. The name is Reala." The man said as he handed a plate to the Medici's parasite, and placed the other plate on the table in front of her. She couldn't believe what was beheld before her: juicy pan scrambled eggs, two succulent pork sausages, saucy baked beans, crispy fried potato cubes covered with garnish, two crispy bacon rashers and a slice of fried toast… Even her parasite was amazed at the sight… Before they began their feast, they were handed a fork (and knife for Filia) and two cans of cold cola to down the food.
Taking a seat opposite of the visitor, he smiled. "You came a long way to steal from a place like this. But I like that." Relaxing in his seat, he continued on: "Normally I would've had you arrested, but in your case I would've deported you back to the Canopy Kingdom."
The young Medici nodded guiltily. "I'm sorry… It's just that…" She couldn't think of an excuse, but she was halted.
"It's fine. Interestingly enough, I was about to send off a search party for you, Filia Medici." Hearing her name being said, he could tell that both the theon and the young Medici tried to hold their ground as they slowed their eating in sync. "I was to look for you and several others. You, and the others I was to search for, are important."
Taking a sip of her cola to wash down the mush of food she had stuffed into her mouth, she kept an eye on the Commander. Putting the can down on the table, she plainly gazed at him. "What makes me important?" She sternly said.
Having placed a document by his side for this exact moment, he showed it to her but only the folder. "Filia Medici. Aged eighteen, recently graduated from UF Private High, and family to notorious mafia. Now that's the basic brief of the document, but none of that is what makes you important."
"Who are you people…?" Filia asked cautiously.
His voice was calm as he explained. "We are the Reaping Roses. Specifically, the members who live in this Mansion are the 'Junior' members, like cadets for an army." Clearing his throat, he continued: "Our job is to protect the kingdoms from danger, and danger comes in all forms. Whether it be the Medici mafia, or…" He stopped himself and allowed the visitor to fill in the blanks. He simply fiddled with the folders in hand in silence.
The young Medici acknowledged and sat in her seat, albeit slightly uncomfortable under the Commander's presence. It was as if she could feel his overpowering aura, something beyond anything she has ever encountered before, yet she can't pinpoint it. What kind of powers does this man hide? Why would he have to hide them?
Putting the folder aside, he placed his hands together in a ball. "Two years ago, the Skullgirl was defeated. Her last location was the Grand Cathedral in New Meridian, to which she resided in the catacombs. A young teenage girl with a 'Futakuchi-onna' parasite entered at eleven-thirty, night time." Standing up and walking to the refrigerator, he searched for a drink as he continued his story: "Thirty minutes later, the same girl exits, helping another, injured, mangled looking young lady out of the Cathedral. The Skullgirl however is reported to be still alive, but reports indicated theonite levels had dropped…"
The story was a memory that she had kept to herself for a long time, even Carol barely remembers much of it at all. With her plate emptied, and Samson's too, the hairball piled his plate on top of hers and she tended to her thirst. When the man had found himself a cold can of cola, and turned back to face her, she looked at him, plainly like before.
Filia's second mouth folded what seemed to be his arms together, and scoffed. "What? You wanna take us in for getting involved in that?" He said gruffly.
"You weakened the Skullgirl. And took on two of her toughest minions. You didn't kill her or make a wish, but that's why I find you fascinating. I believe that you are the key to helping with a current problem of ours… But at the same time I want to help you."
Though she never thought it aloud, she had the lingering feeling that something had big had emerged. Had she not ignored it, she would've guessed that it was a new Skullgirl, but it was confusing that a new one existed at a much earlier time. What was unsettling was the humble offer of 'help'.
"We don't need your help, pal."
"You're mistaken." Reala sharply replied. "You can continue your plan, and head on to the city. You'll be homeless for a while, probably if you're lucky you'll be able to find a job." Reala explained. "But it's a shithole out there. And I don't wanna put you down, but you might not last even a month."
The host grimaced at the thought, and considered the options she was given. She could probably stay a little while if she agrees to help, though it means she will be facing the past once again. "What's in it for me?" She asked. Relaxing in his seat, the Commander coolly offered her a room in the very Mansion they were in, no rent to pay and all assets in house are hers, much like everyone else. Reala explained that working for the Reaping Roses includes a weekly cheque payment, military clearances and several other benefits. The most tempting was that she was offered a room in the very Mansion she tried to rob…
"So… What's it going to be?" Reala asked.
There was no turning back. Filia nodded in agreement, but was still confused as to why she was important, as the person who truly defeated the Skullgirl was still out there, and she only fought her yet the battle was unfinished.
Standing from his seat, he took all the documents from the table. Before he left, he smiled at the new Junior member. "I only select those with potential, because I believe they can be the best of the best… Training starts tomorrow kiddo; I really want to see you give it your all." Walking away from the table, he waved his hand as he entered the dark shroud of night. "It begins."
Once at the door, he stopped himself to answer a call to his TacCom. Reaching it, he accepted the incoming call: "Reala."
"Reala. I looked in to what you asked me to do. I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say."
"It's too risky to say it on the Tac Com. 'The bar is open at the pool on the fifth'."
The voice on the other end was silent before responding: "Alright. I'll see you there. Reala."
"Keep in touch Rye." Closing the line, Reala sighed… "Let's get this party started."