Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

AN: And Mystique Sonia returns...hope you guys enjoy :)

November 2028 - December 2028:

Lady Green followed Lin Chung as he all but sprinted to the medical room, right on his heels. They reached the door, where she looked at him nervously. But he merely opened the door, looking inside. Not a lot of people were around, considering the time, but it was still shocking not to see everyone gathering around.

Jumpy and Mighty Ray were there, along with Rosefinch. Commander Apetrully was fidgeting in the corner while Woo was taking care of Mystique Sonia. No one else was in sight.

"Mystique Sonia?" Lin Chung asked quietly.

Mystique Sonia looked up. Her hair had grown longer, now brushing her back. Her eyes were dark and haunted, her skin unnaturally pale, even for her. She was dressed in the greens of a hospital robe.

"Lin Chung." She breathed out, eyes alighting with recognition.

Lin Chung walked over to the bed, making himself kneel at the side of the bed in an effort to make himself look smaller. "How are you?"

"Where am I?" Mystique Sonia demanded.

"You're in East Citadel."

"This…no." Mystique Sonia shook her head firmly. "No. I was in East Citadel. There isn't a room like this in East Citadel."

"We renovated during the previous wars." Lin Chung murmured. "The medical wing was added as there wasn't enough space in the main body."

"What?" Mystique Sonia asked, sounding scared. "I was only gone for a month. What war? What're you talking about?" She drew back from Lin Chung.

"Sonia, you've been missing for nearly eight years."

"Eight…eight years? No. No. I was caught a few weeks ago. Yaksha…Yaksha was…"

"Where is Yaksha?" Lin Chung asked gently.

"He…they killed him." Mystique Sonia breathed, horrified. "They…it was only yesterday…poor Yaksha." She whispered, starting to cry.

"Mystique Sonia." Lin Chung said quietly. "You're safe now. No one can get you now."

"I'm safe?" She asked, almost hesitantly. "I'm fine?"

"Yes." Lin Chung nodded firmly. "You're in East Citadel now. And you're going to stay here."

Mystique Sonia managed a tremulous smile in Lin Chung's direction before she lay back down, turning to face the wall. Everyone got up and left. Lady Green was disappointed she didn't get to speak with Mystique Sonia, but maybe it was a good thing - after all, everyone knew that Lin Chung was the best at these types of situations.

"Are you alright?" Lin Chung asked Lady Green quietly once they were out of earshot.

Lady Green shrugged. "I don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I-I can't get over that. I know people are telling me it isn't my fault, but…I feel like it is. I was the one that caused her to be captured. If I had been more alert…why her and not me?"

Lin Chung placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There are some things that can never be explained, no matter how much we would want it to be. The only thing we can do is accept it as the unexplainable and live in the present instead of focusing on the past."

Lady Green smiled wearily at him. "That doesn't stop me from feeling bad, though."

"Nothing can ever stop you feeling bad. The only thing that comes from it is that it becomes easier to cope."

But even though she knew he was right, she couldn't stop herself from feeling that way.

"Why am I going to do this?" Darian asked, frowning.

"Because you've been in this type of situation before. You'll understand her. Maybe she'll find a kindred spirit in you." Lady Green explained. Despite them having planned to leave this week, she had pushed back the wedding and them moving back about a month, so as to be around Sonia more.

Vincent had agreed readily.

"Please, Darian?" Lady Green asked.

Darian sighed. He could never say no to that face. "But I'm not to be blamed if she runs out screaming."

"Fine."

Darian entered the room hesitantly. Lin Chung was crouched next to Sonia, talking to her quietly. He looked up as Darian entered and smiled. He turned back. "Sonia, this is Lord Darian. He's Lady Green's older brother. We found him while searching for you."

Mystique Sonia looked up silently.

Darian gulped. She was pretty, he wouldn't deny that, but what worried him was the fact that Lin Chung was now leaving the room.

"I need to go now. Lady Green will come in soon to see how you're doing."

Mystique Sonia nodded and watched Lin Chung's retreating back until the door clicked close.

She looked at Darian.

"Hello, Mystique Sonia, was it?"

"You're Darian?"

"Yes." Darian smiled. "Don't worry, I'm as weirded out as you about doing this."

Mystique Sonia smiled. "That's nice."

"Is it?" Darian asked.

Mystique Sonia frowned. "I don't really know."

Darian laughed at that, pleased to see Mystique Sonia slowly bearing a small smile.

"Is your sister still Second General?"

"Actually…" Darian trailed off. "I'm Second General now."

"What happened?" Mystique Sonia asked, eyes wide. "I thought that her face was fine."

"No, it was!" Darian quickly reassured her. "She's just getting married to some guy and moving away."

"Who?" Mystique Sonia asked. "I hope it's not Lin Chung."

"Why?" Darian asked. "You crushing on him?"

It was weird. He shouldn't be talking about these sort of things with her. She had just came back from a traumatic experience, for crying out loud!

Mystique Sonia giggled. "No. He's more like my older brother. I'm just saying…I don't really know what I'm saying."

Darian laughed. "It's Vincent, actually. He's the Second-in-Command of Alpha Girl Latifah."

Mystique Sonia perked up. "I might have heard of him."

"I hope you already got a good look at him, because that is the last time you're going to see him whole and perfect."

Mystique Sonia laughed. "Protective older brother?"

"No." Darian protested sulkily, crossing his arms. "They all say that, but it's not true."

Another laugh. Mystique Sonia smiled at him. "You're not that bad, Darian."

Darian flushed. "Neither are you." then, quickly realising how it could be taken, he added, "Not that you're bad. I mean, I just-you're lovely, I just-"

Mystique Sonia laughed again. "I understand." She leaned back, genuine smile on her lips. "People usually say a lot of things about me and boys. I guess time in captivity made me change my views. Be more appreciative, I guess."

Lord Darian smiled. "I know what you mean. When I was younger, all I wanted was for my sister to go away. Now…I just want to cherish all my time with her, since I don't know what could happen, what with all these crazy wars springing up."

"Yeah…what are these wars? I always hear them but I don't know what they actually are."

"Oh." Darian perked up. "There's the Fang-La Campaign, which you were apart of. Then there's the Sino-Manchu war. And I guess people nowadays usually refer the civil war against Highroller and the war against the Warlords as another of these wars."

"We beat Manchuria?" Mystique Sonia sounded disbelieving. "No way."

The conversation started in earnest, and none of them noticed Lady Green quietly peep in and smile before turning and leaving with a quiet click of the door.

Wei watched Lin Chung carefully. His reaction was everything in this matter. Lin Chung seemed to be thinking deeply about this, so Wei kept silent. Eventually, he spoke. "What do you think?"

Lin Chung looked up. "You want to send Mighty Ray, Mr. NoHands and Alpha Girl Latifah to the North?"

Wei nodded. "There have been signs of warlord activity. They are some of the most competent warriors who are experienced with dealing with this sort of thing. Any elite that Mr. NoHands trains can be tested in the North's rather abrupt weather."

"Why Mighty Ray though?"

Wei shrugged. "It seems like the right choice. Mighty Ray isn't exactly prospering entirely here - there's too much going on that he's going to get buried under. Sending him to the North with soldiers under his command will prompt him to be more serious about matters like that."

Lin Chung sighed. "You want to send two of Mystique Sonia's closest friends to the North after she is just found?"

"I originally intended to send the three when Lord Darian was declared Second General, but I delayed the plans due to…"

"Lady Green's wedding."

"Exactly." Wei nodded. "I'm not as oblivious as you think. I know Lady Green prefers for all those from Big Green to participate in her wedding."

"And this is better? How exactly?"

"Lady Green has delayed her wedding by nearly two weeks. It is enough time for the trio to get to the North, settle down, and travel back by rocket."

"Even if they are travelling by rocket, it will take a good two to three days to reach the North."

"I am aware." Wei said.

Lin Chung exhaled. "Very well. But I am the one to tell them."

"Do it within the week, or I will."

Mighty Ray was worried. He wasn't in trouble (at least, he didn't think so) so why was he called to a room with only NoHands and Alpha Girl Latifah there? He looked up as Lin Chung entered.

"Lin Chung." NoHands greeted.

"Mr. NoHands." Lin Chung smiled wearily. "I know that you all have your own commitments, so I will make this short and to the point. You three are being chosen to a new post in the North to block out any warlord activities."

That took some time to process. "What?" Mighty Ray asked, rather stupidly.

Lin Chung sighed. "The Emperor has decided that you three are going to take a new post at the North, which not only will strengthen our borders there, but will also help clamp down on any warlord activities."

"How?" Alpha Girl Latifah demanded. "He expects us to just drop everything and move?"

"Yes." Lin Chung nodded solemnly. "He expects you to be gone by the end of next week if you want to have time to return to Lady Green's wedding, though that is considering if nothing goes wrong."

"What?" Mr. NoHands demanded.

"Did you know about this?" Mighty Ray asked.

Lin Chung shook his head. "I only found out a few days ago. The original plan was to send you once Darian was declared Second General, but it was pushed back in favour of Lady Green's wedding. Now that we've found Mystique Sonia and Lady Green isn't planning to have her wedding for another two weeks or so, the Emperor has decided that it is high time we set this plan into motion."

"But-" Mighty Ray trailed off. "He just wants us gone?"

The First General's face was both sympathetic and kind. "I don't presume to know what runs in our Emperor's mind, Mighty Ray. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do. He has already planned out everything, and you know as well as I do that once he has, he will not turn back unless it is a matter of life and death."

"But Mystique Sonia…we just found her."

"I know." Lin Chung sighed. "Which is why the sooner you leave and settle down, the sooner you'll return and the longer you can stay for until Lady Green's wedding. If you would like me to do so, I can ask Lady Green to push her wedding back just another week or so more, but…"

"Ultimately, we're moving, whether we like it or not."

Lin Chung smiled ruefully. "Such is the way of a monarchy, Alpha Girl."

"We'll leave the day after tomorrow. Say goodbye to Mystique Sonia and our friends."

Lin Chung stood up, nodding. "I'll spread the word so they go to you instead of you having to go to them. You'll have more time to pack this way."

"Thank you, Lin Chung." Mr. NoHands nodded.

Lin Chung smiled. "I'll have Rosefinch prepare the rockets for the day after tomorrow."