Far East Branch Headquarters - Veteran's Floor

"Sakaki!"

"Uwah!"

The startled doctor stumbled forward as a furious God Eater accosted him in the hallway in transit to his laboratory. He was grateful that no doors had been damaged with his entry this time, but this man seriously needed to learn how to properly approach people.

"Yes… what is it, Soma?"

Turning around, he noticed the source of his aggravation. Struggling behind him was his favorite New Type, writhing violently against the iron grip around her wrist. She was nearly covered in blood, a large portion of which was concentrated around her shoulders. A sigh threatened to escape him as he recognized the familiar scene. A stubborn man trying desperately to convince an even more stubborn woman to act in her own self-interest. This display was far more aggressive than those he had witnessed nearly two decades in the past, but the general behavior was the same.

"She may require sedation…"

Neo shrieked, yanking against her captor with renewed vigor in response to his words. Soma braced himself, tightening his grip around her wrist as she flailed against him like a feral animal. She was accustomed to situations like these. She was used to being dragged into medical wards to receive treatment that she rarely required. But she was used to being held hostage by her human companion, Ichiro. To face a foe similar to herself was proving more difficult. His physical strength was far greater than that of an unaltered human male and she was having a harder time trying to escape from his death grip.

"Neo, knock it off. You need treatment. Stop it!"

Soma's words were ignored as her wrenching continued. It was taking all of his strength just to hold her in place and chances were that without her injury, he possibly couldn't even do that. It had been like this from the moment they had entered the floor. Neo had been fine as they entered the lobby and stumbled their way into the elevator. The ride had been uneventful and she had stood quietly beside him as they rose upward.

But the moment the metal doors opened her demeanor had changed. Recognizing the familiar hallway, she tore from the lift and made for the nearest stairwell. Half-expecting her reaction, Soma had lunged after her and caught her by the arm, halting her escape. Bracing himself, he had dragged her down the hallway towards the laboratory. After observing Hamasaki's display weeks ago, he knew that striking first was the best way to discourage her from using her discharge, as his locked muscles would only make it more difficult to break free. He felt a sense of relief wash over him as he noticed the eccentric doctor exiting one of the rooms, mumbling something about Oracle Cell infusion.

"Ah, perfect. Doctor Sakaki. Do you want us to -"

A door slid open and a female lab technician entered the hallway, seemingly searching for Paylor as well. But her sentence was cut short with a yelp as the New Type changed course. Soma stumbled and nearly lost his balance as Neo shifted from flight to fight. Instead of trying to pull her forward, he was now trying to desperately to hold her back as she lunged toward the unsuspecting doctor. The woman turned and quickly pressed the button, retreating back into the safety of the room and away from the now enraged New Type.

The moment she vanished from sight Soma found himself jerked in the opposite direction as Neo turned again, yanking him towards the stairwell. He was starting to get whiplash from her indecision and it was pissing him off. Did Hamasaki have to deal with this every single day? He must have had the patience of a saint.

Sakaki straightened his glasses and pondered for a moment. Perhaps it would be better to move her someplace different. He was running tests inside of his laboratory and dragging the irate woman into a room full of lab workers didn't seem like the most intelligent decision. The underground facility seemed a better option. It was an unfamiliar location and less likely to elicit a negative response.

"Right then. I think it's best if we -"

"Ack!"

Neo turned again, shifting her weight, and running towards Sakaki, forcing Soma to alter his stance again to follow her changing direction. The moment his feet moved, she turned and swiped toward his face with her razor sharp nails. Alarmed, Soma stepped backward, loosening his grip slightly as he narrowly avoided having his face torn open… and providing Neo with the opportunity she required.

Tearing herself from his grip, she looped around him and bolted down the hallway toward the stairwell, leaving an aggravated Soma in her wake. He turned to pursue her, pushing his Oracle Cells to increase his speed as the pair of them rushed down the long, empty hallway.

But his chase was in vain. There was no matching her acceleration as she rushed down the open corridor, her bounds becoming larger with every stride. She quickly placed distance between them before bursting through the stairwell door. Designed to open the opposite way, she threw it from its attachments and rushed up the stairs toward the veteran's floor, earning a sigh from the tired doctor. It seemed they would need to fix another door after all.

The quiet ticking of the clock echoed loudly in the silent room. All was still with the exception of a bundle of fabric shivering in the side of the room. Beneath it Neo lay curled in a ball beneath the bedsheets. Her breaths came in shaky exhales as she tried her best to endure. The bleeding had finally halted, but the pain remained. She appreciated Soma's concern for her safety, but there was no way that he was convincing her to step foot into that room. She would much rather suffer on her own terms.

"…in?"

Hmm?

Neo froze beneath the sheets, her senses sharpening as she grew alert. She cursed under her breath as another knock sounded against the door. Confident that he wouldn't follow her, she had left the door unlocked and made herself vulnerable. She closed her eyes and focused, channeling her Oracle Cells into her scarf as she tried to build charge. She had no intention of going down without a fight.

"Hurk!"

But she failed. Her charge faded as a sharp pain coursed through her entire body. She was defenseless. Scowling, she held completely still, hoping instead to blend into the darkness of the room. She would wait until he approached her. She would lie in wait like a cobra, biding her time for the perfect moment to strike.

"Hello…? Neo, I know you're in there."

The voice emanating from the doorway wasn't Soma's at all. What was she doing here…?

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Neo said nothing. She remained still in the bed, freezing in place as the door slid open. Alisa entered from the hallway and looked around, sweeping her eyes across the darkened bedroom. Her eyes detected no movement within the four walls, but she did notice an unnatural lump of fabric clustered against the corner of the bed. She was definitely in there.

But Alisa wasn't foolish enough to approach her in such a volatile state. Even with her charge disabled, she still had her claws and unnatural strength. She could easily snap her neck if she had a mind to, so it was best not to agitate her further. Instead, she kept her distance. She would tread carefully and allow Neo to conduct the conversation on her terms.

"You don't need to worry. I'm not here to take you to the Sick Bay. I just want to talk."

The New Type said nothing, viewing her words as meaningless. She remained silent and still, choosing to err on the side of caution. Alisa was a highly trained operative and could easily be acting as an agent sent to extract her from her domain… but her following words challenged her resolve.

"Soma doesn't know that I'm here. You're safe."

Alisa had pinpointed Neo's worries, reading her mind, and voicing her concerns without a moment's hesitation. How? They were loosely acquainted and she hardly knew her. How could she possibly have come to know her so well to follow her thought processes, and in such a short span of time…?

Then, she realized.

Alisa did know her. Very intimately. She had seen her thoughts and shared her memories. She felt them firsthand as they resonated from her hospital bed. She had felt all of the darkest experiences in her life, even those that she had hidden from those closest to her. The woman standing near the doorway knew her better than anyone… even better than him.

Slowly, the sheets began to move. She didn't reveal herself but scooted closer toward the wall. She was making room for her on the bed. Alisa carefully took a step forward. Then another. Her eyes watched the mound of blankets carefully for any signs of sudden movement. It was unwise to approach her carelessly, regardless of how vulnerable she seemed at that moment. She was skillful at appearing defenseless and lowering her opponent's guard. She was a predator by design. That was what they had made her to be.

But Neo did nothing in response. She laid silently against the bed, waiting patiently for her comrade to reach her.

As she did, Alisa sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a careful distance from her. She gingerly lowered her weight, trying to avoid jostling the bed and agitating her injuries. She knew how much pain she was in. She had experienced it before.

"How are you feeling?"

"Awful."

"I'm sure. Are you going to be alright?" She knew the answer. But still, she felt compelled to ask the question.

"Eventually."

"…Okay."

The two sat in comfortable silence. She had no more to say. What could they possibly ask each other at that point? There was nothing about either woman that the other didn't already know. Their resonance had unintentionally forged a powerful bond between them, and with it, the knowledge that the two of them actually had quite a lot in common. Alisa had been born as a human and Neo as an experiment. But both women had been groomed, manipulated, and exploited, all for the purpose of transforming them into lethal weapons. In a way, they shared a strange kinship with one another… and somehow, it was comforting.

"…Have you told anyone?"

"Not a soul."

Alisa didn't need to ask. She knew what she was referring to. She wanted to know if she had divulged any of her secrets and she hadn't. While the administration had tried adamantly to get answers out of her, she had refused to so much as utter a word. The memories were too painful to recount. She never wanted to relive those recollections ever again. And even if they hadn't been, she still wouldn't speak. She knew that doing so could put her in serious danger. No one could know the truth of her origins, especially not Utsugi.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Neo smiled beneath the sheets as Alisa smiled on the bed. She had never met another woman that she could call a friend before. Ichiro had always been her only companion within the branch, and Soma outside of it. Everyone else had either viewed her with contempt, wanted to use her, or simply wanted her dead. Yet she had found one in the most unexpected of places. The thought of someone learning so much of her past should have upset her, but it didn't. Instead it brought her relief. There was someone in this world that could truly understand her… and she was happy for it.

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters - Training Room

Days passed following their mission, and Neo remained in recovery inside of Hamasaki's bedroom. After much argument, it was finally decided that it would be best to simply leave her be. The damage done had not been with blaze and her regenerative properties ensured that she would heal. Soma had been displeased with the idea of leaving her bloodied in Ichiro's room, but it wasn't like he could do anything to safely get her out of there anyway.

But that didn't mean that he was willing to let the situation go. Neo's injury had shed light on a deeper, much larger problem. He had been watching her, ever since their rescue mission with Hamasaki. He recalled vividly the image of the pair dancing across the battlefield. They were poetry in motion, with their fighting styles complimenting the other in the most natural ways possible. Ichiro excelled in defensive combat, protecting those around him and placing himself in harm's way. Neo was the opposite, excelling in offensive strategy, dealing as much damage as possible before quickly retreating to safety.

And while each God Eater was mighty in their own right, their combination was flawless, with each making up for the other's weaknesses. They were two parts of a whole and together, they created a force that could put even Soma to shame… but that was exactly the problem. Ichiro was gone. Left without her other half, Neo was in a vulnerable position and that had been made evident during their most recent mission in the field.

With such poor defenses, the New Type could find herself in serious trouble when placed in an unfavorable matchup. So far, this had been manageable as she often traveled with the rest of her unit. Even when alone, she generally returned unscathed, and any wounds she suffered would heal before she returned to Headquarters. But how long could that possibly last? The Aragami presence was growing stronger by the day with stranger and more powerful adversaries. And after nearly watching her bleed to death, he was painfully reminded that regardless of how powerful as she was, she wasn't invincible. Neo's eventual defeat was inevitable. And with her self-destructive tendencies, it was only a matter of time.

Soma however, had no intention of letting that happen. Regardless of whether or not she valued her own life, he did. And there was no way that he was going to idly watch his closest friend destroy herself. Thus, he had collected her and brought her into the underground training room to help her learn. The rest of the First Unit had been commandeered by Dr. Sakaki to cull the Aragami population within the Tranquil Temple. He had requested his own assistance as well, but he had opted to send Utsugi in his stead, leaving him with free time to help their New Type train.

Unfortunately, their session was going about as well as to be expected.

Neo grunted as she tumbled to the floor, growling in frustration as she held her arm. Soma watched as the cut slowly closed, the skin fusing together within seconds. It seemed that the experimentation reports had been accurate. She truly did heal faster under higher levels of stress… and she was currently under a lot of stress. Rising slowly to her feet, she lifted her scythe again, glaring at him.

"How many times do we have to do this?"

"Until you get it right."

Soma's response earned him a vicious scowl from his friend, who was far less than pleased with their current situation. For the past couple of hours, he had been attempting to teach the New Type proper use of her shield deployment to bolster her defensive capability. So far, she had made multiple attempts, and nearly all of them had failed.

But Soma refused to give up on her. He couldn't afford to. One of her greatest strengths also served as her greatest weakness. Small, nimble, and light, Neo was built for speed. Her flexible agile frame helped her to evade nearly any attack, allowing her to emerge from battle without even a hair out of place. But quick as she was, next to many God Eaters, she was comparatively fragile. She healed at an alarming rate, but her body simply wasn't designed to withstand heavy damage. She needed to learn to at the very least, block some form of incoming attack.

She groaned and lifted her God Arc again, carefully watching his movements. She watched his buster raise and prepared herself for his incoming strike. Neo could feel the energy radiating from his blade as he channeled his strength into his sword. He was going to use a charged strike.

Lifting her shield, Neo held steady as Soma lunged forward. His charge crush came down, colliding with her deployed buckler and halting his attack… temporarily.

"Ahh!"

Unable to withstand the force of the blow, Neo fell backward, her shield deactivating as she fell to the floor once again. Soma lifted his God Arc and watched her rise to her feet again, frustration evident on her face.

"If you activate your shield too quickly, it's going to run out of charge. You won't have it when you need it against powerful attacks. Try again."

Grumbling, Neo stretched her arms and readied her weapon once more. Her eyes scanned his every motion, observing his body language. He was holding his weapon downward. A blade so large couldn't possibly perform a powerful swing from that angle. He was going for a quick strike. Her eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword, stepping forward and swinging it outward in a wide arc. She lifted her shield again to deflect the blow, but she wasn't fast enough. The blade grazed across her forearm before the buckler activated, leaving a thin red line to appear in its wake.

"Grr…"

The wound had already begun to close as she raise her scythe again, watching him intently for his next movement. He was careful to keep himself at a purposeful distance from her. Any closer, and his attacks would undoubtedly do far worse than lacerations and scrapes. Soma frowned as he watched her. Her stance was purposeful, but her eyes were tired. She was clearly growing discouraged by her repeated failure.

Regardless of how many years had passed, Neo still possessed many of the scars of her youth. Even with her metal chains removed, she still held fear of punishment every time she fell short of her required task. He had noticed her subtle movements and gestures throughout their training session. He noticed the way that she flinched every time he corrected her. He saw the way that her body tensed every time she mistimed her placement. In the most severe cases, he visibly saw her hand raise toward her neck, trying to stop the impending shock.

Sighing, Soma lowered his weapon. There was no way that she was going to learn like this. She couldn't possibly absorb any useful information under constant fear of torturous consequences.

He heard a sharp intake of breath as his blade touched the ground, her body tensing as she watched his movements. Her reaction didn't surprise him. He had seen what would happen to her if she didn't show adequate improvement. But Soma had no intention of beating her. He never would. He needed to change her way of thinking.

"Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly at his words.

"Look… your problem is timing. You're reading my movements, but you aren't reacting at the right moment. If you lift your shield too quickly, you're gonna overload its durability and disengage it. If you lift it too slowly, you're gonna get hurt."

Neo sighed and lowered her scythe to the ground.

"I know that. I just… don't know how."

"The hell are you talking about? No one's better at reading movements than you."

Soma stared at her in disbelief. Was she serious? Neo was easily the most attentive person he had ever seen in his life, God Eater or otherwise. From the moment she entered a room her eyes swept the perimeter, locating every exit, every entry point, and every route. She noticed even the tiniest of reactions, from the blink of an eye to the shift of one's weight. She was always watching. Always learning. He wasn't sure whether or not her close attention to detail was an inborn trait, but it had certainly been honed and refined through years of working so closely with Hamasaki.

Wait a minute…

Struck with inspiration, Soma stepped forward. He knew how to teach her. He approached her slowly and watched her reaction to his movements. As he drew near enough, she began to react to him. Now within only feet of her, he placed his right foot forward. She placed her left foot back. He drifted to her left and watched as she followed him, keeping him at distance. He stepped quickly forward and watched as backed away with equal vigor. Then lifting his arm, he reached toward her own and offered his outstretched hand as though asking for a dance. Neo reacted without thinking, lifting her own hand, and placing it in his to accept is his offer. Linked, Soma turned and Neo followed, spinning comfortably around him.

Neo stared at him as he released her hand and stepped away from her.

"Pretty sure you know this already, but combat isn't that different from your hobby. Think of close range fighting like a dance. You need to read your opponent's movements and anticipate the precise moment of impact."

Her eyebrow raised slightly at his comparison. She had certainly never taken Soma for a dancer.

"The precise moment?"

"Like this."

Smirking, Soma stepped forward, reaching for her damaged scarf. Growling, Neo reacted immediately, lifting her arm, and smacking him away and deflecting his hand.

"Exactly."

Stepping away from her, Soma lifted his sword once more, challenging her. Then, he swung at her without warning. Alarmed, Neo quickly raised her shield as he lifted his arm. Her body trembled from the vibrations as his sword struck her buckler with a loud clang. She had blocked him.

It wasn't perfect, but it was by far the greatest success she had had so far.

"Not bad."

Soma could feel a smirk tugging at his lips as she smiled. Her eyes lit up like a child at a carnival, reveling in his praise.

"Ready to go again?"

He felt satisfaction as Neo dropped into a defensive stance, eyeing him carefully. She was fully engaged, her interest renewed. Within moments, they returned to their practice session, this time with far more vigor than when they had begun.