Briefing 1

Halley – New Jersey was just the beginning of things. I never knew the Neuroi were able to cut deep in us, but we came out okay. Still… there's the reminder of the casualties in the attack. Though after it happened, a lot of news happened.

Events have been happening like it was a slideshow presentation, or a set of papers stacked together with drawings on them. Each time a page is turned, a frame in an animation is played. It's on that comparison that news comes out quickly. The navy and the army are currently busy at this time… since they just experienced the disappearance of two JAW's. Did I say that right? I meant… halves of each. The cause of the disappearance is unknown, but it was said to have something to do with temporal rifts. I mean… time travel? No one's gonna believe that. But it's in the military network. It's how it's really described. I can't just say no to it, but I can't believe it either.

Halley sipped through a china-made teacup without the noise before she puts it on the saucer and sighs. "If there's nothing to believe, then what the hell am I telling you all this for? The information is, as is."

"That's impossible." Ember said this while holding her teacup. "Though, the Neuroi are starting to speed up their plans with this thing."

Blaze sighed and continued. "Ember and I had a feeling the Neuroi were up to no good. But time travel is the last thing on our minds they would mess with. The two of us kinda had an idea when we saw them build some sort of round stone archway back in 1970. It was destroyed when we got there, however. The ones guarding it are the ones who were hunting for us. It seemed that group smelled the wrong kind of Neuroi, and we killed them all ourselves. That was in Neo-Greece by the way."

"Tch. Like you were proud of it."

"I did it for us, Ember. I had no other alternative than bask in their blood for your safety. I didn't want you hurt." Blaze briefly flashed her eye red before it returned to its natural color.

"That's enough." Halley said this to get the attention of the two. "Look… I'll be notifying HQ about this. This is the first time I got hold of the information. If they know, then I'm gonna suggest sending army grunts to investigate. There's no way the destroyed archway would be destroyed completely. That could be an example that could help them out."

"You're letting them see for themselves?" asked Adriana. "Whatever happened to keeping some things secret?"

"I doubt they'll keep secrets while they're trying to find a way to bring two halves of their JAW's back using time travel, safe and sound."

"Why can't we investigate or send UNIA teams instead?"

"I won't recommend it. Keeping secrets for too long, which we're good at, would just scar us in the long run. Besides… a subject like this is already out. We've opened up on the subject of time travel, and it's a buzz in the intelligence community thanks to it. It'll spread like wildfire. Let them handle the situation and we'll see where it goes. Blaze, I need you to tell me the coordinates in Neo-Greece so they can have a nice starting point for the search. Is it buried in sand?"

"Yeah. It's actually caved in a lot of rock. It'll take time, but I'm sure the search teams can find something." Blaze was confident in her answer. "I don't know why you're putting the trust in the military though."

"It's because losing our aerial and magic strength could be chaotic. That's why it's more than enough for them to know about whatever could be done for our missing witches. I might not have seen their skills out there, but they cannot be trifled with, especially with the well known 815th. Now they got a big tug to worry about. But that's not what we're here to discuss of. We're having our first operation, and it's happening in Australis. We believe they're from Baltland… from the Swedish regions, which I'm disgraced of. They're gonna pay for putting a bad name to the Swedish since I'm one.

"Anyway, a firm there is confirmed to be replicating dark magic. As we all know, it has turned into a very controversial and restricted kind of resource. It was never even supposed to be used as one, but they're not lucky since one of their own began to look the other way and gave us a tip. We're gonna find their distributors and shut their business down immediately. It concerns us especially since we're trying to find the origin of the dark magic distribution. This is happening around the world right now, but we'll start small and see where it goes first. Though don't find everything there easy. The rest of the time for flying there, we'll be given more details about them. Though… I can tell you their group alias: WaveLeaf. Folders will be given to each of us for the details. Those copies will be burned by the time we get into Australian airspace as standard protocol, so get yourselves acquainted with the information you pick up. Questions will have to be asked once we're on the way, so here's not a good place. Understood?" Halley later sees positive answers and nods from her teammates. "Good."

Serah was smiling as she puts a tray with a kettle of hot liquid just on a table at the center of the room. That time, Serah was wearing a maid's outfit. "Coffee, if it suits you."

"Thanks, Serah." Halley said in gratitude. "You didn't have to do this for us."

"I insisted, Ms. Blomgren. This might be my home, but hospitality is found best to be done for any visitor. Call it a weakness, but attendance is important, as the late Master Gerard has taught me. Excuse me." Serah bows before she left the team alone in the room.

Zakaria sighs at this. "Sometimes, she can be a little confusing."

"You got me there," Adriana said. "I thought she can pretty much be the boss whenever she likes and…"

"It's called Etiquette," says Halley. "For a long time, she had it carved in her brain. Come on, guys. Don't forget she served as a maid when she was given a body."

Eventually, the doors were opened and Kyoko came in walking quickly. "Blomgren-san… Our ride's here."

"That's our queue." Halley then stands from her seat and so did the rest. "Let's do it."

Serah eventually came at a moment's notice since the team is leaving. "It seems the extra coffee is not needed."

"Serah… Thanks for inviting us into your home. We didn't need it, though."

"It's the best I can do, and the least I could since it's payment for saving me and Alexandra back there in New Jersey. I considered to have paid you in full since you're satisfied."

"We are. Thanks again." Halley then looks away and turns to the door. "Ladies… we're going to the Strip!" She said this as her other teammates followed her out of the door. Kyoko was seen waving goodbye at Serah with a smile before following the group.

Somewhere over the seas where a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III was flying over 26,000 feet one night…

Halley was seated on a netted crate while her cell phone was out, listening to some soft rock. She rarely gets to touch her personal stuff from back then, but the present is something she can still thank since she's given space more.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was on the phone. She had a single Bluetooth earpiece connected to her phone.

"Ah. So no changes were made?"

"As much as expecting is my game, don't be too sure you'd end up in a well-placed assignment, Kyoko." Patricia Halsey's voice came from the other line. "The real problem is if the information talked about would be controlled."

"Director Halsey… we're talking about disappearances. 22 NATO ships?"

"Tomorrow, the world's gonna be in another state of shock, Yamakawa. The UNIA will be immune to it since we're advanced with our intel. This isn't just a matter of national security but global security. Whether they want to think of it or not, the disappearances can cause holes in our military."

"What about those who appear in our timeline?"

"I don't know. The CRNS Calypso that I'm told about that belongs to the 555th is gonna be given a refitting. And the witches of the 555th themselves will be trained for something differently. We have an idea that this is Neuroi-related, so every witch in the world who has knowledge of this, is on high alert."

"Everyone is going crazy with everything that is happening."

"There's nothing we can contribute for the meantime. We got our hands full on controlling some of the risky information the public doesn't need to know. Plus… We have the matter of the dark magic distribution still our hands we need to stop."

"I just hope we stop it sooner."

"Planning to help in the world?"

"I'm like that, Branch Director Halsey."

Patricia was then heard chuckling on the other line. "It's natural, I suppose."

"Sure. Thanks for understanding."

"Of course. I'll call again once your teams meet the contact. Tell Blomgren to make a separate call to the cabinet's office. A representative of the Liberion government wants to have a word with her for some reason."

"Eh?"

"And no… I'm not telling you what it's about. It remains classified until its necessary to tell."

"Yes, Branch Director. I'll make sure to tell her."

"Thank you, Yamakawa. Good luck."

"Bye." Kyoko then pressed a button on her Bluetooth earpiece before hearing Halley's music stop.

"It's Pat, huh?" Halley asked this casually while approaching Kyoko.

"Yup."

"Nothing too serious?"

"No. It's just that thing she wanted you to do. Once we get there, make a call to the cabinet's office."

"DC? What for?" Halsey asked this while scratching her head.

Kyoko gave a flat emotion as she answered: "Director Halsey didn't say."

"Hehe… She's always so full of surprises, you know. Last thing I need is a surprise up my nose." Halley sighed before hiding her phone in a pocket.

At the same time, Ember came by. "I thought we'll be there in two?"

Halley answered it. "Concerned we don't sleep? You need it yourself, Ember."

"Blaze needs the beauty sleep. Not me."

"Always too protective. If you keep staying up, next thing you'll end up being, is having a lot of delusions." After Halley said her line, Ember sighs and sits on the cold floor of the plane.

"Hah… I don't know what's delusional… all of you being too fast and too clever for your own good, or just the calm and exact nature, even accepting that appearances and disappearances are happening these days."

"Oh!" Kyoko reacted to what Ember said. "I see you were interested in that as well."

"It'll be a matter of time everyone panics. We're talking military here. If they fall, we fall. Intelligence? That's not everything. Fighting strength and national security are other things too. All the experience I gathered requires quite a foundation like those factors to keep a country running and protected at the same time."

"Hm…" Kyoko reacted with disappointment. "You seem to be given a background from the get-go."

"Eh… Got a lot of contacts anyway."

"Ember… Get some sleep," Halley says with a commanding voice to Ember. "You might not like it, but rest isn't so bad when you think about it more. And that little 'beauty sleep' that you're talking about is something natural. Just… don't mind us. Age doesn't catch up to us yet, but don't let it catch up to you."

"Tch. You just want me to get away from you two."

"Complete contrary, Ember."

"Oh… And… Thanks. I didn't get the chance to thank you both for understanding my place when it came to protecting Shirley. Her life that was saved is a big deal. I kinda owe you both for that." Ember smiled before standing up and walked away from where Kyoko and Halley were.

Then Halley stands. "Kyoko, get a little sleep if you wanna. Wheels down in less than two hours. You'll need it. I'll head out to the cockpit."

"Ehem… Excuse me," Kyoko said while she stood up beside Halley. "Like you, I don't have the need to get sleep with the preparations we have. Though you might be rough on sleep, I won't mind if I get extra time awake. We need it anyway." Kyoko gave Halley a reassuring smile as she led both of them to the cockpit section of the plane.

From afar, an orange sky was beginning to be noticeable. The day was about to begin as land was visible…