She tumbled away from the action and behind a slightly destroyed pillar as soon as she figured out she was out of ammo. No use holding on to any extra weight. She tossed aside her gun and unsheathed a hunting knife, the one gift she was glad she had received from her father. Blades were always more her thing anyway. Most of her company had been wiped out already, their bodies strewn about the cement arena. Now it was just her and the enemy. Even the Angel of Death knew that she was heavily outnumbered and probably outmatched. She had to get away.

Peeking her head out from behind the pillar, she looked for an escape route. Shots fired over her head, sending her back to her hiding spot. If she played her cards right, she could find enough cover to make it. The odds were not going to be in her favor, but then again, they rarely were. Taking a deep breath, she made a run for it. A few foot soldiers ran up to her, having discovered her hiding spot. She made quick work of them with the knife. She had an opening and chose to take it. Sliding feet first underneath one of the enemy's tanks, she was certain she was going to make it.

And then the shit storm arrived. Multiple choppers hovered above her arena, mauling down any foot soldiers still following her, blowing up entire tanks. She knew better than to think the pilots were allies. Once her previous adversaries were dealt with, all guns were pointed at her. She had to make it, she just had to. But before she could even reach the edge of the arena, she was stunned by an attack, knocked out cold, but very much alive.

High heels clicked on the cement as a tall woman made her way to the girl on the ground. "Correct, it's really her," she confirmed over the headset. A man joined her side. "A lot of people say she takes after Spirit, but I don't see the resemblance. Still, she's awfully cute when she's asleep, huh?"

"She looks like her mother." The man slung the unconscious girl over her shoulder. "Special Agent Evans reporting in. We have Second Lieutenant Maka Albarn in our custody. Miss Nakatsukasa and I will head back to Mors immediately."

"I really hope she'll like it there, in our little utopia," Miss Nakatsuakasa chirped, following Evans closely behind as they made their way back to the helicopter.

"Utopia, huh…?"

…

She was vaguely aware of the beeping around her. Gradually, it became louder as her grogginess cleared, and she realized the sound was coming from a heart monitor, presumably hooked up to herself. So she wasn't dead after all. Or at least, not yet. She had been trained for situations like this. She was ready. She listened for signs of anyone else in the room. Footsteps. Heels clicking. A woman no doubt. Coming closer to her. Her muscles tensed. She would not go down that easily.

"She sure knows how to sleep," the woman in heels mused. "I hope she's okay. Don't people wake up by now?" She felt the woman reach for her face and snapped.

She leaped from the hospital gurney, ripping cables and IVs from her skin as she moved, and spun around the woman, catching her in a headlock. Hospital personnel poured into the room suddenly. "Move and I'll snap her neck," she threatened calmly, making her way to the door. "I'm leaving here the same way I came in, through the front door. And none of you will get in my way."

She felt a presence behind her and heard a voice rumble, "After all the work it took to get you here? I don't think so, Tiny Tits." Somehow, the body behind her was able to twist her arms in order to free the woman from her grasp. She felt cold steel on one of her arms. Who was this man? "Maka Albarn, aka Angel of Death? Pretty harmless if you ask me."

"Lemme go, and I'll show you 'harmless'," she spat, struggling to release herself from his grip.

"Look, we aren't the bad guys here! If it wasn't for us, your ass would be toast by now!" the man growled in her ear. "Now, my orders are to take you to your new home and make sure you don't disturb the peace. Think you can calm down enough? Need to talk to you about Spirit Albarn."

"He died, okay?! Died in the war I should be fighting in right now! Now let me go!"

The woman, having now recovered from Maka's hold on her, stepped towards the two. "There is no war anymore. It's been done for a while now. You fought a meaningless fight. Now, please, cooperate with us and let us take you to your new home." The woman ended with a smile and a hand out to the girl.

"You sure, Tsubaki?" the man asked. She nodded, and he loosened his grip on Maka.

Neither of them had to worry about any more violence from her. The girl was completely stunned. "The war… is over…?"

…

"Sorry for sort of dropping this all on you at once. If you don't completely believe it, I understand," Tsubaki said before sipping from her cup of tea. "I understand your father died in the war? I'm very sorry for your loss…"

The three of them conversed in what was now Maka's living room, the two women on the couch, the man staring idly out the enormous window. "You're telling me that World War III ended and there was no clear winner? That it was all for nothing?" Maka asked, her face in her hands.

"Well, that's war for you," the woman answered. "But here in Mors, we have no war!"

"Then why bring me here?"

"Even utopia needs guardians, right?" Tsubaki placed her teacup back on the coaster before her. "But anyway, you should get some rest. Tomorrow is another big day for you, so I'll leave you be." She got up and watched Maka's eyes flick over to the man who had held her arms at the hospital. "Don't worry, Soul is here to watch over you while you sleep. You are perfectly safe in his care. He's one of the best, you know? Now, go to bed. I'll be by in the morning, good night!" And with that, she left the two in silence.

Maka eyed the white-haired man cautiously. Not many could hold her back like he had. "Who are you?" she asked, certain he had to be a soldier of some sort.

"Special Agent Soul Evans," he answered, keeping his attention set on the city below. "Work for a special organization, the one that brought you here."

"Lemme guess, you want me on your team, huh?" she replied half sarcastically.

"If you're anything like Spirit was, yeah, we do. Heard some good stuff about you. People don't go naming girls 'Angel of Death' for no reason."

She didn't respond. The name had never really set well with her. Besides, she was tired of talking about her and what a great soldier she was supposed to be. She was far more interested in her new bodyguard's left, and very steely, arm. "What happened to you? You know… with your arm…?"

Soul turned so his left arm was farther from her, clearly bothered by her questioning. "I… met your mother…"

Maka jumped from her seat. "You knew my mother?!"

He turned his head to her, one crimson eye trained on her face. "You should get some sleep. We'll talk more when Tsubaki comes over." He walked past her and flicked on the light in the master bedroom. "Here. I'll be on the couch if you need anything." She moved as if to ask him more questions, but he simply nodded his head in the direction of her room, silently telling her to get moving.

She pouted and did as she was instructed, watching him make his way back to the couch. "Thank you. For saving me," she offered from the doorway.

"Don't mention it."

With one last look at the man on her couch, Maka closed the door to her room. Her room in her home. How long had it been since she had been in a home? Or a room? Or had a decent bed for that matter? Thoughts of her conversations with Tsubaki and Soul swirled around her mind, and she fell backwards onto her (it was still weird calling it hers) bed. She hoped that sleep would catch up with her eventually, that she could find comfort in the soft down of the pillows and the warmth of the sheets.

But the softness and comfort was almost too soft and comfortable. Sleep evaded her, and after hours of tossing and turning, she finally curled into a ball in the corner of the room, her father's hunting knife in her grasp just in case. Finally, she felt at home, comfortable. And she let sleep take her.