Far East Branch Headquarters - Veteran's Floor

A few days had passed since Neo awoke from her slumber. Falling in battle to her former comrade, she was left in a pitiful state with only hours left to live. Upon her return to Headquarters, she found herself lost indefinitely in the world of dreams. She hadn't a clue how long she had been asleep. She could only remember the events leading up to her comatose state.

She remembered following him into the Infernal Subway. She wasn't fond of the location, as being surrounded by pools of flaming liquid didn't strike her as an ideal getaway, but she didn't care. He trusted Ichi and would follow him anywhere. From the moment he arrived in her room to collect her, she knew that something was wrong.

While it was uncommon for him to call on her at odd hours of the night, it did occasionally happen. What concerned her were the subtle difference in his mannerisms throughout their journey. She could tell from the way his eyes sank to the ground. She could tell from the way he walked as they made their way down the corridor. Ichi's steps always fell heavier when he was upset. She knew him too well.

She wasn't sure what had upset him and had planned to ask him about it during their transport… but the ride had been silent with him staring blankly out of the open door. That was another sign. Ichi always made conversation with her, even if it were simply to ask how she felt about the upcoming mission. But on this night, he said nothing. He simply stared up at the starry sky, avoiding her gaze.

He had been avoiding eye contact often as of late. Honestly, he had been avoiding her almost entirely for the past week. He made sure to briskly travel to and from the lobby upon their departure and their return. He made his reports to Tsubaki last for as long as possible, before quickly busying himself with some other task. He wouldn't return to his room for hours at a time. And some nights… he wouldn't return at all. After the fourth night, she stopped coming to his room. She could tell that she was no longer wanted.

The most recent avoidance at been the most painful. During their mission in the Sunken Grid, she had made a misstep, and lost her footing. The fall had twisted her wrist and left her feeling sore. It wasn't anything that wouldn't heal before the end of the evening, but it had still made her uncomfortable. She had reached for her companion to rest on him, as she always had for years… but he pushed her away. As he shied away from her touch, she felt her heart shatter into tiny pieces. Instead, she had rested upon the nearest shoulder, which had been Kota's. She turned away from her companion to hide her tears. He was truly upset with her, but she didn't know why. What had she done wrong?

Later in the evening, she had made her way to his room to ask him that question. She had stood outside of his door for half an hour pondering what she would say to him and how… but in the end, she had lost her nerve. She noticed Soma observing her from down the hallway and she didn't want him to see her cry. So instead, she gave up and returned to her own room for the night to rest. It had been on that night that he arrived in her room to take her on their late-night outing.

If she were being completely honest, she had some reservations about the mission. However, she had decided to disregard them for fear of upsetting him further. Besides, she was happy just to spend time with him.

When they arrived, they began searching for their targets… at least that was what they appeared to be doing. In reality, he was leading her to an inner cavern deep within the subway tunnels. When they stopped, she was in a large clearing surrounded by fire. She wanted to ask him what they were doing. But she never got the chance. At the sight of his trembling shoulders, her question died in her throat. He was crying. Why was he so upset?

Then he apologized. She didn't know what for. She noticed him gripping his God Arc in the way he always did in preparation for a strike. She didn't know why. There were no Aragami nearby. But as she watched the familiar twitch in his shoulder, she knew why they were there. She easily avoided his swing. The battle began on even footing, although he was quickly pushing her back. He knew that keeping her at close range would put her at a disadvantage. He knew her too well.

But she had used that knowledge against him. She had feigned, forcing him to misjudge her movements and allow her to place some distance between them. She kept him away with her extended scythe for a as long as she could, but her swings were slow. She was tired. She had been exhausted and bludgeoned by endless days and tiring nights. And the overwhelming heat of their surrounding area was slowly sapping her strength. She was slowing down. Then, Ichi had surprised her.

Using her own strategy against her, he had feigned and tricked her into giving him an opening. Then, he was upon her. He closed the distance in an instant, raising his blade to strike her down… but for some reason, he didn't. He hesitated in his final strike, allowing her to make the smallest distance. It had been barely a step, but it was one that would save her life as his initial strike would surely have ended her. Unable to keep her weapon extended any longer, she lost control of it, allowing it to snap back into place. And when it did, the blade had struck Ichi on the way back, cutting him open. Now both of them were bleeding on the ground, although she was far worse for wear.

As he stood, she knew that the end was coming. She was too weak to fight any longer. As he slowly approached her, she saw the look in his eyes and she knew. She could see the pain and desperation through his clouded gaze. She could see the tears threatening to spill and the trembling of his hands.

He didn't want to hurt her.

Surely, he had his reasons, but he didn't want to. That alone brought joy to her heart. She wasn't afraid to die. In fact, she had tried to a number of times. She had no qualms of being freed from her mortal chains. And she could think of none better to finally release her soul than him. As he raised his blade, she smiled gratefully at him… her final parting gift.

Then he stopped. Upon seeing her face, he faltered once again. Something was bothering him. Then she watched him reach into his pocket. She knew what he was searching for. And as the music began to play, she let her mind and body relax. She hadn't a clue what he had planned to do with her once he commanded her to sleep… but she was certain he would make it as painless as possible. That was his way.

…But he had never gotten the chance. Soma had found them and called her name. Her real name. The name she had been given by Hiroyuki upon her designation. Next-Generation Enhanced Operative; or NEO for short. And at the sound of her name, she awakened. All of her repressed memories, thoughts, and feelings flooded to the surface like a torrent. She was overwhelmed by her raging thoughts and tried to drown them out with her voice… and as a result they were quickly surrounded.

It seemed that she only caused trouble for Ichi… so she decided to try to help him instead. She devoured as much concentrated Oracle power as she could and built her charge. Unleashing a paralyzing blast, she cleared a path for their escape. Her intention had been to save the two of them, leaving her to fate. But to they had a different plan in mind. Soma had taken her and was carrying her towards the exit, with Ichi close behind. But upon nearing their destination, they were stopped.

The Vajra were coming… and they soon would overtake them.

She wanted to tell them to run. To leave her behind and make their escape, but she didn't have the strength. And she was powerless to stop her companion as he charged into battle, leaving her and Soma to flee to safety. He had been injured in their conflict, so she worried for him. But he was strong. He would be alright. He would return to her. He always did…

But he hadn't returned. After failing to find him in the Den, she had floated around the compound, waiting patiently for his arrival. Then a day passed. Then another. And another. Where was he?

The elevator rang as it slowed, reaching her desired floor. She stepped from the lift and turned down the hallway, heading once again toward her companion's room. Surely he would need to return to his quarters eventually. She just had to arrive at the right time.

"… new quarters."

Hm?

The sound of a familiar voice reached her ears. It sounded like Major Amamiya, but that didn't make sense to her. What was she doing on the veteran's floor? She wasn't sure why, but she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the sound of their conversation. She recognized their position from the distance of their voices.

Rounding the corner, Neo saw three people already standing outside of her destination. Two of them she was familiar with. The other was a new face. His features felt vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place where exactly she had seen him. Had she met him in passing?

"Yeah, moving closer to the rest of the team would be beneficial. Hm… hey, what about this room? It's close to Soma's and not too far from Sakuya's."

"Ah… Yes well, the previous Captain used to reside in this room."

"Makes sense."

"I wouldn't."

The unfamiliar person turned to Soma and frowned.

"Eh? How come?"

"Because it's a bad idea."

"Bad… it's nearly equal distance from each veteran officer. It's probably the best position to move to."

"It is."

"Uh… so then what's the -"

Lenka had no time to react as Soma closed the distance between them in an instant. Grabbing his arm, he yanked the New Type backward away from the sliding door just as a furious hand swiped the previous position of his face. Turning, he came face-to-face with the woman from the other day. He recognized her violet hair and brown skin. She had nearly bowled him over in the lobby not too long ago. This was actually the first time that he had seen her since that day… and she looked livid.

"Whoa, what the hell?!"

"Reaper, what is the meaning of this?!"

Tsubaki stepped between them, leveling a piercing glare in her direction that would turn nearly anyone to stone.

Anyone except for Neo.

The New Type, undeterred by the Major, snarled and returned her gaze three-fold. Her fingers twitched at her sides as she stared fearlessly up at the much taller woman before her. Behind her, Soma unhanded Lenka and made his way around. While the physical difference between was noticeable, he knew better than to be fooled by her size. Even without the use of her electricity, Neo was dangerous. And were Tsubaki to threaten her…

"Neo, calm down."

Her expression softened slightly at Soma's voice, watching as he maneuvered around the Major to face her. Neo eyed the three of them carefully, her gaze growing sharper as it passed over Lenka. She hadn't let her guard down, but he could see that at the very least, she was willing to listen. He watched as she raised her hands and began to sign. He found it strange that she would revert to silent language now that she was capable of speech, but Neo was strategic. She knew that the other two wouldn't be able to understand them and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Soma raised his hands and signed back to her, earning a frown from the New Type. Lenka watched in confusion as the pair signed back and forth, their conversation utterly incomprehensible to either of them. He didn't have the slightest clue what they were talking about, but Reaper didn't seem happy about it. Her final signs to him were wild and erratic, suggesting anger or extreme irritation. He blinked as she shifted her attention. He could feel her gaze tearing right through him.

"Find someplace else."

With those words, she turned and storm into the room, locking it behind her.

The three remained in stunned silence, unsure of how to react for multiple reasons. The first of which was Neo's blatant disregard for Tsubaki's authority. While soldiers did occasionally disobey the Major, both Lenka and Soma included, none had ever done so with such malice. And Reaper no less. Reaper didn't disobey.

Soma turned around, facing the extremely irritated Major and surprised Captain. Utsugi's expression was reasonable. He had only met their missing member twice now, and neither one of them had left a good impression. The fact that she had tried to claw him certainly didn't seem to bode well for any future teamwork… of course, Neo had tried to rend Soma as well during her time as Reaper so perhaps all wasn't lost.

The veteran himself wasn't the least bit surprised. She had reacted, for the most part, exactly as he had expected her to at the thought of someone trying to take Ichiro's place. In front of him, Tsubaki glared daggers at the closed doorway, her eye twitching with barely restrained rage. Soma's eyes drifted slowly between the furious Major and the locked bedroom door, mentally sighing with relief.

While she often carried herself with calm, authoritative poise, it was no secret that she had a dangerous temper when provoked. It was part of what left many so frightened of her. The problem was, Neo had a temper too, and hers was far less restrained. He felt his entire body tense as he realized just how narrowly he had avoided the two women coming to blows.

Sensing the tension, Lenka stepped forward, hoping to help clear the air.

"Is this what you meant by unpredictable?"

"Pretty much." Soma shrugged.

"Uh… so what do we do?"

"Nothing. Leave her alone."

Sighing, Tsubaki closed her eyes and took a calming breath. While she was far from pleased with the New Type's behavior, she was sympathetic. She knew all too well the pain of losing someone so dear, and this woman had learned of his death immediately after awaking from a coma…

…and Reaper wasn't exactly stable to begin with.

For now, it was probably to follow Soma's advice and leave her be. They weren't getting her out of that room in the near future anyway.

"Come, Utsugi. There is another room nearby."

"Sure thing."

The Major turned and stalked down the hallway, with the Squad Leader in tow. As he passed, he eyed Soma carefully. Attentive as he was to others, he had noticed the veteran's unusual shift in behavior and body language. He noticed his careful placement between Tsubaki and the doorway, as well as his slight shift as they passed him by. It was clear he didn't want either one them going anywhere near the door.

With the duo safely away from the doorway, Soma silently released the breath that he had been holding. He watched the pair continue on, blissfully unaware of the danger they had scarcely avoided. Turning his head slightly, his eyes watched the doorway. While the other two remained ignorant, his ears could hear the light crackle of electricity coursing through the metal door. Having safely prevented what would certainly have been a nasty shock, he followed down the hallway after the others. Neo didn't want to be bothered right now and he knew better than to press the issue.

. . .

On the other side the New Type leaned against the door, her scarf resting against the door, a steady current flowing through surface. She sat on the floor with her head in her arms, wrapped tightly around her legs which she held to her chest. Alone in the dark room, her shoulders trembled as the tears fell freely from her eyes.

"I'll be right behind you."

He said he would be right behind them.

"Don't worry, Neo. I'm only going to slow them down."

He said that he would return.

"Don't worry, Reaper… I will always be here."

He promised he would never leave her alone.

All of the years that she had spent in that underground facility. The endless experiments and the senseless torture. The mutilation and violation of her body and mind. She had withstood it all… and none of it compared to how she felt now in this moment. Why? Why had he left her all alone?

"…Liar."

She could feel her sadness boiling over into rage as she fell into despair. He had lied to her. He was no longer there with her. He was gone… and he hadn't even had the decency to take her with him. He had left her to live on, alone. And she knew, as she had tried many times before, that she could not join him.

. . .

"Will this suffice?"

Major Amamiya stood in the doorway as Utsugi looked around the room. It was more than enough to suit his needs and the positioning wasn't too much farther from the other room. In fact, it was only two doors down, across the hall from Soma's. This location kept him close the other veterans in the event of an emergency. It also allowed him to keep an eye on their unusual sixth member… assuming she ever came out of that room.

"It's great."

"Very well. If there's nothing else -"

"Actually, I do have one question."

Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, prompting him to speak.

"Who's room was that anyway?"

"Hamasaki's. Is there anything else?"

"…No. Nothing at all."

Soma's eyes narrowed as he saw the expression shift on Utsugi's face. First he looked surprised. Then pensive. Something was on his mind.

Nodding, the Major turned and left the room, heading down the hallway to attend to other matters. He slowly followed behind, turning his head slightly as the door slid closed behind them. Utsugi was still standing in the center of the room, lost in thought. As the metal slab locked into place, he heard him muttering to himself.

"Hamasaki…"